Calling All Past Soda Lovers

I was an out of control pop addict. It was pretty much all I drank from the time I got up 'til bedtime. I gave it up pre-op. I had caffeine withdrawal for a week or so, then mentally super missed it until the surgery. I'm 11 months out and haven't had any soda or even juice. I had a glass of carbonated wine, but found it so sweet and thick I couldn't finish more than a couple of sips. After surgery I struggled to "get in my water" and I mourned my comfy habits. I tried to use the sugar free juice powders--they helped for a bit, but I got sick of the aftertaste really quick. So I forced myself to drink water. But... now I'm in the habit of water, that's all I drink. I swear I would have never believed I'd get to this point, but I don't want a pop. Part of me figures the longer I hold on to jus****er, the better, and part of me honestly craves plain, icy water. So weird. Anyway, don't worry--it's all a lot of work and sad letting go of the stuff you've loved for so long-You'll find your way and will rock it.

It's not ideal to keep playing with a soda addiction in your "new life" but you should definitely wait 3-4 months before your 1st (hopefully diet!) Coke.

A regular coke on an empty stomach now will put me in a really horrible hypoglycemic state. Every now and then I'll have a small glass of Diet Coke with ice and lots of fresh lime.

You may be surprised that your tastes change especially with sweet things. Embrace that dearly if it occurs.

Yep, absolutely they do! And you'll be thankful for it!

Truth be told....I drink regular Coke probably once or twice a week now to help headaches. When I eat out, I'm a cheap date. I have a meal that will last 2 days. Honestly though, I still feel like I get sick when I eat out. I prefer to cook at home. I know what I'm eating and that I can pass what I don't eat off to the family. Now remember I am 13 YEARS post op. I had open RNY with the extra sm bowel and gall bladder removed. I didn't truly eat anything that had more texture than mashed potatoes for a solid year. My pouch expanded over time and wasn't so sensitive to texture and carbonation. Of course soda is bad for you. I do still have dumping syndrome from things ice cream, cake, basically sugar that still kind of remains in that crystallized form. I limit myself to 1 bite if I'm feeling okay. I promise you, the first time you try sugary foods/ drinks or carbonation, you will soon realize you don't want to risk feeling like you're at deaths door again. I think you will do just fine. Life will again resume some sense of normalcy and before you know it you will be happy and healthy enjoying all that you should!

>> I promise you, the first time you try sugary foods/ drinks or carbonation, you will soon realize you don't want to risk feeling like you're at deaths door again.

Note to the OP-- not everyone experiences dumping syndrome. There's no guarantee you'll experience this, for better or for worse.

I've almost weened myself off of diet pop now. My tricks are:

1. I make coffee in my Kuerig by adding 2/3 full of ice in a large cup with 1 tsp to 1 tbsp truvia. Do a medium coffee and stir while it is brewing. Add remainder of skim milk and stir well. It's JUST like a Timmy's (Canada**** coffee.

2. Buy a whole bunch of flavoured herbal teas. I get blueberry, or field berry or whatever you like. Add 1 into a large water bottle and add 1 tsp to 1 tbsp truvia. Make this at night and put in your fridge. It will brew over night. I have a different flavoured 'drink' every day. The dietician said I could do this and this would be my 'water' count. I go to the US and get my Lipton herbal teas as they are a LOT cheaper then Canada.

3. You can also do the above herbal teas above with regular decaf tea and add lemon.

The TRICK for me is to keep it rotating. My ice coffee is like a treat that I'm cheating with even though it's not cheating.

Also...at work I have extra teas and truvia to add in my water bottle so that I can keep the flavour coming.

Make sure that you fill your water bottle up as soon as you get home so that you can reach for that bottle instead of the pop bottle!

Enjoy!!!

I was a HUGE coke zero drinker prior to surgery. I don't like the way carbonation feels in my stomach, I aslo find it too sweet, but once in a while I have a craving for one. I can barely drink a whole can (poured into a glass.) I do crave sparkling water now and again too. I really prefer fla****er, coffee etc.

Good luck!

Per my surgeon's advice, I avoided carbonation completely for the first 9 months post-op. After that, I would have the occasional SF seltzer or diet coke, but I could only tolerate it half-flat and even then it gave me terrible gas.

At about one year post-op, I could drink carbonated beverages with no trouble. I drink about one 20oz bottle of Coke Zero per day, since I don't do coffee, and my surgeon gave me the OK for it.

To wean yourself off of soda, try different calorie-free water flavorings. Crystal Light, sugar-free lemonade, iced tea, Mio squeeze bottles, Powerade Zero, etc. You need to drink a LOT of fluids post op, so get in the habit now of having something sugar-/calorie-/caffeine-free in hand at all times!

I love the Crush water flavorings. It's like Koolaid as a kid. I especially love the grape, orange, and pineapple.

I drink sugar-free soda every day, as I hate coffee and I require caffeine to survive and not kill people.

In the beginning I would shake it up to make it flat as Pouchy didn't like the bubbles. After about a year, I got used to the bubbles too.

I feel that some doctors assume that because we are fat, we are stupid, and they place blanket bans on things like caffeine or soda pop (sugar or not) because they don't want us drinking the sugared stuff after RNY and they feel we are too dumb to listen. So they make up stories about how it will blow up your pouch, etc. It is anatomically impossible to do that. And the ASMBS says caffeine is fine.

Long story short, when you are ready and comfortable, try some flat soda (sugar-free, that is).

Audrey