I am aware this is a hot topic..

My surgeon discourages drinking diet pop but I personally enjoy diet pop.. I've never found it a "slider" food for me on any previous diets.

And I know several surgeons DO say it's okay..

I've heard that surgeons say drinking diet pop will stretch your sleeve. I have a feeling this is a scare tactic either because a lot of docs just don't support diet pop and the artificial sweeteners that are in them or are worried about them being "slider foods" so they just say "Oh it'll stretch your sleeve" If it would really stretch your sleeve wouldn't all surgeons be united in agreeing that diet pop is bad?

I'm basically wanting to hear from people whose surgeons DO agree with diet pop so I can get another opinion on the matter. Why have your surgeons said it's okay.. what do they say to the "it'll stretch your stomach" (myth?) What guidelines do your surgeons give about drinking it.

And also how soon after your surgery did you try diet pop for the first time?

NOTE: If you don't agree with my decision to potentially go against what my surgeon suggests please don't lecture me.. I'm well aware and on most things I follow the rules.. but I'm also smart enough to know that if some surgeons allow it there is a reason and I want to find out and have second opinions and I don't feel that's wrong. I've encountered a lot of hostility here toward people who dare to question what their surgeons say so if you don't agree please just ignore this post. THANK YOU.

when you say only nice comments please, do you mean someone might be allowed to disagree nicely, or you only want people who agree with you to comment?

*moving right along* edited because on second reading I see at the end you answered my question.

I've never heard anyone say that their doctor is okay with it.

I tried a sip and about barfed, it tastes horrible to me now and the small sip had me in pain for over 30 min with all the bubbles. I took the sip thinking it was tea but my boyfriend had got diet coke (that I used to enjoy)

Keep in mind some surgeons also say it is fine to eat mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese during the soft food phase......but if you choose to put healthy and only things that give your body nurturance then you can't be going wrong. I will tell you I have a friend who had RNY and drinks one a day and then it became more than that.

I know for me if I eat carbs or anything else it causes me to crave carbs and sugar even more, even just a small bite so I would proceed with a great deal of caution. I tried a few things that I wish I never reintroduced to my body. :-/

Well I confess, I drink it occasionally and through a straw! I try to limit it to a few sips per week. My surgeon nor NUT agree (with diet soda or the straw). Having said that, I will say the diet soda is definitely addictive so the more I drink it, the more I find I want to drink it. I probably waited 6 months before I tried. Just because I do drink it doesn't mean I or you should. Oh and I had bypass not sleeve. I was sort of hoping I wouldn't like the taste and/or it would be uncomfortable, but alas, it is not.

Well here it goes.

I had vertical banding years ago and my Dr. never indicated if soda was good or bad.

In the beginning I could not because of the small pouch, but as I stretched it out soda was fine.

BUT I do think soda did contribute to the stretching and expansion of the pouch, and in turn helped cause the weight gain and other issues I now have.

I am having revision to Bypass and already steer clear of soda all together. I learned from B4.

FYI:

My son recently had the sleeve MLS and even though his Dr did not specifically say no to soda, he cannot handle the gas pain it causes.

The belief that it will stretch your sleeve is nonsense. However, what it can do is cause you pain if you are still close out from your surgery. The pain is of course from gas. I will be one year out tomorrow and I drink diet pop every day. I think I began drinking it again close to 2 months outside of surgery.

Prior to surgery, I gave up my 6 diet coke a day habit. On that change alone, I lost 20 pounds.

Read, but not answered.

This reminds me a lot of the "how soon after surgery can I start smoking cigarettes again" question. The answer is never. The answer is never for a variety of reasons. You know the reasons, everyone else knows the reasons, and yet you will always get a few people here on the forums looking to be told it's okay to do. It is simply NOT okay, just like eating cake isn't okay after surgery and taking NSAIDS isn't okay after surgery.

However, it's your body. No one has any right to tell you what to do with it. Even the surgeon's orders end where your own decisions begin. Can you drink diet soda without getting sick? Maybe... some people can, as you've read above. Should you be drinking soda, smoking, drinking booze frequently, taking NSAIDS, eating donuts for Breakfast? Of course not. you already know the answer to your own question, and you may be hard-pressed to find many people here who are going to pacify you and tell you it's okay. The fact is, a couple of people here saying "Yeah I do it and I'm fine" does not even being to measure up to and be an argument against the multitude of biological and scientific reasons it is not safe or healthy.

