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- Minimal coffee within the first few months after surgery
- Longer-term coffee is OK
- Minimize what you put IN the coffee
- As with most foods and drinks, moderation is the key
You may be worried about losing some of your food and drink pleasures after bariatric surgery, and many patients enjoy a morning or afternoon coffee. But do you have to get rid of your coffee after surgery, or can you continue enjoying it (in moderation)?
For patients that absolutely need their coffee, they may start with one cup a day, starting after the first 3 days of surgery, as long as it doesn’t affect the patient negatively. That includes reflux and abdominal pain. With time, patients may return to their usual routine, in moderation.
What you put in the coffee also matters. You can imagine that the high-sugar syrup options that one can get from major coffee chains are out the window. With significant calorie counts, these are genuinely problematic. However, the milk and sugar you add to your coffee must also be well-controlled. While coffee with one sugar and some skim milk probably won’t make a huge difference, doing this three or four times absolutely can. Use a calorie counting app to determine exactly how many calories you consume through sugar and milk.
The Bottom Line
As with most things after bariatric surgery, we want you to enjoy what you eat and drink, but we also want you to be mindful of the pitfalls of certain foods you consume—coffee should be enjoyed in moderation after about a few months. If you stick by your post-op guidance, you should not have any issues and enjoy it while maintaining excellent weight loss progress.
