Discussion: Supplements / Vitamins Before and After WLS

Hey Fellas,
Tim's thread about favorite foods before & after WLS got me thinking about other things that have changed since surgery.
I'm looking to get a feel for the kind of supplements & vitamins everyone uses now... as opposed to what they were taking before WLS.

I'm just talking supplements, here... not medications.

Me?
Before WLS, I was lucky if I got in a vitamin C tablet every day.
And, every so often, I found myself experimenting with echinacea, lysine & St. John's Wort... of course, I never researched any of them before hand and never stuck with 'em.

Now?
I've got a fairly strict daily regimen...

Morning:
Multi Vitamin with Iron
2000 mcg sublingual b-12

Afternoon:
Calcium Citrate
100 mg CoQ 10 with Vitamin E
720 mg Fish Oil
900 mg Glucosamine & Chondroitin

Evening:
Another Multi Vitamin with Iron
3 capsules ZMA

And, I have to admit to downing a variety of energy boosters before my workouts : Endorush, Tribulus Shots, RedLine, Black Pearl, etc...

What about you guys?
Just wonderin'

Be Well,
A.J.

Prior to WLS I did very little in terms of vitamins or supplements.  I did on occasion take some Glucosamine and Chondroitin but nothing else. Now - I'm a good little camper and take my vitamins/supplements without fail everyday. Morning: 2 - Multi-vitamins (Children's Chewables...don't laugh - my labs are perfect!) 1 - Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)  1 - Biotin  1 - Zinc 2 - Calcium Citrate 1 - Protein Shake (min 40 grams protein w/ Creatine and Glutamine added) Late Morning: 1 - Protein Shake (min 40 grams protein) Late Afternoon (Weight lifting days): 1 - Protein Shake (min 40 grams protein) Evening: 2 - Calcium Citrate 1 - Multi-vitamin 1 - Protein Shake (min 40 grams protein w/ Creatine and Glutamine added) Every 2 weeks (mid-week): 1 - B12 (self-injection) Prior to workouts, like AJ, I do down a Red Line or a SF Red Bull.  I do this for a boost and it helps keep me a little sharper throughout my workout.  I do not advocate use of these pick me ups for anyone - is just something that works for me.  I'm not big into carbohydrates - I don't consider myself strict at limiting carbohydrates, it just seems that by the time I take in my protein, I have little to no room for carbs.  Plus I've noticed I tend to crash (I would liken it to a diabetics blood sugar bottoming out - or perhaps dumping without the nausea) when I take in any significant amount of carbohydrates.  So yes, I do use these products for some energy I'm not getting from carbs. Now about the Creatine and Glutamine - several different schools of thought out there on these as well.  I don't care to get into a debate about the effectiveness or concerns over these supplements.  All I can do is share what works for me - everyone is different.  I can tell you they are indeed beneficial to me as far as my strength and stamina are concerned - but most important is the gain in muscle mass I've seen since I got into the supplementation schedule I follow now. Another great topic to talk about AJ - this is what the board is all about.  THANK YOU! Cards Fan STEP OFF THE SIDELINES AND GET IN THE GAME!

Nice to see you back on the board MJ aka Cardsfan.  Me, still hanging out - waiting for the pysch to write up her report and fax my surgeon. How long does it take you to drink one of those shakes if you can't drink more than a sip at a time? It's hard for me to ingest all the things that are going to be necessities for me to do in the vitamins, protein, etc., You'd have to be on a pretty tight regime just to remember all that stuff. Thanks, Bob.

Bob, The requirement to sip and only sip is not permanent...at least it was not for me.  I can drink pretty much as I did prior to surgery now.  The protein shakes I do are about 5-6 ounces so those go down for me in less than a minute.  Not a big deal at all. Once one gets the routine established it doesn't take much effort.  You'll find what works best for you and it'll just become a way of life...things you just automatically into your day like putting on the pants and brushing the teeth...don't even have to think about it...ya just do it! Planning ahead of time - writing out a schedule or checklist is a good thing to do.  I even went as far as using a stopwatch/timer for my protein intake to make sure I got it all in.  Anal yes...but effective! Keep the faith Bob....things will fall into place for you real soon!  It's worth the wait. Cards Fan "STEP OFF THE SIDELINES AND GET IN THE GAME!"

Another great post AJ, Prior to surgery, nada! Post-op 4 Flintstones- multi-vitimans 2000 mcg B-12 1200 mg of Calcium Citrate I usually have one 20 gram protein bar per day, and get another 100 grams from food. It is working for me. Like CF, my labs are perfect! Ronnie

I've always been a believer in supplements, until they discovered my brain lesion and the Nuerologist's told me to stop- until they figured out the cause of the lesion. Before surgery I took a centrum multi-vitamin. Flaxseed oil. Fish oil. St. John's wort. Garlic tablets. Every morning. Since WLS I take Flintstone chewables. DD