I was on Day Three of the pre-op diet and was struggling. I remember feeling a bit bloated and I was having a lot of headaches. Some of it was the drastic change in my diet and the near-constant hunger, but another part of it, I believe, was consuming so much milk. I had to have three protein shakes per day. In order to bulk them up a bit, I mixed them with skim milk. I decided to start mixing them with half milk and half water, which seemed to help me feel a little better.
I went to visit my cousin in PA for a few days, which helped occupy my mind, Plus, I enjoy visiting her anyway. On the way there, I stopped at the Wendy's drive-thru for lunch. I got a garden salad, which seemed minuscule, with fat-free dressing. No croutons or cheese, or anything that might resemble Life Before. I cheated and got a child-sized diet soda. I wasn't supposed to have it, but I very badly wanted one last soda. Also, I felt that it would help fill me up a little more. And it did. I didn't finish it, because I felt so guilty for being weak and buying it to begin with. And I felt like somehow the surgeon would know I had that soda. As if he would open me up and there would be some telltale sign that soda had passed through there. I know, that sounds crazy. But I really felt he would know and he would just close me up and refuse to operate. That was my very last soda. Since then I've take just a tiny sip a few times a year and that's it. I still enjoy the taste, but I don't ever want to get back into the habit of having soda with every meal.
I became a soda water/mineral water addict some years ago, I love the tangy zap of it. My 2 litre water intake every day is only possible because of it - I find plain water to be a bit boring. If I take a sip of other kinds of soda now, it is impossibly sweet, the only one I can stomach is lemon squash, everything else feels like drinking straight sugar.
ReplyDeleteI think I heard that carbonation is not great for those who have had WLS. If that were not true, and what you loved about soda was the bubbles, then soda water might be worth a try. :) I sometimes tart it up with fruit especially in summer - the fruit takes on the flavour of the soda water, that tangy flavour, and the soda water takes on some of the fruit flavour. Strawberries, watermelon, mangoes, berries of all kinds, I've even put carrots in there! :)
You're correct: WLS patients really shouldn't be drinking it. It can lead to ulcers and introduce a lot of air into the stomach, which could make it expand. I've tried a few sips and I just burp it back up almost immediately.
DeleteI miss the bubbles, but I miss the taste, too. But I don't actually think about it anymore. Once in a great while I crave a sip.
It's amazing how much the taste buds change when you eliminate regular soda from your diet! You get to the point where it tastes like sugary syrup.