Question:
Did anyone else have a hard time...
getting in the habit of taking vitamins and drinking protein drinks? I am two and a half weeks post op and finding it very hard to take my vitamins on time and drink my protein drinks. Please help. — TP (posted on August 24, 2002)
August 24, 2002
I am 9 fays post op and have drank the protein shakes but can't seem to get
in the habit of taking the vitamins...I know I need to, the dtr even
reminded me of that on my 1st follow-up visit on friday.
— heathercross
August 24, 2002
I am 2 1/2 months and I still have a hard time, but I bought an oversized
pill box which believe it or not holds them all except my calcium wafers.
I keep it close by and put it by my plate whenever I eat. I do the b-12
first thing in the morning, Iron and multivitamin 30 min after breakfast,
calcium broken up half 30 min after lunch and 1/2 30 min after dinner. I
wait 30 minutes after meals so I can wash it down with water. Make sure
you eat a little healthy fat with breakfast because it helps you absorb the
iron. You can do some vit C or oj with the calcium to help that
absorbtion. As for protein, you're on your own because they all make me
yak. Good luck!
— cjabates
August 24, 2002
I had a hard time too. I think just about everyone does at first. Took me 6
months to find a good protein drink. I'm 8 months now and I take my
vitamins out of habit now. I keep them on the kitchen table and take them
morning, noon, and night. I have a protein drink first thing in the
morning. The rest of my protein I get from regular food. Just try and make
a consious effort and before you know it you will do it because of habit.
— Kim B.
August 24, 2002
Yes, it's kind of a pain to get used to, but we gotta train ourselves to do
it (sigh!). I believe iron is supposed to be taken alone or with Vitamin C
to help absorption (haven't heard the fat theory, so I don't know about
that one), at least an hour away from a meal and not with anything else,
'cause iron will block absorption of our other vites and even other meds.
Calcium citrate (not carbonate) should be taken with Vitamin D if possible
to aid in absorption (better yet, use some calcium citrate source where the
Vitamin D "comes with"). Don't you love all these rules that
complicate things even more, and how we all have different advice? Take
your multivitamin with calcium if you want, but try to avoid taking it with
iron, since iron blocks absorption of other stuff taken with it. In the
end, all you can do is figure out what makes sense to you based on the
information that's out there, and stick with it. Good luck!
— Suzy C.
August 24, 2002
Yes, absolutely! I am 9 weeks post and still have trouble sometimes. I
don't do protein drinks, unless I know I didn't eat enough all day. But
the vitamins! I take a multi, iron, calcium, and B12. Plus I take that
stuff for your gall bladder and a mild anti-depressent. Fitting in all
those pills in one day can be challanging and I still dont fit them all in
at times....but it gets easier and more part of your routine.
— emilyfink
August 24, 2002
I am 8 months post op and STILL have to force those things down me !! I
usually only do the protein shakes when I have not eaten enough during the
day, but the vitamins are another thing. I can not take them at night with
the rest of my stuff, cause they kep me awake, and you can not take them
with your calcium, so i end up taking pills 3-4 times a day, and that is
what screws me up. I just do not have time to remember them 3-4 times a
day. Oh, Well, I keep working on it!! This is a process after all!!
— Vicki L.
August 24, 2002
I had a hard time the first couple weeks, because I was still sending my
fiance into the kitchen for me for anything I needed. When I got up and
moving myself, I placed my vitamins and other various pills on top of the
fridge, so that everytime I go to get a drink, or have my meal, they are
there staring at me. Helps me remember!
Best of luck to you! :)
— Dawn M.
August 25, 2002
I could never stick with taking vitamins pre-op, so I was really worried
about how I would do post-op. I set up a routine, and I don't even think
about it. One counter of my kitchen is "supplement central" and
all of my vitamins and powders and hand blender are out on the cabinet for
easy access - doesn't look great, but my health is more important than the
way my kitchen looks right now. Every morning I have a protein shake, with
powdered calcium mixed in, along with my multi-vitamins. After I drink the
shake, I pop a sublingual B-12. I keep a jar of calcium pills at work, out
on my desk, and take them at 10:00 and 2:00. When I get home from work, I
have another protein shake with calcium. At about 9:00, I finish the day
with a carnitine and an iron. Whew - it's a lot, but now that I'm used to
it, it just seems natural. I do get out of whack on the weekends sometimes
taking the calcium pills since they are not in front of my face. Just be
sure to keep everything in sight and easy to get to (I could never do the
top of the refrigerator thing - anything up there is no man's land to me at
5'3")! -Kate-
— kateseidel
August 25, 2002
No. Not sure I ever did, though. I lost 150#, so I can take 150 pills
without a blink. I don't have to, but I would do it. I have
"rules". I have protein shake before eating solid food, not 2
seconds before, but shortly before. I take my vites when I eat and I eat
when I take my vites. Never one without the other. No vites with me? So
sorry, no food then. I can follow limits I set for myself. YOU set them
for me and No, cannot do. But if I set the rules for myself, I can abide
by them. You might give yourself some simple rules you can follow
consistently. Like, I can only weigh nekkid & empty, first thing. If I
brush my teeth, too late! Keeps me from obsessive weighing. Simple
rules--to keep my health & what's left of my sanity.
— vitalady
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