Question:
Diet Soda - Weight Loss
What is the reason for NO soda for a year? I'm still losing weight and I think i have lost enough what do I do? — gammiepat (posted on March 6, 2008)
March 6, 2008
from what i understand it's because of the carbonation and with the small
size of your new stomach it can cause some stretching. i would consult with
your surgeon and/or nutritionist. i am 5mo postop and have only drank sips-
i don't like the taste any more and the carbonation actually hurts when i
tried to drink it. hope this helps...Holly
— RNlvnCARSON
March 6, 2008
It streches your stomach and is a stimulate. I DO NOT drink it at all it's
been three years. I DO not want to gain weight so I will never eat it I
mean drink it again.
— tl_morgan
March 6, 2008
The carbonation can stretch your pouch. That's one reason. But here's
another one to think about. For most of us, soda is one of the hallmarks
of the unhealthy eating we used to do. Now, we have a second chance.
After all, this is about getting healthy, right? If you've gone without
soda for a year, why bring it back at all? What other bad habits will that
soda drinking prompt? There's another reason as well. The carbonation
fills your pouch and makes it hard to do your food. So you've made a
committment to your health. Does soda really have a place in your life
now? I know the answer for me, is a resounding NO. I've been given a
second chance to have the life I was meant to have in the first place,
without obesity. NOTHING IS GOING TO GET BETWEEN ME AND THAT.
— Shirley D.
March 6, 2008
There is nothing healthy about soda, diet or not...Even the coloring in
cola makes your organs work to process it. Why bother? Old habits didn't
work...Focus on new ones...Healthy food! Healthy drinks. If you think you
have lost enough and are trying to now reward yourself with food (yes soda)
You might want to think about what other things might be next...Like sugar
and cakes and candy, bread, pizza, rice pasta???. Go reward your loss with
a new outfit that fits! Your body only wants water. Don't listen to your
head...It's been wrong before when it comes to food choices...
One bad habit leads to another. With that being said...It's not gonna kill
ya to have a soda now and then...Just don't start habits...MODERATION is
the key...
— .Anita R.
March 6, 2008
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR ANSWERS, I DO NOT WANT SODA I JUST
COULDN'T REMEMBER WHY WE COULDN'T HAVE IT. I AM VERY HAPPY, I AM DOWN 132
POUNDS AND LOVE SHOPPING AGAIN.
— gammiepat
March 6, 2008
Hi Pat,
Before I considered WLS, I talked to a man who has lost 300 lbs and he said
that the carbonation in soda will not only stretch your stomach, it also
stretches your intestines and if you only give up soda, you can lose 15 lbs
without dieting. He was right! But I have since had lapband surgery and I
have a hard time getting down enough water. Not so much because I can't,
but because I get busy and lose track of time between when I'm waiting the
half hour after eating and when I'm supposed to start sipping. But I'm
working on it. I even have alerts set up on my cell but my schedule is
always off from the commute to work, etc. Anyhow, there is a test you can
do to see how carbonation affects your body by putting a balloon over the
top of a soda bottle and see how long it will be inflated. Even when you
think the soda is flat days later, you can shake the bottle and the balloon
stays inflated. It's a fun test for kids. : ) Congrats on your success!
— Bigwyfan1964
March 7, 2008
Pat, all the answers you have received are right on. There is another
reason to avoid sodas. The combination of carbonation and citric acid
present in all sodas can destroy your pouch lining. In our old big stomachs
we had lota of cells lining the stomach to produce acid to help with food
digestion. In our new little pouches we have a relatively small number of
cells to help us digest food. Once those are gone you are basically
throwing whole food down into your intestines. Not Good. Good Luck. Dan
— Dan_Tucker
March 7, 2008
No soda for a year? Phooey!! I was drinking my favorite soda (Diet 7-UP)
within a couple of weeks after surgery (maybe sooner?); water and other
fluids did not impart the same beneficial effect. My surgeon gave me no
caution against doing this, so I did it! Be sure to sip, then burp. No
guzzling allowed!!
— [Deactivated Member]
March 7, 2008
Eee-gads . . . so much misinformation in so little time. SODA DOES NOT
STRETCH YOUR POUCH-- as long as you can belch and pass gas, your pouch will
not stretch. The pressure that the carbonation can exert is relatively
minimal, especially given that it has two means of escape. Now, that's not
to say that drinking sodas that are very sweet (albeit artificially
sweetened) might not stimulate greater cravings for sweets (there is one
study directly on this point about post-op coffee drinkers which encourages
us to reduce the amount of artificial sweeteners in our java). Early on
(probably for the first 6 months after RNY), your pouch is very sensitive
and it can be irritated by soda-- but after that, it probably won't cause a
medical problem.
Now you may think that you need to deny yourself a non-calorie, no-carb
beverage to somehow make you a better long-term bariatric patient.
However, I would suggest that you need to find healthy alternatives (and
for some that's coffee or diet soda) to help maintain your focus in
avoiding unhealthy foods and beverages. But, that's just one 300-pound
loser's opinion.
— SteveColarossi
March 7, 2008
In response to Steve's reply, I think the people that have had revision
surgery on their pouches - including some that work closely with OH would
disagree with you that the carbonation didn't stretch their pouches. I
consider "carbonation may stretch your pouch" as a very good
warning, and not misinformation.
— Susan O.
March 7, 2008
your stomach is the sixe of your thumb! soda will fizz and do damage!
— obx100
March 7, 2008
I WAS TOLD BY MY NUTRITIONIST THAT THE CARBINATION IS ACTUALLY MINITURE
BUBBLES THAT WILL CAUSE YOUR STOMACH TO EXPAND.
— princess3375
March 8, 2008
Steve and Dawn, Thank You for bringing some sanity to this question! I
have not had my surgery yet, but when I went to the orientation, I
specifically asked my surgeon if drinking soda would stretch my pouch. He
laughed and told me not to believe everything I read on the internet. He
said drinking soda's (diet of course) would in NO WAY stretch your pouch.
Since he's done over 1,500 RNY surgeries, I've decided to believe him :)
— Jrsmomi
March 8, 2008
Beside the stretching of your pouch from the carbonation, diet soda
actually increases your hunger because of the chemicals in it. It's one of
the worst things anyone can drink, let alone a WLS patient. If it's the
sweetness you crave, try Crystal Lite mixed with fruit juice. Carbonation
is no good.
— eddyrider3
March 9, 2008
It is not true that it will stretch your pouch. However remember this,
diet soda (even the one's w/splenda if that is possible) is very bad for
you. It's like pouring liquid sugar down your throat. All sorts of
studies have proven that diet sodas are 100 times worse for you than
regular soda. However, NO soda is good for you at all again because it's a
liquid sugar. The caffine in soda's also INCREASES your appetite. So if
you MUST have a soda, have a non caffinated one, like 7-up, or root beer,
or sprite. BUT keep these in VERY limited quantities. I am almost a year
out and I have only had 3 very small sodas, 2 cherry 7-up and one sprite.
Good luck and God bless!
— crystalsno
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