Hi Guys,

I am just wondering what your experience has been drinking soda post-surgery? I was a huge Diet Pepsi addict before my surgery and have been off it cold turkey since July 12th, the day before my surgery. I went into the surgery thinking I could never have it again, but now I am wondering if that is true. I really haven't found a good substitute and it really is the only thing I miss from my pre-surgery world of eating and drinking and I wonder if I could tolerate a little in moderation (although I alsp wonder if I could keep it to a "moderate level").

I still have to give it some thought and maybe it is a slippery slope that I don't want to start down, but I am wondering how many of you out there drink soda and how you tolerate it. Does your doctor have an opinion about it? Is it true that the carbonation in soda can stretch out our new stomachs?

I'd be interested in any information you can share.

Thanks,

Brian

I was a Diet Pepsi addict too, before surgery. I quit drinking it July 6th for my pre-op diet, and most days I don't really crave it. I instead usually drink a little bit of coffee for the caffeine. I tried a sip of my sister's Diet Pepsi about a month ago, and it tasted awful to me. My tastes must have changed because it was awful to just choke down that one drink, so that was nice. I haven't craved it since then.

I read a lot of threads pre-op where the info from the sleevers was mixed. Some drink soda daily without any problem; some have stayed completely away from it. I had read that it would stretch your sleeve out, as well, but I agree with what one person said (probably Tiffykins...she is wise): Soda is a liquid. It hits the pyloric sphincter and then goes on through. It's not sitting in your stomach to do this expanding of your sleeve. I'm sure someone with a better answer than this will come along; just wanted to let you know you're not the only former soda drinker wondering these questions.

By the way- congrats on your amazing weight loss. I'm jealous, as our surgery dates aren't that far apart!

Ok, you may be sorry you asked. LOL But you said you wanted any info!

There is a lot of debate about soda being the enemy or not. It's not my desire to get a debate going as I know some peeps drink it with no ill affects. I am only providing information.

Let me start off by saying:

I'm not a Doctor or Nut these are my opinions based on my research etc, blah blah.........

Cliff notes version:

Drinking carbonated beverages of any kind can sabotage your weight loss and cause you possible severe health problems as osteoporosis.

Long boring version:

Carbonated drinks include most soft drinks, champagne, beer, and seltzer Water. If you consume a soft drink or other carbonated beverage while eating, the carbonation forces food through the stomach, reducing the time food remains in the stomach. The less time food remains in your stomach, the less satiety you experience, enabling you to eat more with increased risk for weight gain.

Weight Gain:

Soft drinks also cause weight gain by reducing the absorption of dietary Calcium. Dietary calcium helps to stimulate fat breakdown and reduce its uptake into adipose tissue. Epidemiological and clinical studies have found a close association between obesity and low dietary calcium intake. Recent studies have found that maintaining sufficient amounts of dietary calcium helps to induce weight loss or prevent weight gain following diet.

The high caffeine in carbonated sodas is one way that drinking carbonated soft drinks may reduce the absorption of calcium into the body. Studies have found that caffeine increases urinary calcium content, meaning that high caffeine may interfere with the uptake of dietary calcium into the body. Keep in mind that one 12 oz. can of Mountain Dew has 50 mg of caffeine, and Pepsi and Coke (diet or those with sugar) contain 37 mg of caffeine each.

Colas, such as Pepsi and Coke (diet or with sugar), may also cause calcium deficiencies from the high amounts of phosphoric acid that they contain. Phosphate binds to calcium and the bound calcium cannot be absorbed into the body. Both animal and human studies have found that phosphoric acid is associated with altered calcium homeostasis and low calcium.

Carbonated beverages, then, may reduce dietary calcium because of their high caffeine or phosphoric acid content or because drinking such beverages tends to reduce the consumption of calcium-containing foods and beverages. Such deficiencies in dietary calcium intake may be even more pronounced in Freaks.

Drinking carbonated beverages may further increase the risk for dietary calcium deficiencies and, in this way, hinder maximal weight loss success.

For all the reasons described above, including calcium deficits, reduced satiety, enlargement of pouch,stoma or sleeve, drinking carbonated beverages, even those that are sugar-free, could lead to weight gain.

Dump City Arizona:

Carbonated beverages that contain sugar, however, pose a substantially greater threat to the Bariatric patient in terms of weight loss and weight loss maintenance with surgery.

