vit

Hey guys I am fairly new here I am scheduled 4 surgery on Oct 12 so that like 4 days and I and getting really nervous and scared but I have a question 4 u guys yesterday I got a letter in mail from drs office saying my iron and vitamin D were low and this is b4 surgery what should I be taking 2 help with this also has anyone found some protein shakes that aren't gross

I take 50,000 IU of Vitamin D, and its a liquid gel cap.  The normal doses over the counter are usually in the lower single digit thousands (1,000, 2,000, etc).  And the way it was explained to me by 2 physicians is that those doses are used to 'maintain' a current Vit D level, not to raise a Vit D level that is low.  I take 50,000 IU once a week and have for a long time.  However, one doctor said due to malabsorption its probalby best to take smaller doses every day once I get the level up high enough that its no longer in the deficient zone.  Next time I visit the doctor, I'm getting my vit d checked, and then I can change the dose.

As for the iron, there are iron supplements over the counter, there are some sold by bariatric companies.  You didn't say how low yours is, but if its too low, perhaps your doctor needs to write a prescription for a stronger med.  I would just call the surgeon's office back and ask them for recommendations on doses if you can do over the counter, and also a brand name...  but if you need a prescription would they write it for you...  not just on the iron, but Vit D as well.

Here are a few ideas of what to do with shakes

Sharon.
Bariatricadvantage.com. 27g protein .05g of sugar. Drink with fat free milk or water and add a pakg of splenda.  It is creamy and made with the right amount of stuff we need for the surgery.  Very high in protein which I haven't been able to find anything that has that high unless it is for body builders, which you don't want to get because they want to gain weight.  Also they have a lot of sugars in them.  I found a protein shake that had only 13g of protein and 15g of sugar.  My doctors office sells it to the patience but you can get it online.  If you type in bariatric advantage you can get it with free shipping in some places.  It is 35.95 for a tub.

I am having the surgery at 9:30 am on Monday as well.  I am getting nervous because of the diet I am on now.  I AM STARVING.lol

Good luck and cant' wait to see your progress.

If you would like to text me or call after surgery while we are still in the hospital
304-975-0106
Gina

Ladies, I hope you don't mind if I chime in here.  If you need a place to order protein powders, we can provide that.  Bariatric Eating has a package bundle of samples that are great.  That way you can have a variety for after surgery, and if you don't like one type, that's ok cause there are other flavors and brands.  There are places such as GNC, Vitamin Shoppe and maybe other nutrition stores in your areas that you can get some good stat protein powders.  The thing is, if you invest in them now, you might hate them postop.  Your tastes change so much, and its hard to grasp until it happens... but sometimes even water tastes too sweet...  or so it seemed. 

The stats on the Bariatric Advantage protein meal replacement look good.  I have not tried these. The thing I am concerned about however, is the protein powder you spoke of, with 15 g of sugar, plus fat free milk which contains 12 grams of sugar, totaling 27 grams ...  even if you were only able to drink half of that after surgery, that is a total of almost 14 g of sugar.  I know its difficult for you right now to understand, but that at one time is enough to put you on the floor writhing in pain, wishing you were dead and could "go be with Jesus" so to speak... in other words, a good old fashioned dumping episode... 

With any protein powder so soon after surgery, you will want to utilize every tool you can to lose the weight...  an alternative to milk which will cut down on the calories that you take in, decrease your sugars will be something like Almond Breeze Unsweetened Milk, or Hood Calorie Countdown Milk.  These are lower in sugars.  Now, some of these may not contain as much protein as milk, but you will be getting it packed in with the protein powder itself (usually 23 g per scoop).  I usually only had 2 oz of a milk alternative to provide CREAMYNESS like a real shake, and 6 oz of water.  If you can go it alone with jus****er, that would be for maximum weight loss results... 

These are just suggestions and hopefully some other members will give their .049 cents worth...  But I would surely hate to see you (a) waste a lot of money on large tubs of protein you might hate later and (b) have a dumping episode that makes you feel as if you want to die.  Dumping is serious business...  I wouldn't wi**** on my worst enemy.

