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Healthy Tips: Setting up a Vitamin Reminder on your iPhone

If you are fellow weight loss surgery post op you know that part of our commitment to our lifestyle changes is taking vitamins. It can be a little daunting at first, the timing of everything especially if you are also on prescription medications and add in the not drinking for a time period before and after eating meals. I promise you it will become like second nature but it helps if you set yourself up for success.

Technology is often blamed for being a detriment to our health but here's a way of using it to help you remember to take your vitamins. If you are like most Americans (including myself sadly) I am never more than an arm's length from my cellphone so setting up a phone alarm to take my vitamins just makes sense and it's easy. Here's how I do it on my iPhone...

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Press the Clock Icon (fig 1) then the + sign (fig 2) to add an alarm time. Scroll to the time you want the alarm to let you know to take your vitamins, don't forget to select AM or PM. Press the word Alarm (fig 3), then press the little x (fig 4) to delete the word Alarm and use the keyboard to type in the word Vitamins (or anything you want: workout, walk, time to stretch, dance break, I even write in motivational messages to myself), press Done and then Save. Confirm the correct time is switched to green/on (fig 5) Voila! You will be reminded to take your Vitamins! (fig 6)

There are vitamin reminder apps you can download for free from the simple and aptly named Vitamin Reminder or the more detailed RxRemind that will even give you a monthly report about how compliant (see % missed/late days) you've been. Even Walgreens pharmacy chain has one within their store app (you don't need to be a customer to use it) I have messed with a few but so far the phone system seems to work best for me. I'd love to hear in the comments what works for you...

and check out my article in Your Weight Matters Magazine for more ways technology can help you with your health goals: Online Resources for Health, Fitness and Well-being.