Hey there!

I'm so happy I found this forum

I'm a new sleevee (4 days post op), got released from the hospital yesterday.

Ofcourse me being me, I did not do my homework properly before surgery , so now I'm confused about Vitamin / Protein intake.

I was instructed by the hospital staff to only take 2 suckable Centrum tablets a day and thats pretty much it.

What kind of other Vitamins should I concentrate on? I'm especially worried about hair loss, any special vitamins for that?

What about protein powders? How much should I take? Which brands work best? Can I even take Protein powder 4 days post op?

I was told I need to drink as much protein as I can. Problem with milk is that it doesn't slide down easily and makes me feel bloaty.

I'm asking this here because browsing through other sections of the forum people suggest so many different things I got dizzy and now I'm really not sure what kind of protein / vitamins I should concentrate on early on (4 days post op that is)

Also - regarding liquids. Is there any substitute for 'water' that has protein in it?

How often should I eat / drink?

Thank you!

I was told not to start my supplements until. 2 weeks post op. You need time to heal. Please focus on your liquids and protein. Isopure zero ready to drinks help with both!

I was told not to start my supplements until. 2 weeks post op. You need time to heal. Please focus on your liquids and Protein. Isopure zero ready to drinks help with both!

I see, any suggestions regarding supplements after 2 weeks? I'm just a little worried about hair and muscle loss.

And regarding protein - Since we don't have ready to drink protein beverages around here, is it similar to Water mixed in with isopure protein powder? Or is that another thing entirely?

How many grams of protein should I try to injest?

Thank you for your reply

Did your surgeon or anyone else provide you with a phased diet plan? It's hard for us to give advice if we don't know whether you are on clear liquids, full liquids, what your protein goals are, etc. I can share with you what my plan was, but every surgeon has a different plan.

My surgeon's plan was four weeks of full liquids after surgery. Here were my requirements:

--track all intake via myfitnesspal or another app.

--get 64 oz. of liquid each day (water, protein shakes, juice, etc.). I found it easiest if I did half water and half other fluids. Each day I started out by filling a 32 oz. Bubba Keg with water and ice and just worked on sipping it throughout the day. A couple times every hour I would have a couple of ounces of something else, such as a protein shake or some G2.

--get no more than 60 carbs and 30 g fat per day.

--take a double dose of standard vitamins. This could be liquid vitamins, gummies, chewables, etc. At that point I was taking Wellesse liquid vitamins, calcium, and iron. Make sure you include your vitamins in your food journal on myfitnesspal or wherever you end up journaling. A lot of them contain more calories and carbs than you might imagine.

For ready to drink protein shakes & drinks during full liquids we were recommended Isopure, Low Carb Slim Fast, EAS Myoplex, Atkins Advantage, and Premier Protein. I had to dilute the Isopure 50/50 with water or G2 because I didn't like the taste. If you are on a clear liquid diet, then Isopure is considered a clear liquid. The rest are full liquids. I liked the Premier Protein shakes a lot. You can find them at Sam's Club, Costco, Kroger, and other places:

http://www.premierpr...m/where-to-buy/

For protein powders, we were recommended Body Fortress, Unjury, Chike (use half a standard serving for Chike though), Syntrax Matrix, Syntrax Nectar, and GNC Pro Performance 100% Whey.

If you are finding milk isn't sitting well for you, mix your protein powders with something else. You can use water with Syntrax Nectar flavors and that is a clear liquid. For the others, you might try mixing with unsweetened vanilla almond milk or a 50/50 mixture of water and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. You can also try soy milk, coconut milk, etc. until you find something that agrees with you.

I recommend getting samples of protein powders and trying them before you commit to buying a 2 lb or bigger jar. If you go to GNC or Vitamin Shoppe they should be able to help you with buying individual samples of what they carry. You can also buy sample packs online:

http://www.bjsbariat...SamplePack.html

http://www.unjury.co...tarter-kit.html

http://www.chikenutr...riety-pack.html

http://www.mybariatricpantry.com

/SYNTRAX_INNOVATIONS_MATRIX_SAMPLE_PACK_p/matrix_sample.htm

http://www.nashuanut...-1-serving.html

My favorites right after surgery were the Unjury chicken soup protein (also considered a clear liquid by the way, and many people find it easier to go down than a thick, milky, sweet shake), and the Unjury chocolate splendor flavor. Also the Syntrax Nectar roadside lemonade and lemon tea flavors.

