Diet Mountain Dew

I am 4 weeks post op.  I have lost 35 lbs so far.  Before surgery I was a BIG Dt. Mt. Dew drinker!!! When can I have a few oz of Dt. Mt. Dew?  I don't want to ever drink the amount I did before surgery, but would love some. Thanks, Tamara

Brutal Truth Answer? .......... Never. The bubbles in soda can prematurely stretch your pouch. When you drink soda, the bubbles expand and can stretch your pouch - actually one of the tricks we use for people who have a smaller pouch than normal is to give them carbonated diet soda or carbonated water for a few weeks. It usually does the trick. So, really, I would not recommend drinking any carbonated beverages. Now, with that being said, you can open up the can or bottle of Diet Dew and let it go flat. Leave it sit for a few hours so all the bubbles are gone and then drink it. However, be sure you are not replacing nutritious food or protein shakes with the Dew. If you are really craving it, I would recommended no more than 3 cans per week (or 24 oz per week) - and be sure it's flat. Sorry to be the one to give you the bad news .... :( Sara Nejat-Bina, RD, CNSD, CDE eNutritionCare.com