Protein, Vitamins, and Supplements

My dietician is great and has helped me, though I privately question if she's just a little stricter than necessary when it comes to sugar grams. She's fairly fixated on the idea that things should contain 1 gram or less of sugar. When I showed her a printout of the nutrition label on the Bariatricpal multi's I ordered, she told me they have too much sugar. She actually told me I'll have to replace them with another option that has less sugar. My jaw honestly fell open a bit. I was agreeable so as not to offend her, but I just think she's being unnecessarily strict. The Bariatricpal multi's meet or exceed (often exceed) the specific nutritional values specif…

What is your favorite protein bars? Extra points if you post pics and nutritional info.

Introduction Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for obesity and obesity-related health conditions, including diabetes, sleep apnea, and hypertension [1]. With this transformative procedure comes a new way of life that often requires significant adjustments to dietary habits. One essential aspect of post-bariatric surgery care is ensuring patients receive adequate vitamins and minerals to support their overall health. This article will discuss the importance of using a one-per-day multivitamin capsule for bariatric surgery patients, address the misconception that these patients have difficulties swallowing capsules, and review relevant medical studies. T…

Before surgery I could drink the premiere protein shakes with no problems. Since surgery they make me sick. I'm in the process of ordering PROTI 15 drink mix since that's what hospital gave me & I could tolerate it. In the meantime is there anything else I could try that's similar?

I am just wondering if anyone else here has suffered from severe anemia. Just a quick background, I had the sleeve, which leaked. Then RNY. I am vegetarian. I am wondering if the surgeries (I had stents put in when I had the leak (total of 7 attempts and then it had to be sewn in place) have damaged something that is leading to anemia? I have had anemia for a couple of years now - I had a series of 5 infusions of Iron, but it didn't do much for me. I asked my obgyn (who was checking hormones) to add in my Iron levels, and sure enough it's still low and so I am going back to see her. I KNOW she's going to flag me now for a colonoscopy, because I guess that…

So I noticed this morning that Unjury has a cherry cola, moonbeam mist (sprite?) and root beer flavored powders, but there are no sample packs, unfortunately. Has anyone tried these and have reviews to offer by any chance?!

Exciting news for all bariatric patients! The BariatricPal Store has added the delicious and nutritious Protein2o Orange Mango Whey Protein Isolate Powder to its product line. This powder is perfect for those looking for a premium whey protein isolate with a burst of tangy orange and juicy mango flavor. Not only does it taste amazing, but it's also lower in calories and contains 0g of sugar, making it a great option for those trying to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. And, with the added electrolytes, it provides the fuel you need to tackle your next adventure. If you're a fan of fruity flavors, this powder is a must-try! Personally, it's one of my favorite…

Hey folks! Happy new year and I hope you all had a great holiday! I was wondering if anyone has had any experience covering their vitamins, supplements etc... through an fsa account. I know they ask for a medical necessity letter from your doctor. Just curious if this worked for anyone. I added 1k to my account this year and I'm afraid I won't get much use out of it outside of these things.

Have any of you heard of or tried Algaecal? I have been on the lookout for a good calcium vitamin and I came across these on Amazon. Usually when looking at a Calcium bottle, it will say Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Citrate, or Calcium Phosphate (usually gummies), but this one says that the Calcium is "AlgaeCal l. superpositum" which I have never heard of. It says it's Plant Based Calcium. I did check their website and they actually mention bariatric surgery patients, which is why I was curious. (https://blog.algaecal.com/what-you-can-do-to-protect-your-bones-for-surgery-patients/).

Hi! I've been doing some cupboard cleaning and I found that I have a full case of Bariatric Advantage Clear Protein drinks (https://www.bariatricadvantage.com/item/clearly-protein) and 7 or 8 bottles of Premier Protein Clear Protein Drink. I would like to pass it along to someone that can pick it up. I'm in Brentwood, East Bay Area.

I had surgery on 12/21 and am one week post op. Overall things are going as expected. I wanted to see if anyone drinks Advocare Spark and if they are using this product post op. Advocare Spark is my only source of energy as I don’t drink coffee and I am really missing it. I understand caffeine is a no-no post op, but if anyone has any real world experience to share I would appreciate it. Thanks.

