Article on why to avoid carbonation after WLS - ThinnerTimes

Suzanne-photog4fun · 10-17-2004, 03:59 PM

From BSC International newsletter:

Success Habit™ #4 - Fluid Intake

Lesson #2 - The Dangers of Carbonation

This is the Success Habit™ that seems to stir people’s deepest emotions. Many weight loss surgery patients see a Diet Coke™, or Diet Pepsi ™, or a Diet {insert your favorite flavor here] as their last and only “acceptable sweet” that’s generally considered to be calorically and socially acceptable. Try to take away this last right and privilege from them and you’ve got a fight on your hands! We’re not interested in fighting, or even arguing, so let’s be completely clear about this; we can’t offer you a hard scientific explanation, or scientific proof that drinking carbonated beverages will hurt your weight loss or weight maintenance efforts. But, if you are really interested in doing your best to be absolutely sure you can successfully lose your excess weight and then keep it off, you’ll carefully consider the evidence.

Our Success Habits™ study showed that the most successful patients who reach and maintain their goal weight do not drink carbonated beverages. Additionally, our continuing experience has been that most former patients who have re-gained significant weight, and have returned to the support center to take our Back On Track class, have been drinking carbonated beverages. These two long-term observations tell us that choosing to drink carbonated beverages can be detrimental to your long-term success.

Three reasons to avoid carbonated beverages:

1. Distention of the stomach pouch and anastamosis

When a cold, carbonated beverage is consumed, it warms and releases carbon dioxide gas that was dissolved in the liquid. This gas can be trapped in your stomach pouch, causing it to distend and needlessly stretch your pouch. While it’s true these gasses are not permanently trapped in your stomach (since they can be released through burping) any unnecessary, uncontrolled, distension of your stomach pouch places you at greater level of risk that you’ll stretch your pouch to the point where you will compromise the effectiveness of the “tool” you’ve worked so hard to obtain.

If stretching your stomach pouch is not enough to concern you, consider what happens to your anastamosis (the new stomach outlet) when entrapped gas stretches your pouch. This undue pressure also causes stretching of the anastamosis. It is believed that an enlarged anastamosis is a greater problem than an enlarged stomach is for weight loss surgery patients. The size of the pouch outlet is more critical to the patient’s ability to achieve satiety than the actual size of the stomach pouch. If the anastamosis is too large, food passes through the pouch too easily and will begin to fill and stretch the small intestine, in effect creating a larger holding chamber in the small intestine thereby allowing you to eat a much higher quantity of food before you feel full and your brain receives the signal to stop eating. The combination of a stretched pouch and an enlarged anastamosis are disastrous to your weight loss and/or weight maintenance efforts. Is the momentary pleasure derived from a diet drink worth the risk? Only you can decide.

2. Caloric Intake

Many carbonated beverages are high in calories, low in nutritional value and contain simple sugars. Not only do they add additional calories with low nutritional value and little benefit in achieving satiety, but they are absorbed quickly into the blood stream, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar, elevated insulin levels, and increased hunger.

3. Caffeine

Many carbonated beverages contain caffeine, an appetite stimulant, which is detrimental to initial weight loss and long-term weight control.

TabFox · 10-17-2004, 08:18 PM

Well, that just burst my bubble! I don't crave chocolate, I don't even eat bread or pasta...but take away my Diet Pepsi????? Someone just shoot me! I don't drink it often, but man, I do love a little fizzy once in a while. *sigh*

Tabitha

Blueyz · 10-17-2004, 08:33 PM

I was such a diet coke addict and will not drink soda again. I know once I start, it will become a habit again. Thanks for the info. Suzanne. Glad to see you back.

JohnsWife4Life · 02-12-2005, 02:10 PM

I just wanted to post here so this thread would come up as it is relevant to recent posts. Hope this helps. Thanks Suzanne.

Traci

Bigbaldbuddie · 02-13-2005, 02:27 PM

I really wanted this surgery. I wanted to get back to where I was physically before I started gaining weight in mid 90's. (Yes I was thin before and had a life as a thin person, in another life long ago). So much so I quit smoking cold turkey (in April will be my 2 year aniversary).

I pretty much have tried to adopt the rules that are recommended jduring our first few months, like staying away from carbonation, sugar, bread, all the things that are not good for the healing pouch.

Well I try to keep the same mind-set for the completely healed pouch. Even though it appears that some post-ops at some point start to return to diet soda, I won't. For me I have given up beer and soda forever, and for the food restrictions, I try to use them as my guide to not get back into bad habits.

HapBird · 02-13-2005, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigbaldbuddie

I really wanted this surgery. I wanted to get back to where I was physically before I started gaining weight in mid 90's. (Yes I was thin before and had a life as a thin person, in another life long ago). So much so I quit smoking cold turkey (in April will be my 2 year aniversary).

I pretty much have tried to adopt the rules that are recommended jduring our first few months, like staying away from carbonation, sugar, bread, all the things that are not good for the healing pouch.

Well I try to keep the same mind-set for the completely healed pouch. Even though it appears that some post-ops at some point start to return to diet soda, I won't. For me I have given up beer and soda forever, and for the food restrictions, I try to use them as my guide to not get back into bad habits.

Great advice - I'm trying to learn NEW eating/drinking habits, not find ways back into the old ones. I gave up carbonated beverages last summer, and don't miss them at all. I'm fine with water, tea, decaf coffee (gave up caffeine two years ago due to it causing heart palpitations), crystal light, etc.

And I've heard some conjecture that carbonated beverages can deplete the body of calcium - this may be another one of those medical theories that hasn't been proven - but why take the chance!

Butterfly · 02-13-2005, 10:00 PM

I decided before having surgery, that if I couldn't chew gum or drink another Diet Coke, that that was okay for me and I could live with those things taken away.

When I found out from Kelly that we could chew gum but that we have to be careful to not swallow it, I was ecstatic!

As far as my daily Diet Coke, I have not had one since the day before my surgery. I truly miss the way the carbonation feels in my mouth mainly...not the taste. So, I have adapted to not drinking my daily Diet Coke. I miss it, but it's so not worth it. I prefer drinking my iced tea that has no carbonation and that won't effect my pouch. Everyone has their feelings about this, but I adopt the one Dr. Callery has instructed.

Thank you Mary for that article. It really confirmed that I am doing the right thing by not having carbonation.

Meaghan · 02-18-2005, 09:55 PM

Thanks so much for that article. I could drink a diet soda hot, just to get the carbonation. But I've decided to quit as soon as my stash of Diet Cherry Coke runs out...

I'm not taking any chances on this opportunity!

cedesigns · 02-18-2005, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meaghan

Thanks so much for that article. I could drink a diet soda hot, just to get the carbonation. But I've decided to quit as soon as my stash of Diet Cherry Coke runs out...

..I'm not taking any chances on this opportunity!

As far as I am concerned Diet Coke hurts (bubbles, carbonation, stretching) , it is dangerous, it has no nutritional value........it's like...... WAR! What is it good for??? Nothing!! (LOL had to coin a little a little '70s ditty there) Die .............it............coke!!!! Get the message~let it die~ it's the safest way............
Oh by the way............coke is not good for you either~ It used to be the "real thing" these days it's just sugar and water minus the stimulant, but it's still not good for you. Drop the stuff! Drop it like its HOT!!

Meaghan · 02-19-2005, 07:29 PM

Carol,

I noticed you are in Irvine, I'm in Long Beach myself, and was wondering if you knew of any support groups closer than San Diego. I would love to attend some - the place I'm having my WLS only has one once per month and I'd like to attend something more often I think. Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks