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.

http://www.obesitycoverage.com/gastric-sleeve-reference-manual/

CAN IT BE STRETCHED?

You can stretch your stomach after gastric sleeve surgery. The inside of your stomach is lined with rugae. These are folds of tissue that expand and contract in relation to the amount of food that enters your stomach.

When they expand, your stomach sends a signal to your brain that you are full. When they contract, they push the food into your intestines for further processing. Once the stomach is empty, a hormone called ghrelin is released that triggers hunger again.

These signals can get skewed when your stomach is constantly stretched from too much food. This article details how this happens and why it’s important to get back on track quickly after binging.

Below are a few tips to reduce the risk of stretching your stomach.

• Drink Water an hour before and an hour after you eat. This gives your body time to digest the food and make room for fluids and vice versa. Don’t eat and drink at the same time.
• Don’t drink carbonated beverages. The carbonation can put unneeded pressure on your stomach.
• Eat small, healthy Snacks if you get hungry in-between meals.
• Plan your meals. Focus on small portions of nutrient dense foods. Nutrient dense foods keep you full longer and give you the nutrients that you need.

Remember, if you overeat once, you haven’t ruined your new stomach. Get back on track as quickly as possible.

http://www.obesitycoverage.com/gastric-sleeve-reference-manual/ CAN IT BE STRETCHED?

You can stretch your stomach after gastric sleeve surgery. The inside of your stomach is lined with rugae. These are folds of tissue that expand and contract in relation to the amount of food that enters your stomach.

When they expand, your stomach sends a signal to your brain that you are full. When they contract, they push the food into your intestines for further processing. Once the stomach is empty, a hormone called ghrelin is released that triggers hunger again.

These signals can get skewed when your stomach is constantly stretched from too much food. This article details how this happens and why it’s important to get back on track quickly after binging.

Below are a few tips to reduce the risk of stretching your stomach.

• Drink Water an hour before and an hour after you eat. This gives your body time to digest the food and make room for fluids and vice versa. Don’t eat and drink at the same time.
• Don’t drink carbonated beverages. The carbonation can put unneeded pressure on your stomach.
• Eat small, healthy Snacks if you get hungry in-between meals.
• Plan your meals. Focus on small portions of nutrient dense foods. Nutrient dense foods keep you full longer and give you the nutrients that you need.

Remember, if you overeat once, you haven’t ruined your new stomach. Get back on track as quickly as possible.

A couple of things. My surgeon isn't worried about stretching. Also, as I said, I'm talking about one can of soda over a few hours.

Finally, I did look for medically accredited reports on stretching the sleeve by drinking soda and I couldn't find any.

This link goes to a website, not a hospital or a doctor. The story was written by the anonymous "OC Staff". Are they licensed surgeons - I doubt it.

Also, the "article" the OC Staff link to as a reference was also written by them and is says nothing about soda (see below).

My point is that a sleeve is less stretchable than our original stomach. As I said, constant over consumption of anything will cause weight gain and stomach trauma...

HOW TO PREVENT THE STRETCH AFTER GASTRIC SLEEVE SURGERY

Eating one or two large meals will not lead to a permanently stretched stomach or issues with your hunger and fullness triggers. However, doing this multiple times can lead to issues.

The list below hi-lights key points to reduce the risk of stretching your stomach after gastric sleeve surgery.

Limit volume not sweets. Instead of totally limiting every aspect of your diet, give yourself a reward once a week with a special treat limited in size. But do not go out and eat a large meal – regardless of the type of food.

Do not drink when you eat. It’s better to drink your fluids an hour or two before eating and/or an hour or two after. This lets the fluids digest and they won’t increase the amount of gas that can build or limit the amount of space for nutrient dense foods.

If you do have a bigger than normal meal, make your next meal small and make sure you don’t make larger meals a habit.

If you are always feeling hungry, then eat small amounts of healthy snacks in between meals. Almonds are a delicious and healthy way to feel satisfied in between meals.

Get a good book with healthy recipes that are geared for people who have gone through gastric sleeve surgery. We’ve got a list of our favorite books here.

DO NOT get discouraged. If you fell off the wagon and binged one or two meals or even the entire previous week. The stomach and the mind is an amazingly resilient thing. Start over and start eating normal meals again. Call your surgeon and ask for help before it gets too far out of hand.

Get on the online forums and ask others for help. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. Here is a list of our favorite forums.

So stretching your stomach after gastric sleeve surgery is not a myth. It can happen and it does happen. Be aware of it and prevent it.

Remember how hard the surgery and recovery was? Remember what a big decision you made? Its never too late to change your habits and get back on the right track.

Edited May 16, 201610 yr by Cape Crooner

I did discover the sole expert on the OC Staff (see below). Probably knows more than us, but I wouldn't say his advice trumps our surgeon. Also, as cited above, his article didn't say soda will stretch your sleeve!

OBESITY COVERAGE AUTHORS

Dan AbelingEditor in Chief, Dan Abeling

After getting his Bachelor’s of Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Dan worked as a EMT/Paramedic for 4 years in San Jose, CA. Fascinated with medicine, Dan took a job working for Covidien, a medical device manufacturer. During his 8 years with Covidien the majority of his time was spent in the operating room with Bariatric Surgeons.

