“I knew it could be done! Specialized Iron does not block Calcium uptake. Efficient Calcium allows for a smaller dose. ———- is exciting and it is changing lives!”

The above is quoted from a recent promotional email sent out by a company that makes “bariatric vitamins”. I removed the name for the moment because the purpose of me writing this is not to go after the company, but just help dispel some … incorrect … information.

Do you remember the little phrase we’re taught as kids to help in our spelling? “I before E, except after C?” Well, when it comes to the absorption of supplements, I is ALWAYS after C. In other words, calcium blocks the uptake of iron, not the other way around. In face, Calcium is sort of king of the hill, or a vitamin bully. It has a tendency to block the uptake of a number of other micronutrients.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our bodies. Heck, I think everyone knows it’s the basis of our bones and teeth and all. And in some ways that’s also part of the problem when it comes to supplementation. If we’re not getting enough in our diet, our body will start to take what it needs from our bones, often making it very difficult to know that we’re not getting enough of it until it’s too late. That’s why calcium supplementation is stressed so highly for bariatric patients, so pretty much everyone reading this should be familiar with calcium pills. They’re fricken huge, right?

The only way to make them smaller is compressing them more (which can only be done to a certain point), or putting less calcium in each pill, but then you have to take more pills. It’s just the physical properties of Calcium, it’s “big boned” so to speak. And it uses it’s size to it’s advantage when it comes to getting absorbed. It’s able to muscle it’s way to the head of the line, playing bouncer and keeping some other nutrients from being absorbed… or at least absorbed as well as they would be without Calcium playing gate-keeper and key master all in one.

All joking aside, it’s true. Here’s a quote from livestrong.com

A Kansas University Medical Center study reported in the January 1991 issue of “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” found that taking calcium with iron supplements reduced iron absorption when taken with food and also decreased absorption of dietary non-heme iron.

Now, before you start thinking Calcium simply has it out for Iron… they also mention the following:

While animal studies show that calcium interferes with zinc, human studies don’t always give the same results. A Tuft’s University study reported in the June 1997 issue of “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” measured the effect of calcium supplementation in postmenopausal women on zinc absorption. Subjects took calcium doses of either 890 mg or 1,258 mg over a 36-day period. In both groups, zinc absorption and zinc levels in the body were reduced by approximately 2 mg per day. A separate study of men and women ages 21 to 69 assessed the effect of calcium given with or without zinc on zinc absorption. Giving calcium with the meal but not adding supplemental zinc reduced zinc absorption by 50 percent.

And it’s not just livestrong.com saying so – check out what MIT has to say about it:

Copper is needed for normal iron metabolism. Vitamin A assists with iron in elininating anemia. Zinc and iron taken together may limit the absorption of zinc. Calcium and iron combined in a meal may decrease the absorption of iron.

You can find many other examples of this out there, from lots of credible sources… so the bottom line is, taking calcium and iron together effects the absorption of that iron. Not the other way around.

and no… I’m not talking zombies here or anything… I said “feed”, not “eat”.

There was a recent study out of Chicago that is suggesting that low levels of B12 in older folks may be tied to decreased cognitive ability. Now this is an early study… and of course it’s full of caveats, but according to a story on UPI:

The study, published in the journal Neurology, found having high levels of four of five markers for vitamin B12 deficiency was associated with having lower scores on the cognitive tests and smaller total brain volume.

Study author Christine C. Tangney of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago also said;

“Our findings definitely deserve further examination,” Tangney said in a statement. “It’s too early to say whether increasing vitamin B12 levels in older people through diet or supplements could prevent these problems, but it is an interesting question to explore. Findings from a British trial with B vitamin supplementation are also supportive of these outcomes.”

When you’re a bariatric patient, you can count on two things. First, you’ll hear all the time how you’re not supposed to drink your calories. And second, protein drinks are a fact of post-op life. But, sometimes that life gets a bit hectic, so making up your favorite protein shake or smoothing using whatever powder you prefer can be a hassle.

