Starting to research vitamins. Any advice?

Ok, so I am really researching my vitamins. I am of course lurking on vitalady.com. She does not detail to much though ... when it comes to looking for vitamins in stores. I basicly am trying to educate myself enough to go into a store like Costco and be able to tell what vitamin rules to follow. I get the dosage and the amount of pills to take a day. What really throws me for a loop is:
1) timed release (what is that, do we need it?
2) how can you tell on the bottle if the pills are not gel (lets say you can't see the pills from the outside?
3) what the heck is rosehips and why are they in my vitamins lol
4) also what to look for in my B Complex pill......


I could go on but I will spare you all. I am a noob when it comes to vitamins. I know the general stuff but after surgery everything is so specific and I want to be able to do this confidently! Give me all your ideas, hints, advice and wisdom!!!

First off, you're not going to be able to find the right forms and the right doses of the ADEKs we need in a store.  Don't bother looking.  ;)

We do not want timed or extended released formulas.

I use Walmart's sublingula B complex and all by Bs look good on my labs. 

Calcium CITRATE
ADE and K must be in dry form in huge doses as per what VitaLady sells.
Multi can be a centrum equivalent
Timed release is a no
The bottle will say gel cap or liqui gel  It isn't what the capsule is made of it is what is IN the capsule that matters.  I just avoid capsules unless I'm sure they are dry on the inside.
Can't help you on rosehips but I bet google knows.  Google knows everything lol.
I get my B complex from VitaLady.  I only have to take it once a week now.  I get a sublinqual B12 from walmart.

~Becky

I tried my surgeon's way and tried to research, etc., then BeamMeUpScotty invited Vitalady to the DS board and I was sold. lol  Link to more detail on her schedule: www.gblcreations.com/Resources/Gina/ProgramDRNY_ERNY_BPDDS3- 2010.pdf

--gina

I have vitalady's break down list and it is very helpful. What I am trying to do is find most this through vitamin catalogs or stores. Yes you can find them online, in stores and in vitamin catalogs. I have found a lot on the list already. beemerbeeper ty for your advice. I wasn't sure if timed release was right. :) 
Can anyone link what is in their B Complex (what is on the back label) So i can get an idea of what you all are using. There are so many different B Complexes and B Complexes with stuff added in them. lol Stores do this to confuse you I swear!

Any advice would be very helpful.

Don't just shop by price, shop by ingredient. Some of Vitalady's products are all but irreplacable, especially at her prices.

One really obvious example is A supplements that are marketed as "dry." I have yet to find a vitamin-store type supply of "dry" A that doesn't have a lot, if not mostly, beta carotene, which we absorb poorly if at all and then have just as much issue converting to usable A. They are cheaper, which is why I started with them and saw my A go from 40's to 17 in three months while taking 100K IU per day.

I usually use the Nature's Way B-100 complex that I get at Costco.

1.  I'd rather not have timed release.  Dissolves/absorbs slower...which for us might end up meaning...doesn't absorb at all.

2. They usually say gelcaps, or liquigels.

3.  Rosehips...I think they add them to vitamin C to increase absorption or somethin'.  I don't really know whether it works much or not.

4.  There are a lot of B-complexes...we won't really know how critical they are to you until after surgery and we get your labs tested.  Not sure if it matters or not.  I usually try to pick one that is a capsule instead of a tablet, just because I prefer capsules over tablets.

I disagree with what everyone says about not finding E and K in stores.  Dry E in 400IU is super easy to find, and I had to go elsewhere to get a vit K in the higher doses I seem to need.  A and D will probably need to be bought online, or ordered through a pharmacy if that's your style.

Kayla you rock! Thanks for the insight. I feel more confident in making vitamin choices. I have been browsing online vitamin shops and noticed most are a lot cheaper to buy in bulk than vitalady. Granted vitalady takes all the thinking out of it and has everything set up. So if you don't want to stress and plan your vits than she is deffinatly the way to go. Also her post op pack with all chewables and easy to take in vitamins is awesome! I do plan on buying her post op pack but from then on ... I plan to buy my own. If i do go through the pharmacy (perscription from doctor) to get some of my vits, there is a big change my insurance will cover most of the price.

Thanks again!

You can use from Costco, off the top of my head (Kirkland brand where applicable):

Multi that's like Centrum or Centrum Silver
Calcium citrate CHECK THE LABEL for "calcium (as) calcium citrate"
B complex, preferably b-100 complex
C
maybe the iron but not terribly likely
sometimes zinc is available

No time-release vites. No gummy vites. Look at the labels and see if oil of any kind is an ingredient. If so, worthless. Coated tablets dissolve better when they are broken in half.

Don't waste money on anything that's A, D, E. You need Biotech's products, and they are best bought from Vitalady--her "Tender" brand.

Rosehips are the berries that form on rose bushes after the flowers die. They are edible and have oodles of vitamin C. Don't try to eat them fresh off the bush though cuz they're SOOOOOOOUR.

EN awesome advice! I definatly will not sacrafic quality for price. Thanks for telling me the differerence. I don't know much about vitamins when it come to bariatric surgery. I should go book searching in Barnes & Noble and get some educational books.... hmmmm I can't resist a good book lol This has been really helpful. I am sure I will have more questions when I get a date and post op:) I can't wait! I am exicted, nervous, and a bit stressed but I just can't wait to make a real change in my life!