We have all been told to take our vitamins after gastric bypass weight loss surgery. In order to be nutritionally healthy we must supplement because the malabsorptive system prevents key nutrients from being absorbed by the body. But new patients report difficulty swallowing pills because of liquid restriction and tightness in the new stomach pouch.

Here are some strategies for getting those all important supplements down:

Applesauce: Try coating the bottom of a spoon with applesauce. Place the pill (either whole or crushed) on top of the applesauce and add another dollop of applesauce to the spoon. Simply swallow the spoonful of applesauce.

Yogurt: You can use the method above substituting yogurt (unsweetened, low-fat) for the applesauce.

Back of the throat: Place the tablet or capsule on the tongue at the very back of the throat. Take a small sip of water, lean your head back and swallow. Take one pill at a time pausing for two-three minutes between each one to allow the tiny pouch to settle.

Some patients report never having trouble taking vitamins or medications after weight loss surgery. This is perfectly fine and does not mean the stomach pouch is enlarged or not working. Just like before surgery, some people have more difficulty swallowing pills than others. It is quite personal.

The universal thing is to remember to take the vitamin supplements and other medications daily on schedule. Consistency results in the best health of the weight loss surgery patient. For a list of recommended supplements for weight loss surgery patients visit LivingAfterWLS.

Kaye Bailey

An award winning journalist and former newspaper editor Kaye Bailey brings expertise in writing and personal experience with gastric bypass surgery to EzineArticles.com. Ms. Bailey developed a passion for writing at an early age. As a teenager she found writing her feelings about obesity helped her cope in a world that is often cruel to overweight children and adults alike.

Ms. Bailey says she found out she was fat in kindergarten when another child told her she was fat. “I didn’t even know what fat was but I could tell it was bad and I didn’t want to be fat. Until that day I had been unaware I was different. But there I was, a five-year-old girl sitting cross-legged on the floor learning a new word that would define me.”

At age 33 she underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. For the first time in her life after multiple failed diet attempts she lost weight. She said the decision to have surgery took courage, nerve, and a little bit of plain old faith. But she learned surgery was the easy part. Dealing with newfound emotions, struggling with food choices and fighting to keep from regaining weight were unexpected bumps in the road following massive weight loss with surgery.

Having spent most of her life overweight Ms. Bailey is strongly empathetic toward the obese, particularly overweight children. This compassion compelled her to found the website LivingAfterWLS.com, a fast-growing resource of information, understanding and support for the weight loss surgery community. While weight loss surgery is publicly perceived as an easy fix to obesity Ms. Bailey maintains the struggles after surgery challenge the vigor of even the most dedicated individual. As WLS becomes more readily available patients are finding there is a lack of long-term aftercare and support from bariatric centers.

The LivingAfterWLS.com site is complimented with daily blog. The blog, livingafterwls.blogspot.com offers readers the chance to comment or leave feedback about fresh content added daily. This site contains success stories and recipes as well as general information and WLS inspired topics. Complementing the site is a monthly newsletter titled “You Have Arrived” available exclusively to people who subscribe through the website or the blog. The path forward includes community forums, nutrition and fitness tracking tools.

Ms. Bailey makes her home on a ranch in the Rocky Mountains with her husband of eight years who has been her consort in life after WLS.