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I'm wearing a new pair of jeans that are a size 14 (uk or size 10us) I have NEVER been a size 14 in my life! When I was a kid, I went from a kids 6 to a juniors 11 to a 16! Even when moving to the UK as a teenager and taking into account size diversions, I've never been this size. I'm not supposed to wear jeans to work, but my manager was so happy for me, she let me today! (I guess also because my last week is next week) but still. It's been an amazing 7 months! Three years ago, I lost my stepfather, two years ago i lost my mother and I was at my lowest point mentally and couldn't imagine light at the end of that tunnel, and now I'm happier and healthier than I thought I could ever be again! Thanks to everyone on this forum as well when I've spiraled and you've kept me inspired.

For anyone that may be confused by this thread, here are some things to think about related to vitamin supplements: The most important thing is to follow your doctor's recommendations. All bariatric programs I've seen have specific recommendations and you would be well advised to follow these. The vast majority seem to recommend a bariatric specific vitamin supplement. Some may also recommend specific brands of over-the-counter vitamins as well. That said, at least from what I've seen, typically when recommending over-the-counter options, they will suggest taking these twice a day (AM & PM) instead of just once. There are a few reasons for the above recommendations. First of all, you'll be eating a very low calorie diet and thus vitamin supplements formulated for "normal" people may not be sufficient. Also, while malabsorption for bypass patients is a concern, sleeve patients aren't immune to reduced absorption. Some vitamins & minerals are dependent on stomach acid to be properly absorbed. Since all WLS patients will have reduced stomach acid production (at least for a while, if not forever), higher than normal amounts of some vitamins are needed. From a cost perspective, yes, bariatric vitamins tend to be more expensive, but if you have to take twice as many of an over-the-counter supplement, the costs aren't very different after all. Especially if you take advantage of subscriptions like those offered by sites like bariatricpal, the cost of a good quality bariatric multivitamin isn't that much. Keep in mind your food bill should also drop, so at the end of the day you should still be spending less per month. If for some reason you still think vitamins are just too much for your budget, please discuss this with your surgical team. They may be able to help you find a less expensive option that still meets your needs. It's never a good idea to make decisions that can impact your health simply based on things you may have seen on the web. Aside form the cost concerns I mentioned above, there is very little to no downside of taking bariatric specific vitamins, even though some have really high levels of certain vitamins. For some specific vitamins, there is no established upper limit, meaning there's no health risk in taking too much. If you take in more than your body needs, then you'll just safely eliminate the excess. Yes, there are established upper limits for a few vitamins & minerals and this is taken into account in the vitamin formulation. Iron, is an example. The established upper limit is 45 mg/day, which is also the max you'll see in most supplements. Keep in mind this upper limit was established because some people had digestive upset at higher doses. You'd have to take considerably more than 45 mg/day to actually have a significant impact on your body. Further, remember when I said that some vitamins & minerals need stomach acid to be properly absorbed? Iron is one of those, meaning that you're probably not actually getting a full 45 mg/day dose as a bariatric surgery patient. Regardless of which surgery you have, you should be getting regular blood tests for life that check for nutrient deficiencies. if you don't get these from your surgeon (for example, you went out of country for surgery), then please get them from your primary care physician. This is really important because some studies have shown up to 30% of WLS patients end up with nutritional deficiencies post-surgery. Don't be a statistic. Human bodies are not all the same, nor are our diets. This means one person may be successful stopping vitamin supplementation, whereas someone else that had the exact same surgery from the same doctor won't be able to do that. Please don't decide what you should do based on another person, even if it's your best friend, a family member, etc. Only with your doctor's blessing should you consider changing or stopping your vitamin supplementation routine. Regardless of which surgery you have, there is a real possibility you may need to take at least some form of supplements for life. The effects of nutritional deficiencies can be severe, so think of your vitamin supplements as insurance against potentially debilitating or even life threatening problems. Best of luck.

I have been keeping up with this thread and vitamin supplements can easily be confused. I can only tell you what I know. I took advice from my surgeon's team, including the nutritionist. Initially I was told to take 45 of iron, then later to take 18 due to my age and being post-menopause. I was also told that the over the counter medications for the multivitamin may not be enough as the bariatric vitamins. Bariatric vitamins are specifically made for the bariatric patient, so it follows the ASMBS standards usually, but you need to look at the "fine print" and look how many mcg, mg, IU, etc of each of the vitamins are in each of the multi-vitamins. Iron, B12, B50, B1, Calcium etc. should be based on your surgeon's recommendations. I have had the RNY Gastric Bypass 2 weeks ago, and I had options to choose from regarding my vitamins, but I followed what my surgeon's team recommended. At my 1 month appointment I am to bring my vitamins with me for the nutritionist to review, and to ensure that I am taking what I am to be taking. As for what is considered a by pass and what is not....Sleeve is not a bypass, but it is the first part of the SADI. That's all I know because a SADI patient told me this. Otherwise, I don't think it matters. I don't like to get into arguments online. I wish you well as you determine what vitamins that you should be, or not be taking.