Other things I was drinking during my full liquid phase: kefir, low sodium v-8, light or diluted fruit juice such as Ocean Spray Light Cranberry, G2, and low sodium beef broth with a little unflavored protein powder stirred in.

If you are going to add protein powder to hot drinks, you'll need a food thermometer. The Unjury starter pack I linked above includes a food thermometer. You don't want to add protein to drinks over 130 degrees as the protein will turn into disgusting, slimy clumps.

Good luck to you!

As others stated focus on hydration primarily at this point get a minimum of 64 oz a day of liquid. When you start your solid food stage then start your vitamins, also I recommend Biotin it helps with the hair and nails, and a calcium chewy. As for protein after you can consistently get your 64 oz of liquid in in a day, then start working on protein you should get a minimum of 70 grams of protein in a day whether it be from shakes or food. Any brand of Whey based protein is fine, everyone's tastes are different but the poster above gave a lot of good examples of what's available. Good Luck.

Did your surgeon or anyone else provide you with a phased diet plan? It's hard for us to give advice if we don't know whether you are on clear liquids, full liquids, what your protein goals are, etc. I can share with you what my plan was, but every surgeon has a different plan.

My surgeon's plan was four weeks of full liquids after surgery. Here were my requirements:

--track all intake via myfitnesspal or another app.

--get 64 oz. of liquid each day (water, protein shakes, juice, etc.). I found it easiest if I did half water and half other fluids. Each day I started out by filling a 32 oz. Bubba Keg with water and ice and just worked on sipping it throughout the day. A couple times every hour I would have a couple of ounces of something else, such as a protein shake or some G2.

--get no more than 60 carbs and 30 g fat per day.

--take a double dose of standard vitamins. This could be liquid vitamins, gummies, chewables, etc. At that point I was taking Wellesse liquid vitamins, calcium, and iron. Make sure you include your vitamins in your food journal on myfitnesspal or wherever you end up journaling. A lot of them contain more calories and carbs than you might imagine.

For ready to drink protein shakes & drinks during full liquids we were recommended Isopure, Low Carb Slim Fast, EAS Myoplex, Atkins Advantage, and Premier Protein. I had to dilute the Isopure 50/50 with water or G2 because I didn't like the taste. If you are on a clear liquid diet, then Isopure is considered a clear liquid. The rest are full liquids. I liked the Premier Protein shakes a lot. You can find them at Sam's Club, Costco, Kroger, and other places:

http://www.premierpr...m/where-to-buy/

For protein powders, we were recommended Body Fortress, Unjury, Chike (use half a standard serving for Chike though), Syntrax Matrix, Syntrax Nectar, and GNC Pro Performance 100% Whey.

If you are finding milk isn't sitting well for you, mix your protein powders with something else. You can use water with Syntrax Nectar flavors and that is a clear liquid. For the others, you might try mixing with unsweetened vanilla almond milk or a 50/50 mixture of water and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. You can also try soy milk, coconut milk, etc. until you find something that agrees with you.

I recommend getting samples of protein powders and trying them before you commit to buying a 2 lb or bigger jar. If you go to GNC or Vitamin Shoppe they should be able to help you with buying individual samples of what they carry. You can also buy sample packs online:

http://www.bjsbariat...SamplePack.html

http://www.unjury.co...tarter-kit.html

http://www.chikenutr...riety-pack.html

http://www.mybariatricpantry.com

/SYNTRAX_INNOVATIONS_MATRIX_SAMPLE_PACK_p/matrix_sample.htm

http://www.nashuanut...-1-serving.html

My favorites right after surgery were the Unjury chicken soup protein (also considered a clear liquid by the way, and many people find it easier to go down than a thick, milky, sweet shake), and the Unjury chocolate splendor flavor. Also the Syntrax Nectar roadside lemonade and lemon tea flavors.

