Are diet sodas a total NO NO?  I know that I was told to not have diet sodas but, sometimes the craving is soooo bad, I slip up.  I understand that I need water, water, and more water but, I need a soda every once in a while...  What have u been told?  I do burp a lot after a few sips but , I just want one...

Not only is the carbonation bad (bloating/bassy issues), but the long-term dangers/damage is multi-fold.

1.  All non-clear soft drinks contain phosphoric acid.  Phosphoric acid bonds to minerals you ingest - zinc, magnesium and most importantly calcium.  Since these minerals are bonded to the phosphoric acid, your body cannot absorb them.  Instead, they are simply expelled.  (You "pee" them out.)  So much for those vitamins you're taking, huh?  (Studies show that this is why 20 and 30 year olds are developing osteoporosis nowadays.)

2.  Also, carbonated beverages have been shown to increase appetite.  (Post-ops drinking carbonated beverages are more than twice as likely to gain their weight back.  I don't know where my surgeon/NUT get that statistic, but I believe it.) 

3.  Carbonated beverages are stomach irritants, even if it is not to the point that you can "tell".  The body fights stomach irritants by using one of the best natural antacids it has - calcium.  Where does it get it?  Your blood.  Your blood then realizes that its calcium level is too low, so it pulls calcium from the biggest source around - your bones.  Ergo, your bones get weaker and more brittle.

4.  Carbonated beverages have been linked to certain types of cancers.  (There is a strong correlation between ingesting carbonated beverages and esophageal cancer.)

5. It can be hard at times for post-ops to get in all the fluids recommended without adding "useless, good-for-nothing filler" in there as well.  

Part of the WLS journey is making better choices.  None of us make choices that are 100% good for us 100% of the time, but you should at least shoot for making good choices that are at least 1% good for us 100% of the time.  Diet coke does NOTHING good for you.

Just FYI, there is a LOT of reasons not to soft drinks, many of which have NOTHING to do with WLS.  Google research it. 

PS  According to a recent article in Prevention Magazine (if memory serves), drinking water actually increases metabolic rate within 20 minutes of consumption.  No other beverages, especially carbonated beverages, were shown to do that.  So every instance where you drink anything OTHER than water is a wasted chance to increase your metabolic rate and burn calories a little faster. 

Just FYI. 

I think it's different for everyone, depending on whether or not you can tolerate the carbonation. My surgeon told me that diet pop in moderation is fine and anything is better than regular pop!! When I drink it, I make sure that it is diet and also caffeine free.