Hello wise sleevers,

I am hoping someone can help me understand why I cannot have 0 calorie carbonated or caffeinated drinks. I am on a four week Optifast program with sleeve surgery April 15. If I understand why, I am much more able to comply but for now, diet soda is helping me through this optifast diet. I realize I will have to give up both before surgery and probably won't go back....but for now - really?

Also she said no sugar free Jello or sugar free popcicle. Is this because of food dye?

Thanks for any wisdom you can share - and if not that, I'll take empathy as this is hard!

What is your BMI? Sounds like your on a super strict diet. Where are you having your surgery at?

You have a healing new tummy, the carbonation would not be kind to it. Some do return to sodas, but most programs frown upon it. The caffeine issue is a little more complicated. From what I gather it's more of a US issue. The concern is that caffeine can aggravate or cause increased stomach acid so some do not allow it. I was able to return to coffee drinking around 6 weeks post op.

I am unclear about the popiscles and Jello. However they weren't a big deal for me. I dislike jello and I don't use artificial sugar. I did use either. If you are unclear as to why your program doesn't allow some things, you really need to ask them to explain why.

Edited March 21, 201511 yr by BLERDgirl

Thanks for the responses...should have clarified I am still pre-op. I am at Kaiser and this recommendation was given to all of in my cohort, I do not think it is specific to me or my BMI (esp. when I am talking about zero calorie carbonated drinks).

I get why not to afterwards, but why not before?

I would also love to know the answer about the caffeine/carbonation for the pre op diet, although I am (99%) complying to it. coffee was my addiction, and I'm glad I've stopped drinking it because of the cream and sugar I put in it, but I'm still curious as to why.

Hi. I can only tell you what my surgeon advised. You will probably get a lot of different answers to your questions.

He said no carbonation because it causes gas and a full feeling. After surgery you will only be able to eat about 1/4 c. of food once you start eating again. If you have been sipping carbonated beverages then you wont have enough room for food. You need the food not the carbonated drinks....even zero calorie. Its a room thing.

Caffeine is a person to person preference. I was given the ok about 3 weeks....maybe 4....cant quite remember. I was putting the single serving instant coffee in my Protein shakes at that point....yummy! by the way! He said some people have acid issues which stimulates feelings of hunger or causes heartburn or reflux. He advised to give it a try, if it doesn't bother me, have at it, if it does, stop it.

My doctor never said no to sugar free Jello or popcicles....he actually encouraged it because of their Water content. But I remember reading some posts a while back where some doctors felt they kept you from drinking water because they fill you up.....yes, in the beginning a tiny little container of jello will be a mountain of food to you, you will only be able to eat 1/2 of it, crazy as that sounds. They believed that when you eat you should be eating protein, jello and popcicles just don't have protein.

Personal advise....kick the carbonated drink habit. You will be so glad you did. You will need all the room in your stomach for good food. Drink coffee if you just have to have it and you can tolerate it....but wait a few weeks after surgery to make sure youre healed. Eat the jello and popcicles if you cant drink another drop of water and you are dying to feel like you are eating something. It may help keep you hydrated if you cant tolerate all the water. In the beginning it will be hard to keep sipping the water and you will just want something else. They wont hurt you.

PS.....I think they want you to stop certain habits pre-op so you aren't fighting those battles too when the surgery is done.

Edited March 21, 201511 yr by Bobby46

They tell you to start these things pre-op because things like soda and caffeine addictions can rarely be stopped overnight. It's better to kick those habits before surgery. I was also told to start practicing chewing really slowly until food is dissolved and to separate my eating and drinking with a 30 minute window. Those last 2 definitely were things I needed to practice. Especially eating slow. You may think you are eating slow, but post-op you need to eat super slow.

@@butterfly23 Committment, Tenacity, Discipline, Attitude, Fortitude

The PreOp diet requirements help instill the above values prior to surgery so that those values continue PostOP.