Other things I was drinking during my full liquid phase: kefir, low sodium v-8, light or diluted fruit juice such as Ocean Spray Light Cranberry, G2, and low sodium beef broth with a little unflavored protein powder stirred in.

If you are going to add protein powder to hot drinks, you'll need a food thermometer. The Unjury starter pack I linked above includes a food thermometer. You don't want to add protein to drinks over 130 degrees as the protein will turn into disgusting, slimy clumps.

Good luck to you!

Thank you so much...Very helpful....I need to save this for myself..Surgery 11-19....I have bought a few things...I really do like the Unjury & did get packets...but did get a couple of containers of the Chicken soup...even if I don't like it later on, I can mix it in with something else....

Hey there!

I'm so happy I found this forum

I'm a new sleevee (4 days post op), got released from the hospital yesterday.

Ofcourse me being me, I did not do my homework properly before surgery , so now I'm confused about Vitamin / Protein intake.

I was instructed by the hospital staff to only take 2 suckable Centrum tablets a day and thats pretty much it.

What kind of other Vitamins should I concentrate on? I'm especially worried about hair loss, any special vitamins for that?

What about protein powders? How much should I take? Which brands work best? Can I even take protein powder 4 days post op?

I was told I need to drink as much protein as I can. Problem with milk is that it doesn't slide down easily and makes me feel bloaty.

I'm asking this here because browsing through other sections of the forum people suggest so many different things I got dizzy and now I'm really not sure what kind of protein / vitamins I should concentrate on early on (4 days post op that is)

Also - regarding liquids. Is there any substitute for 'water' that has protein in it?

How often should I eat / drink?

Thank you!

Ok....lots of questions. I just had my appointment with my nutritionist 2 days ago. I'm Pre Op.

You may want to try Soy. It sounds like you're lactose intolerant. I am too. However organize 1% I can do. You can get chewable vitamins. I have to take 1200-2000mg, of calcium citrate, vita b-12 sublingual, multi-vitamin. I also found a chewable Fiber. You may need that in the future. I take chewable vitamins C too.

The best Protein Drink I've found so far is Bar-Wise. There's multiple favors and low in calories. I've been using unjury non-flavored the past couple days. I added blue berries and strawberries to it with some Stevia. In my opinion, Stevia is the healthiest sweetener out there. Made from a plant.

Eating schedule..8,10,12,2,4,&6. Sip Water in between. 64oz. 4 small water bottles is an easier way to achieve it. You don't want to get dehydrated and wind up in the hospital. You can only eat about 2 oz at a time, so that why so many meals. That's been the hardest part for me. Tomorrow I'm going to start the every two hours protein drink.

Lastly, Bariatric Advantage is the best protein powders I've tried so far. Orange Cream tastes like a 50/50 bar. It's all your own preference.

Take care! I wish you the best!

Lory

Hi there! This thread has been helpful as I am also struggling to make sure I get in the protein and vitamins to prevent hair loss. Right now I'm 3 weeks post op and am moving onto thicker liquids like creamy soups and more protein drinks. I've already started taking a chewable biotin and the calcium citrate chews from bariatric advantage (they are delish!), but I haven't been able to stomach the bariatric advantage or Flintstone multi vitamin. I try sucking on them for a few seconds, then throw it out because it makes me nauseous. But seeing as I'm finally getting some protein in, I thought I'd give the chewable multi vitamins another go, but they really upset my stomach and it's the first time something hasn't agreed with me at all. I couldn't keep it down. Now I'm worried I won't be able to get in my vitamins. Any suggestions???

I take a double dose of the Trader Joe's High Potency Chewable Multi. One tab in the morning and one at night. I've had no trouble tolerating them and they are a good bargain. Might be worth checking out if you've got a TJ's near you.

Hi there! This thread has been helpful as I am also struggling to make sure I get in the Protein and Vitamins to prevent hair loss. Right now I'm 3 weeks post op and am moving onto thicker liquids like creamy soups and more protein drinks. I've already started taking a chewable Biotin and the calcium citrate chews from Bariatric Advantage (they are delish!), but I haven't been able to stomach the bariatric advantage or Flintstone multi Vitamin. I try sucking on them for a few seconds, then throw it out because it makes me nauseous. But seeing as I'm finally getting some protein in, I thought I'd give the chewable multi vitamins another go, but they really upset my stomach and it's the first time something hasn't agreed with me at all. I couldn't keep it down. Now I'm worried I won't be able to get in my vitamins. Any suggestions???

