diet and sodas connection for those who question....

 One article that responds to the questions from bariatric bypass patients: "When or can we resume consuming cokes and carbonated beverages"

Read more: Soda: Gateway to Unhealthy Eating 
Important: At Risk For A Heart Attack? Find Out Now.

While I would agree that there is nothing "healthy" about diet soda, I disagree with the very general claim that diet soda makes people eat more sweets.  I have not found one single peer-reviewed medical study that shows this to be the case.  (If you can find one, I will gladly retract my statement.) 

MANY of us find that diet soda actually KEEPS us from eating sweets or from snacking.  For others, it MAY lead them to overeating or making bad food choices, but the generalization in incorrect.

Lora

Edited to add that one must also consider this doctor's focus and how it colors his opinion on things. Just on the main page of the link you posted, it shows that he is an advocate of natural "cures"/treatments for depression and colds or influenza, and emphasizes "natural" foods.  I would expect him to be completely anti-soda of any kind.

I am not agreeing or disagreeing but passing it along for individuals to consider.  It isn't my study, however, I'm aware that it is easy to be in denial.  Once "we" get beyond the honeymoon stage it is easy to forget that we had a problem with food choices.  Cokes, being a choice that has no benefit what so ever, need to be eliminated from a persons daily routine.  I was addicted to them for the burst of energy I received but have found that I can live without them.  

If someone has a serious question about the results of drinking regular or diet soda, they should read all opinions and be open to change.  

I understand that you are just passing along information, but some people will just see that it has some doctor's name on it, and see that their surgeon said no soda ever again because it will stretch your pouch (NOT true)  and see that THIS doctor says it will make you eat more sweets (NOT true for EVERYONE), and will not know any better.

You believe that sodas "need to be eliminated from a persons daily routine".  It is, of course, fine for you to make that choice, but it is just a personal choice.  Many of us who are well beyond the honeymoon period do just fine drinking soda without any effect on our food choices or our weight.  I am not advocating drinking soda.  I AM, however, advocating giving people solid medical information, and then (and only then) they can make truly informed decisions about their health and their diet.

When people post information here (on ANY topic) with no scientific evidence to back it up, I feel obligated to challenge it.   Sometimes it has been flat out wrong.  I spent quite a bit of time researching the "carbonation/diet soda" issue and was able to find nothing but studies on rats and observational studies where no other factors were considered for the cause of weight gain except the diet soda consumption (including the two most obvious ones: that people who drink diet soda do so because they are already gaining weight, or because the people who drink soda make poorer food choices overall than those who don't).  An uncontrolled study is completely worthless for determining causation, so the observational studies are meaningless.

I am over 5 years out and am at my lowest weight "despite" drinking diet soda more days than not, and others have already chimed in on this post and the other one, to indicate that they have had the same experience that I have had.  Based on that, I would disagree with your statement that sodas need to be eliminated.  

Soda is full of chemicals and offers no physical benefit other than hydration and taste.  The same can be said of coffee, however.  

Lora

Lora,

I have to agree with you on all points.  I just saw my Dr. yesterday and asked about the soda thing.  I've read where so many patients are told not to drink carbonated beverages because it will "stretch" your pouch.  I can't find any evidence of this.  I've also never found a study that shows drinking soda makes people eat more sweets.  My Dr. doesn't recommend drinking carbonated things just because it may make you very uncomfortable.  That's the ONLY reason. 

Lorie

I have 2 "Vices". Diet soda and my "crack of choice"...Chocolate Brownie Quest Bars (Original Line).

I am in control of what I ingest, and do not believe that doing one thing leads to another necessarily. We are a people of many excuses that do not want take responsibility for our actions. I do not believe in legislating what I can eat or scare tactics (I am not accusing you of either and understand you are just being informative ). 

I know diet soda is not a nutritionally sound choice and I still continue to have it because I like it. I have never had a problem with consuming large quantities of it. I generally have 1 or 2 cans a day and I do not need to drink it. I did not have my first diet soda post-op until I was 20 months out from RNY. 

Now, on the other hand, I do admit to being a Quest Bar Chocolate Brownie addict and must have at least one bar a day!!!...LOL 

Your mileage may vary, but I've been drinking Diet Coke and Diet Mountain Dew just about every day for nearly the past year and it doesn't seem to affect my weight or sweet cravings any.  I don't like coffee, so it's my caffeine gateway.

And yes, it's full of chemicals, etc... but so are the protein bars/drinks I shovel down daily.

Audrey

"but so are the protein bars/drinks I shovel down daily."

^  This.

And so many people don't make THAT connection.

And yes, it's full of chemicals, etc... but so are the protein bars/drinks I shovel down daily.

It's why I never understand why people think that protein shakes and bars are better for them than real food sources!!!!    It's very important that we educate ourselves before we make decisions regarding our diet and health and certainly before we recommend it to others!!!!!   I rarely make important decisions without KNOWING why I am making them and at least making sure I feel ok about them - even if they are not the best decisions!

Carbonation makes me happy. As with all things, moderation is key. :)