Witnessing well over 300 bariatric surgery cases, working directly with bariatric surgeons on a daily basis, and witnessing amazing patient transformations, Dan now runs ObesityCoverage.com full-time.

@Beck90- So there is no definitive or scientific evidence that debunks the "myth" of stretching the sleeve in general or demonstrates the effect of diet soda on the sleeve patients specifically. All we have to go on our the observational and anecdotal evidence as presented in the Dr Weinars video which was frankly his opinion. His opinion is no more or less valid than others and it seems to me that majority of surgeons do not advocated carbonated beverages especially diet sodas (I imagine for multiple reasons)

The absence of evidence means that I personally will continue to err on the side of caution for multiple reasons

• it is MY physicians advice;
• if it turns out to be true down the road then I am good and if it is false down the road I didn't loss anything but the weight
• I am trying to change my lifestyle and ingrain new habits more in keeping with a paleo primal lifestyle.
• It is unhealthy regardless of its effects of my sleeve.

I hope it all works out for you Becks. So far it has been great from a weight loss stand point but not without its complications.

I'm so glad my doctor installed the kind of sleeve air won't stretch.

Sometimes it pays to upgrade.

I'm so glad my doctor installed the kind of sleeve air won't stretch.

Sometimes it pays to upgrade.

I got my sleeve with chrome plated staples and a sunroof.

Edited May 17, 201610 yr by 4MRB4PHOTO

My post-op instructions specifically say no carbonated beverages for 4-5 months post op. I do drink diet soda now. Not everyday, couldn't if I tried. I will buy a twenty ounce and it will last a while (2-4 days) because I sip it.

I think it's interesting that people are looking for proof that is DOESN'T stretch your sleeve/pouch as opposed to proof that it DOES? Isn't that a bit backwards? I can't find any articles that prove Water doesn't stretch my sleeve/pouch, or that cottage cheese doesn't, etc, etc. but nobody seems to be avoiding those things.

Just an observation. If someone tells me putting orange juice on my feet makes them smell better I don't generally go looking for articles that prove orange juice does not make my feet smell better, and in the absence of those articles assume it to be true.

Not looking for a fight, just think it's an odd way of approaching research.

I think it's interesting that people are looking for proof that is DOESN'T stretch your sleeve/pouch as opposed to proof that it DOES? Isn't that a bit backwards? I can't find any articles that prove Water doesn't stretch my sleeve/pouch, or that cottage cheese doesn't, etc, etc. but nobody seems to be avoiding those things.

Just an observation. If someone tells me putting orange juice on my feet makes them smell better I don't generally go looking for articles that prove orange juice does not make my feet smell better, and in the absence of those articles assume it to be true.

Not looking for a fight, just think it's an odd way of approaching research.

On the contrary if someone said that orange juice made my feet smell better I would look for any evidence that corroborated that statement either falsely or truthfully. What I would like is actual evidence on the long term effects of diet soda consumption in any quantities on the sleeve. In the absence of that my alternative is to either soak my feet in orange juice as failure to do so could result in stinky feet while doing so could result in sticky but better smelling feet.

LOL indeed this line of think i.e. weighing the upside vs the downside of a behavior has led to some very strange things. Think of the all the strange detox drinks that people drink on the basis it may make the younger, healthy, anti aging etc. Large parts of the beauty industry and indeed the diet industry are predicated on the fact they can make a dubious claim back by nothing more than observational study and the suckers start lining up with their cash. It harkens back to the days of snake oil merchants just tell folks what they want to hear and they will do the believing all on their own.

I think it's interesting that people are looking for proof that is DOESN'T stretch your sleeve/pouch as opposed to proof that it DOES? Isn't that a bit backwards? I can't find any articles that prove Water doesn't stretch my sleeve/pouch, or that cottage cheese doesn't, etc, etc. but nobody seems to be avoiding those things.

Just an observation. If someone tells me putting orange juice on my feet makes them smell better I don't generally go looking for articles that prove orange juice does not make my feet smell better, and in the absence of those articles assume it to be true.

Not looking for a fight, just think it's an odd way of approaching research.

On the contrary if someone said that orange juice made my feet smell better I would look for any evidence that corroborated that statement either falsely or truthfully. What I would like is actual evidence on the long term effects of diet soda consumption in any quantities on the sleeve. In the absence of that my alternative is to either soak my feet in orange juice as failure to do so could result in stinky feet while doing so could result in sticky but better smelling feet.

LOL indeed this line of think i.e. weighing the upside vs the downside of a behavior has led to some very strange things. Think of the all the strange detox drinks that people drink on the basis it may make the younger, healthy, anti aging etc. Large parts of the beauty industry and indeed the diet industry are predicated on the fact they can make a dubious claim back by nothing more than observational study and the suckers start lining up with their cash. It harkens back to the days of snake oil merchants just tell folks what they want to hear and they will do the believing all on their own.

Forget the soda question, how about evidence that sleeves can be stretched (more easily than a normal stomach).