Ok ladies and gents. I am 1 month and 6 days post op from my bypass surgery and my biggest obstacle is getting my protein in. I buy the packs with the cubed meats, cashews and cheese (I am sick of cheese LOL) I am really at this point considering going back to be a pescatarian because those are the items that feel better going down. Non of that scratching, painful feeling I get with chicken or sausage. Now to the point, I am very allergic to artificial sweetners, sugar alcohol and Stevia so is there a simple protein powder shake I can take that does not have any of that (oh and plant based *no whey*)? Genepro unflavored protein powder in the silver bag was perfect,…

Hey all. A curious question came to mind. Does anyone have a favorite protein shake recipe that you love? I haven't had surgery yet, but I want to start getting used to protein shakes. I've seen a recipe where people make a protein Frappuccino and this other shake where they used a sugar free fat free pudding mixture in it.. so does anyone have a favorite?? The only go to shake I use is frozen banana with frozen strawberries with gnc lean shake. I add a little bit of honey. What could I used when I get surgery since I probably won't be able to use honey? Does anyone have a favorite drink other than gatorade, water and iced tea? Just want more options if I wan…

Hello, so I was set on wanting to use Bariatricpal once a day multivitamin but cost of shipping is more than the cost of 3 months of supply. So I am back on square one and not sure which brand to go with. Anyone from Canada? Which brand of supplements did you use, easily accessible for Canada, specifically Ontario?

For those of you with an iPhone, the new update (iOS 16) has added medication reminders native to the iPhone. You can find it in the Health app. If you own an Apple Watch as well, the reminders go right to your wrist. I know that there are other apps that do it, but I find the native apps much more reliable, in my opinion. Just figure I'd let everyone know.

Was hitting up my local dispensary and next door was a vitamin shop so i popped in and found these. 32 grams of protein and zero carbs, sugar. Taste like blue raspberry. Also had a bunch of different protein shakes that i have not seen before. Decided to get one to try out.

Gosh guys, I'm needing some help, my sleeve was Friday morning I can't seem to get my protein in....because it's all nasty. Any ideas what I can do?? Thanks

I have ordered the Collagen Peptide powder from BariatricPal. I already do 2-3 smoothies a day with frozen strawberries and unflavored protein powder. They are delicious. I use to drink ensure until I started to dislike / despise them.

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up if it hasn’t been posted yet about a protein shake recall. Over 50 kinds listed https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/lyons-magnus-voluntarily-recalls-53-nutritional-and-beverage-products-due-potential-microbial

Hi All, I recently found out that I am quite Iron deficient. I am wondering about which Iron supplements (types and brands) are the best tolerated. In the past Iron supplements have upset my stomach (Sleeve) and cause constipation. Ever try the Iron patches? Thank you BariatricPal Community!

Did anyone esle have to get a prior approval from ANthem Blue Cross Blue SHield for the vitamin subscription through Nascobal? The clinic is saying most of the time if they require a prior authorization then they won't approve it but not trying to get my hopes down. Also, Nascobal said it would be $488 per month if I were to pay it myself. My wifes was approved but mine hasn't been, different insirance companies, and I was wondering if anyone else has been or is in this boat? Also do you recommend a different multivitamin and b12? Thanks!

I today ran out of my vitamin starter pack from my Dr. I plan on ordering a package plan around the 5th of July (waiting for payday). I am not sure why or how I waited so long to get more. ? So my problem is I need to get something that I can take for a week or two until my bariatric vitamins come in. Does anyone know how I might can find something? Thank You, Tracy (RNY gastric bypass 5/23/22)

So as the title says, I love the taste of whey isolate. But it makes me feel nauseated and extremely bloated. I also need to avoid dairy as it causes inflammation and I’ve got an autoimmune disease. I’ve tried egg protein and it congealed together. I tried pea protein and the texture was like sand. I want good flavor, good texture, and I want it to mix well. Is it impossible?

Can multi-vitamins be taken at night & still be effective? I have become severely anemic (to the extent of needing blood transfusions) but cannot tolerate vitamins throughout the day. I becomevso nauseous and shaking after taking them that I am unable to function. Please offer solutions that have worked that I may try. Thank you!

Has anyone found a multivitamin that doesn’t taste gross? My six rims me not to use the patches, I have Barimelts.. they are tolerable. I also have Celebrate Multivitamin Chews but they are absolutely disgusting!!! Which brand have you found that didn’t taste like medicine?

Tried a new vitamin today and omg these made me throw up like crazy within probably of 4 minutes of taking it. Straight into the garbage they go. They were also disgusting.

I've learned that most protein powders do not have vitamins. I'm not sure if there's any out there that do. That's one thing to look for. I did find this protein powder that has no flavor. Don't even know what's in my stuff but I said does not have vitamins.

