Proof that Carbonation Can Damage a Band

[DeLarla 22]

I'm not sure how carbonation can stretch the pouch, unless you slug an entire can in a beer bong. liquid passes right through, unless you're super restricted. If sips of soda can stretch the pouch, the so can a cup of food chewed well.

Tick tock, tick tock, I'm still waiting for some documented proof.

[Th?r?se 0]

Out of sheer curiousity, what is Pepsi Max? I'm from the US and have never heard of it. (I think you're in Austrailia, right?)

It's a diet pepsi but with a different sweetener used than Diet Pepsi. It's "maximum" Pepsi flavour, whatever that actually means!

Thérèse

[theresa2mum 0]

Hi, I'm a Queenslander I get all my diet advice from my surgeons dietician...my surgeon simply says follow the diet protocol (let's him off the hook lol). Anyway, looked back at dieticians notes and it says "flat diet soft drink only." Well the "diet" part is obvious (although I don't put those poisons in my body anymore) and the flat part seems to indicate no bubbles.

I'll try to remember to ask them both next time I see them.

[loopylou 0]

I think Pepsi Max has high caffiene levels - thats the flavour part!

Pepsi is nowhere near as big here as it is in the States - so I think they sell the Max to get in all those people addicted to the caffeine in Diet Coke. That's my theory anyway. It certainly has more caffeine than normal diet pepsi.

[NJChick 3]

I was told no carbonation, but no one ever said it had anything to do with slippage. It was a stretching issue, which makes sense to me.

My doc says the same thing.

[I'llsucceed 1]

My Doctor says the only think that carbination can do is make you feel uncomfortable because you can get the bubbles stuck. He said as far as slippage- it wasn't related.

I once inawhile say one time a week or less- let my dietcoke go flat & than I enjoy it cold with ice cubes. I have had zero complications w/flat or semi carbinated drinks.< /p>

[kimalicious 5]

mmmm. beer bong. I guess I can never relive the dorm days again...I guess that's a good thing.

[PinkChick 0]

Carbonation straight out of the can or bottle doesn't feel good to me...so while I thought I could let it back into my life, it doesn't seem worth it anymore. It's about the damn bubbles...flat Dt. Mt. Dew just isn't the same without it. My Dr has the "Some can, some can't" attitude...leaving it wide open for me to make the choice.

Isn't this whole Banded thing dependant on our choices? I can rationalize how I can allow any of the junk back into my life. I knew better, but that didn't stop me from doing bags of chips and Cookies in my past. I was so good at making excuses...no matter what the outcome was, I was living for the moment and not respecting my food boundaries. My reality is that the sugar, high carb comfort food and fried fast foods are NOT doing me a bit of good. It, along with monster portions of "healthy foods" FED my weight issues. I created my weight issues to begin with. I ate for comfort, stuffed emotions, and didn't ever tell myself or anyone else NO. I learned to ignore my 'full' feeling and eat more to taste or feel the "love" in my food. Crazy. What did it do for me??? It loved me back so much to become pounds on my butt, which fed even more emotions.

It's up to each of us to decide which food boundaries we will accept and which one's we decide to break. My Dr let me have control "As long as you get your nutrients and LOSE, I don't care WHAT you eat." He put me in the "driver's seat" so now I have to learn which way I want to turn and how fast I want to go. Most days I am full speed ahead, however, yesterday I was parked...stuck in neutral and nothing made sense to me why I couldn't "get with the program". As long as I don't have too many Parked days, I will get where I want to be, eventually. Probably the only change in that former mentality is that I didn't allow myself to really get stuck in the mud. I didn't totally break and eat myself to oblivion...but I still didn't do myself any favors by letting the junk back in...useless calories that replaced healthy calories.

The choice is really up to us...the answer is inside, so why not stop looking for something or someone else to validate our mentality. Either we are DONE with it or we want it to remain in our life. If we decide we don't need it, so be it...If we decide we can't live without it, we will figure out a way to have it anyway. I could use my common sense and rationalize that I can excuse poor food choices for various reasons...that's pretty easy. Stopping myself from using those excuses is what's hard.

