2 points about eating and drinking

1.  Although I have read the "pouch rules for dummies,"  I always found it very hard to eat and not drink with my meals.  My original surgeon said it was ok to sip water with my meals.  Big Mistake.  I'm a compulsvie overeater and I have no idea what sipping a little bit of water means.  Is it less than an ounce or less than a glass?  I really don't know.  I usually sip about 2 to 3 ounces of fluid (not necessarily water) with my meal.  I don't have a problem getting the sensation of feeling full.  Rather, about a half hour after eating, I crap out most of my meal.  I know I'm not getting proper nutrition that way and, I'm hungry within an hour of my last meal.  I'm on an endless spiral of eating this way.  Let This be a Warning to You. 2.  Drinking carbonated beverages is another slippery slope.  Just stay away from them for the first 6 months following surgery as your new stomach has time to heal (I'm an RNY patient).  After that, remember that your stomach is not like a baloon.  Yes, I said it is Not like a balloon.  If you take in too much carbonation ( whether artificial in soda or natural in fermented drinks), your stomach will not blow up like a balloon.  Rather, you'll burp.  Surely you've done that before.  I wouldn't overdo it, but just stop the nonsense about the balloon.  Your stomach has upper and lower openings.  Deal with it.  Again,  let the new stomach heal before having any carbonated drinks. Finally, I know I may seem crazy to write like this, but this is a support group and I do care for you guys.  I never appreciated the locker room until I joined a gym.  It's amazing the comraderie one gets with total strangers of varying ages as you are in different stages of being dressed or undressed.  I see myself as morbidly obese since I still weigh about 380, but they see me as someone who is trying to improve his health.  You may think I'm a bit nuts to come to this forum, but it's the best place for a guy to state his opinions.  Thanks.

...and there is always one completely naked old guy strutting his stuff (Larry Perry) . I am with you on the carbonation.  I had none for a while and now I dabble with soda occationally.  Overall, I am more comfortable just staying away. Scott

Scott, As they say here in North Carolina, "If you've got it, flaunt it!" I am very proud of my attribute as it continues to appear even longer the more weight I lose.  All I can say is, you need to watch the movie, Boogey Nights. Just remember, I still think of you as my "little" buddy!!!!! WAD

Appreciate your share: I have posted before about carbonation.. I find "lightly" caronated to be o.k.. My current vice is sugar free red bull... it goes down easily and I like to caffine buzz. Emotional eating..cumpulsive over-eating.. now that I live with every day, I have found that  rny WLS / rny has been an awsome tool for "stopping" before it gets out of hand. When I do snack, I make healthier choices... raw nuts... fruit... I don't drink liquids with my meals, it still seems strange but it helps me eat smarter.. Not perfect.. but getting better everyday.. fight the good fight Kev-

Great  post. Good insight and advice,..in my humble opinion. I will hang on to this in case I get to thinking its OK to fudge somewhere down the road.

We've all been at life's crossroad feeling that no diet in the world is going to work for us. I'd bet money that none of us were willing to commit to the programs before surgery, like most have after surgery (I'm guilty). This surgery was pitched to me as "NOT a magic bullet". The doc told me that I would have to make lifelong changes in my diet, or it "WOULD NOT WORK." Drinking with your meals is a mental thing/habit that all of us aquired in our old life. After surgery your stomach will only hold a few ounces, why fill it up with liquid when you're hungry for food. It doesn't make sense to me. Just eat your food, wait 20-30 minutes and drink all you want. It's not that hard to do. Plus, as an added bonus you can usually eat a bit more and I feel full for a lot longer period of time. My goals in life are to not be hungry, and not be a fat a$$ at the same time. The surgery allows me to make much better food choices, and eat less. Do I always make the best choice? Do You? NO, and probably not. I do have an occasional diet soda, not very often. Quite frankly, they taste like **** If there is an alternative availible, that's what I will choose instead. The surgery is our last hope of having a normal body/life. You either make a commitment to eat better and exercise or you stay morbidly obese. The choice is our own to make. 

I'm not against having carbonated drinks 5 months after surgery.  You can cut the effects of the carbornation.  My point was that, if you drink carbonated beverages at that time, then you will burp.  I do drink diet soda.  HOWEVER, a good alternative is to have water ice or just cold water flavored with DavinciGourmet sugar free and fat free syrups.  They come in about 51 flavors and they keep 45 available all of the time.  You can get them at www.davincigourmet.com , www.netrition.com , or any of the suppliers who advertise with obesityhelp.com .

I agree with you, I'm about 7 weeks out,  I barely feel like cooking for me because what is the purpose, I can eat about 1/2 to 2/3 of a cup of most foods I cook, if it has meat in it its usually only 2 or 3 spoonfuls, and there is no way I'm going to give up space in my pouch for liquids. I eat, wait at least 30 minutes for my pouch to clear, usually dreaming of how good the liquid is going to taste Then drink. No soda,  or carbonation for me, no alcohol, I'm going to wait  3 months before I have my first  alcoholic drink, then just one or two at home. I knew going in that I would have to make changes, I have eaten everything I wanted for 39 years, now I'm going to make the changes necessary so that I can live instead of just exist. I'm down 76lbs since surgery, and almost 120lbs from my high point and it feels great, I wouldn't change it to have a couple cokes or even  baked cheesecake. Its amazing how wonderful 2% milk tastes, especially after about 1.5 miles of walking. I usually get pint during my walks. I can't believe the energy I have already, I walked  3.6 miles today, on top of  3.4 miles yesterday. Pre-OP I used to think post-OPers were crazy, setting a goal of  50 miles a month, but at the rate I'm going I will probably get 60 miles in this month with out even trying. If you are thinking you can't handle giving up carbonation, and the high fat and high carb food items you love, it would probably be a good time to reconsider having surgery, why bother going through the pain and restricted eating, the vomiting,  stomach pain, dumping, catherization, possible complications, just give up now, and  exist in your life as you have up to now.  My mother-in-law had RNY, and wasn't willing to give up this stuff, and now she eaten her way through her surgery. This fact kept me from having this surgery for a good 10 years. How she managed to do it, I have no clue but it took effort, and unwillingness to change.  I guess to sum it up, if you are going to have this surgery,  please consider what it offers, its not an easy road, it requires sacrifice but they are all worth it. I f you can't sacrifice perhaps you should wait, because now is probably not a good time for you to have surgery.