Sugar-containing soft drinks have a relatively high glycemic index, meaning that blood sugar levels readily increase with their consumption. The rapid rise in blood sugar, in turn, increases the production of the hormone, insulin. , that acts to drive sugar into tissues where it is metabolized or processed for storage. High insulin levels, however, also contribute to fat accumulation, driving fat into the fat storage depots and inhibiting the breakdown of fat.

Soft drinks with sugar are also high in calories. An average 12 oz. soft drink contains 10 teaspoons of refined sugar (40g). The typical 12-oz. can of soda contains 150 calories (Coke = 140 calories; Pepsi = 150; Dr. Pepper = 160; orange soda = 180; 7-up = 140; etc.). Soft drinks are the fifth largest source of calories for adults, accounting for 5.6% of all calories that Americans consume. Among adolescents, soft drinks provide 8%- to 9% of calories. An extra 150 calories per day from a soft drink over the course of a year, is equivalent to nearly 16 pounds and that weight gain multiplied by a few years could equate to “morbid obesity”.

Health Problems From Soda:

In addition to the adverse effects that carbonated drinks have on weight loss or weight loss maintenance, carbonated beverages may also have adverse effects on health. Soda beverages and other carbonated drinks are acidic with a pH of 3.0 or less.

Drinking these acidic beverages on an empty stomach in the absence of food, as Bariatric patients are required to do, can upset the fragile acid-alkaline balance of the stomach and intestines and increase the risk for ulcers or even the risk for gastrointestinal adenomas (cancer).

In an attempt to keep your body’s blood pH from becoming too acidic, it uses its stored supplies of iodine to neutralize that acid.

This iodine is no longer able to be used by your thyroid which in turn slows down your metabolism and thus causes you to put on extra weight.

Soft drink usage has also been found to be associated with various other health problems. These include an increased risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney stones, bone fractures and reduced bone density/osteoporosis, allergies, cancer, acid-peptic disease, dental carries, gingivitis, and more.

Soft drinks may, in addition, increase the risk for oxidative stress. This condition is believed to contribute significantly to aging and to diseases associated with aging and obesity, i.e. diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, reduced immune function, hypertension, and more.

Although it’s tough to quit soda, there are good reasons why weight loss surgery and soft drinks don’t mix. The first is related to your new, smaller stomach size. For example, if you’ve had Lap-Band® surgery, the inflation of your stomach pouch caused by drinking even a sip of carbonated beverage can cause your pouch to strain uncomfortably against the band. Gastric bypass patients and sleeve gastrectomy also report feeling uncomfortable from the gas produced by even a mouthful of soda.

In short: The gas in the drink comes out and expands your stomach like a balloon. Your new pouch can be stretched out over time if you drink carbonated beverages after your surgery.

I was talking with a WLS surgeon about soda's and he told me the following:

"Many patients find it hard to give them up, however. I had one lovely lady who underwent the RNY and quickly lost weight, but then she stopped losing for a while. She came back to see me, after having stretched her pouch to over 20 ounces, and wanted a revision. She admitted to drinking about 40 ounces of Coke® a day. I told her once she stopped drinking the cola we would reverse the surgery for her. She never returned........."

About once a week I'll pour a glass of diet soda, but I stir the heck out of it and let it sit until it gets flat. Or if we're camping, I'll shake it and slowly release the carbonation from it several times until it's flat. Usually I'll only drink about half before I lose interest and put it away anyway, but with the carbonation out, I figure it's no worse than any of the other artificial sweeteners and chemicals we're taking in.

I freely admit that I drink diet soda and have since 3 months out. Doesn't seem to affected my weight loss or stretched my stomach - I still have excellent restriction. BUT - that is my story. YOURS may be different.

Hello All!

Brian, As a fellow former Soda addict who has quit cold turkey, I would advise to just leave it alone!! Think about how it felt to be addicted to the soda...Think about how hard it was to quit. Also think about all the reasons (beside the weight gain) why soda is bad for your body.

When I went a day without soda I felt so off...I'd get headaches and would be so moody...I SOOO don't miss that lol.

I haven't had surgery yet but, I don't think I will try soda again. Ok now let me stop writting about this because Im starting to sound like im talking about crack lol.

I hope I don't strike anyones nerves...Just wanted to give some soda advice.

Maddie! Thats quite a chunk of research! You make me glad I don't like soft drinks.....

Pop is evil.....At some point, I was drinking 2-3 cans of diet a day, and within a month, my teeth became super-sensitive because my enamel began to erode. It didn't go away completely until 2 months of soda abstinence and brushing with Sensodyne instead of my regular toothpaste.

