so my doctor said i cant have soda for 6 months. stupid question- why??

i never really drank soda but when i drink occassionally i like to chase alcohol with a shot lol not the end of the world if i cant have it though

Well juices are good too lol.


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Carbonation will expand your stomach. They made an experiment with a balloon (represent the stomach pouch) and a soda to show us how the bubbles from the carbonation made the balloon to expand every time you drink it. It was scary. I'm good without soda

A lot of people claim it can stretch your stomach, but I've seen no evidence of this documented in a medical journal. My doctor said it's because of discomfort it can cause from gas, as well as pressure of the staple lines from gas early on. Some people tolerate it, some don't. As far as stretching your stomach - my doctor said that is a myth. He said they cut out the portion of your stomach that is designed to stretch, and while anything filled to capacity will have some give, liquids are not in your stomach long enough to have that effect. Sofa (calorie free) was even one of the things allowed on my post op diet, as long as I let it sit to lose some of the carbonation first.

My doctor also said that the stomach stretching is a myth. He said that carbonation doesn't actually have the strength to stretch the stomach. He said the issue is the gas and discomfort and of course the lack of health benefits. He told me if I wanted to drink seltzer, I could.

My doctor never said it'll stretch my stomach. He just told me soda is unhealthy & can make me gain weight again because of all the sugar, high fructose corn syrup, & other chemicals. I was a Diet Coke drinker, and he said that's even bad because of the fake sugar in there (aspartame). There's no medical benefit to soda. Carbonation for some people can cause gas & discomfort too but he emphasized more on the health aspect. I don't desire soda anymore, anyway. Before, when I took shots, I chased it with beer. LOL.

Height 5'0"

Weight for WLS consultation: 216 lbs.

Surgery date: 2/13/17

Goal: - 71 lbs for healthy BMI (about 145 lbs).

Current weight: 185.2 lbs

My profile picture is not me. It's my "FitSpiration" body.

My Dr says no carbonated beverages or straws because they can allow extra air into stomach which may create extra gas and pain. Neither Dr nor NUT said eliminate "fake sugar".

Anything carbonated has the potential to cause discomfort because the gaseous air can expand in your stomach, and when your stomach is much smaller it can be felt more strongly. I'm 18 months post-op of the VSG and occasionally experience that effect. It's actually carbonated water like Perrier that has the stronger impact. Just the other night I drank half a glass of it at a party, assuming by this point it would be fine, and ten minutes later my stomach was making sounds like a water fountain. It was incredibly embarrassing. I've had Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi a few times without problems, but every once in a while I get the bubbling sounds with it as well.

Another reason to minimize how much soda you drink is because it's not healthy for you. The non-diet versions are packed with sugar and calories that can add up quickly, and the diet ones have a heap of ingredients not good for you. I still like Diet Coke, despite that, so I'm not lecturing, haha. I have it very rarely, whereas before surgery it was always on my grocery list, but didn't give it up entirely.

Juices are high in sugar and no good. Unless you make your own veggie juice with a juicer or limit your juice to very small portions and make it yourself. Fruit juices are high in sugar.

Pop is no good either, bad nutrition and sugar content is off the charts. Diet pop is as bad as non diet pop, the aspartame can cause weight gain, stroke, and a myriad of other issues. Plus carbonation is uncomfortable for some sleeved patients. Eventually the carbonation will stretch the pouch as well if consumed too much in one sitting, just as regular water can if consumed too close to eating time and in one sitting. Both doctor and dietician said as much regarding all this.

There are some things you need to mentally know that you should NEVER have again. Soda is one of those.

On 3/6/2017 at 5:16 AM, Polarbearwifey said:

Carbonation will expand your stomach. They made an experiment with a balloon (represent the stomach pouch) and a soda to show us how the bubbles from the carbonation made the balloon to expand every time you drink it. It was scary. I'm good without soda

Your stomach isn't made out of latex, it's not going to react like a ballon. And especially if you have the sleeve it's a myth that it will stretch it. With the sleeve all, or at least most, of the stretchy part of the stomach is removed. And even if a little bit or the stretchy part is left carbonation is no where near strong enough to stretch it, nor would the small amount left be able to stretch enough to make a huge difference. You might go from being able to eat 4 ounces to eating 4.5 ounces instead. And any stretching that MIGHT occur would not come from carbonation, it would be from forcing in too much food at once time. The research supports this.

