Just wondering if there is a good reason why they tell you to avoid caffeine??

I was not told to avoid caffeine... just carbonated beverages.

I am a coffee drinker, I had to stop before surgery and then had to be good for the first month or so after surgery. Now I am back to drinking coffee regularly. My doc has no problem with that, like Elizabeth said, just nothing carbonated.

thanks guys.. thats good to know! I need my corfee!

Andrea - I think the doctors just want to make us healthy people. And caffeine and smoking and drinking alcohol keep us from being as healthy as they want us to be! I also feel that's why they encourage us to drink so much water....

Carrie

7/25/05

Caffeine can make some people hungry. It also dehydrates you. I can't remember the "exact" formula for replacing Water, but it's something like for every cup of caffeine you have you need 2 or 3 cups of water to replace it. Water plays such a critical part of our success.

A few short months ago I was having 2-3 cups of coffee a day. Right before surgery I was down to 1/2 cup a day. Now I have none. I'm hoping I don't crave it later. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, if ever.

I think it is about hydration, caffeine pulls water from the system making it harder to heal, it raisies your blood pressure which can increase your risk of bleeding, it also speeds you up and has always made my stomach grumble, which is a big no-no for healing stitches. I am a coffee drinker who took a break to get banded.

From an article on www.mayoclinic.com:

A few studies indicate that large amounts of caffeine — the equivalent of six cups of coffee a day — may slightly enhance weight loss in people who exercise and maintain a low-fat diet. But no studies indicate that weight loss from large amounts of caffeine is significant or permanent. There's also no evidence that increasing caffeine intake alone has any effect on weight loss.

Is caffeine an appetite suppressant? Yes, but this effect lasts only a very brief period — not long enough to lead to significant weight loss. Does caffeine increase your body's ability to burn calories? Maybe, but again, probably not enough to result in significant weight loss.

Caffeine does act as a diuretic, which means it causes an increase in the amount of urine you excrete. This Water loss may decrease your body weight. But it doesn't decrease body fat. Also, keep in mind that caffeine is a stimulant that can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, interrupt your sleep, and cause nervousness and irritability. Also, many caffeinated beverages are high in calories, which can contribute to unwanted weight gain.

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Also, I recommend this article to everyone. It explains why water is so important and it discussed caffeine as well.

http://www.inch-aweigh.com/water.html

I'm a coffee drinker but I figured five cups a day after surgery isnt great for you, especially when those five cups will mean you dont have something else healthier due to lack of room.

So a month or two prior to surgery I started switching over to decaf and peppermint tea, I love peppermint tea. So I didnt have any trouble sticking to just one or two coffees a day after surgery and I made those decaf although I believe any coffee, caffeinated or decaffeinated is heinously rough on your stomach and intestines. Nevertheless I healed up fine.

I'm back to my usual 5 or 6 cups a day now but I make a good proportion of that decaf. And I dont drink strong brewed coffee as a general rule either, maybe only one a day, the rest is just instant.

I think in general the caffeine is a no no because of dehydration. I was told no coffee because coffee beans (even decaf) produce excess stomach acid and that causes issues with the band and irritation of the esophagus. They said no coffee for me not even decaf. Of course I had reflux going into this......

I asked my doctor about this, he said that as long as I limit cream and sugar, coffee was fine.

There are a lot of reasons coffee is sometimes a no no. I think just about all of them were touched on here. But to sum up. It is a diuretic. It will cause you to lose your hydration, so you have to up your water intake to cover it. It can play havoc with your metabolism. And most people have it with cream and sugar so it is a lot of empty calories. But there are some good sides to coffee too. It is a diuretic, and with increased water you can actually do a good body cleanse with it. The caffiene can temporarily increase your metabolism so that you can burn more when coupled with exercise and lots of water. Drink it black and it can be a good addition to your diet. just make sure you are getting the water you need. I can't live without coffee. I know people like Pnut have lost their appetite for it since being banded, and i do not know if that will happen to me, but as of right now, I need my coffee or i can't function. LOL

Well I'm excited! I've just ground up some beans, and coffee's a brewing even as I type! I've really been missing my morning cup of coffee, which I stopped drinking six weeks ago, per my doctor's nutritional guidelines. But reading through your comments has persuaded me that it shouldn't be a problem. Plus I'm friggin' sick of herbal tea! Give me coffee any day, sans milk & sugar of course.

I wasn't told to give up coffee. In fact it was on the list of allowed liquids they gave me before I left the hospital.

I gave up coffee for three months then I just couldn't take it anymore. I went back and I LOVE IT! I will say though, that I limit myself to 1 giganto cup a day and I use milk now instead of cream. I think the dehydration factors and the way caffeine messes with your metabolism is not great for bandsters, but in my case, the benefits outweighed the costs!