Yes- physically I have no problem tolerating carbonation as long as I drink it slowly. But- I'll caution you, the "just a couple sips/bites/etc". can be a really slippery slope.

Omg - I have been battling with this. I had a sleeve in October last year and have probably had a few mouthfuls here and there so last night I decided to have some sprite........ MISTAKE!! 1 glass later and I was in sooooo much pain. Will stick to my cordial and flavoured water from now on...

My dietitian told me that having carbonated beverages such as soda after surgery would expand the new stomach/pouch and that wouldn't be a good thing. I don't think a sip here or there would expand it that much, but I don't know for sure. I pretty sure that I will be staying away from carbonation as I don't want to take any chance of the side effects (plus I was never a big soda drinker in the first place).

I can't completely quit my Diet Dr. Peppers but I indulge in them a LOT less frequently than I ever used to drink them. My advice: ignoring a craving can spiral you into other stuff, so indulging every so often will not hurt unless it's a true trigger food. With carbonated beverages, it's best to pour a set amount into a cup and then let it sit for a while (like 30-45 minutes) to lose some of the intense fizz. Basically, let it go a little flat. Then you can sip it, still get the flavor but the gas is mostly gone and won't hurt your stomach.

At some point, you have to decide if the craving is worth the hassle mentioned above for pain-free drinking and you may just decide it's not. That said, the method I mentioned above has worked pretty well for me in dealing with soda cravings. Even indulging them, I may drink a soft drink like once a week or something. It's mostly coffee, tea and water for me.

Meh. There is not enough carbonation in a soda to stretch your pouch. Try filling a balloon with soda and see how much it expands. Balloons expand easier than your stomach. I don't know why centers keep perpetuating these claims.

That being said, I don't drink carbonation OFTEN. When I do, it's never a full can and it lasts me HOURS. I hate flat drinks, they taste off. HOWEVER, the carbonation HURTS. Heh. So, I take BABY sips and sip it SLOWLY. This past weekend I had a can of diet cream soda. Had such a taste and it was $0.33...so I bought one. Had about 3/4 of a can over 3 hours.

Try it, see how it goes. I think a lot of the "slippery slope" is then mental. Giving in to a regular soda, or a few bites of fried food, or that fried sandwich, or...or...or...

My surgeon's plan says carbonation is fine after three weeks (i.e. that it doesn't "stretch the sleeve")—which has been great for me because I'm a huge seltzer drinker. I do find that it takes some technique, and I no longer like things as carbonated as I used to, which isn't a problem because I have a SodaStream machine and do my own fizzing! I've also craved Diet Coke, but haven't gone for it yet—I'm only six weeks out, so I'm giving it some time, but I anticipate that there's an occasional Diet Coke in my future. Just probably not three a day, like before surgery.

Mandy_1982 wrote: »

That is strange how some places say no carbonation and others are OK with it. My dietitian is really against it and she had me thinking I could never drink it again.

This is how I handle "definites" with ANY professional..."Why? Can you please supply me with copies of studies or names of studies so I can read the information. That way I can understand better." I deal with "shouldn't" better than "can't".

Soda and I don't mix. One cup and I'm in pain. So I avoid it. Last time I had a diet dr. pepper was over a year ago. But it's not worth the physical hurt for it.

If you just miss the occasional "fizz", those LaCroix waters are awesome. They're not as fizzy as a Coke, and have no sweeteners, etc. I've learned to like them alot.

NicoleL874 wrote: »

Mandy_1982 wrote: »

That is strange how some places say no carbonation and others are OK with it. My dietitian is really against it and she had me thinking I could never drink it again.

This is how I handle "definites" with ANY professional..."Why? Can you please supply me with copies of studies or names of studies so I can read the information. That way I can understand better." I deal with "shouldn't" better than "can't".

This describes me in general, but as part of the WLS process, I checked that part of my brain at the door. I understood that most of the 'musts' have wiggle room, and are not consistent program to program, but it was obvious to me that what I was doing wasn't working. I jumped in to full compliance mode for the pre- and post-op period and was very successful. One of the things I advise is to not push the edges of your program.

Now that I am almost two years out, I have certainly pushed edges and found a bunch of 'musts' really are 'should's'. Where has that gotten me? A bunch of bad habits and some regain.

I am struggling with getting back to the things that made me successful, and it is hard.

Rob

PS: I'm not too active here any more, but I read every day. If anyone is interested n my journey,I summarize my experiences in a couple of posts here:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10123987/six-month-ramblings/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10376334/two-years

Feel free to add me if you like. Hopefully, I'll be more active in both logging food and contributing.

NicoleL874 wrote: »

@rpyle111 Heh. Yeah, I'm wired differently than most. My brain is my biggest strength and my biggest downfall. I need data. In all areas of life. There are very few definitive statements in life. I work best with having the information up front, and understanding the "why". That way I can start battling those "shouldn't" statements from the get-go. *smile* I'm working on setting my boundaries and sticking to them. My brain hears "CANNOT" and interprets that into "CHALLENGE"! lol

Learning myself has been the biggest challenge to this. Figuring out what my pitfalls were in the past and figuring out what will work for the long haul. I know what works for me is not for everyone, but never know who it may help!

Your story is awesome and inspiring. Keep on keepin' on with your bad self!

As an engineer, it was really hard to submit to other people's rules