Need recommendations for unflavored/ unsweetened protein powders. I found Isopure at Target and I’m going to pick up a small package to try it. But anyone else have recommendations? I’m looking for creaminess with ZERO flavor or sweetener.

Hello! I'm in need of recommendations for a plain vanilla calcium chew. I love the vanilla tootsie rolls and would love to find something with a similar flavor, but my searches come up with nothing. The closest I can find is caramel vanilla, but it doesn't quite scratch the itch for vanilla.

I have accumulated some Unjury that I would like to donate to someone in my area. I have 24 cans of Strawberry and 19 cans of Chocolate. These sell for about $25 a can, so about $1,000 worth. I got them for my son, but he only likes the Vanilla flavor. I'd like them to go to a good home. Would anybody want it? I am in Winston-Salem, NC and happen to be planning to drive through Raleigh and to Eastern NC this weekend if anyone wants to met me along the path. Let me know.

Hi! I'm just starting out in this journey and am hoping to get some guidance, haven't even decided which surgery to get yet. I had my Dr. consult a few months ago and am in the process of getting all my testing and insurance approvals before I schedule a surgery. My Dr. said pre and post-op I will need a multi vitamin in the morning and a mineral supplement in the evening. Multi vitamins... fine, easy. I'm having trouble finding a 'mineral' supplement... Is there one that contains all of the minerals?! And it has to be chewable...ugh. Any help and support is appreciated!

I am hoping the collective wisdom of the folks on here can help me out! A year and a half post surgery, I developed an ulcer. I have been on medication for a couple of months and doing fine. However, my bariatric vitamins are a trigger for severe back and stomach pain, which lasts up to an hour and a half and at times makes work impossible until it passes. I have tried opening the capsules, taking them with food, taking them with yoghurt, taking them later in the day, drinking water before I take them. Nothing works. I need to have a multi-vitamin with iron, so I know some discomfort is probable, but for the first year and a half I was fine! Hoping someone had a si…

Hello! I’m about 6 weeks post op and have been really bad about taking both my multi chewable and calcium vitamins. It’s honestly been close to two weeks now, and I’m feeling very off. Tired, not able to focus much, loopy. I started taking them again three days ago but I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced the same thing?

How much is too much protein?

Hello, I have some BariatricAdvantage vitamins I am looking to trade for protein. The vitamins don’t sit well in my stomach and I just ordered capsules from BariatricPal, which will arrive real soon. I have about 1/3-1/2 a container of the chewable Advanced Multi EA and about 30-40 chewable calcium citrate chewy bites in assorted sweet flavors (chocolate, pb chocolate, coconut, and caramel) seeking premier proteins in caramel or cinnamon or strawberry, and open to other offers thank you!

These are a new treat/snack I found by watching grocery haul videos on YouTube. They're like tortilla chips or potato chips only healthier, made with "popped corn" and come in a variety of flavors. I liked this flavor, the queso, but I like the original Sea Salt flavor the best. I like more plain things. I've included photos both of the front and the back nutrition label. Maybe a little high on carbs, but on WW the points are good for the serving size.

Currently I am taking collagen to help my skin prior to surgery. Has anyone tried any soft chew collagen supplements after surgery? If so, which ones do you recommend or ones you think are horrible? TIA

Hey, wanted to get ideas on flavors of vitamins I should try. I normally stick to berry but want to have a change. Been taking berry for 4 months now so any suggestions are welcomed!

Has anyone tried the vitamin patches? I asked my nurse if I could get the patches and use them instead of the chewable and she said my doctor wants me to get the chewable. Do you absorb the chewable better than the patch? I would think the patch would be OK since that's less medications in my stomach (I currently take 8 medications for other health conditions).

For many years I've been drinking premade GNC Lean Shakes 25 g protein in Swiss Chocolate flavor. They're my breakfast every morning. Then I saw a YouTube video of a girl doing WW like I am and she used Fairlife Protein shakes. I saw that they were slightly smaller bottles but my interest perked up when I saw they had 30 g of protein. Also, GNC Shakes are about $2.48 apiece while the Fairlife shakes are about $1.74 apiece, so I thought I'd give them a try. My go-to flavor is chocolate, so I tried the chocolate first, but it tasted watered down and not as creamy as the GNC shake. Then I tried the Vanilla. Heaven! So rich and creamy and a wonderful vanilla taste. T…

I learned about these from a grocery haul video on YouTube. If you remember the old Teddy Grahams from the 1990's (do they still make those?) they remind me of those or kinda like animal crackers. They're called KODIAK BEAR BITES and they are graham crackers in three flavors: Chocolate, Honey, or Cinnamon. They are adorable and I even like the design of the box, as if that was important. A single serving (as if you could eat just one serving!) is 15 crackers, for 120 calories, 17 carbs, 2 fibers, 5 g protein, and 3.5 g fat.

