I will be 3 years out in December and I have definately gone up and down on my "compliance" with taking nutritional supplements, mostly because I hate pills. At times, if I eat Vitamin pills I don't feel like I can eat anything else and feel kinda icky. This spring, when I had unexplained weight loss I had a super detailed nutritional analysis done and got A+ results even though i had been slacking... It did get me motivated to get back on track so this is what I am doing now:

-Daily eco-drink which is a packet you mix with Water. Has alot of Vitamins and electrolites - it is 20 bucks at costco for a 30 day supply. I judge as better quality than gummies and more importantly, something i will actually consume daily

-A few times a week sublingual drops of a B complex liquid

-Vitamin D pills - not as often as I should, but probably 4X a week

-Calcium, my arch nemisis. On days when I feel i can choke down the pills I take calcium citrate. On days I cant, I do the Kirkland brand chews. I know they aren't absorbed as well, but, at least it is something. And they both also have the vitamin D

-Probiotics are something I know I should take, but notice zero difference in anything with or without so am a skeptic. curious if anyone else notices actual results with probiotics?

In the first year post op my NUT knew that there was a strong link between gut flora and weight loss so was a big advocate of pre and probiotics and the like. I haven't used them regularly and have been at goal for awhile so not sure if this applies to everyone.

I am also supposed to take fish oil to reduce joint pain but that falls in the catagory of pills i never take so it sits staring at me on the counter.

So, let;s motivate each other as to what works, is worth doing and your results. I know that some people stop getting blood work done a few years post op but i don't want to be one of those with compromised health down the road. I also try to eat very healthy food MOST of the time.

I'm glad to hear things are working out for you finally.

I can only address the probiotics (didn't do anything for me, but I have major GI issues) & no fish oil since I'm to do no fish/shellfish. I had a doc recommend that.

I eat very healthy. I use Protein supplements but that doesn't always seem to work.

I believe what happens is that after the initial weight loss and then the small gain back, most people don't have problems so that's why you see people not needing to go back. I would bet those who do may also go back to their PCP's as to get a specialist visit is a waste of time. PCP's or urgent care can run the labs most all need. Very few of us need more.

I'm really good about taking my calcium citrate. I eat the chews by Bariatric Advantage. They have a pb one that is 500 mg so I only eat one of those. The choc ones are 250 so I have to eat 2 of those. Altogether, it's 1500 mg of calcium citrate per day. I love them. They are like dessert for me.

I also take a muli and Iron and vit D with magnesium regularly

Statistics say most of us will quit taking supplements after 2 years. I take them if I remember.I can sit a work all day with a baggy full of vitamins in my face and still forget.

When I slack on probiotics, I get constipated. When I take them regularly, my bowels are happy

I take all recommended ( by my plan, which is Kaiser Fremont) supplements. I put most of them in pill holders (one for am and one for pm) and leave them in the medicine chest. I take them when I wash my face and brush my teeth. I keep the calcium in a sugar jar in the medicine cabinet. I take three morning and evening and they are too big yo fit in the pill holder. Works for me.. At 3.5 years out and going strong.

Lynda

I am good at taking my multi w iron (chewable) and my B12 (liquid, sublingual). I also take fish oil b/c I was having dry skin. I take that as needed aka when I need it. Where I really fall down is calcium b/c I can't take it with the multi. I have petite calcium citrate from drug store but my favorite is a blueberry flavored liquid calcium. Tastes like yogurt, you might find liquid more agreeable.

I take everything I'm supposed to every day. Together with my Fitbit 10000 steps, it's the fine line keeping me from the abyss. I have to get B12 shots and I'm a bit behind on those, but otherwise I take EVERYTHING I'm supposed to, every single day. Thank god.

I have been good about getting my vitamins in ( I use Bariatric advantage) and I'm 20 months post op:) I do set a timer test helps.

I take what's recommended, which isn't a lot.

Daily Multi (I use the hair/skin/nails)

Iron 45 mg elemental iron daily

Vitamin D 10,000 iu 2x weekly (Monday and Thursday)

They recommended B12 and Calcium 1500 mg daily, but I don't need either. My calcium levels were dangerously high with supplementation. I had low Vit D levels before surgery, and I was anemic on and off, so I'm not sure the need for those are surgery related. I'd love to get off the iron since it causes constipation, which I have to treat with more pills, but my doc doesn't want me to. Eventually, I am going to try to. I think the Vit D is for life. I don't think I really need the Multi either, but I don't think it's hurting anything, so I'll just keep taking it.

I'm terrible with the vits. I choke down a chewable most days, and try to take 5000 units D plus calcium citrate tab. But if I'm being honest I skip a lot of days. My labs are due now so we'll see!

I have to take the Bariatric Advantage AE stinka** horse pills Vitamins, which get hung up in my throat, and I cannot hold enough fluids in my tummy when trying to get them down. So, I tried cutting them in 1/4 and could not swallow them because of the sharp edges. So, I got out a mortar and pestle that was a holiday gift years ago and crush the tablets with that. Even though they are alledgedly berry flavored, I doubt it. What I ended up doing was mixing them in strawberry or cherry sugar-free Jello Water, and drink that while exercising since I am more thirsty and therefore more like to drink it all. I just have to remember to not take calcium chews within a short time of my bariatric vitamins.

Used to be, I would take fish-oil capsules every day. Miss Tummy does not like them and gives them back very quickly. Even though I am not a big fan of seafood, I try to eat tuna salad three or four days a week, and salmon patties or a baked filet of something once in a while.

I had good practice before vsg, I started taking supplements after a complete hysterectomy 8 years ago. I still use Flinstones with iron, it's the only iron that I can take without nausea. My supplements are the first thing I do every morning. I then drink 16 ounces of water while I put my makeup on to get a jumpstart on the water for the day.

I take a whole food based Multivitamin everyday. It has Probiotics and digestive enzymes in it, so got that covered. I take D3 5000iu 3 times/week and B12 sublingual the other 4 days. My calcium was high on my last labs so I quit taking the supplement....I eat/drink a ton of dairy. My ferritin was also high, so I only take a 1/2 dose of Iron two days/week instead of everyday like I originally was. D3, B12, and everything else was normal.

Since I'm not taking everything every day, I use a weekly pill container to keep it all straight. If I forget one day, I just double up the next day. My next bloodwork is due in December and will adjust my supplements if needed at that time.

I try to eat a balanced diet of Protein, veggies, fruits and whole grains, but I've made taking the supplement thing into such a regular habit, It is an easy way to make sure I am healthy as well as thin and fit.

Where you are getting that blueberry flavored liquid calcium?

I am good at taking my multi w Iron (chewable) and my B12 (liquid, sublingual). I also take fish oil b/c I was having dry skin. I take that as needed aka when I need it. Where I really fall down is calcium b/c I can't take it with the multi. I have petite calcium citrate from drug store but my favorite is a blueberry flavored liquid calcium. Tastes like yogurt, you might find liquid more agreeable.
:

Petite multivitamin am and pm

Fishoil pearl am and pm

Biotin am

B12 am

D3 am

PPI am and pm

Multistrain Probiotic am (needed daily laxative until I started these, now things are normal)

Iron at noon (I set an alarm, but sometimes I forget the iron if I'm not in a good place to get it out when the alarm goes off.)

Time release calcium an hour before dinner, (that horse pill is so big it takes up food space so I try to separate from the meal)

I get all of them OTC, (not bariatric vits). It's rare for me to miss a dose. Labs were good at 6 months. My "1 year" labs are late. Have opted to wait for my regular doc checkup in a few months since I'm over the lifetime limit for WLS on insurance.