So!!! My fellow coffee lovers! Question…what are some alternatives that we can have? for those that had gastric sleeve? Im a huge Starbucks and Dunkin Donut freak! And I’ve been wanting some coffee? I’ve been told after a week you can have some (in portion of course) and I known you still gotta intake your water. And also I heard to avoid whole milk? Anyone have any advice?


I’m about to hit a month since my surgery!:)

Most of us will tell you to "follow YOUR plan!" If your plan prohibits coffee/caffeine, then stick to that. If your plan says no whole milk, then don't drink it. Every plan is different and the best advice is always to consult with YOUR team to make sure you're on track.

BUT - that being said - my plan allowed caffeine after 2 weeks post-op, so I had decaf until then but immediately switched back to the good stuff when I was allowed. I take my coffee with a splash of fat free half and half and a little sugar free flavored syrup. When I order coffee from a shop, I'll do a latte (regular milk) with a sugar free flavoring. If I'm feeling really sassy I'll do half SF and half regular. I've heard that DD has some great SF flavorings you can add, though I've not personally tried them. Cold brew is always a safe bet, too. I'll do a cold brew with a splash of cream and some stevia.

I drink flavored coffee (brewed at home) with sugar free creamer or non dairy milk and Splenda. I never was a big Starbucks fancy drinks kind of person but I used to use the full-sugar creamer. Remember that anything you add to your coffee that has calories/carbs/etc needs to be logged, it's an easy trap to fall into to forget to do so.

I have been drinking coffee since 1 week post op. It has never irritated my stomach so doctor said it was fine. I usually go with black coffee, but will once in a while add some oat milk or something.

I really like the Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espressos... I just do 3 pumps of syrup rather than the 4-6 it comes with.

Edited December 2, 20223 yr by SuziDavis

I second the follow your plan advice. Always the best thing to do. I’m not a coffee drinker (gave it up years ago because the caffeine stirred up my reflux & kept me awake all night & decaf is sacrilegious ?) but I was allowed green tea (which is what I drank anyway) & herbal teas. This was great as I found warm liquids more soothing then cool/cold.

Is the no whole milk requirement because of the fat content? Does it mean you can have low or no fat milk? That may be worth a question to your team. It’s an easy way to get in fluids, some protein & other nutrients when water or your shakes get a bit blah.

If your plan allows for coffee, just use a low fat milk if you can't have the full fat version, or try a plant milk (oat is great in coffee). And of course, no sugar or flavoured syrup.

I'm in Australia, so I'm not familiar with Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts coffee, but I've been happily having a soy latte (small size only) since about week 3 post-op. I would take ages to drink it, so I bought a thermos mug and had the baristas make it for me in that. A good latte was almost a daily treat for me, and the soy milk added about 7grams of protein to my daily total as a bonus.

A small soy latte is about 75 calories, so one a day worked just fine into my plan. And of course, even less calories in a filter/plunger coffee with just a splash of soy milk. One coffee a day was generally enough to scratch the itch, and even now over a year out, 2 lattes is my maximum, and I often only drink half of the second one. Still LOVE and crave coffee, but I'm not downing four or more cups a day any more.

Now TEA on the other hand...

i drank coffee from around the 1 month mark without issues. I use TRUVIA for the sugar and for creamers i get sugar free ones. I literally have 1-3 cups a day.

I had no restrictions on coffee/caffeine intake pre or post op. Was never a fan of fat free anything so I have made allowance for one proper full fat milk latte or flat white every day and lots of other coffee with semi-skimmed milk. It has worked for me (because that was in keeping with the rules my team set me). Also helps with protein goals.

Best of luck on your journey.

As others said, up to your plan since doctors know your situation better than others. For myself, no restriction on coffee nor whole dairy. I do both.