Diet Coke

I would stay away from it. I hear you on the craving- there was a time in my life I would drink at list 12 cans a day. I think of it as a gateway drug. Once you start that then other old habits slip in. There is also some research out there to support that it leads to weight gain. I believe that, as in my youth I was rail thin until I started drinking Pepsi Light. If for no other reason, it opened the door to over consumption type thinking. With all that said, I do occasionally have a diet soda. It is very rare though, and typically only in situations where I cannot get a better option. Most of the time though you can get a bottled water. 

The cravings will stop if you hang in there. 

I just read Grim's post. I don't feel like pulling up a ton of research, but here is an article from Time you can read. If you poke around online you can find "real" research on it. 

Ok, 1 more. I just pulled the top results from a google search so nothing fancy- but this one is from NIH.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Grim. I do think that some people can drink diet soda without issue. I just think there are those of us who cannot. You just need to know which type you are before you start downing diet soda.  

I used to be a diet coke fiend.  Like 2 liters a day every day for years and years.  I quit before the surgery.  Over the past 3 years I have had cravings.  I've actually had a sip here or there maybe like 2-3 times.  I'm really trying to hold strong and not go back.  I don't think diet coke itself would be a big problem BUT I think my behavoirs around diet coke were bad and I don't want that again.  I associate diet coke to large amounts of salty snacks -- bad.  

It's a bad habit so I'd stay away.

I drink it, though I didn't until about a year post-op. It gave me terrible gas for a while so I had to let it go almost completely flat, but now I can have it with no problem. I limit myself, I match it at least 1:1 with water, and I don't drink with meals.

I figure that I don't drink coffee, I don't touch alcohol, I wear my seat belt and bike helmet, and this is my one small vice, and that's something I (and my doctor) can live with.

I'd suggesting asking your doctor for his opinion on it, since surgeons' advice can vary quite a bit.

Good point. Thanks!

I don't drink Diet Coke that much but I do drink carbonated beverages. I don't have a problem with carbonated drinks but some people do have a problem with the fake sugar in those diet sodas. I usually drink Pellegrino carbonated water & add Torani sf syrups in them., sometimes I use crystal light also. 

I'm going to try that instead. thanks!

I see you are 18 months out. Are you at your goal? For me aspartame (used in Diet Coke and Equal) and Sucralose (Splenda) seemed to increase my cravings so I eliminated most of that in my diet (I use stevia as my go-to sweetener now). When I did that, maintenance was much easier for me. But we are all different. You can try reintroducing diet soda into your routine and see if it helps you by satisfying your cravings or increases your cravings for other things and then adjust.

I found this article and thought it was interesting:

https://authoritynutrition.com/why-is-diet-soda-bad-for-you/ 

Good luck. 

I am at my surgeons goal but 20 pounds away from my personal goal. For me Diet Coke never led to any other cravings food wise- Diet Coke was my craving but with that being said I would drink a 2 liter a day or 6 cans minimum a day. I'm afraid it will go back to that volume of consumption again if I have no problems after drinking some.