Sure, there are single-use packs out there. There’s even some good products that come pre-measured in a bottle where you just add water. But with those packs, you still need some sort of shaker like the Blender Bottle to keep from getting those protein powder lumps and the bottles work, but they can be a bit on the bulky side at times.

Well, thanks to one of the vendors I met out in Vegas last month I now have just the thing. Gotein.

Think of Gotein as Crystal Lite on steroids. Gotein is a powder you shake up in a bottle of water and drink… it’s that simple. Really. I’m going to keep this short and to the point. Here’s what you’ve gotta know.

Flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry.

Nutritional Stats: 17g protein from a mix of whey isolate and whey concentrate, 110 Calories, 6g carbs with just 1g of those carbs from sugars. They also throw in a decent mix of vitamins, a bit of artificial flavors, but mostly natural stuff including actual cocoa powder and real strawberries. Check out the product page for full nutritional stats.

Mixing it up: Just like those Crystal Lite packets it’s easy. Dump in a bottle of water, put the cap back on, give it a good shake, drink. BUT – these packets won’t fit in your pocket. There’s just over a quarter-cup of powder in each. You’ll need to make sure you have LOTS of room in the bottle before adding the powder and mixing it up. You screw this part up and you won’t be happy. You’ll either spill half the mix out of the bottle or you’ll end up with a lumpy mess.

Taste: If you’re looking for something to curb a sweet tooth, at just 1g sugar, this ain’t it. It’s smooth, it’s mild, and there’s no blechy protein after taste or anything.

This may be just me, but I like it a LOT better with ice cold water – and in fact when I can, I just use my own bottle with water and a couple of ice cubes to keep it nice and chilled.

Cost: At $25 (well, $24.95) for a carton of 12, this ain’t the cheapest stuff out there, but it’s not the most expensive either. But given the quality of the product, the taste, and the convenience – it’s well worth the cost. It’s very easy for me to keep a few of these in the Jeep and my laptop bag all the time so I have one handy no matter where I’m at.

The cost still bugging you? Fine… I have a discount code for ya. MED05 - enter that when you make a purchase of individual carton to get 20% (basically $5) off per carton. Or if you’re gonna order at least three carton anyways, just use the Pick your own Combo option and you automatically get $5 off per box.

If you’re still a bit gun-shy, hit the home page and get the “free” sample pack. You get one packet of each of the three flavors, you just pay bout $3 to cover shipping. Shipping is extra on any of the orders by the way, but they have a number of retail places that carry Gotein around California, so if you’re out west you may be able to get it local.

I had written to Laura, who was working the booth in Vegas, and when I ordered a carton of the strawberry for myself she was nice enough to throw in some samples of all three flavors for me to pass out to the people in my support group… I’ve received nothing but positive feedback from them, and I know at least one of them has ordered some of their own since.

If you don’t mind, if you do order, please use the links I have here on my site – I did join their affiliate program so I do earn a bit of a commission if you buy something via my link. Not much, but hopefully something to help off set my hosting costs and such. If doing so is an issue for you, search Google for Gotein and you’ll find their site on your own easy enough.

Oh, the only other thing I would add is that I wish they could come up with some Crystal Lite type flavors… some tropical, or fruit punch or citrus type flavors maybe? And keep them low sugar! Not everyone wants a super-sweet drink. That’s bout the only thing I could think of right now that would make this product any better. If you’ve tried them yourself, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Wow… so last month I hit the two year, post-op milestone. Now this month, Former Fat Dudes is hitting it’s own two year milestone.

See, before I started formerfatdudes.com I was blogging about my WLS stuff over on my personal site (which has been woefully neglected in recent months…). But then I got the weird idea about starting a site dedicated to weight loss surgery from a dude’s perspective. Actually the fact that I started inviting other dude’s along for the ride was more by chance than by design – see, the domain formerfatdude.com was already taken, so I ended up pluralizing the name… and since I alone am not a “dudes”, I figured I would try and get others to join in on the fun.

I’ve had a few other guys join in here and there… most recently Ian/Baka (by proxy anyways) and now Tom/Beariatric (who has his own great site, but is becoming a regular contributor here as well). I’m always open to having others jump in to the fray as well, I think it’s important for us guys to get our side of things out there – plus it’s less writing I have to do myself!

