Soda, Pop, Cola...

...whatever you call it, do you drink it???? I know there is a lot of controversy as far as whether it stretches your pouch or not. That sounds kind of silly to me, but who knows? I was never a big soda drinker, but recently I've been wondering if I went out to dinner if I could have that instead of the ever-presen****er??? So, do you or don't you???? Hugs, Nancy -95

Hi Nancy, My surgeon says I'm not supposed to drink it, but I can not tell a lie. I have had one diet coke on ice and one (yikes) beer since surgery. I just let them go a little flat and drink them VERY slowly. So far, no problems. It's weird, I used to drink about 64 oz. of diet pepsi every day pre-op, and now I don't even crave it. I only had the diet coke because it came with a meal. Hee hee. I've read other places that it is ok to have carbonation 6 months out...so who knows for sure... Good luck! Jeff -105

No, I don't. Not because I'm afraid of stretching the pouch. I don't drink it because it's something my surgeon wants his patients to avoid, and I gave it up and it was one of the easier things to avoid. Not that I look down on anyone that drinks it. I have seen posts about it leaching calcium (don't know if it's true, though) and more importantly for me, is that I'm concerned about the gas. I've noticed that when I drink hot tea rapidly, I get gas. Not smelly or anything. Just more. So I don't need more gas, lol! irene

I'll be honest. I've only recently begun drinking diet soda again, but I do make sure that what I have is caffeine free. I drink diet Mugg rootbeer and Fresca. I don't believe the hype that carbonation stretches your pouch. Basically, we have a funnel. Thin liquid drains almost immediately from the pouch. I do notice that I can't drink soda quickly, and I also burp quite frequently (and quietly!) when drinking carbonated beverages. I haven't had any problems with gas from the other end. I think that so many surgeons recommend NOT drinking carbonated beverages to keep their patients away from full-sugar soda which none of us need. Also, some diet drinks have fairly high sodium levels. But as far as the artificial sweeteners go, I don't see how a diet soda is any worse than the ever-present Crystal Lite. They both have aspartame. Anyway, I waited until I was about six months out before I tried them again, but diet sodas have been a great way for me to up my fluid intake since I just can't stomach plain water. My two cents! Stephany 275 preop/196 now/140 goal

Nancy...We arent supposed to drink when we eat, so what are you doing ordering even water?? For shame...lol I havent drank a soda in over 7 months and im sure not gonna start back up now. Big hugs, Debra

Well, to be honest, I haven't even been out to dinner since my surgery!! It's just that some people asked me to go out for my birthday, and I was kind of figuring maybe a shrimp ****tail, and while they ate dinner, I'd have something to drink. I have on occasion had a sip of water if I ate something really dry, but for the most part, I'm a pretty good girl when it comes to not drinking 30 before and 30 after! Oh well, what's life if you don't break a few rules!! Hugs, Nancy -95

I have been going thru a phase of trying everything! Some stuff agrees and some doesn't but I like to "try" anyway. So I tried Coke, full strength!(Never did like diet) Boy did it ever taste good. So I had more and then "tried" some Pringle potatoe chips with it...WOW! Great taste! Now to get realistic...my weight has not moved for three weeks except about 2 pounds up yesterday! So I have found that the "trial" is not a good thing whether it "stretches" the pouch or causes gas or tastes good! My goal is to lose 50 more pounds and if Coke (and Pringles) are going to cause weight gain, then good-bye! Marjoe -110

Hi Nancy, Maybe instead of having your shrimp ****tail as an appetizer, ask them to serve it when everyone is eating their meals? Forget about the soda, it will only make you feel fuller because of the gas. I think you'll be surprised how long your shrimp ****tail will last. Concentrate on your new eating habits, and you'll get through it all fine. I go out to eat all the time and don't worry anymore about how my eating habits appear to others. Good luck, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Kristen J. -115

Hi Nancy, I just returned from a 7 day cruise and some nights my dinner consisted of three appetizer choices which I ate throughout the serving of everyone else's courses. Shrimp ****tail is the best but I got some more protein from scallops or salmon. I found some fish needed more "sauce" so I often asked for extra ****tail sauce for dipping and it was perfect for me. If you want to "keep busy" while everyone else is eating just get a couple of appetizers and if you don't finish you can get a doggie bag....I did. No need to pretend to drink and wash away your shrimp protein. Just nibble on protein tidbits even if you can't find anything but shrimp ****tail just ask for a double order. Have fun with your friends and Happy Birthday. Cathy -88 P.S. I lost 2 pounds on the cruise

Okay, I'm busted... First, I call it soda. And yes, I do drink it on occasion. Mostly, I stick to Crystal Light, but every once in a while, I'll drink soda for about a week. I rarely finish a soda, but I'll admit that I've had soda WITHOUT it being flat. I get tired of the same things to drink, and soda is a nice change. I do NOT drink it on a regular basis. We don't even keep it in the house the majority of the time. Lots of surgeons say a lot of different things when it comes to whether or not carbonation stretches out the pouch. The only thing I can say with certainty is that when I DO drink soda, I get full pretty quickly and burp a lot. I have a hard time imagining that the gas just lingers in your pouch causing it to stretch beyond what it is meant to for an extended period of time. But those are just my own thoughts...and me being the slow loser that I am, you probably shouldn't listen to me Cheers! Pamela 352/268/200 "content" goal