Some surgeons recommend avoiding or limiting caffeine after weight loss surgery because its acidity can irritate your stomach pouch, interfere with nutrient absorption, and lead to gastric reflux or GERD. For some people, though, giving up caffeine is tough! Since getting weight loss surgery, how much caffeine do you have?

• I’ve never had much caffeine, and don’t miss it since WLS.
• I used to be a caffeine addict, but stopped cold turkey after surgery.
• I try to limit it to a cup of coffee a day, but sometimes that’s just not enough to get me going.
• I know shouldn’t have too much caffeine, but I haven’t been able to cut back yet.It gets me through the day.
• I haven’t had WLS yet, but I’m dreading giving up caffeine!
• I haven’t had WLS yet, but I don’t mind cutting back on caffeine.

Mark your answer, then explain it in the conversation below! We’d also love hearing any of your tips for giving up caffeine more easily.

I used to drink a quad white chocolate and vanilla breve (Sugarfree during pre-op diet). I have tried to drink coffee a few times, decaf of course. I can drink it, but it takes forever! I got a small hot one and I had to reheat it multiple times.

I have had a blended chill with yogurt and that felt fine. It's hard enough to get all my liquids in, so for now I'm sticking to iced tea, Water, and water flavored with SF snapple packets.

@pink dahlia I'm right there with you... 48 years old and never touched a cup of coffee. I can't STAND the smell. Even when people come into my office with a cup I ask them to move it over to the other side of the desk. And don't EVEN think you're getting in my car with a cup because I can't get it away from me.

HOWEVER, I was a HUGE Diet Coke addict before surgery... 4-5 12 ounce bottles a day. I tried to stop a lot of times to get off caffiene and the artifical sweeteners but never could do it. Drank my last one 2 days before surgery.

Since surgery, haven't even considered drinking one. I just don't even seem to have a desire for it anymore. I swear when my doc operated on my stomach he operated on my brain, too. Not only do I not even want soda, I don't want carbs anymore either. And I have more energy than I ever did with all the caffeine coursing through me.

I drink Water, water with squirts of Mio or decaf iced tea throughout the day. The doc and NUT told me no caffeine, so I'm going that way.

I quit coffee right before surgery and only recently started up again, but usually just one Keurig cup/day (which isn't even a full cup!!) I absolutely LOVE coffee!! But I've never been an afternoon coffee drinker like a lot of people are, just my morning coffee is all I need.

I only drink a large Starbucks in the morning and no more for the remainder of the day. I buy the light roast coffee of the day ONLY during the cold weather months and in the summer, I purchase a large iced soy coffee latte with sugar free vanilla in the summer. I know that coffee can increase your appetite, but I just can't live a day without my fix. I also read that some doctors say that it can cause ulcers, but so can a stressful job where you have a greater chance of causing ulcers. I guess, if I start developing ulcers, I will stop, but until that time...

I have an outstanding relationship with caffeine!

I drink one cup of caffeinated coffee and 1 cup of decaf daily. In the fall and winter months, I often have another cup of decaf in the afternoon. When travelling, I often have two cups of caffeinated coffee a day.

I gave up caffeinated coffee one month pre-op and waited three months post-op till I was approved for caffeinated coffee.

Pete's makes a great French Roast Decaf. Also like Starbucks Via Instant Decaf Italian Roast.

Lynda

I drink several mugs of regular coffee with cream every morning. I usually switch to decaf in the afternoon and drink that until about 3pm. Caffeine after 2pm will keep me from falling asleep at night. I learned that a few years ago. Reading recently about the acid effects of coffee on one's stomach and getting a little worried. I gave up Prevacid shortly after banding so I have no protection against the acid, whether it's regular or decaf. I love my coffee. I hope I'm not doing harm. I don't feel anything odd. No reflux or pain.

I still drink coffee anytime of the day....2 cups in the morning, then I bring a travel mug with me in the car.

If it's really good coffee, then the only way to enjoy the flavor is Black....

Usually have a cup around 3pm.....Love espresso.

Protein shakes with a shot of espresso is one of my favorites.

Still meaning to get an espresso machine.

My Coffee habits have not changed one bit since having WLS....had my first cup within 12 hours of surgery....

But that's me, and I would not suggest following my lead by no means.

I did not select a poll selection because my selection would be "I did not change a thing and have no intention to"

Sorry, but there's always one in the crowd.

I guess make that at least 2. I haven't changed my coffee habits a bit since prior to surgery. On my clear liqud days, I didn't have any, but that was it. I haven't noticed that it bothers me at all and my surgeon never mentioned it, so I just took it as ok.

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Before surgery I drank bout 4 cups a day. Now I have 1 cup in a.m. then maybe 1 or 2 decaf a day.

Alex: I started having acid reflux a while back and cut out coffee (as well as caffeine, most chocolate, tomatoes, high fatty foods etc) about 20 months ago.

I don't remember going off coffee before surgery. Maybe I did but I'm pretty sure I'd remember. Coffee has long roots in my family growing up & I carried it through m own adulthood.

I've been struggling with acid belly on & off for over a year. Doc & I trying to regulate the acid and get the band into that sweet spot now that my 8 surgeries are complete, finished, done.

It's mostly at night, I wake with a belly full of acid sometimes 3,4,5 x's a night- sometimes bloody. We're getting the bloody under control with Omniprazole but when I stop the med, the acid starts up again.

At the same time, I can eat pretty full portions, a regular dinner plate full usually, so the bands not too tight (I think).

Did quitting coffee and acidy foods cure your acid reflux? I really need to get that stopped to I can tweak the band to lose this last 35 and maintain, in a healthy way.

I've always had low energy - even before surgery. Caffine is the only thing that keeps me functioning. I try to avoid it on the weekends, to lower my tolerance, but I ususally wind up taking 1 caffine pill on Sat nights so I can feel normal.

I also have always had low energy. Then I discovered that I have a sleep disorder. I'm narcoleptic and my extra weight is contributing to sleep apnea. Might wanna check that our.

I would not have had this surgery if I had to give up coffee. Scary, I know, but it is the bottom line. That said, I no longer have much of a taste for it!

I'm 9 days out and haven't used coffee (daily drinker before). Trying not to get into the habit again.

I gave up coffee before my surgery and haven't had one since !! ( 6 weeks post op) I just don't want to fall back into the same habits I had, And I don't want to eat/drink anything unhealthy (used to have 2 sweeteners in every coffee)

I drink one small cup a day but waited until I was a month out. I'm currently 2 months out.