Anyways, speaking of less writing – I figured I would pull out the Way Back Machine and take a look at some of the posts from May of 2009 and 2010 – see, it’s an easy way for me to fill in some posting space here. Not only that, there may actually be something of use to someone that hasn’t been here before, that may just be starting out on their own WLS journey or may just be worth taking a look at once again.

May 2009

• Bariatric Advantage – my first review based on a sample pack of stuff I ordered from Bariatric Advantage
• Resistance is (Not) Futile – A quick intro in to using resistance bands for exercise
• Five Must Have Things For Your Post-Op Kitchen – A quick list off things I feel all post-ops need to make sure they have on hand

May 2010

• BTV Video: Turkey Quinoa Meatballs – one of my early BTV videos
• Go Ahead, Call Me Obese, I Dare Ya – A flashback of a flashback – reposted last year as something from my personal site the year before.
• BTV Video: Protein Bars – another Protein Cooking video.

image credit: Cake Picture Gallery

“To all my little Hulkamaniacs, say your prayers, take your vitamins and you will never go wrong.” – Hulk Hogan

Let me start off by saying:
I’m not a Doctor or Nut these are my opinions based on my research etc, blah blah………

Patrina posed the following question:

“Has anyone noticed that the better they keep up with their vitamin regime, the faster the weight comes off? Would there be a scientific reason behind this, or am I just imagining it?”

Cliff notes answers:

Yes, Yes and No

Long Boring Version:

Prior to WLS the majority of us have been yo-yo dieting for a number of years, either restricting our food intake or trying different diet drinks or pills, it’s likely that we are all deficient in a number of vitamins and minerals at that point. Now fast forward to Post WLS and all of sudden we’re taking in a Rolls-Royce Vitamin and Mineral regimen.

How Does It Help Weight Loss?

The body’s weight-control or weight-related functions – like appetite, hunger, metabolic rate, metabolism of fats and sugars, calorie-burning, and so on – operate more efficiently with an optimum intake of vitamins. All of them play a part in maintaining optimum health and weight, and many operate together.

The Best Vitamins For Weight Reduction

The most important vitamins and minerals for weight loss are: Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Choline (part of B-complex), Inositol (part of B-complex), and Vitamin C.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Vitamin B2 is needed for normal thyroid function and metabolism. Good food sources of vitamin B2 include: Milk, liver and kidney, almonds, hard cheese, eggs, wheatgerm, leafy green vegetables, Marmite.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Like B2, vitamin B3 is essential for normal thyroid hormone production. Vitamin B3 is also part of the glucose tolerance factor (GTF) which is released every time blood sugar rises. Good food sources of Vitamin B3 include: Wheat bran, liver, tuna, turkey, chicken, meat, eggs, mackerel, salmon, oats, barley, wheatflakes, cheese, dried fruit, brown rice.

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Any deficiency of Vitamin B5 interferes with our capacity to utilise fat. Vitamin B5 also plays an important role in energy production and assists adrenal function. Good food sources of Vitamin B5 include: liver and kidney, meat, poultry, nuts, wheatflakes, wheat bran, wheatgerm, eggs, molasses, oats, barley, beans, wholegrain bread, green vegetables.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

Vitamin B6 regulates the production of thyroid hormone and metabolism. Good food sources of Vitamin B6, brewer’s yeast, wheat bran, wheatgerm, oats, sardines, mackerel, poultry, beef, avocado, bananas, brown rice, cabbage, dried fruit, molasses, eggs.

Choline

A member of the Vitamin B complex, choline is not a real vitamin as it is made in the liver. Choline is needed for efficient fat metabolism. Choline deficiency leads to fats becoming trapped in the liver. Good sources of choline include: lecithin, beef liver, beef heart, egg yolks, wheatgerm, cauliflower, cucumber, peanuts.

