Video: What supplements should I be taking?

It’s extremely important to take daily supplements after any type of weight loss surgery. The volume of food you can eat means that it’s near impossible to get everything that you need from your typical daily diet. As well as this, you might not absorb certain nutrients as well after surgery, especially if you’re taking medication like anti-reflux medication. Check out the following video for an overview and below that for the amounts of each nutrient you should be aiming for an what I recommend my clients. 

How much do I need?

The ASMBS guidelines recommend the following as a standard regime, but your dietitian and surgeon will monitor your blood tests and may recommend you removed, change or add other supplements, so please always check with them first for specific brands and dosages to take.  Most surgeons will take blood tests at 6 months and then 12 months after surgery, then yearly after that unless there is a problem. Make sure this is part of your yearly routine.

Each day you should be taking:

1. 2 adult multivitamins (with 45-60mg iron in total as well as folic acid and thiamin).
2. 1200-1500mg of calcium total including that from your diet and calcium citrate in a supplement
3. 1000IU Vitamin D (with maybe more if you’re blood levels are low)
4. Vitamin B12 either as a sublingual spray, within a tablet or as an injection if your levels are low.
5. A fibre supplement