The myth of the stretching came from the bypass pouch which can stretch, but even then again carbonation isn't strong enough, especially once combined with stomach acid, to have any true effect. It's much more likely to stretch from eating too much though.

Surgeons are human, they are not infallible. They make mistakes, and many are prone to telling horror stories to scare their patients into doing what they want them to do.

Your stomach isn't made out of latex, it's not going to react like a ballon. And especially if you have the sleeve it's a myth that it will stretch it. With the sleeve all, or at least most, of the stretchy part of the stomach is removed. And even if a little bit or the stretchy part is left carbonation is no where near strong enough to stretch it, nor would the small amount left be able to stretch enough to make a huge difference. You might go from being able to eat 4 ounces to eating 4.5 ounces instead. And any stretching that MIGHT occur would not come from carbonation, it would be from forcing in too much food at once time. The research supports this.
The myth of the stretching came from the bypass pouch which can stretch, but even then again carbonation isn't strong enough, especially once combined with stomach acid, to have any true effect. It's much more likely to stretch from eating too much though.
Surgeons are human, they are not infallible. They make mistakes, and many are prone to telling horror stories to scare their patients into doing what they want them to do.

thats exactly what i was told!! thank you

I haven't had soda since my lapband 7 years ago and don't really miss it. Once in a blue moon, if i don't have a drink when we are out to eat & i need a drink ASAP, i'll take a sip of the hubby's and YUCK, no taste for it.

I was told no straws or carbonated beverages of any type after surgery because the air can stretch your pouch.

4 hours ago, hmills653 said:

I was told no straws or carbonated beverages of any type after surgery because the air can stretch your pouch.

You don't have a pouch, you have a sleeve, and air and carbonation aren't going to stretch your sleeve. The part of your stomach that is made of tissue that can stretch is gone, and air/carbonation aren't anywhere near strong enough to stretch a pouch of a bypass patient. You aren't supposed to have carbonation because it'll fill you up and it can be painful. You need to remember that the small capacity you now have in your sleeve needs to be dedicated to the nutrients that will maintain your health. Regular soda is just liquid sugar... liquid that fills your pouch, carbonation that fills your pouch, sugar that is empty calories... so drinking soda is really counterintuitive if you have a sleeve (or pouch). Also... there is no evidence that straws are bad for you. Some surgeons think that you are going to swallow more air if you use a straw, which will (a) be painful, and (b) fill you up so there's not as much space in there for the nutrients you need to stay healthy. That's the logic on the straw prohibition.

I drink soda occasionally, and beer. I ONLY drink diet soda- I can't remember when I started, but it's been decades. I'll occasionally have a little diet Mountain Dew, or diet root beer (maybe once a month or less). I can't drink much of anything without getting overly full, so it's a balance. I also have trouble drinking water. One liquid that's worked for me is diet root beer, but I pour a can into a glass and let it sit overnight to get flat. THEN I drink it!

I drink soda occasionally, and beer. I ONLY drink diet soda- I can't remember when I started, but it's been decades. I'll occasionally have a little diet Mountain Dew, or diet root beer (maybe once a month or less). I can't drink much of anything without getting overly full, so it's a balance. I also have trouble drinking Water. One liquid that's worked for me is diet root beer, but I pour a can into a glass and let it sit overnight to get flat. THEN I drink it!

I love this comment. Summer is coming up & my favorite thing to drink was a root beer float. I'll ask for a diet root beer float. I gotta admit, I miss my carbonated drinks. Beer is another summer favorite of mine.


Height: 5'0"
Weight for WLS consultation: 216 lbs.
Surgery date: 2/13/17
Goal: -71 lbs for healthy BMI (about 145 lbs).
Current weight: 180.8
My profile picture is not me. It's my "FITspiration" body.