Question:
CAN WE HAVE SUGARLESS GUM

i AM 2 WEEKS POST OP AND i AM DOING GREAT THANK GOD. BUT I WAS WONDERING IF WE CAN CHEW SUGARLESS GUM OR HAVE HARD SUGARLESS CANDY. CAN WE HAVE KETCHUP HOW ABOUT CHEESECAKE MADE WITH SPLENDA???? PLEASE ADVISE..THAN YOU    — YVETTE121 (posted on April 18, 2007)

April 18, 2007
I think this all depends on what your surgeon says, but I do chew gum and eat hard candies. I also use ketchup and enjoy low-carb cheesecake. I think it really depends also on how your body handles it. At first the cheesecake make me sick, but now I know my limits and can tell when to stop. Good luck. Malena 329/150 at goal
   — *Malena* M.

April 18, 2007
well my nut said no gum at all i have chewed it though with out problme dont swallow. ketchup still dont eat. mm cheesecake have to tried that either im 8 months out i do eat sugar free hard candies though. i just am scared to enjoy stuff like cheesecake too much so i avoid them. hope this helps.
   — cyndie M.

April 18, 2007
Im 3 months out. I tried ketchup the first time two weeks ago and did fine. My nurse told me when I was one month out that I can have sugarless gum (dont shallow it) and sugarless hard candy. I would think if the cheesecake is made with splenda and you only ate one small slice I think that would be ok. But you are only 2 weeks out. If I was you I would not try the cake until you are eating solid foods. Good luck.
   — barfiep01

April 18, 2007
Yvette.. good God girl why the hurry to go back to cheesecake? Makes me worry for you (lifestyle change?) ... the cream cheese in the cheesecake will probably make you sick.. maybe not... no graham cracker crust... ketchup.. all depends on your system.. just remember it is high in sugar... and the tomatoes are acidic. A good rule of thumb to go by is if the food has sugar in the first 5 ingredients, bypass it.. pardon the pun... LOL... hope this helps...
   — Kari_K

April 18, 2007
I asked my nutritionist about sugarless gum today.. They would rather us not.. And her only reasoning is that they don't want you to swallow it. No bad effects other than that. I am a big gum chewer. Helps me keep from eating all the time. I am still pre op for another week and a half.. but i plan on chewing gum..... ;o)
   — michelemcd

April 18, 2007
Did you have the lap band?My doc says no to gum because it can cause gas in our puch and that is not good.
   — Sandy Hanson

April 18, 2007
I have to agree with Kari-- depending on if you had RNY or lapband. If you had RNY you shouldn't even be close to eating "normal" food. You should ONLY be having skim or fat free milk, protein shakes, sugar free fudgesicles, unsweet 100% fruit juice without pulp, low fat creamed soups, sugar free yougurt, pudding, and carnation instant breakfast. And water. That's it! Remember your stomach is STILL healing! You have to be VERY careful or you can get leaks and cause MAJOR problems. Oh and NO GUM for quite a while! Also think of it this way, if your in such a hurry to have all the food that probably got you into this mess in the first place, chances are, you're going to end up right back to where you were before surgery-- do you want that after all that you have gone through? Good luck!
   — crystalsno

April 18, 2007
according to my nutritionist the answer to gum is NO -- you can accidently swallow it and it will get stuck -- you should really be asking your nutritionist what the recommendations are :)
   — RCassety

April 19, 2007
Hi Yvette! Welcome to the losing side and all things are going well! I am glad for you. I really do thank God Himself for the benefit He gave me in surgery. God's Word has been a comfort and support through the last 3 years for me and I am so thankful to Him for my Salvation, His Word and how He works in my life every day, so I agree with you thanking God for this blessing! Regarding the gum, I don't think it is an issue of sugar or calories, you certainly can try it. Here is the thing about gum for me: When I first had wls, it harbored air in my pouch making it miserable and uncomfortable. It is not recommended because of that, and the same for straws, drinking from straws can bind air in your new little pouch and make you miserable. I don't burp much, so that was important. Now, 3 years out I can chew gum, and I actually prefer a straw to none, I don't have that air blockage irritation. So I say if you want to, give it a try, it didn't work for me early on, but it did later. Two weeks out, I would skip all deserts or "rewards" about food. You have to battle the head issues of weight loss, and during this honeymoon period, Yvette, if you really want to lose weight, don't depend on the surgery to do it, watch what you eat, stick to protein, water and exercise, heavy on the exercise (begin light, but then work up and challenge yourself). As soon as you introduce sweets and treats, it is very hard to turn back. It could make you sick, and hopefully you would learn your lesson, but what if you didn't? What if it works and you could go on to cake or ice cream or something else? Why do that when you have the best opportunity in your entire life to really lose weight and to gain new habits? Honestly, why did you have surgery if it were not to change your life? Now that we have thanked God for your successful recovery in surgery, a huge surgery, let's show our gratitude by using that tool for His glory and appreciate it by sticking to the rules for a long time! There will come a time when you can adapt other things in, I just encourage you to take your time with that. Two weeks post op is not the time. Perhaps 1 year post op would be the time to consider other "extras" or an occasional empty calorie item on occasion and in moderation:) Take care, and hope this helps. Patricia P.
   — Patricia P

April 19, 2007
Be careful with the sugar free gum and hard candy. Many are made with sugar alcohol (usually ends in "ol" such as xylitol, mannitol and the odd ball isomalt) which can cause "bloating, diarrhea and flatulence" when consumed in excess. I suspect that "excess" is different for everyone so you may want to go slow and see what your tolerance is. Just remember... sugar free does not mean calorie free. The last line of the wikipedia entry on sugar alcohol says the follow: "People who have undergone gastric bypass surgery, specifically Roux-en-Y (RGB), should be careful not to eat too many sugar alcohols as doing so can lead to "dumping" and intense internal body odor." As for cheesecake made with splenda and ketchup... check it out with your surgeon/nutritionist. I know that you can buy no sugar added (and maybe "sugar free") ketchup and you could probably make a low carb splenda cheese cake.... but you may need to wait until you are a little farther out from the surgery. Best wishes.
   — mrsidknee

April 19, 2007
If you had RYN, you shouldn't be able to eat much of anything at two weeks out - maybe a spoonful or two per meal. You really need to push protein first so you don't get full on cheesecake and then not eat the protein. I'm actually surprised you have a desire for that so early out.
   — KC

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