What happens if you don't take your vitamins?

 I haven't thrown in any towel.... it's quite the opposite actually.  I'm doing great with the weight loss, feel great, have tons of energy.  I'm totally excited about this weight loss procces!!! And it is a process!  

I've never had to take a pill on the regular basis.... so I'm having difficulties getting into the swing of it.  And you're probably right... I should have also asked for suggestions on how to combat that.  But really.... I wanted to know the side effects of not taking them.  Asking that in no way meant I've thrown in the towel. 

Plus... I thought this message board was a place to get support, help... not to be judged.  Cause shoot,. thats how I feel now.  Makes me not want to post on here anymore.  

You are definitely right--this is a process.   Everything about this is a process, right down to the routing of eating, exercise, water, vitamins, relating to food as a form of nourishment, etc.   I can tell you that from my own experience. 

I'm glad you are feeling great, have tons of energy and that you are excited about the whole process.   Getting in the swing of it is something that you have to figure out and do what works for you.  I gave you my suggestion of setting things out and going for samples and figuring out what works.  My point was that you will not feel good if you don't get into a good vitamin routine. When you asked the question the way you did, it implied, as one person said, that you didn't have the desire to find an answer to the problem.  You sign up for the vitamin routine once you hae WLS unless you want problems down the road.  I also said that despite me being vigilant about taking my vitamins, deficiencies can occur and they do occur the further out you get.  I also stated that in my post to you and this is something that continuously has to be watched and tweaked because what may work at some point may not down the road.  You always have to be very aware of it.

I apologize if you thought I was calling you an idiot.  Sometimes support has to come in the form of tough love which many of these people are showing for you.  You are asking for the benefit of our experience and we are giving it to you.   I'm sorry you feel like you are being judged.  I know I did not intentionally do that--I spent much of my life being judged due to my weight and I would not want to do that to anyone else no matter what it was. 

 You're in Cincy?!?  And not coming to see me just up the road?!? 

Lora

Nope and interestingly I did not type that.

OH is being special again I think, Cuz I typed this at work and had nary a thought about Cincy...weird.

ETA: yes, I WAS actually. This post is from 2010. I saw you in Ciny Lora!

How'd you get to this post anyways.

How weird... It was on the first page of recently updated posts, and it didn't have the date next to the person's avi the way old, resurrected posts usually do, so I opened it, but didn't pay any attention to the dates...

Methinks OH has some gremlins because there have been lots of weird things happening lately!

Lora

Depends on which vitamins you don't take.

If you don't take calcium, you can get osteoporosis.

If you don't take your multi, you can lose your eyesight from vitamin A deficiency, lose your hair from biotin deficiency, get heart disease and rickets from vitamin D deficiency.  And more.

If you don't take your B12, you can get permanent nerve damage in your hands and feet.

If you don't take your iron, you want get enough oxygen to your vital organs.  You'll get very anemic and have to have iron ifusions by IV.

Kelly

 Ok! THANK YOU Kelly!  This is the info I was looking for! :) 

Betsy:

As a very practical true-life example(s)... just this year, I was referred 2 patients how had broken bones due to osteomalacia from not taking their calcium and vitamin D over the years.  This mainly had to do with their not being instructed to do so by their RNY surgeons (one is just 3 years post op, the other was 10 years post op.  One broke her hip, the other broke her tibia and fibula in the lower leg... both were just from tripping over something in the house, so they were not even major traumatic events.  They are both in their early 30s, and one will most likely end up with severe early onset degenerative arthritis in the hip, and the other in the ankle due to the fractures.  These were absolutely preventable if they had taken vitamin D and calcium citrate (500 mg three times daily) and followed up with labs to ensure their vitamin D levels were normal.

So please, take your vitamins... it is a very small price to pay compared to the alternative.

 Yikies! :) I broke 10 bones as a kid...... don't ever want to do it again! 

Thanks for the info! :) 

Betsy

checking in after Nik... also from Cinci


I never took any pills or vits or anything before surgery.

my alarm goes off on my cell phone every two hours from 9 am to 9 pm to remind me to take a vitamin.  it really helps.