For those that need a vitamin schedule
I see posts pretty often with people needing help with a vitamin schedule.
Here’s what I think is easiest:
Breakfast – multi, 500 mg calcium citrate, B12, B complex (if you take that), D3 (if you take that)
Lunch – 500 mg calcium citrate (you can take your D3 here too if you want to spread the pills out more and have less to take with breakfast)
Dinner – multi, 500 mg calcium citrate
Bedtime – iron, vitamin C
Yes, if you have iron in your multi and you take your multi with calcium, you won’t absorb that iron. But if you’re taking iron at bedtime, that’s OK.
Your other option would be a schedule like this, if you do have iron in your multi and you want to absorb it:
Breakfast – multi, B12, B complex (if you take that), D3 (if you take that)
Lunch – 500 mg calcium citrate (you can take your D3 here too if you want to spread the pills out more and have less to take with breakfast)
Snack - 500 mg calcium citrate
Dinner – multi, iron, vitamin C
Bedtime – 500 mg calcium citrate
These schedules have you taking the vitamins recommended by the ASMBS, along with taking vitamin C with your iron because then you’ll absorb that iron better. If you pair your vitamins up with meals, it gets easier to remember them, I think. And it doesn’t matter if you sleep late or go to bed early or whatever, because it’s not a certain time of day you take them, it’s just whenever you eat breakfast or go to bed.
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
Hi Kelly,
Since we are talking vitamins, do you take additional Vitamin D other than what is in with your Calcium?
I just ordered the BA calcium citrate chews with D3 from VitaLady. I'm wondering if in general that is enough or I if I should get some plain Vitamin D to keep on hand?
Thanks!
HW 287, GW 150, CW 168 ** Band to RNY 05/29/12 **
Starting BMI between 35 and 40ish? Join us-Lightweights Board!
We need our D level to be at least 80. Most RNY patients need at least 10,000 IU a day to keep their level up, although a few people do OK on less.
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
Okay, thanks!

HW 287, GW 150, CW 168 ** Band to RNY 05/29/12 **
Starting BMI between 35 and 40ish? Join us-Lightweights Board!
Breakfast: multi, Calcium citr., D3, B12, Actigall, Pepcid
Lunch: Calcium citr.
Dinner: multi, Calcium citr.
Bedtime: Iron, (Vit. C?) Actigall, Pepcid, Norvasc, Celexa
Am I forgetting something? I have some D3 that I haven't been taking; it's 5000IU. I guess I should go ahead and add it in. It is a softgel....do we absorb those okay? Also, how much iron do we need if you don't mind answering. As far as B12, my surgeon's guidelines say 1000 mcg 3 times per week. Do you take it every day?
Have you added up your monthly costs for vitamins? I haven't, but it seems like it's a lot. Thanks again for taking the time to help those of us who are still trying to get the hang of things :).
We don't absorb the soft gels very well because they have oil in them. Oil is a fat and we malabsorb fats. You would absorb some of it, just not all of it.
The ASMBS recommends 54-63 mg iron for menstruating women and 36mg for everyone else.
I do B12 shots once a week. But your surgeon's guidelines are in line with the ASMBS recommendations.
I did add up my monthly costs for vitamins. It was a lot of math! My current vitamin regimen costs me $1.06 per day, so just over $30 a month. Sometimes it's actually less, because sometimes I get multis or calcium citrate on sale where I buy one and get one free. Sometimes it's a little more, because sometimes I buy the Calcet creamy bites for some of my calcium just because they are yummy and i like them, but they cost more.
The cost depends a lot on what brands you use. Chewables are often more expensive than vitamins you swallow. I take a lot of vitamins for my $1.06, though. That includes my multi, calcium citrate, iron, C, B12 shots, D3, vitamin A, zinc and magnesium oxide.
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
on 5/25/12 4:34 am
Yay!
Check out my video blog! www.youtube.com/user/HappilyShrinking/videos
Highest weight: 269. Surgery weight: 233. Goal weight: 144, and then we'll see..