See if you can get sublingual. I have vitamin B I take that way. I'm taking the gummy multi vitamins and Vita C...I hope it doesn't make me sick. I'm thinking if I chew the heck out them until they are almost liquid, it may agree with my new tummy. I'm thinking there's a lot of vitamins in any protein drink too. I love the Bari-wise protein Water favors. At least for now. I pray I won't begin to gag on them. The smoothies are so thick and super sweet. What the heck! We need a vendor who doesn't make them so darn sweet. :-/. Good luck on your new journey!

Thank you all for your replies they're quite helpful.

Problem is I don't live in the US and Vitamins here are expensive as hell.

I'm trying to find a good online shop to order from.

Can anyone help with specific online shops / brands that do international shipping?

If possible, can anyone direct me to specific product they take thats good and reliable?

Been trying to read online about it problem is my brain is really foggy specific product suggestion I can order online would be very helpful.

Do I need the following? Should I add / remove anything?

- Biotin (is there any chewable brand? Since all I found are just normal pills. Is it possible to just chew the pills and swallow?)

- multi Vitamin.

- Calcium

- B12

- fish oil / Omega 3?

Anything else I need?

Can I injest jell capsules?

http://www.luckyvitamin.com/ has some of the lowest prices I have found for vitamins and for protein supplements. It offers worldwide shipping. That said, I have no idea how expensive their international shipping rates are.

They have lots of chewable and gummy multivitamins available, including Centrum.

I haven't seen chewable biotin. You might try just taking the regular tablet though. I started those about a week after surgery and had no trouble with them. I didn't need to chew them. The tablets are pretty small.

Calcium - make sure you take calcium citrate. If you need chewables, Bariatric Advantage makes chewable calcium citrate, as does calcet. You can also buy liquid calcium supplements (Wellesse) is one brand but it may be hard to find a store that will ship it internationally. Same with the chews. If you can't find a chewy or liquid calcium supplement that you can have shipped to your country, it isn't going to kill you to not have a calcium supplement for 6 - 8 weeks. Your body's need for calcium is a long-term issue, not a short-term issue. So you can wait until you can tolerate swallowing a pill and then pick up with the calcium supplements then.

If you are female and have not yet hit menopause, I would recommend an iron supplement.

You shouldn't have any problems with gel capsules as long as they are not huge.

Good luck!

Thank you all for your replies they're quite helpful.

Problem is I don't live in the US and Vitamins here are expensive as hell.

I'm trying to find a good online shop to order from.

Can anyone help with specific online shops / brands that do international shipping?

If possible, can anyone direct me to specific product they take thats good and reliable?

Been trying to read online about it problem is my brain is really foggy specific product suggestion I can order online would be very helpful.

Do I need the following? Should I add / remove anything?

- Biotin (is there any chewable brand? Since all I found are just normal pills. Is it possible to just chew the pills and swallow?)

- multi Vitamin.

- Calcium

- B12

- fish oil / Omega 3?

Anything else I need?

Can I injest jell capsules?

I have the same problem. I live aborad, so I tried to make sure I had everything I needed in the US before my surgery. I've also used Amazon in some cases, but not everything ships internationally, and when it does, its not exactly cheap either.. But I know the products arrive and dont get stuck in customs, which is a huge plus. To figure out what products on amazon ship internationally, I usually put a lot of options in my cart and then when I check out I can see if which products can be shipped and which can't and delete from there.

But as it turns out, the products you buy may not necesarily agree with you. The chewable multivitamins, I found out later just didn't work for me, but I will try getting some gummy version in hope that it is gentler on the stomach. That being said, I have tolerated swallowing biotin and omega 3/fish oil capsules with no problem after a Protein shake, so you should be fine with those. I actually had bought chewable biotin, but dont find they were worth it, since I get a larger dosis from and can totally swallow the capsule version. But the supplements you name are exactly the ones I am taking, so sounds good to me! Good luck!