Reaching out for a little support.. be gentle.. I'm tender..lol

Hi Everyone!
Well I haven't been posting much lately because I have been so busy.. but I do read everyday..I am just over 3 months post op and I am absolutely loving my progress so far..But that is also where I am having some troubles.. I'm not getting in all of my water every day and I'm not getting all of my protein either.. I try to at least remember my vitamins every day.. but I have missed a few..My family doctor gave me a call last week to let me know that my blood and urine work came back and there were a few "abnormalities".. I have a high amount of ketones in my urine..my iron is low..my vitamin b is low..and so on.. but she said it was nothing urgent.. the numbers weren't in crisis or anything.. I will be seeing my surgeon, dietitian, and nurse on December 6th and my family doctor again on Dec 16th..so I guess I'm okay until then..But I'm just finding it so hard to get enough in.. I feel absolutely no hunger.. so I often forget to eat..and then between having to wait to drink before and after eating I feel like I am eating and drinking literally every second of the day..lol..Also I'm guessing that because I'm getting enough water and protein in..my weight loss has seemed to have slowed..alot..I have been in a stall for a week and a half..I have lost 60 lbs and 68 inches in 3 months...but it is still kinda crappy to see no movement for almost 2 weeks..actually I went up 2 lbs..Another thing that I am noticing latly is that I feel very tired all the time..and my body is very achy and weak feeling..I'm always stiff somewhere..Does this have to do with certain vitamins etc being low?..Any advice, tips, word of wisdom, slight lashing (lol) are more then welcome!!!
Thanks!

It's good that you had your labs done. You already know it's important to drink your water and get your protein. Low B, D, Iron and more can lead to fatigue. Even if a level is only on a slight down swing, it's important to deal with it now before it gets too difficult. Once you are back on track your weight loss should follow although you know stalls are common.
Keep working hard, you have come a long way in a short time.

HI LL,
I must say that I don't have any advice as I am just newly pre-op but with a topic title like yours, I felt it  necessary to reply.  I also know how it feels to see how many people have read your post and not bothered to reply.
I just wanted to give you some encouragement on your WL to date... your numbers are impressive.    It is also great that you are in tune with your body and trying to work on your issues before they become full blown problems.
Best of Luck getting yourself sorted out,
TT

Sounds like you're having a bit of a tough time, but I bet some of it is related to your labs. Being low in iron and B vitamins can definitely cause fatigue. Your stall may also be related to not getting enough calories. You also mention that you're not getting all your daily protein. The easiest way to rectify this is to add in some protein shakes to your diet. They count as fluids, just like water or crystal light, so it shouldn't mean you have to add much more by way of liquids to your routine.

It also sounds like you need to get on an iron supplement immediately and look at pumping up your vitamin B as well. It might seem overwhelming, but if you focus on the protein shakes and getting all your vitamins and supplements in (including iron and some extra B) for a week or two, I'm sure you'll start to feel better, have more energy and more like yourself again.

Some great protein I can recommend is the Whey Gourmet line at GNC (chocolate-peanut butter! and oreo cookie and other yummy flavours), and the Weider's Whey Fruit Splash at Shoppers Drug Mart (mango fruit punch).

For a iron supplement, look for heme or carbonyl iron, these iron supplements that post-ops can easily absorb. Profferin is a popular heme iron supplement, and Bariatric Advantage also makes a chewable one with carbonyl iron. You should be able to find other brands at the drug store. Just talk to the pharmacist.

Are you using a sublingual B12? If will absorb a lot better than a pill. You can start addressing your low levels by doubling up on how much you're taking. Another thing that is really easy is to buy a vial of B12 from the pharmacist (only costs $9-10) and have your doctor inject it at your appointment. Once your levels are caught up, you can continue to get an injection once per month or go back to the sub-linguals.

Good luck, take things a day at a time and I'm sure you'll be feeling better soon!

Eating and getting your vitamins/water post-op IS your JOB.  You need to take this seriously.  We have had friends here on OH with VERY serious consequences because of not eating properly and/or maintaining their vitamins.  I don't want to scare you too much - but one lady recently from OH died - after posting about how she was having trouble eating etc. for many months.  

I find the best way to keep on top of things is to plan IN ADVANCE.  I plan my food the night before.  Pack lunches and snacks that have a protein focus.  Here's an example of a great day of eating for me:

B - protein shake
MS - babybell and 2 slices of deli ham
L - 2 meatloaf "muffins"
AS - greek yogurt with granola
D - half a chicken breast and a small salad
ES - 1oz cheese, 2 pickles

A "meal plan" like that could easily get you 75-125g protein (depending on portion sizes).  Decide on the times that you are going to eat - and set an alarm if you have trouble remembering.  Early out I used my phone for this - I put my meal times into my calendar, repeated it every day, and set the "reminder" alarm for each one.  My phone would beep and remind me to eat!

Vitamins are also VITAL.  All the symptoms you are talking about are signs.  Don't wait until December - start upping your supplements now.  Use PATXYZ's advice to get you started.  Pay attention to what you take with what.  With B12 - pay attention to the "size" of the pill - I've bought 5000 IU's and 25000 IU's - BIG difference!  

EricaFG...I totally love the example of what you eat in a day...that's great to see for someone who is pre-op.  I understand it but sometime it's just nice to see someone's day!

Sunny, Karen M usually posts a "what are you eating/doing today", which gives good examples of post op eating.

I do!  Barb (birdiegirl) started it this morning.

I'll say it as gently as possible... you just have to do it. Set a timer, get yourself on a schedule and get it done. This is the time that you really need to invest on making these things a habit. You're in the easy phase right now. As you move forward more of the work falls on you, so you need to build a strong foundation. You made your life a priority. You put your body under the KNIFE to change your life. Now change it.

Here is your "light slashing"...You need to eat and drink in the amounts you are supposed to and take all of your vitamins.
You body is already telling you you are not o.k.. A few of your lab results are out of whack , you are tired all the time, very achy and weak etc. Your body is talking to you but you are not listening.