Chromium

This mineral has been the most widely researched nutrient in relation to weight loss Chromium is needed for the metabolism of sugar and without it insulin is less effective in controlling blood sugar levels. This means that it is harder to burn off your food as fuel and more may be stored as fat. It also helps to control levels of fat and cholesterol in the blood. One study showed that people who took chromium over a ten-week period lost an average of 1.9kg (4.2lb) of
fat while those who took a dummy tablet lost only 0.2kg (0.4lb).

Zinc

This is an important mineral in appetite control and a deficiency can cause a loss of taste and smell, creating a need for stronger tasting foods (which tend to be sweeter, saltier and more fattening!) Zinc also functions with vitamins A and E to manufacture the thyroid hormones.

Co-enzyme Q10

Co-enzyme Q10 is needed for energy production. It is found in all the tissues and organs in the body. As we get older we may become deficient, which results in a reduction of energy. It has been used to help heart problems, high blood pressure, gum disease and immune deficiencies.

It has also been shown to help with weight loss. A study showed that people on a low-fat diet doubled their weight loss when taking Co Q10 compared to those using diet alone.

Inositol

Like choline, inositol is a member of the vitamin B complex and is also manufactured inside the body. Inositol combines with choline to assist in fat metabolism. Good sources of inositol include: lecithin, beef heart, beef liver, wheatgerm, soy, eggs, citrus fruits, wholegrains, nuts.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C provides a range of health benefits including proper conversion of glucose to energy in the cells. Good food sources of vitamin C include: blackcurrants, broccoli, green peppers, kiwi fruits, Brussels Sprouts, lemons, oranges, strawberries, cabbage.

Which Minerals are Best for Weight Loss

Calcium

Recent clinical studies demonstrate a positive relationship between calcium intake and weight-loss. Controlled weight loss studies indicate that increasing calcium intake by the equivalent of two dairy servings per day can reduce the risk of overweight, perhaps by as much as 70 percent.
Also, it’s worth remembering that lower-calorie fat-free milk contains the same amount of calcium as full-fat milk. The same goes for low fat yogurt and reduced fat cheese.

Chromium

Chromium is required for the metabolism of sugar. Without sufficient chromium, insulin is less effective in regulating blood-glucose levels. In this way, chromium helps to control cravings and reduce hunger. Good food sources of chromium include: egg yolks, molasses, beef, hard cheese, liver, fruit juices, whole grain bread.

Manganese

Manganese helps regulate fat metabolism and blood-glucose. It is needed for a healthy thyroid function which itself is essential to maintain a healthy weight. Good food sources of manganese include: tea, wheatgerm, spinach, split peas, nuts, oatgerm, oatmeal, pineapple, green leafy vegetables.

Zinc

Zinc helps to regulate appetite. Zinc is also needed for the correct functioning of hormones, like insulin. Zinc deficiency is common among smokers, heavy drinkers, some vegetarians, people with chronic illness and those on non-nutritious or very low calorie diets. Good sources of Zinc include: shellfish, herring, wheatgerm, lean beef or lamb, eggs, lentils, Brazil nuts, almonds, chicken.

Hulk Hogan Was Right Kidlets!

Ian

Originally published March 18, 2009

No… not of winter. Of waiting.

The psychologist finally submitted the paperwork to my surgeon last week and they called me Monday to let me know they have it all and will be contacting the insurance company for approval.

The nurse said it could take two-four weeks to hear back from them, at which point I’ll be able to get the surgery scheduled, and it’s typically a couple weeks for that. So I could be going under the knife by the end of April… or earlier (hopefully).

I have not been as focused on losing… I’ve lost more than enough to meet the pre-op requirements. I’m trying to focus on habits. Things like no drinking during meals, getting exercise, and just trying to make better decisions in eating.

I have not been doing so great overall this last month… but continue to make small steps in the right direction. I just bought a mountain bike last night. Not a cheap one… hopefully it will give me all the more incentive to be using it (hopefully my knee will cooperate!). Instead of one-step forward, two-steps back… I think I”m more along two-steps forward, one-step back.

