Soda or not??

Those of you that are drinking any carbonated beverages are probably not losing as much as the others are. It stretches your pouch. It has always been warned by every sugeon that does this surgury. Do Not drinkCarbonated beverages. If you do, it will slow your progress. I have never even tried Soda of anykind & won't for that very reason. I do however eat sugar & thats a problem at time too! as it doesn't make me dump. I only wi**** did. Just my 2 cents worth on the subject of Soda Don't do it, or get off of it if you can. you will feel , and do much better. My last soda was the night before surgury 9 months ago.& don't miss it. Marilyn, the Bearlady

It has never been proven that carbonated soda stretches your pouch. My doctor has been doing WLS for over 20 years and said its never been a problem w/ stretching, just an uncomfortable full, gassy feeling for some patients in the beginning. I've been drinking (strictly diet, not "regular") soda since 5 weeks post op and I've lost 135 lbs, I hardly drink water at all... doesnt look like I've had any problems losing as much as anyone else who never drank soda post op... my dr even said I'm losing MORE than his "normal" patients. I still have to ice my soda and sometimes water it down so I dont have that full, gassy feeling. I've had the BEST surgery, not one complication in 9 months. My doctor says YES to soda, as long as its diet (0 calories like diet coke) It doesnt make sense to never drink soda ever again. You're thinking short term (months post op) rather than long term (years post op). My doctor says to try everything. Moderation is the key to this surgery. I didnt have it to give up my favorite things, just to moderate the amount I can consume. -Janine

I concur with Janine. If you don't want to drink it, don't. But for as many surgeons out there who say not to, there are just as many who say it doesn't matter. It's a personal choice and I wholeheartedly believe it is not diet soda that is the problem, but sugared. Dina

I'm with Connie on this one. Soda just doesn't sit well with Junior. I only take a sip here and there of diet soda is there is nothing else available. Plain water upsets my stomach, too, so I stick with decaf teas or Fruit 2-O (room temperature). I do have one cup of regular coffee every day (mixed with one cup of skim milk, vanilla, and Splenda), and just yesterday I found I can tolerate Minute Maid Light Guava and Citrus drink (I tried the MML lemonade last summer, and it upset my stomach). I have a pretty picky pouch, and I guess that's a good thing! Hugs to all! -Marcie

My doctor said to never drink carbonated drinks again and so far that's the only thing I've done that he said to !!! He said it will strech the pouch. I can eat sweets and I don't dump , I just found this out in the last 3 weeks or so and I have been out of control !! I'm trying real hard to get back where I was before I started celerbrating Christmas . Judy

i drink diet soda now and again. My surgeon told me that it would not stretch the pouch just cause uncomfortable bubble gas feeling. I tried a regular soda and i thought I was going to die from all the sugar. I drink hot chocolate too the diet with calcium. The post op WLS that i've spoken to that seem to have no problem at all with regular or diet soda seem to be the DS patients.

I love diet coke, both caffeine free and regular. My Dr says give it a try and see how you feel. I am able to drink it as long as I dont slug it down. I feel fine. What my Dr warns against is the connections that soda has with many of our old favorites, fries, chips, munching in general. I havent had a problem with that connection but can understand where many do and why Drs would warn us against that. I think soda is fine for the person who can tolerate it and as long as we are getting in all ur nutriton needs and not using the soda as our food and nutrition. This is a life long change not a few months and I cant imagine my life forever without diet coke so I for one am glad my Dr says try it. I dotn beleive it hs slowed my loss eithr, now -143 in 9.5 months! That is fast enough for me! Janelle

I have a friend whose husband is a surgeon. He said that, when doing gastrointestinal surgeries on someone who had gastric bypass in the past, he can ALWAYS tell if the person was a soda drinker or not by the size of the pouch. Apparently the carbonation expands the size of the pouch over time by simply needing space to occupy the gases it produces. I'm sure this is why my surgeon said that I should never drink carbonated beverages again - for the remainder of my life. After hearing this testimony from a surgeon whom I trust, I haven't had a single drink of carbonated anything since surgery...and will not ever again. I say "no thanks" to an expanded pouch! The surgery was too difficult to have done in vain. Down 192 pounds since March '04! Tammy