As Spartan stated it could be different lab values. A good portion of my lab values come back "abnormal" but that's as my doctor told me very subjective. IF its just a point or two in either direction its most likely "normal" and could just be "normal" for you or different labs different "normals." Were you told that you're showing symptoms for dehydration? If your values continue to change, are more than a few points in the "abnormal" range and are trending in those directions over a period of time then perhaps its a reason for concern but until then I wouldn't worry. Remember, if its concerning to you ASK your doctor at the very least your doctor should go over it with you to alleviate your concerns.

For the record, the ASMBS guidelines do differentiate between surgeries. For some nutrients, the recommendation is the same and for others it varies. At this point in time, their recommendations do not vary between RYGB and SG. It's only for DS/SADI that they recommend higher levels of certain nutrients. This is why the market has approached things in the way they have. There are "generic" bariatric vitamins, as well as ones specifically for DS/SADI that meet the needs of those patients. I do feel like you may still be missing that these vitamins are intended specifically for patients during the immediate post-surgical phase when they are probably eating very little food. The bulk of the nutrients they are receiving are from these products. Those needs don't vary for SG and RYGB patients. I'm certainly not trolling. To be frank, I have a real problem with several things you've stated as I feel they are irresponsible. You need to keep in mind that for every one of us responding to this thread, there are hundreds, if not thousands of people reading this. When misinformation is spread, especially as it relates to something critical like nutritional needs post-surgery, that may lead people astray and can create a real danger. Look, you do you. If you want to take a vitamin from the grocery store, that's your choice and I wish you the best. For most people the smart choice is to take a bariatric vitamin, at least until given clearance by your surgical team to modify or stop doing so. There is really very little downside to taking "too much" of these nutrients, whereas there is significant risks of some pretty nasty side effects involved in taking too little. Feel free to research some of the nasty things that have happened to real people that failed to meet their nutritional needs post-surgery. It's not pretty.

Looking Good girlie! I'm so proud of your progress!

HOLY ISH! A year already?! Time has flown! I still remember the beginning of your journey and those first posts—wow, you've come so far and done so incredibly well! I'm seriously so proud of you!! I totally agree with @SpartanMaker—maintenance is no joke, and exercise really does make all the difference. Weight lifting has been key for me too. It helps so much with maintaining, even more than cardio sometimes. Build that muscle and you're burning calories just by existing. Cardio is still super important,! I’m still figuring out maintenance myself, but my workouts have been consistent and even through my 2month spat of not being able to get my nutrition in control, making sure I kept up with exercise has been key I have been consistently doing this and its been great: 35–45 minutes of strength training, 5 days a week, At least 30 minutes of cardio daily (treadmill, dog walks, biking—whatever tickles my fancy), 2 lower body days, 2 upper body, 1 full body and one day a week my doggy and I do a 5-mile walk (she gets a walk every day, but that’s our long one). You’ve been so fabulous through this whole process, and I can’t wait to hear about your continued journey!

Thank you! I'm glad it working and you're right, it's the end goal that matters. 20kg will soon turn to 40kg and so on and so fourth. I think I've dropped a dress size too. I used to wear 30-32 UK and now I'm buying 26-28. Some clothes are tighter than others but that's just clothes for you. I can imagine going from that mentality to mainteance must be tough but you'll get there. You just need to try and get in the habit of not weighing and such like you used to and then it will become the norm. I'm so glad to hear how far you've come, it sounds amazing! As someone who dreads walking 3 minutes, I can only dream of enjoying a walk! And the eyes that watch you is so true, I've always told people (slim friends and my partner) that people stare at you and make comments because you're so huge. They never believe you, but its very true. I've always been the fattest in the room, have yet to meet someone bigger than me! I know the exist, but it's just how it is. Well done on changing your life, here's to a bright future with more mobility and experiences (: We should defo chat more, maybe in DMs or elsewhere if you'd like. Would love to have someone in my life who understands! x

From 456 to 183..I'm loving it. Sent from my SM-N960U1 using BariatricPal mobile app