Soda after surgery
MrsKTillman
Posts: 35
I have been reading on a few differant forums about soda/pop after surgery... so far its pretty well split between the yes and no's I was looking for the thoughts and views of the folks here.
Some people and some docs swear that soda will stretch your sleeve because of the carbonation, others say it wont and that there are not any long term studies to back up the claim.
What do you think about this and do you drink soda/pop?
*and NO... i have NOT fallen off the no soda wagon ... im just posing the question but yes, the thought of a coke zero makes my mouth water LOL*
Some people and some docs swear that soda will stretch your sleeve because of the carbonation, others say it wont and that there are not any long term studies to back up the claim.
What do you think about this and do you drink soda/pop?
*and NO... i have NOT fallen off the no soda wagon ... im just posing the question but yes, the thought of a coke zero makes my mouth water LOL*
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Replies
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I do not believe that it is physiologically possible for the carbonation in soda to exert enough force on your stomach to "stretch your sleeve." I think that it is a scare tactic and a myth.
I do believe that there are absolutely no health benefits from drinking soda, and that many people who were obese prior to surgery drank way too much of it -- diet or regular.
Personally, I am 1-1/2 years out from my sleeve. I drink a diet soda on a very rare occasion. Usually when I go to the movies and don't want to pay $4 for a bottle of water when I can get my movie cup refilled for a dollar, or once in a while at a lunch meeting where they have canned soda but no bottled water. Maybe one soda less than once a month.
Soda really is not good for you. One once in a while doesn't hurt, but it can be a slippery slope for those who were "addicted" to it before surgery.0 -
I don't know about any studies done on the subject, but I do know that I felt alot better after not drinking soda or caffine. I am going to trust the advice of Dr. and dietician. Also, not that it means anything, but others that I know who drink these items seem to be the same ones that also don't seem to be following the food plan.0
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Also, not that it means anything, but others that I know who drink these items seem to be the same ones that also don't seem to be following the food plan.
Actually *this* means everything. You have to give up your old ways to make room for new habits. The people who return to their old ways immediately after surgery and can't/don't follow the food plan are the ones who don't succeed.
I don't think having a diet soda on a rare occasion is harmful to anyone -- the problem is that people who break one rule may be more likely to break all the other rules, too, and then they're back to the beginning.0 -
I'm about 5 months out and I dont drink soda. Every now and then I though about it, I once even entertained the thought and had a sip from my sister's cup and I didn't care for the flavor and I had a major burp to expel the gas. I may give it a try again sometime down the road but like others said only as a rare treat - if anything I miss club soda/ soda water with a squeeze of lemon, not coke.0
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I dont drink soda - I stopped that months prior to surgery.
being on a 600-800 calorie diet - I would not dream drinking a soda
the carbonation of the beverage can cause pain and discomfort.
if you MUST drink a soda - let it go flat first..
I personally like Mio. it adds flavor to my water and helps with water intake..
every once in a LONG while - I'll drink a canned Brisk Iced Tea with lemon.....0 -
I am 10 months out from surgery and haven't had a pop / soda for 12 months now. (Except two accidentally sips - coke and Splenda tea look a lot alike in a dark cup! Almost spit my nephew's coke all over the place. LOL!)
I have been told that pop / soda will cause pain and irritation for most. I can say I don't miss it at all, so that is easy for me. The problem I have is they are telling me that I should cut back on Splenda tea and that just doesn't sound possible!!!! I would say that is my vice and I am backing off on it. Out of the two, it is the lesser of the evils, but I need to get back to water. Ugh...I have a sinus infection now, so water isn't tasting good, but this too shall pass! Overall, I can say I am doing much better cutting back.
Good luck!0 -
My bariatric program will not do surgery on anyone that drinks soda or caffine or alcohol. You have to be free of these before surgery before you can even be team approved for them to send in your insurance paperwork and get a surgery date. I quit drinking diet pepsi in March of 2012 and haven't had any since. I don't miss it at all. I was sleeved 6/11/12. After all this hard work I will follow what my program says to do! They know best!0
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MY SURGEON SAYS NEVER DRINK SOFT DRINKS.
1. Phosphates in carbonated beverages inhibit the absoption of calcium and can cause osteoporosis. Calcium helps to stimulate fat breakdown.
2. Carbonation forces food through he stomach pouch, reducing the time food remains in the pouch. The less time food remains in your stomach pouch, the less satiety (feelings of fullness) you experience, enabling you to eat more with increased risk for weight gain.
3. Food forced through the pouch by the carbonation could also significantly enlarge the size of your stoma (the opening between the stomach pouch and intestines). An enlarged pouch or stoma would allow you to eat larger amounts of food at any one sitting. In this way, consuming carbonated beverages, even if the drinks are diet or calorie free, may cause weight gain or interfere with maximal weight loss success.
