Any tips for heavy coffee drinkers?

My surgery is in 3 weeks. The doctor's dietician says no more than 8 oz of coffee a day, preferably only 4 oz. Help! I drink easily 10 cups of coffee a day. How do you handle this? What's the problem? I know caffeine is an appetite stimulant, but if you don't overeat, then is it OK to drink all the coffee you want? Also, can you have your coffee with milk without any problems?

You are about coffee, as I was about Dr. Pepper before my surgery. I had upwards of 150 ounces a day if not more! Honestly, I quit cold turkey. I drank it up until I couldn't drink anymore the night before my surgery. I haven't had any caffeine, soda or otherwise in six months. I do splurge on the occassional Starbucks, but limit myself to two a week and its decaffinated. Caffeine is also a diuretic. The healthy thing to do would be give it up! Depends on how serious you are hon! Hopefully you'll hear from others that will give you an answer your looking for! ;) Kim banded 10.20.03 384/277/180 www.kimswlsjourney.com

Hi Nellie! I started to wean myself off the caffeine about a month before surgery. I added a little more decaf everyday until it was almost all...I didnt want to get one of those headaches! The day before surgery I was on clear liquids and had black coffee with sweet and low...ugh! The day after surgery I didnt even like the taste! You seem to develop different taste buds for some things. Now, if I drink one cup of even decaf or a little caffeine thats enough. I do put in skim milk or sometimes a little half and half...but its just not the same taste! I have also found that some things are saltier and sweeter to me than before...I was told that coffee can also dehydrate you...and they dont want that....I found that snapple diet iced tea makes me go alot...and I think that has caffeine..?....Good Luck to you! Linda M. from Jersey Banded 3/25 Dr. Bertha AdjGastLapBand

I was a 6-8 cup a day coffee drinker. I decided that caffeine withdrawel was not something I wanted to endure recovering from surgery. So last week, I quit, cold turkey. I had headaches and was lethargic (my boss noticed that I didn't argue with him nearly as much because I just didn't have the energy). My symptoms passed after just two days and it was A LOT easier than I thought it would be. I'd cut back to five cups a day for about a week, then just quit. It's much easier than smoking (I did that too). Making the decision to do it was harder than the doing.

The one thing about quitting when I had surgery, is that, I didn't go through any withdrawl type symptoms. I felt like crap anyway so wouldn't have known the difference! ;)

Hi Nelli! Maybe I'm a bad bander but I won't give up my coffee. Never have and never will. I don't drink it all day I have one or two cups in the morning and once in a while I have I cup during the day if I happen to pass the 7-11. My doctors never stressed it as an issue. I didn't find out that I was supposed to make that decaf till after surgery. I wouldn't drink it all day long. You need to do that with water, but I do make coffee my breakfast and a treat in the afternoon once in a while. I'm still not going to change it. If I did drink like ten cups a day I would try cutting down but I really don't see why I can't have it in the morning. I wish you the best!!! My coffee buddy!!! Lisa B. Ok you can all beat me up now for drinking my coffee But I'm still going to drink it

Thanks to all for the responses. Of course, I like Lisa's best!!! I'll definitely rein in the coffee drinking and I will check it out with the doc.

Nellie, I was banded in Aug 04 and was a heavy coffee drinker and still am, I have had no problems, some days I drink 2 pots. I have lost 55lbs. it is slow but I'm not in any big hurry as it didn't come on overnight. To some I was considered a lightweight and only got approved due to co-morbities.But coffee has not hindered my loss in anyway. Roxanne

Thank you for this info -- very helpful. And congratulations on losing 55 lbs. That is wonderful!

hey nellie i drink my coffee (caffeine all the way) too the only time i'd advise you not to drink it is when your healing after surgery i drank decaf - tried regular and really got hyped up and dizzy - so i stayed away until i healed then i drank all i wanted - another time to stay away from the caffeine is after a fill lisa r banded 8/11/03 300/236/150