Does carbonated sodas stretch your pouch

[sundevilaz]

Hi everyone.. 2 questions
I often opt for diet soda when am restaraunt and I have it almost everyday...
1-Does drink carbonation/carbonated sodas stretches the pouch/sleeve with regular use.. ?
2-will I regain back my weight just as per-op 7 years from now?

I can't promise myself that I will stick to rigorous diet when I am attending school for 3 yrs .. Resources plus being stressed with dues and such...!
Will I regain all that I've lost..!

Appreciate ur responses

[becca72]

I limit my soda intake compared to my previous consumption, but I do still have a very little bit from time to time. I am 6 months out from surgery and I still have very tight restriction with my sleeve. I am not sure what would be the case with daily soda intake, this is just my experience.

[SarahJane]

Truth be told I drink about one 12oz cherry coke a day. I either drink that or mello yello, bc those are the 2 flattest sodas I have found. I have no less restriction than before I started drinking them. I do burp a lot however! Lol

[StephO]

We were told (in classes with our insurance) that the carbonation can stretch your stomach out. I stopped drinking soda a year ago, before I had even planned to have this surgery. I'm glad I did, and it does get easier. But why even risk it? And if you're worried about money, water is free! :]

[Shoppingbeemom]

This is something that is really not known for certain, some swear it will stretch out your new sleeve and others say it does nothing of the sort. My Dr has it on the do not use list, so when I get a craving for soda, I get a Icee. There isn't any carbination in a Icee. I don't have it often because I don't want to get into habits that will hinder my weight loss or make me gain in years to come. I wish to be very careful not to stretch my sleeve or get into high calorie habits that can make this surgery a failure. I'm all about change in habits that have got me to the point where I need surgery to loose weight. With the sleeve you need to know it is a tool to lose weight. It won't keep it off long term if you can't learn to eat the right food and portions. That's why it's very important to learn the good habits when your sleeve is still tighter. Best wishes

[gailann]

According to my doctor there are no studies to prove either way because they don't want to tell a patient to drink carbonated beverages after surgery so they can't really do a study to prove it stretches the stomach. The doc said drinking carbonated beverages will probably lead me down the wrong path and could make me start craving sugary drinks again.

[Dee Leshuz]

I've been told that it will irritate the sleeve as well as cause it to swell. Question for you...if you can't commit to what your Dr./plan recommends, why do it? I'm sympathetic to work/school, been there myself but all we're talking about is not ordering/buying a soda. Some people let it go flat and then drink it but the way you are talking about it sounds like an addiction...and to have success with our sleeve and enjoy (and keep) the best outcome, we have to let the food and drink addictions go.

[mariamrivera]

Why would you start thinking already that you could regain the weight? I think you could at least try to promise yourself to be healthier from now on. I am in school now and it does get hard; the cravings are there, the psychological print of having a big belly is also there, but you can't predispose yourself to defeat! I can assure you that if you start your journey thinking like that, you will gain all the weight back. Keep positive and focused, remember this is to change all our lives Give yourself some credit and take care of your operation, and you will keep your tummy small and your weight under control. Best of luck!

[Grace]