I've looked and I can't find any. I ask my surgeon and she said no.

The former paramedic who hung about the operating room selling staples isn't that credible (to me anyways).

Everything I've read or heard about failure is attributed to easily digested high calorie food or beverage. Regular soda, candy, Cookies, alcohol, chips, etc.

I have never heard of someone stretching their sleeve and getting fat eating an entire pizza a one sitting!

Has anyone?

Edited May 18, 201610 yr by Cape Crooner

I think it's interesting that people are looking for proof that is DOESN'T stretch your sleeve/pouch as opposed to proof that it DOES? Isn't that a bit backwards? I can't find any articles that prove Water doesn't stretch my sleeve/pouch, or that cottage cheese doesn't, etc, etc. but nobody seems to be avoiding those things.

Just an observation. If someone tells me putting orange juice on my feet makes them smell better I don't generally go looking for articles that prove orange juice does not make my feet smell better, and in the absence of those articles assume it to be true.

Not looking for a fight, just think it's an odd way of approaching research.

On the contrary if someone said that orange juice made my feet smell better I would look for any evidence that corroborated that statement either falsely or truthfully. What I would like is actual evidence on the long term effects of diet soda consumption in any quantities on the sleeve. In the absence of that my alternative is to either soak my feet in orange juice as failure to do so could result in stinky feet while doing so could result in sticky but better smelling feet.

LOL indeed this line of think i.e. weighing the upside vs the downside of a behavior has led to some very strange things. Think of the all the strange detox drinks that people drink on the basis it may make the younger, healthy, anti aging etc. Large parts of the beauty industry and indeed the diet industry are predicated on the fact they can make a dubious claim back by nothing more than observational study and the suckers start lining up with their cash. It harkens back to the days of snake oil merchants just tell folks what they want to hear and they will do the believing all on their own.

Forget the soda question, how about evidence that sleeves can be stretched (more easily than a normal stomach).

I've looked and I can't find any. I ask my surgeon and she said no.

The former paramedic who hung about the operating room selling staples isn't that credible (to me anyways).

Everything I've read or heard about failure is attributed to easily digested high calorie food or beverage. Regular soda, candy, Cookies, alcohol, chips, etc.

I have never heard of someone stretching their sleeve and getting fat eating an entire pizza a one sitting!

Has anyone?

No but you could stretch your stomach eating an entire pizza on multiple occasions. The point is that no study or medical evidence exists on the ability to stretch a sleeve other than observational with some Dr's saying yes you can and others saying no you cant. So everyone is left to determine what they believe and how they will act accordingly, not an ideal situation.

It sucked giving up my Diet Mtn. Dew habit. Those were some weird withdrawals. Not sure what was in it that caused it, but it was as hard to give up as cigarettes. That said, really had no desire for them again. I had one drink with bubbles 7 months post surgery. I sipped it and tolerated it well.

My surgeon and NUT said NO!! I am saying NO as well. I used to drink 3-4 diet sodas a day before surgery. My surgeon said nothing carbonated ever again. I do not even drink carbonated Water. I also have PCOS and there are studies that show artificial sweeteners create excess insulin (which I don't need).

Personally, it's a decision that you have to be OK with. Some folks eat cake and Cookies and carbs all the time. Some people can safely eat in moderation. I have personally given up artificial sweeteners in general because I think they are bad and cause other health side effects. You know your body and only time will tell if your stomach stretches.

There are some interesting takes on this topic as always. I say if diet soda or any food for that matter is like a drug to you or is a gateway to other bad habits then do not indulge.

I mean you have to ask yourself if you can sip and be fine or if you are Jonesing for a long gulp. Can you go several days or weeks without it being on your mind 24/7.

Before I even considered surgery, I was not eating rice, bread, Pasta, potatoes, and tons of other things and people, of course thought I was crazy then, well they still think I am crazy now as I still do not eat these things. But I do drink diet soda, and having one or two sips here and there doesn't really drive me to drink more, or cause me to crave anything else. I am not drinking enough to fill my stomach, so the likelihood of stretching is probably slim.

There are certain instructions which are strictly do and don't do, some of these are because of the nutritionist's and doctors' past experience with other patients. And it is important that we know that this has caused other patients problems in the past.

There are some interesting takes on this topic as always. I say if diet soda or any food for that matter is like a drug to you or is a gateway to other bad habits then do not indulge.

I mean you have to ask yourself if you can sip and be fine or if you are Jonesing for a long gulp. Can you go several days or weeks without it being on your mind 24/7.

Before I even considered surgery, I was not eating rice, bread, Pasta, potatoes, and tons of other things and people, of course thought I was crazy then, well they still think I am crazy now as I still do not eat these things. But I do drink diet soda, and having one or two sips here and there doesn't really drive me to drink more, or cause me to crave anything else. I am not drinking enough to fill my stomach, so the likelihood of stretching is probably slim.

There are certain instructions which are strictly do and don't do, some of these are because of the nutritionist's and doctors' past experience with other patients. And it is important that we know that this has caused other patients problems in the past.

Please share a few of those "tons of studies" on soda and sleeve stretching - I'd love to read them.!