4. In addition to the adverse effects that carbonated drinks have on weight loss or weight loss maintenance, carbonated beverages may also have adverse effects on health. Soda beverages and other carbonated drinks are acidic with a pH of 3.0 or less. Drinking these acidic beverages on an empty stomach in the absence of food, as Bariatric patients are required to do, can upset the fragile acid-alkaline balance of the gastric pouch and intestines and increase the risk for ulcers or even the risk for gastrointestinal cancer.
5. Not to mention, soft drink usage has also been found to be associated with various other health problems. These include an increased risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney stones, bone fractures and reduced bone density, allergies, cancer, acid-peptic disease, dental carries, gingivitis, and more.0 -
I don't drink soda any more for the health reasons Snowflake lists (1, 4, and 5). But then, I've never been a huge soda drinker, so I honestly don't miss it a bit. It might have been an issue for me on pizza night, generally the only time I'd have one, but since I don't drink with meals (EVER!), "it goes so well with pizza" (or popcorn, or whatever) doesn't really apply any more.
I've also seen a lot of people who were HUGE soda drinkers pre-op end up discovering soda post-op, even diet soda, led them down the path to a lot of bad old habits. Diet soda, led to regular soda, led to drinking with meals, led to eating lots of slider foods, led to major regain. It's a risk, only you know whether it's worth it to you.0 -
I've also seen a lot of people who were HUGE soda drinkers pre-op end up discovering soda post-op, even diet soda, led them down the path to a lot of bad old habits. Diet soda, led to regular soda, led to drinking with meals, led to eating lots of slider foods, led to major regain. It's a risk, only you know whether it's worth it to you.
I think the above is a key, key point. There are always going to be things you want, things you miss, etc etc... Slippery slope. When I am tempted by "testing" various things, I try to really think about why I did this surgery, and how it's not over after I lose the weight. I don't "get to go back to my old life, but skinnier". As said above, only you know whether it's worth it to you.0 -
I guess I am a minority. I had VSG 1/27/10. I have had diet soda since 3 months out. It hasn't been an issue for me. It gives me a " sweet taste" when I want something. I guess it all depends on how you look at it and treat "it" in your life.0
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I don't know what the actual truth is about carbonation stretching your pouch, but I do not drink it. My dietician said it would stretch your stomach and to avoid it for life. I haven't had any soda in 4 months and rarely ever do I even crave it.0
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There is nothing about avoiding carbonation in my sleeve paperwork. I enjoy a nice diet soda every now and then and I plan to continue to do so after my surgery (if it agrees with my sleeve) . To me, "every now and then" means between zero and four times a month. I sometimes go months without a soda, and other times I might enjoy two sodas in the same week! It's not a trigger food for me and it's not something I do in excess and it's not prohibited by my doctor so I see no reason to give it up completely. I used to drink diet soda daily, but I stopped that years ago when I began paying better attention to nutrition and my health.0
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Truthfully, I have no clue on this. BUT SERIOUSLY why in the world would anyone want to drink it anyway when you're trying to lose weight and or maintain!!!! This is a lifestyle change and we need to do it for LIFE!!! STAY AWAY FROM THE SODA'S they're not good for you anyway!!!!0
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Truthfully, I have no clue on this. BUT SERIOUSLY why in the world would anyone want to drink it anyway when you're trying to lose weight and or maintain!!!! This is a lifestyle change and we need to do it for LIFE!!! STAY AWAY FROM THE SODA'S they're not good for you anyway!!!!
I see where you're coming from .... There are certain things that I know I need to avoid completely because they are trigger foods. (pretty much all pastries, pies and snack cakes) or foods that are slider foods But for me soda isn't a problem. I used to drink it daily, and then I woke up one day and said "hey, all this diet soda, isn't good for me, I'm going to have water instead... Now, it's merely a nice treat that I happen to enjoy on occasion especially in a social setting where there is a lot of snack food around... it give ME something that I can sip on and not feel deprived because I'm not indulging in cakes and chips. It's no different to me than any other diet beverage. I actually drink mostly water and when I sweeten something I use stevia... I rarely consume ANY commercially available diet drinks because I don't want to overindulge in artificial sweetener, I won't even buy the really delicious looking protein drinks if they have artificial sweeteners... because It's not something I want in my body on a daily basis... but yeah, I like an occasional indulgence so I get a 20 ounce coke zero and enjoy it over the course of two days .. though sometimes I don't even drink the second half. . I feel like I definitely can have a healthy lifestyle that includes a few diet sodas in a month and honestly sometimes I don't drink any at all.. Now if my doctor was to explain to me some reason why soda is bad for my sleeve then I wouldn't drink them.0 -
Truthfully, I have no clue on this. BUT SERIOUSLY why in the world would anyone want to drink it anyway when you're trying to lose weight and or maintain!!!! This is a lifestyle change and we need to do it for LIFE!!! STAY AWAY FROM THE SODA'S they're not good for you anyway!!!!