In the end, you've got to make your own decisions. If you decide to eat or drink something that can (and probably will) be harmful in the long run, then you're also going to have to deal with the consequences. Whatever you decide, I truly wish you nothing but health and happiness. I know how hard it is to go through this huge change and not even have the little comfort food/drinks we used to love. Good luck!

Edited May 11, 201610 yr by Cervidae

Like someone else mention, when I attended the seminar this question came up. The surgeon conducted the seminar. He said you can try carbonated drinks such as beer, soda but you most likely won't like the way the sleeve reacts. He did say it would create a full feeling and gas.

I like this surgeon who I will be using because he didn't speak in terms of do's and dont's in excess.

He gave tons of information, I feel that's the most important tool in adjusting to life after WLS.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Edited May 11, 201610 yr by nyteacher125

There are people here that drink diet soda. I don't think any of their doctors are okay with it though.

Drinking diet soda isn't going to kill you but if you have to drink soda, at least drink the good stuff sweetened with Stevia.

Also if you haven't had surgery yet and you are already thinking of ways to eat around your sleeve, well, good luck.

Who knows! Perhaps I will not like the taste of it or will find that I have gas pain as well and then it'll be a moot point.

@@Cervidae - I would argue that it's not like saying when can I start smoking again... there are a lot of surgeons who DO allow diet pop and think it's fine.. I don't know any who say it's okay to smoke after basically I'm asking for information from people whose surgeons were okay with it because I didn't have any choice in my surgeon or even my hospital due to insurance constraints.. If I had had I would have chosen a surgeon I mesh with better. I'm not looking for anyone to pacify me but the fact is there are several surgeons who DO say it's okay... so.. there's likely some merit there..

@@PinkPolkadot619 absolutely anything post surgery should be with caution. I doubt I'll even try it for several months.. I do know that I've never had an issue with craving more sweet things or wanting more pop after having it.. I've always and only had one diet pop a day (with supper) for years. Though I suppose surgery could change how I react to it? I'll keep an open mind and an eye out for it.

@@Proud2BMe - did your surgeon give any explanation for "why" the "it will expand your pouch" thing is a myth? Why do surgeons say this if it's not true?

@@Beck90 yes you have done it in the past, but ask yourself; have you been successful at loosing all excess weight and maintaining your weight loss long term?

All of the WLS vets I have talked to on line or in person who have been completely successful for longer than 2 years do not drink it, and have stuck to the low carb low sugar life style. It is a lifestyle change, and yes you might find 1 person who says they are fine, but I have meet hundreds who say it was the cause of their weight loss being slowed or gained back. yes only 1 a day can cause all of that. I encourage you to get the most out of your surgery and give your body a gift, that gift is not a can of chemicals. :-)

I do know the "can'ts" and "don'ts" are overwhelming; but please look at what you will have instead. there is so much more that I have gained that outweighs any desire for soda or anything else! I promise you. It is a mindset, and it takes practice and more practice to keep in going but positivity will keep you going for the long haul.

Smiles and good luck in your journey.

@@PinkPolkadot619 true.. I haven't succeeded at losing weight but I think that has more to do with portion size and too -many- bad food choices rather than moderation.. both of which have to change but just to play devil's advocate.. a number of people post sleeve still drink alcohol.. and while that does have some health benefit in moderation it's not a Protein or a veggie.. your body doesn't "need" it and it's FULL of "unneeded" calories.. so why is that not frowned upon but a can of diet pop here and there is apparently completely taboo?

@ THIS THIS exactly.. I don't like strict "Do's and Don'ts" on every little thing. Some things do have to be strict Do's and Don'ts (like Protein intake) but not everything needs to be.. I much more like a "lets see how it goes" approach.. I mean who knows my new stomach may hate pop and I don't think I'd be disappointed with that..

I don't see it as eating around my sleeve.. I see it as gathering information about a topic that different docs/surgeons/ and NUTs don't all agree on so I can make a decision wisely.