LapBandTalk Newsletter 08/15/2013

It’s hard to believe that summer’s almost over! We hope you get some time to enjoy the weather, your family and friends and your pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. If you’ve fallen off course a little bit, LapBandTalk.com is a great source of inspiration to get you back on track. If you’re going strong, log onto the forums and give a weight loss buddy a helping hand. That’s what the boards are for! Here’s what we have for you in this month’s newsletter.

• Poll – Which Dietary supplements Do You Take?

• Member Spotlight – Meet dylanmiles23!

• Staying Nourished After Weight Loss Surgery – Which Bariatric Dietary Supplements Do You Need?

• Tips for Better Boarding – Be Considerate!

So read through the newsletter, answer the Dietary Supplement Poll and stick around on LapBandTalk.com. We can’t wait to see you there!

Sincerely,

Alex Brecher

Founder

LapBandTalk.com

Poll – Which Dietary Supplements Do You Take?

Vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements are important for staying healthy when you’re a bariatric surgery patient. Not every patient receives the same advice and some patients don’t know the best options. This forum is a great place to let everyone know which bariatric supplements YOU take. Can you please take a few minutes to share which dietary supplements you take? Thanks for spreading the word!

1. Do you take a bariatric daily multivitamin/mineral supplement? Which brand and formulation specifically? For example, you might take Centrum for Women or One a Day Women’s Active Metabolism.

2. Which bariatric vitamins and minerals do you take each day? What is the brand and formulation of each? For example, you might take Puritan’s Pride Calcium Magnesium Vitamin D or Nature Made Iron 65 mg (ferrous sulfate).

3. Which other supplements (including herbals) do you take, and what brands are they? For example, you might take Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omegas fish oil.

Answer these questions and see what other LapBandTalk.com members have to say about their dietary supplements by using this link!

Member Spotlight – Meet dylanmiles23!

Our August member spotlight is on dylanmiles23, aka Arlene, from Massachusetts. This 62-year-old mother and grandmother loves spending time with her family, and can enjoy her family time much more since getting the lap-band!

At 5 feet 5 inches tall, Arlene’s highest weight was 268 pounds. She had been treated for asthma and COPD because of her coughing for several years, but the tests never showed problems in her lungs. Finally, her doctor discovered that she had a hernia. Her lung doctor is the one who recommended weight loss surgery and the band for her. She doesn’t tell many people about the surgery. Except on LapBandTalk.com, she also doesn’t tell many people how much weight she has lost because she is ashamed of having been so big! Arlene is lucky to be able to state that she hasn’t had many challenges. She does warn that wrinkles appear when you get surgery at an older age, but that “wrinkles look better than fat.”

Since getting the lap-band, Arlene is down to 190 pounds! She can fit into a restaurant booth, wear clothes from the Misses instead of the Plus department and enjoy shopping instead of becoming exhausted from it. She’s joined a gym – and isn’t the largest one there – and can walk all three flights of stairs in her townhouse without resting. She says she loves “getting full when eating a small amount.” This foodie now knows how to stop at a single serving of pizza instead of eating half of it in one sitting!

Arlene loves LapBandTalk because she can “share and listen and learn from everyone.” Unlike most doctors and nurses, LapBandTalk.com members actually have personal experience with what you are going through with the lap-band. Also, the anonymity allows for people to provide more personal advice. If you are struggling, she suggests calling your doctor or dietitian, since everyone’s health care team has its own own specific procedures and recommendations. She also says not to “deprive yourself or you will go completely off with your eating.”

Thanks, Arlene, for being in our Member Spotlight! Congratulations on your success so far, and we’ll keep following your journey on LapBandTalk.com!

If you want to nominate yourself or someone else to be in our Member Spotlight, please do so in the Spotlight forum! You can nominate yourself or someone else anonymously by sending a private message to Alex Brecher. Thanks!

Staying Nourished After Weight Loss Surgery – Which Bariatric Dietary Supplements Do You Need?

You get weight loss surgery as a tool to help you eat less so that you can lose weight. You eat a low-calorie diet, you drink plenty of Water and you hit your Protein goals every day. You’re losing weight and think everything’s under control, but there’s something else you should be thinking about. Ironically enough, you might be malnourished.

Why are weight loss surgery patients at high risk for vitamin and mineral deficiencies?

• You’re not eating very much.

• You’re limiting certain food groups.

• Your body is trying to recover from surgery or sustain weight loss.

Right after surgery, you may need liquid or powdered forms of supplements. Later, chewable or even gel supplements may be tolerable. Many weight loss surgery patients take a daily Multivitamin and mineral supplement to get a range of nutrients to make up for possible deficiencies in your diet. Ask your surgeon or a nutritionist which one might be best for you. You might also need to take a few single vitamin or mineral supplements in addition to your daily multivitamin and mineral supplement.

Which additional supplements might you need? These are some of the common ones, but there are more that you may need.

• Iron – needed to prevent anemia and keep your immune system strong

• Vitamin D – supports bone health to prevent osteoporosis and fractures

• Calcium – supports bone health to prevent osteoporosis and fractures

• Vitamin B12 – helps prevent anemia

• B complex – allows for energy metabolism

• Vitamin A – needed for healthy vision and a strong immune system

For recommendations from our members, visit this month’s poll on LapBandTalk.com! When you’re there, please share your own supplements! As with any advice, a doctor or dietitian should provide the final word.

Tips for Better Boarding – Be Considerate!

We’ll end the newsletter with a brief reminder. LapBandTalk.com is a source of information. It’s also a community. Our members depend on LapBandTalk.com to be encouraging and supportive. For some of our members, LapBandTalk.com is the only source of social support they have for their surgeries and weight loss journeys. Please remember this and respect all members’ rights to a warm and welcoming atmosphere! People may have different viewpoints, but every member deserves respect and courtesy. Thank you for keeping our boards a safe haven for all weight loss surgery patients!

Thanks for reading the newsletter and for your continued support! Don’t forget to check out the old newsletters if you missed any. It is always a pleasure to hear from members, so please feel free to contact us anytime with feedback. Thanks!

Take care of yourself and each other.

Sincerely,

Alex