If I wanted something bad enough, you can bet your last dollar, I will figure out a way to have it. It's no different for anyone else. I just had to learn which things weren't really worth it, and which one's were. My Quest to become thinner and healthier is more important than my "need" for almost every comfort food available. Diet soda just happened to be an easier choice because it made me feel gassed up and miserable. Those that decide they can't live without it will figure out ANY way they can, to have it.

JMHO. No way, no how do I pretend to be perfect...I am stuggling with food too. I found that if I address the issues that drive my "needs", I can often find a solution that doesn't involve poor choices foodwise. Redirect.

Linda

[Lioness81970 0]

Well I am going to let all of you in on a little secret.....I have 1 pepsi or mountain dew every day - not diet or anything but a regular soda. I had been having major headaches and I don't believe in taking all types of medicines unless absolutely necessary. I went to my doctor and she had prescribed a medicine for Migraines for me but it made me sicker. Since she has been my doctor for ages and knows how I feel about medicine we compromised. I'm sure many of you know that caffiene combats headaches so - with my band doctor's permission of course - I have a soda with caffeine and 2 ibuprofens a day and my headaches are a rare thing. When I spoke to my band doctor and told him the situation he said soda doesn't cause slippage nor stretching of your pouch unless you are drinking a gallon of it. He said that although it is not GOOD for your body or your teeth it is not going to interfere with the band. I have been on this soda/IB therapy for about 6 months now and my restriction level has not changed at all. I don't have any discomfort with it either. As a matter of fact I have more problems drinking orange juice, out of a straw or a Corona than I do a Pepsi or Mountain Dew. So with that said - I am backing DeLarla on this one (as I sip my ice cold Mountain Dew)

[live2canoe 1]

I am so glad DeLarla started this threas (as I am with all her threads). The whole "No Carbonation" thing has never made any sense to me.

Carbonation, when chugged down makes me uncomfortable, so I don't do it. But swallowing a big hunk of steak without chewing it makes me uncomfortable, too - so I don't so that either.

If it hurts - don't do it.

I love what Pink Chick said about being in the driver's seat and I think her dr. has a great attitude. I think too many doctors assume that we aren't capable of making intelligent choices and therefor like to 'lay down the law'. I also believe that doctors who give far too many post-op restrictions (no carbonation, no spicy foods, Clear liquids for two weeks prior and 4 weeks after banding) are not comforable with their surgical technique. They give these virtualy impossible to live by instructions, and then, if you have any problems with your band, they can say "well, did you have kung pao chicken (green chile, curry, tabasco, have cream of wheat in the fist 30 days etc) ? then it's your fault the band is causing you problems." They have complete deniability.

It's all part of the training given them by the Illuminate - right Lisa?

[CandySmooch 0]

I indulge in the occasional full flavor coke about once a week - I usually only drink about 1/2 at a time as it does become slightly uncomfortable from the bubbles - for me it feels like I have a big belch that won't come out - so I make sure I don't drink to that point - so far no problems.

[Kari 0]

Hi All, There must be something to it, if all of our doctors say carbonation isn't good there must be a reason. It makes sense when you think about it; carbonation is air and it could stretch the pouch. Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of having the band? I used to drink seltzer and soda every day, but since July I haven't touched it. I look at it this way; I went through the surgery to get this fantastic tool - why would I do something that would work against it's purpose? I guess it's a personal decision. Good Luck.

[itsyvonne 0]

Dr. Frering in France is adamant about the "no carbonation" rule. He also said it would stretch the pouch. It's never made much sense to me, but after reading the post about air pockets still being visible in the stomach the next day...hmm...maybe there's something to it.

I remember a bandster speculating that her reflux was either caused by or made worse by her Diet Coke habit.

I've never heard of carbonation being related to slippage. Vomiting (PB-ing, whatever you want to call it) seems to be the most often cited cause for slippage.

[MsButterKup23 1]

Carbonation doesn't bother me. The only time I can't drink a soda is while I am eating... I know I shouldn't be drinking while I'm eating especially soda!! I learned that lesson quite well when I had COLD soda coming out my nose when I got sick. Now I work hard not to drink ANYTHING while I'm eating..

I drink a gulp of soda here and there, I never chug it. I've always enjoyed Diet Sprite. I don't drink alcohol very often as I have a 1 year old and need to stay sober...lol

[CandySmooch 0]

I don't drink alcohol very often as I have a 1 year old and need to stay sober...lol

LMAO - thanks for the first laugh of the day!