Coffee?????????

Hey Carly: OMG.... I was reading your profile -- actually looking at all those pics.... wholly ****! You look totally AMAZINGGGGGG..... you would never think that was you! WOW!!! How long ago did you have the surgery? Today's a week since I had it and I lost about 9lbs. so far. I see that I can eat a little more than last week but it's just pureed foods so instead of 2 medicine cups of grilled chicken I can have like 3 or 4. And I can have 4 oz. of those little Dannon Lite & Fit yogurts and feel fine. I'm a little nervous that my stomach is streching out but my hubby said it's not. This is normal. Just have to eat everything slow.

Thank you

Cindy: Bariatric programs differ in postop recommendations, people make choices based on what they feel is best for them. Caffeine is discouraged in my program for 1 yr at least, the rationale: It is a gastric irritant, it interferes w/ absorbtion of certain vits/mineerals esp. calcium/iron which we r at high risk for!< what you put in the coffeee matters and adds up to possibly defeat the tool (drinking all the sugar and or half/half calories!), it is a mild diuretic early on risk of dehydration is high and can be life threatening, dontneed to lose more water!, it can be an appetite stimulant so who needs that? Decaf is o****ep to decaf/herbal teas, in my 4 1/2 yrs have doen less than 5 cups real tea i'd guess. So be educated and informed, but early on on first 6 mo at very least I'd say no, risk of an ulcer in a new pouch is enuff to scare me away! PS From 10/24/05 BSCI newsletter: Success Habit? #4 - Fluid Intake Lesson #2 - Caffeine and Tannic Acid Weight-loss surgery patients are encouraged to avoid coffees and teas. While some patients do return to drinking these beverages, our Success Habits? study shows that the most successful patients do not. There are several reasons for cautionary measures regarding these beverages. Caffeine Coffees and Teas contain a significant amount of caffeine. A study by researchers at Duke University Medical Center, [reported in the Duke Medical News], shows that caffeine taken in the morning has effects on the body that persist until bedtime and amplifies stress consistently throughout the day. These results show for the first time that the effects of caffeine last considerably longer than originally thought . . . and that caffeine exaggerate stress in people who consume it every day. When the researchers compared the caffeine days to the placebo days they discovered that caffeine consumption significantly raised systolic and diastolic blood pressure consistently throughout the day and night, and adrenaline levels rose by 32 percent. The researchers found that the elevated levels persisted as the evening progressed to bedtime. The study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, appears in the July/August 2002 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine. "The effects of coffee drinking are long-lasting and exaggerate the stress response both in terms of the body's physiological response in blood pressure elevations and stress hormone levels, but it also magnifies a person's perception of stress," said James D. Lane, Ph.D., associate research professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke and lead author of the study. "People haven't really accepted the fact that there could be a health downside to caffeine consumption, but our evidence - and that of other studies - shows that this downside exists and people should be aware of it in order to make the best possible health choices." The study also showed that while caffeine increases blood pressure and heart rate, it also amplifies those effects at the times when participants report higher levels of stress during their day. The caffeine appears to compound the effects of stress both psychologically in terms of perceived stress levels and physiologically in terms of elevated blood pressures and stress hormone levels -- as if the stressor is actually of greater magnitude, he said. "The caffeine we drink enhances the effects of the stresses we experience, so if we have a stressful job, drinking coffee makes our body respond more to the ordinary stresses we experience," he said. "The combination of stress and caffeine has a multiplying, or synergistically negative effect. "Everyone accepts that stress can be unhealthy. Our results suggest that drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks can make stress even more unhealthy." Increased stress is known to contribute to unhealthy eating habits in obese individuals. Caffeine is also a stimulant and has been known to increase hunger. Increased hunger is, of course, detrimental to weight loss and long-term weight control. Tannic Acid Tannic Acid is a harmful substance found in many coffees and teas. Dr. Gerald N. Goodman, Bariatric Surgeon for over 23 years, tells of an experience in medical school concerning the effects of tannic acid found in coffees and teas. He tells of having a piece of stomach lining and sprinkling on it a small amount of coffee. The coffee instantly began to 'eat away' at the stomach lining, causing an ulcer. With such a small newly created stomach pouch, it is essential to avoid any harmful substance that could cause ulcers or inflict damage to the stomach. Additionally, tannic acid in tea can interfere with iron absorption. Iron is an essential element for good health and optimum absorption is necessary for weight loss surgery patients. Take Care, Jamie 100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY 320(preop)/163 (lowest)/174 (current) 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery) Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/ "Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"

Most doctors do advise against it, but if you can't live without it, one cup probably won't kill you. I drink coffee everyday and I won't even tell you how much. Joanne

Hi Joanne: Where did you have your surgery done? Westchester Medical???? How long ago?

I had my surgery 12/8/03 at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, performed by Dr. Larry Gellman. Joanne