Vitamins?

Flintstones exist because parents wanted something fun and tasty they could trick their kids into taking. Nutritionists and doctors do the same thing, because patients are often noncompliant.

You can go along with being treated like a recalcitrant child, or you can take a complete adult multivitamin.

Deficiencies are real. No one is immune. It takes a while, but it will bite you on the ass.

Currently what I'm taking is below. I'm going to give you the timing because you need to separate iron and calcium and iron and things containing tannins like coffee:

5-5:30am - (2) Bariatric Fusion Chewables Multi & 500mcg Sublingual B12

8-8:30am - (1) 700mg Calcium Citrate & 400IU Dry D3

2-2:30pm - (1) 700mg Calcium Citrate & 400IU Dry D3

5-5:30pm - (2) Bariatric Fusion Chewables Multi, 500 mcg Sublingual B12, 65mg Vitron C Iron, 250mg Vitamin C

9-9:30pm - (1) 700mg Calcium Citrate & 400IU Dry D3

The B12 I'm taking because mine was lower than 'ideal' and the Iron I take in addition to my multi w/ Iron because my Ferritin dropped about 30 points from 6 months to 1-year post op. You can get Calcium chews that people enjoy more than the pills but they have about 4g of carbs each, I believe.

Edited to add: The extra vitamin C is for iron absorption and you shouldn't take chewables that aren't Bariatric specific (ie: don't plan on Flintstones or gummies). Also, I'm still taking them because I don't mind them but you don't need to take chewables long term.

My surgeon sends some samples home for you to try...that said, I couldn't do any of them without getting sick. I thought about the patch vitamins, but ended up with gummie ones, and also gummie vitamins.

They are incredibly important! Find a way to do it...it just takes some tweaks to find what works.

I had to wait about two weeks before I started flinstone like chewables I bought off of amazon. After trying several others I settled on ProCare Health Bariatric one a day multivitamins. I have had great lab results and they are affordable. I have no problem swallowing a capsule. Like most places, give them a call and they will send you out some samples.

For the first four weeks after surgery I did liquid vitamins -- a double dose of Wellesse liquid multi vitamin, plus liquid iron (I have long-standing issues with low iron/anemia).

After that, until month 6, I used Trader Joe's high potency chewable multi's, 2x per day. Also just a regular generic iron supplement.

After month 6, I switched to one per Trader Joe's chewable high potency multi. I probably could swallow giant pills but I've never liked big pills particularly and the chewable worked for me, so I figured why switch?

I am coming up on five years post-op. I have my labs drawn twice per year and my numbers have always been great. I'm very glad I didn't waste money on high priced bariatric vitamins. Also, I find that the bariatric vitamins are packaged to appeal to people who love sweets and candies, and are loaded with sweeteners, carbs, and calories. I am leery of anything that holds itself out as a "treat" and is basically fake candy. I don't want to get in the habit of eating any kind of candy, fake or real (see also: protein shakes and protein bars, which many people just use as a substitute for milkshakes and candy bars. This approach may work for them but I don't believe it will work for me).

Good luck to you!