I will begin my journey on Saturday, January 1. New year, new me, right? I have been to a consultation to see if my insurance would cover the procedure and last night watched my surgeon's online seminar with my family. I have three months of hoops to jump through to get an approval. I want to begin eating healthy and get moving NOW, so that the habits are there before the surgery. One problem . . . I am a Pepsi Fiend! I'm talking full sugar, full caffeine, the works.

I did go off sodas completely at the beginning of 2010, and after an agonizing week of pain and lethargy, I was OK. Unfortunately, old habits die hard and I am now back almost as bad as I was to begin with. Does anyone know a good way to wean off the sodas. I drink about 2-3 Pepsi canned drinks a day, but it's the morning one that is crucial. Has anyone tried mixing Diet and non-diet? Caffeinated and caffeine-free and slowly going off that way? Or is it better just to prepare myself for a week of misery and just do it cold turkey? If I didn't have to work, it would be a no-brainer, but I have to be able to function and not commit murder when someone annoys me.

PS I DO NOT drink coffee. I do love me some homemade sweet tea because I'm a Southern girl!

Lisa

Another thing that goes along with the Pepsi addiction is that sweet, sweet burn as it goes down. I know that will be a feeling I DO NOT want to have post-surgery. But I do wonder how much I will miss swigging down a huge amount of Pepsi, tea, ice Water, etc. When I'm really really thirsty, I just turn whatever I have up and drink it right down. Does anybody miss that? Do you ever get used to the sippage?

I am 6 weeks post op & I was a Diet Dr. Pepper fanatic before surgery! I broke down yesterday & tried a sip of one & believe me....it hurt like hell trying to go down! That was NOT worth it! I don't know if it will get better over time, but for now I can truly say I will not be sipping on anymore Diet DP!

Rhonda

I was a Dr Pepper addict! I quit for awhile for my lapband surgery and then gradually started drinking it again. I will say that now with the sleeve everything is way too sweet. I really can't even imagine drinking Dr. Pepper. Maybe you can gradually go down on the amount unitl surgery. The sleeve will take care of the the rest! Good luck!

I guess I am really lucky because my doc didn't ask me to cut out caffeine completely before surgery. After surgery is a whole nother story! I was a Diet Pepsi ADDICT. As in 44-64 oz a day, EASY! I had surgery on the 28th of this month and I swear i thought diet soda counted as a clear liquid for my original surgeon for pre-surgery.... so on the 26th I basically lived on Diet Pepsi! Thank goodness I got my last hurrah in!!! haha. The next day I spoke to the NUT and she informed me that no, diet pepsi isn't a clear liquid. SO SAD : (

Anyhow, after surgery, I can barely get non-fizzy liquids down so I cannot even imagine trying to drink a diet pepsi. I am sure this will change with time, but my surgeon also told me that the carbonation has the potential to stretch out my pouch and I didn't pay thousands of dollars to sabotage myself!

I am 99% sure your soda addiction will change after surgery .... there are too many other things you need to make sure you get in. No room left for Coke!

I knew from my seminar that I had to give up soda. I had been drinking diet coke for ever. I just gradually cut back per day and before the start of presurgery diet, I stopped altogether. For me, I want this surgery to be a success and I will do everything that my doctor is asking me to do. I want to be 100% and lose all the weight and not just an average. I have not had a soda since Mid November. I do miss the bubbles (carbonation) but I am not willing to take the risk. I am 5 weeks out now and most of the time I sip but I have had no issues taking a regular swallow of water. I don't think I have tried it with anything else. Good Luck and look to see what the prize is at the end. A successful surgery and weight loss.

Wow I felt the exact same way before my surgery!! I was a full on Coke addict. No diet and no variations just original! I didn't stop drinking it until the day before surgery. I had to have one day cler liquids before surgery and have not touched it since. And let me tell you, since surgery I have not wanted to touch it. I kinda see it like a poison now. Empty calories that will get me no where I would like to be. Thankfully I always felt the same way about alchole so I have no problems sipping my sweet tea and crystal light drinks!

I'm having trouble giving up the carbonation. I drink Caffeine Free Diet Coke all the time and have to give it up before surgery. I'm trying to replace it with decaf iced tea, water, Crystal Light, but it's not the same. I am hopeful that after surgery I won't want it anymore... it sounds like from most people's experiences it won't be an issue.

I'm three days a way from my surgery and I am still having one can of caffeine free diet coke. I suppose I will continue until my 24 hour pre-op diet of clear liquids only..... Sigh ~ at least I will not withdrawal from the caffeine only the carbonation.

I have not had my sleeve surgery yet, but decided that it was time to quit soda. I could easily drink a case of dr pepper a day. After kidney problems and gallbladder removal 4 months ago, I decided I could not keep drinking them especially if I wanted the surgery. I am soda free for 3 weeks now. I drink sweet (splenda) tea and sugar free flavored packs in water. It is very hard but I enjoying living more than dr pepper. I made a new rule that soda has been banned from my house. I make my kids drink water, tea,milk, or juice. In the end it's a change for the better for everyone. I did it cold turkey and have noticed a big change in the way my kidneys feel. I am also not as tired as I used to be and have lost 3 Lbs. I am set for surgery in march, can't wait....

I love my coke. Like you, full sugar, full caffeine, the whole nine yards!! I also hated coffee! (I just started drinking it less than a year ago - the flavored ones - but that's neither here nor there.) But a couple of years ago, I started switching from coke to diet iced tea. I started with Crystal Light, but then I started buying the pre-made Lipton in the gallon jugs. Now I really like Turkey Hill brand. When I was in FL, I bought Diet Sweet Tea in the gallon jug - it was surprisingly really good!! (I'm not normally a sweet tea drinker, so it might be different if you like that to begin with.) But they don't sell diet sweet tea up here in the Philadelphia area. Maybe they sell that in your area? I suggest experimenting with the different diet iced teas to find one you like. I was drinking soda only when we went to a restaurant. But that gradually switched to unsweetened tea as well. Maybe these strategies will work for you, too. My surgery is 1/26, and I bought my first coke in a long time the other day, thinking it'll be the last chance I get to 'enjoy' drinking it without feeling uncomfortable from the carbonation!! I will probably buy a couple more this week, but I start my pre-op diet on Friday b/4 my surgery. I will miss my cokes, but as I have been gradually reducing them over the past couple years, it's been a little easier that way, I think. I just keep thinking I've already had my lifetime share of coke!! haha!! Anyway, hope that helps & Good Luck!!

I am addicted to Diet Coke. I had one in the mornings before I could get dressed even. My legs and feet were swelling so much from the sodium that I couldn't even get my shoes on. The Dr. told me to cut out the sodium. I totally stopped drinking Diet Coke about a month ago. However, I could not stay awake during the day because of the lack of caffine. Since I don't like coffee I had to find something for the caffine to take instead of Diet Coke. The pharmacist recommended No Doz because No Doz is 100% caffine. So far one 200 mg of No Doz has been working to keep me going during the day. I hope this might help someone else.