Are there clothes that let the sun through?

 Hello everyone, 

I had my gastric bypass 3.5 years ago, lost 100lbs, regained 25lbs, now steady weight having lost 75% of my excess weight. Overall I am very happy with this surgery. I just had blood work again and I'm still mildly deficient in VitD (despite tanning like a mad woman all through the summer) and taking all the supplements my doctor recommends. I am also mildly deficient in B12 and thyroid, will increase my doses on everything.

One of the great things about having had this procedure is that exercise is part of my life now. I started out all gung-ho running and lifting weights, but now I've settled into a routine that fits me really well. I walk 5k minimum every day, rain or shine, and I've been doing it for a long time, no desire to stop, I don't even have to talk myself into going, I actually enjoy it! 

As the weather gets colder I have to wear more clothing on my walks and I wonder are there clothes that will keep me warm while letting in the sun? Sort of the opposite to all the high SPF garmets out there? I couldn't find anything, but I figure if anyone knows it'll be on this RnY board! Thanks!

don't know about the clothes but my Vit D level finally when up when I started on Vitalady's 50,000 iu of Dry D3 a day.  I have cut back to 2x a week now but it takes a lot to get it up.

Yes, I've known about Vitalady for years, thank you. I don't think I'll go for that since my levels are still decent and I don't believe in mega dosing on anything, plus my doctor would have a cow, and he's been a good influence on me, helping me realize that I need to relax.

And it just occured to me that time truly flies! It's not been 3.5 years since my RnY, it's been 4.5 years!!!

I'd always heard that regular cotton clothing will not protect you from the sun, however, I'm not sure about what to suggest in regard to keeping you warm. Seems the moment you'd need a jacket you'd lose any benefit of the thinner cottons.

Congrats on the regular exercise. That is truly wonderful!

Best to you,

Denise

Sunlight has D2, not absorbed well by the human body as well as you think.  I live in southern CA, and used to walk over an hour daily in mid summer, and my D levels still SUCKED, an 8-14 on labs.  You don't stated your lab results for D or B12.  If you're afraid of "meg doses" of D3, then take one of the 50K IU 3-4 times a week, like every other day.  You're fooling yourself about improving your D labs very much by wearing lighter clothing. You state you've "..tanning like a mad woman all summer." , yet your D labs are mildly deficient. You really need D levels of 80-90 for optimum health as a post op.  You won't get near those levels without dry D3.  I too take the dry D3 from Vitalady.  Each patient is different, but D labs are an issue with RNY post ops.  My example: I had an 8 for D labs post op. My PCP put me on those script 50 K IU vitamin D, once per week. I took them for 24 weeks, had 3 sets of labs, and the highest level I had for D was a 14. I then tried a liquid vitamin wiht 600IU dry D3 in it's daily dosage. In 5 weeks my next labs showed a 33 for D.  I then began taking 4 of the 50 K IU dry D3 per week for about 2 1/2 years. Labs for D then showed a D level of 65.  In the last year, I've taken one of the 50K IU dry D3 daily.  Labs are due in less than a month. Hopefully I'll have D levels of 80+.  With all of the 5K daily walking, a lot of tanning, I seriously doubt if an clothes "that let the sunlight in" will be of any additional benefit. I don't really think your D levels will improve without the usage of the dry D3 with all of the sunlight you get now.  DAVE

 Dave you do make a lot of good points. I spent a lot of time in the sun since July and my labs didn't improve one bit. I should try something different and see how I do between now and next year when I get my labs again. I went to the vitalady site and there are lots of options under D3, which one exactly do you use?

How low is your vitamin D?  How much D3 to take depends on that.  We need our level at least 80, otherwise we are at increased risk for osteoporosis and other bad stuff.

How low was your B12?

I am an American living in France, so I'm not sure if my labs will mean anything from your point of reference, but here they are:

Vitamin D (25OH D2-D3) is 23.0 ng/ml (it was also 23 in 2010 and 44 in 2009, it's been as low as 16 in 2008)
B12 222 pg/ml (it was 206 in 2010 and 327 in 2009)

According to this lab, normal VitD is anything above 30, so I'm not sure where you get your min of 80, can you elaborate on that? This lab says that 10-30 is a light deficit, 7-10 moderate deficit, under 7 severe deficit. So according to their measure (and both my doctor and my surgeon) my situation is not ideal, but nowhere near dangerous.

This lab states that normal for B12 is 243-894.

I think I'm going to make me a spreadsheet with all the values I've collected over the years so I can see it graphically. Thanks for your input!

A lot of labs use really low "normal" ranges for vitamin D and B12.  I don't know why.  I assume they are not basing their ranges on recent research.

23 is horribly low for vitamin D.  I get the minimum of 80 from the Linus Pauling Institute of the Oregon State University.  lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/  Have you had a bone density scan yet?  Since you've been so deficient for so long, it's almost certain you're not absorbing calcium well.

How much D3 have you been taking?  I gather when your level was low last year, you did not increase the amount you were taking for some reason?

222 is also frightening low for B12.  Below 550, people tend to get symptoms like depression and fatigue.  Below 400, you can get PERMANENT nerve damage in your hands and feet.  Do you have numbness and tingling in your hands and feet yet?  How much B12 do you take? 

Thankfully I have none of those symptoms, will read the link you provide, thank you.