Has anyone tried the new Genepro, 3rd generation, sold in the orange canister? I was disappointed the old one (sold in white bags) is gone, as it was the only unflavored protein powder I couldn’t taste nor smell. Others make me nauseous. I read bad reviews of the new formula on Amazon so wanted to see if anyone here has experience with it. Thanks! Edit: upon reading the fine print, the new version has a larger scoop and only a third of the protein of the old version. Not just bad volume wise, but also nutritionally and pricewise. Looks like I will need to find the old version or use a different brand from now on.

I have been having trouble with most shakes because they have sucralose (gives me diarrhea), aspartame (gives me migraines), inulin/chicory root/prebiotic fiber (gives me mean gas), or milk (makes my stomach upset). So I have been unsuccessfully trying to get enough protein without any dairy or protein shakes, just meat. I just tried a new protein powder: Muscle Feast which is a whey protein isolate. I tried the chocolate flavor which is sweetened with stevia. I like that it completely dissolved in almond milk without clumping or being gritty. It only lightly foamed which quickly subsided after a couple minutes. It is very thin. It only uses sunfl…

I threw up for the first time after surgery. I just got cleared to take my vitamins and as soon as I got this down it came back up within seconds. Any other brand suggestions? These were number 1 on the list by my doctor. Should I crush it and take it with Gatorade?

I'm traveling soon and want to figure out a preferred protein bar so I can bring a few with me in case of meal emergencies. Where's a good place to go buy a bunch of individual bars in person to try out? I was thinking maybe GNC? I feel a little intimidated at stores like that so I thought I'd ask in advance. I already know that I have cravings problems with Quest bars from previous dieting, and I have some philosophical issues about Built bar so it seems like some of the most commonly recommended ones aren't for me, so that's why I feel like I need to try a variety.

Hopefully everyone is doing well! ❤️ I finally started exploring collagen supplements. I using an unflavored powder in drinks and so far no tolerance issues. Anyone else taking a separate collagen supplement? Recommendations?

I had my sleeve surgery on 11/9 and purchased chewable bariatric advantage vitamins and calcium chews. The multivitamin is 2 per day. Can I take them both at the same time with breakfast and then the calcium chew at lunch, dinner, and bedtime? I’m going to switch to the one a day when I run out of these.

Hi all! I need HELP! I was buying all my vitamins from Bariatric Advantage using my FSA card with no problem online via the website - everything was literally great. Then, I switched jobs and they have a different FSA provider. Ever since I switched FSA companies, I cannot buy my vitamins through the website at ALL. I called and they said I needed a Letter of Medical Necessity which I provided and it still won't go through. I've called Bariatric Advantage a few times to check if it's not being accepted on their end (even though I KNOW they accepted the other card) and they said that with the LOMN that it should go through and if it doesn't it's completely on the FSA card'…

Hey all, first time posting here and I've been dealing with this for months now. I got the duodenal switch about 7 or 8 years ago when I was about 16. Crazy young I know, and to this day I still question that decision and probably always will because of my age. I've had a great experience as far as weight loss goes, but as I've gotten older I've gotten increasingly worried about malnutrition/deficiencies developing over time. I'm religious about my supplements, and I literally got my bloodwork done earlier this week so I'm good about that. However, the anxiety about potential deficiencies that I feel like might go undetected in bloodwork (for instance I know B12 tests can…

So ive read over and over and over how Genepro protein powder is lieing about having 30 grams of protein per serving and how it cant have 30 grams of protein in it if it only has 58 calories in it cuz protein has 4 calories per gram and on and on and on and yadda yadda yadda! UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU READ!!!!!! They are saying that their serving size gives you THE EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF PROTEIN THAT WILL BE ABSORBED BY YOUR BODY AS IN A 30 GRAM SCOOP OF WHEY PROTEIN!!!!!!!!!! 1 tblspn of Genepro 2 will give you the same protein blood level (actual absorbed protein into your body/blood) count as a 30 gram scoop of whey protein because whey protein has a very low rate of absorptio…