I tried pop (not diet) on Sunday for the first time - was at boyfriend's family's house and it was either pop or wine (which I don't like and which tends to make my stomach feel funny after the surgery), so I opted for the pepsi. I've been craving it since! It's so addictive, best to not even try it once you've quit.

Hi, I started drinking diet soda when I was 14 because the sugar in the regular soda was ruining my teeth. Anyway I pretty much drank diet soda exclusively I do not drink coffee, I don't drink tea and I never liked the taste of Water. That means I have been drinking it for 40 years! Before surgery I'd drink a 3 liter Shasta bottle a day. I have not even tried it and while we have several bottles at home I am not all that interested. I did take an airborne when DH came home with a cold and that tiny bit of fizz did not sit well with my new tummy.

Nancy

After much deliberation (to the point of making my head hurt), I recently tried diet soda after hitting my 3 month mark. I really wasn't so much craving it as I just wanted something different to drink that was calorie free. I started off by stirring the bubbles out as much as possible and sipping slowly. No problems, no discomfort. Then, a few days later, I tried a few sips straight from the bottle. Again no problems. I've pretty much figured out that as long as I take it slow, it seems to have no ill effect on my sleeve. On the other hand, I feel it quickly when a big ole chunk of chicken or beef goes down too fast.

The funny thing is, this former regular (not diet) soda addict really lost interest in each drink I opened way before halfway through. I currently have about 4 or 5 bottles of different types of diet soda in my fridge that I opened and sipped on but didn't even get halfway through. I think part of it is that my taste buds have changed and it doesn't taste as great and satisfying as it used to. I also am very slow and deliberate when I drink it, so I guess that takes some of the enjoyment out of it. Also, it just doesn't seem worth the effort. I'd rather spend my time sipping on a Protein drink that will benefit me or a glass or tea or lemonade that I can drink as fast as I want.

For me, I am glad that I went through the trials to see if I could tolerate it because now the mystery and potential "craving" sensation is taken out of the equation. I know I can tolerate sodas if I chose to have them. This is good to know for social situations when you may have a choice between soda and some other drink that doesn't agree with you. Since I don't drink when I eat anyway, the whole drinking soda with meals is not an issue for me, but I could see it being more problematic than other liquids mixed with food. I plan to take an occasional sip here and there if the mood strikes me, but at this point, I just don't see myself chugging back 20 ounces the way I used to. I really just don't want to.

You won't know until you try it. Some things I can drink a few sips and be fine, but I had a sip of Dr. Pepper the other day and had to run to spit it out. It was super carbonated and it hit the bottom of my tummy and came right back up again. If I do take sips of soda, I'm super gassy and belch like mad, since the carbonation doesn't have as much room.

I would be cautious around any food that triggers head hunger, though. For me, soda used to trigger cravings for more soda and also for the foods that go with soft drinks (in my mind) - pizza, chips, popcorn, etc.

It doesn't do that to me now, though I admit that it sometimes takes me an entire day to drink half a can of diet soda. I've opened maybe four cans of soda since surgery and had to dump most of three of those cans.

It's just not something I want anymore. Knowing that you CAN have it is a big deal, because then it's easier to say no. But be careful introducing a food that can cause you problems. Some people never have any problems with it, but you won't know until you try.

~Cheri

Wow Maddie....you da bomb...LOL@!!!!

Thanks for the GREAT and detailed information.

I have been doing Atkins as well so I am double careful and was just considering adding in some LC beer or Diet Coke (splenda).

I think I will continue to ignore these.

Life changes so should we!!!!

Thanks again!

Wow Maddie....you da bomb...LOL@!!!!

Thanks for the GREAT and detailed information.

I have been doing Atkins as well so I am double careful and was just considering adding in some LC beer or Diet Coke (splenda).

I think I will continue to ignore these.

Life changes so should we!!!!

Thanks again!

You are very welcome. Best of luck on your journey.

According to my surgeon's gastric sleeve "bible" the bubbles of carbonation get released faster as the soda warms in your body so while it passes quickly most of the gas gets released in your stomach.

Ok, you may be sorry you asked. LOL But you said you wanted any info!

Excellent information. Thanks for posting this Maddie! I had my last Mountain Dew a week before surgery and haven't had soda (or caffeine) since! It's been a little rough, but as long as I have some crystal lite around, things are good. I appreciate the info.

I've cut back drastically on it. I drink about one Coke Zero a day (as opposed to about six cans daily pre-op) and it gives me no issues, as long as I don't gulp it - but gulping any liquid gives me trouble now. I've lost at a good clip even while drinking it, and feel no loss of restriction as a result, so I see no reason to stop.