Hi SunDevilAz -
This surgery and path are all about choices.
Having a sleeve gives you a valuable tool for your weight loss journey - it essentially makes you stop eating because there is just so much you can fit in there.
That being said, you can certainly sabotage yourself with eating too often, too much or the wrong foods. Money wise, you'll save because you are eating so little. One large take out chili is 3 meals. Really. I buy 3 and put them in 1/2 cup gladware and freeze them. Most school dining halls have a microwave. Take a frozen one with you in your lunch bag (you really must have an insulated lunch bag and "blue ice" after surgery) and heat the chili up where you are. Then there is canned chicken with mayo or ranch, etc. At 7 months out I can just about eat a 3 oz can of it. $1 for a meal. Soup is cheap. It really is just as inexpensive or more so to eat well with the sleeve as it is to eat badly without it.
Re: carbonated beverages.... if you need the taste, just let it go mostly flat. Bear a couple of things in mind, though. SF sweeteners trick the brain into thinking it is having sugar and can, for some people, make losing weight harder.. if you are the sugar sensitive type. You can't drink before and after meals anyway so why pay for soda in a restaurant, just get a glass of water to have sitting there in case you really have to have a tiny sip...And, drinking plain old water is really best for our bodies.
re: gaining it all back. Yes, you can. We all can if we try hard enough. Eating ice cream and sweets all day long, or repeatedly stuffing the sleeve so it stretches would make absolutely no sense after going through what we all are. Your tastes and your appetite will change after surgery. Don't be surprised if there are foods you can't tolerate at all tastewise that you loved before. Perhaps you may not even want the diet soda, you won't know until after you are sleeved.
This is ultimately your decision. It is life changing. You can't take it back when you are standing in front of a buffet and want some of everything. You'll have to live with it.

[nenebelle]

I was told to drink it in limited amounts... and always over ice.. never straight out of the bottle or can...

[UK Tim]

Grace

More incredible words of wisdom. I wish I had said that.

Just one point - "sodas" as you yanks call them, have, in their basic sense, caffine, carbon, and sugar in them. Some are available (even in these sceptered isles) in caffine free or sugar free form. Just a thought.... but I take your points about best given up. In my 20s, I used to drink a bottle of diet Coke a day, to the point where I was described as having "a sixty-nine pence a day Coke habit." But I gave it up when I did atkins, along with the booze. I agree with you in that it is not for me to tell others about what to do, merely to make my own choices.

I hope you are feeling better and are able to continue to give us the benefit of your wisdom.

Best regards.

[FlowerGalTX]

In the paperwork from my doctor it specifically said to avoid sodas right after surgery because it could cause your stomach to rupture.

Tim had an excellent point about there being many options for "zero" calorie sodas AFTER you are able to eat solid foods again.

My philosophy is that if sodas are an addiction then avoid them. If you feel you "have to have them", then they are an addiction. If you "need" the caffeine, try green tea or some other types of tea. My favorite is Good Earth's Sweet and Spicy as it needs absolutely nothing else to make it taste good and comes in a caffeine as well as a caffeine-free form.

I am concerned about your thoughts about regaining wait. You have to purpose that you will NOT regain the weight and that you will be a success and then outline your steps. Gastric Sleeve does require our active participation to make healthy food choices and avoid junk or high-carb or high-calorie food. Because you will be eating substantially less you CAN get better foods and include things like salmon, chicken, beans, veggies and fruits in your diet with less overall expense - even if you are a college student. The reality is when we eat junk food it doesn't fill us or feed us. Our body does not receive the fuel it needs so we think we need more. While the gastric sleeve helps because it physically restricts how much we can eat, it is just a tool. We are the miracle that brings about change and results.

[BBARB]

I just finished to read a book about WLS. What I liked about this one is the need to clarify our goal and not confuse it with our milestones.
Here is my list of milestones and the one goal we all should have:

Milestones:
Loosing weight
Get healthier ( sleep apnea is my only comorbity yet)
Do things i cannot because of my obesity such as cross my legs, lift my knee to the chin, run after a bus, hike withiut dying, para sailing, surfing etc
Feel comfortable in a Plane sit, in a Patio chair or simple in a group picture
And so much more

My only Goal:
Keep my weight off for the rest of my life

WLS is not a diet, is the chance we have to change our mind, metabolism, habit and consequently our look. I really want this from my sleeve. Using the time in which our stomach is so little gives the unique opportunity to implement all these life changes without struggling with hormons, chemical, anger and etc.

I want to get rid of sodas (not a big fan anyway), chips, cracker snaking etc for good!

[Steve Demko]

Stuff is like crack , I dropped it. Don't want it,don't need it. Nothing good can come from it ! Liquid poison in a can.

[Lynda]

I just had my sleeve two days ago and was told no carbonated drinks. Risk of popping stitches, leak etc.