Had an informational meeting at the surgeon’s yesterday. Sort of a review of all the stuff I’ve been going through the last few months. I did have to re-read my hand outs cause there was a quiz on things like what vitamins I’ll have to take (B-12, multi vitamin with iron, and calcium) the rest of my life, at what point do I start taking them (at week four after surgery), identifying signs of dehydration, and such. I got 100% right (yay me). Then had to sign a statement about my committment to changing my habits and such when it comes to eating, excercise and junk.

Almost time to go through the cupboards and ditch a bunch of food stuffs again. I need to start putting together a shopping list. For a day or so before through three weeks after surgery I’ll be on liquids only. Clear liquids (broth, juice and such), then slowly adding a few other things like strained cream soups and V8. Week four is when I get to start adding a few soft foods like apple sauce, yogurt, maybe some soft cooked egg.

Been getting a lot of support from friends and family, which even if I forget to say so, I really appreciate it. Oh, I need to find a protein powder too… by the end of the first week I’ll have to start adding that to my water and such.

It’s coming down to crunch time.

ok, there are LOTS of people out there that are more informed on things than I am, and some that are just plain better at getting a point across than I am and some that are both.

Here’s a case where Andrea fits in to that both category, so instead of saying anything more I’m just gonna link you to her post:

B12 Overload [Weight Loss Surgery Vitagarten]

Like many folks, I keep my vitamins in the kitchen. Hand place to grab a glass of water when taking them. Many also keep them in the bathroom for pretty much the same reason. Making taking their supplements part of their daily routine.

But according to this article from smartplanet.com based on a Purdue study, you may want to move your stuff outta there… cause moisture could be making your supplements less effective.

As a WLSer, we are given a tool to help us lose weight. Along with that tool our surgeons give us a set of guidelines on how to maximize the effective use of that tool in our lives. If you follow those guidelines, you are all but guaranteed that your surgery will work, and you will not only lose weight but keep it off.

There’s just one problem. We’re human.

For many of us, rules are meant to be broken. We get complacent. We get lazy. We get… Whatever it is, there’s going to come a time where we “break the rules”.

And ya know what? That’s ok.

Well, it’s ok as long as you don’t kid yourself about it and start thinking it’s ok to do so again and again and again.

Every decision you make about following your surgeons guidelines are going to have consequences, consequences YOU have to live with. If you make good decisions, you’ll be rewarded with good things. You lose the weight, you get healthy, you keep the weight off.

If you make bad decisions, you’ll likely lose weight more slowly than you otherwise would have (and likely not as much), you’ll end up with vitamin deficiencies, you’ll dump, you’ll regain the weight you lost…

Every decision you make will have consequences. The key thing to keep in mind, the thing to ask yourself is, are they consequences you can live with?

I recently read on another forum about a bariatric supplement company that came out with some new protein products. Right away people were asking about samples and the company rep said they don’t have any at this time in order to keep production costs, and thusly cost to the buyers down.

By the time I got through the entire thread, something struck me… nobody had asked for a FREE sample.

Sure, maybe that was in their minds at the time they asked, and from the reply by the rep it is how they took it, and while free is always good it is not always what we want.

We all know protein shakes can suck. I’m sure we’ve all gone through powder after powder looking for the one or two that we can not just tolerate, but actually like. Or maybe we suffer with one we tolerate for weeks, because it’s not like most of us can be shelling out bucks to buy another 2 or 3 pound tub just cause we didn’t care of the last flavor.

So yea, give us sample… sizes.

Like I said, I love free stuff as much as the next guy, but I don’t NEED free stuff. Package your flavors in single-serve packets that I can buy… and not just one or two flavors, all your flavors.

Ok, yea… I know about production costs. Where in bulk you may be able to get something for as little as a buck a serving, you start individual packets and that cost is likely to go at least double. So while I’m not asking you to take a bath on it by giving it to me for free, at least price it at or maybe just above cost so I can order some to try out. If I find one I really like, odds are I’ll be back to buy the larger containers.

On top of that, I may even keep buying some single serve packets for use when I travel, take to work, etc…

The same goes for vitamins and such, though I think most of the major players out there do give free samples and sell sampler packs of that stuff.

So yea, if you make stuff for use WLS types… steal this idea! Please!

Photo by andvic