I see where you're coming from .... There are certain things that I know I need to avoid completely because they are trigger foods. (pretty much all pastries, pies and snack cakes) or foods that are slider foods But for me soda isn't a problem. I used to drink it daily, and then I woke up one day and said "hey, all this diet soda, isn't good for me, I'm going to have water instead... Now, it's merely a nice treat that I happen to enjoy on occasion especially in a social setting where there is a lot of snack food around... it give ME something that I can sip on and not feel deprived because I'm not indulging in cakes and chips. It's no different to me than any other diet beverage. I actually drink mostly water and when I sweeten something I use stevia... I rarely consume ANY commercially available diet drinks because I don't want to overindulge in artificial sweetener, I won't even buy the really delicious looking protein drinks if they have artificial sweeteners... because It's not something I want in my body on a daily basis... but yeah, I like an occasional indulgence so I get a 20 ounce coke zero and enjoy it over the course of two days .. though sometimes I don't even drink the second half. . I feel like I definitely can have a healthy lifestyle that includes a few diet sodas in a month and honestly sometimes I don't drink any at all.. Now if my doctor was to explain to me some reason why soda is bad for my sleeve then I wouldn't drink them.
I look at it this way, too. I see (diet) soda as a special once in a while treat, which is what it was intended to be in the first place. Soda really should not be anyone's daily staple, regardless of whether it's diet or not, and regardless of whether someone has a weight problem or not. For me, everything in moderation is okay. I was never able to moderate anything before my sleeve, but that is the true blessing that my sleeve has given me -- I can be moderate now and enjoy a little of something once in a while.0 -
i am 3 years out from surgery - i can drink diet sodas but slowly and makes me burp! (i don't really drink them that much - like 1 per month)
...and to the preachy folks (no sodas EVER...blah blah)....it is a QUESTION....quit proselytizing
....agree with you that when i feel i "need something" it feels like a treat0 -
The more i read along the more im falling into the moderation group. a DIET ( coke zero is the only soda i would ever consder) soda once in a great while shouldnt kill me... I like the poster that said she gets a small bottle and rations it over a few days.
The problem with ANY diet or lifestyle change is... if we always tell ourselfs NO NO NO NEVER AGAIN... we are setting ourselfs up for failure.
changing a lifestyle like we are doing after VSG should be something we can live with for the next twenty or sixty years. Moderation moderation moderation... not everyone who has a sip of DIET soda is going to fall off the wagon and gain 100 lbs back or take the next step to reg soda as someone else suggested. Personaly i havent had a "real" soda other then in a mixed drink over dinner ( maybe ONCE)... in about 4 years... i dont think i could stand the thick taste of it anymore.
thanks for your input everyone0 -
...and to the preachy folks (no sodas EVER...blah blah)....it is a QUESTION....quit proselytizing
AMEN!0 -
MY SURGEON SAYS NEVER DRINK SOFT DRINKS.
1. Phosphates in carbonated beverages inhibit the absoption of calcium and can cause osteoporosis. Calcium helps to stimulate fat breakdown.
2. Carbonation forces food through he stomach pouch, reducing the time food remains in the pouch. The less time food remains in your stomach pouch, the less satiety (feelings of fullness) you experience, enabling you to eat more with increased risk for weight gain.
3. Food forced through the pouch by the carbonation could also significantly enlarge the size of your stoma (the opening between the stomach pouch and intestines). An enlarged pouch or stoma would allow you to eat larger amounts of food at any one sitting. In this way, consuming carbonated beverages, even if the drinks are diet or calorie free, may cause weight gain or interfere with maximal weight loss success.
4. In addition to the adverse effects that carbonated drinks have on weight loss or weight loss maintenance, carbonated beverages may also have adverse effects on health. Soda beverages and other carbonated drinks are acidic with a pH of 3.0 or less. Drinking these acidic beverages on an empty stomach in the absence of food, as Bariatric patients are required to do, can upset the fragile acid-alkaline balance of the gastric pouch and intestines and increase the risk for ulcers or even the risk for gastrointestinal cancer.
5. Not to mention, soft drink usage has also been found to be associated with various other health problems. These include an increased risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney stones, bone fractures and reduced bone density, allergies, cancer, acid-peptic disease, dental carries, gingivitis, and more.0 -
I knew soda wasnt good for me but I never knew exactly why so thanks for the post that I quoted and think I may have done it incorreclty..lol! Anyway I am 3 weeks out from VSG surgery and am thrilled to not have any coke zero cravings. I was soooooo hooked on that and Diet Coke before that. I never ever thought I could give it up and hope to never drink one again. On the other hand My mom and sister have had surgery years ago and they are able to drink one with no problems but they let it go about half flat before. I think you can do it after the first year, but its up to you.0
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I'm also in the moderation camp. I wasn't a soda junkie pre-op so I don't have to worry about the dreaded "slippery slope." Now, that same slippery slope? That's potato chips for me.
I can't keep them in the house because I would constantly pick at them. I probably couldn't keep a gallon of sweet tea in the house. But there could theoretically be a 2-liter of soda in my fridge and I wouldn't really think about it much. I steal a sip of my daughter's root beer at restaurants from time to time, or will mix a cocktail with ginger ale or tonic every once in a while. 0