You can chime in anytime.  However, as far as the protein shakes that have 15g of sugar, I was giving an example.  I do not take that shake.  A friend of mine drinks it every morning and I knew it had too much sugar.  I use the Bariatric advantage and I actually use water.  I was giving a suggestion if she did not want to drink it with water.  So my sugar intake is only .05g.

I have a chocholate and an unflavored tub which I put in everything and you can't taste it at all.  I know that after a week of shakes I am going to be over it.  I am almost already over it.  The unflavored is great, I made homemade applesauce last night and added what I needed and it tasted like applesauce.

Thank you for your suggestions on the sample pachages I will sign off here and check it out.

Gina

Gina, I'm relieved that you aren't going to do the 15 g sugar shakes.  (that about threw me into dumping just thinking about it! lol)  I hope it did not offend you.  It's just that we've seen many come and go from these forums, some don't know these things and we've seen them learn the hard way (experientially, usually dumping).  Others could write a book cause they've researched and learned so much prior to their surgeries.  I would rather repeat info and have someone learn (the easy way) than to not say it, and have someone learn (the hard way)....

Hope you find some good samples.  Usually they toss in a bunch of different ones. Let me know if you have trouble and I can try to round up some more suggestions.  Some of us always have sumfin up our sleeves!

Mel,

No I wasn't offended, I was just making sure you knew I wasn't that uneducated on this.  Unfortunately and fortunately I started going through this process in 2000, and have gone through the entire process three times.  This was my fourth time and I finally got approved.  My sister had it and I took care of her post op, and I have been to all four of the nutrition classes for six months the insurance companies require. additionally there is the internet.  However, I understand even though I have researched it till there isn't anything else to know, after surgery it is going to be completely different and I am sure I am still not all that prepared.  My biggest concern afterwards is what the heck am I going to eat.  I thought I could eat wheat pasta and wheat rice, but my sister said she still has trouble with pasta and rice of any kind.

I am on the run and do not cook much, but I really want to eat right.

Please send any suggestions you have
Thanks a bunch
Gina

One good thing...  you won't be hungry!  lol.  That will surely work on your behalf...  that's a great benefit of the surgery.  You just don't want food...  actually for the first few months, you will have to force yourself and remind yourself to eat.  We can provide some good suggestions along the way...

Such as, if you like pasta, spaghetti, etc. ricotta cheese with some low sugar spaghetti sauce is good, heated in the microwave like lasagna without the noodles.  and you can add a frozen turkey meatball that you can get at Kroger , etc.  one meatball.  That sounds funny I know.  But, it will make you feel as if you have eaten an entire Thanksgiving dinner! 

If you like things like Mexican food, you can do your own mexican sort of dish at home with the toppings, just leave out the shells, and limit the amount of refried beans that you eat... 

If you have a hard time getting protein in, we can all come up with some pretty good recipes/concoctions for that too!  I think we all should get a certificate that we've been through "Protein 101"

My input now!

My first few weeks out I established an amount of refined sugar that I will allow myself (anything in yogurt, ect).  I allow myself 9g of sugar per serving.  If there is something that I want to try that has more, I pass it right up.

A good friend told me that since I was able to eat the Fage yogurt and did not dump that I shoudl stick with that.

Also keep in mind that there are different kinds of sugar.  For example, canned tomatoes have quite a bit of sugar, but it is just listed as sugar.  It is a natural sugar and your body is ok with a little bit more of those types of sugar.  Same thing with fresh fruits.  Still you do not want to say that you can eat "unlimited" amounts of these items, just that you can eat a little more... I hope that made sense.

To this day I do not eat anything that has more than about 9g of sugar.  Including the sugar in the soy milk that I get in coffee at Starbucks (I get soy because of the calories that I need - but that is another story - called STOP losing weight and maintain).

I hope that this helps.

Michael.

Just wanted to give u an update on my vitamin levels I called the Dr 2day and they told me not to worried about the vitamin D it was just one point low as for my iron its not very good they said normal range is between 30-50 and mine is 12 so they will prob do an iron infusion while I'm in hospital and I was wondering why I was so tired and sleepy all the time