These things aren't all true.  I'm not saying soda is healthy, but...

Diet soda doesn't have any sugar.  Something with zero calories can't cause weight gain.

I don't believe soda causes dehydration.  If they mean the caffeine causes dehydration, several recent studies have found that to be untrue.

Plus, there are caffeine free sodas.

Many sugar free drinks contain aspartame.  Why aren't they warning people against drinking Crystal Light?

What Kelly said.

It has recently been proven that soda does NOT cause dehydration, and caffeine doesn't either.

Oh, and what Hala said about the Crystal Light.  I'll stack the chemicals in my Diet Coke up against those in Crystal Light any day.

And if your waist measurement is 50 times or 500 times or even only 5 times the  measurement of someone who doesn't drink soda, it is due to excess calorie consumption.  Diet soda has no calories, so therefore cannot cause weight gain.  It may be a trigger for you, personally, to eat more as Laura pointed out above.  But that is not the soda's fault.  Even if it causes cravings, it doesn't compel you to go out and fulfill those cravings.

Yea, i think the article was talking about regular soda as well, though it didn't specify >_

Regardless of whether something with zero calories will cause weight gain, artificial sweeteners seem to make me want more sweets and more food in general. I've observed this in myself often enough that I decided there won't be a place for artificially sweetened anything in my "new" life. I'm sure this varies from person to person, but I don't like how I feel when I'm drinking or eating anything with artificial sweeteners. I can't even do the sugar-free Jell-O at this time.

My other concern with diet sodas would be carbonation. I can't imagine anything that would feel worse right now than a sleeveful of bubbly anything, but then again I'm only two weeks out. Anyway, my surgeon's plan says no soda of any kind. 

When I get sick of water I brew some caffeine-free herbal tea and add it to my water. Figure I may as well train myself to appreciate subtler flavors now, while I have this new start.

For ME soda is something I will (attempt) to never drink again. I'm a year out as of yesterday and I have not even had a sip. Prior to surgery, literally right up to the first day of my pre-op liquid diet, I was a Diet Dr Pepper addict. I'm talking about 12 cans a day--or more. I feel like it is a gateway drug to overeating for me and I refuse to go down that path again. So while I think it's perfectly fine for some people to have soda post op, for someone like me who associates soda with certain food rituals and addiction it is a big ole no.

Basically, you have to determine if you can handle it based on your own experiences with soda.

I drink crystal light, plain water, and coffee along with protein shakes. I wish I could like tea because I think some green tea would be awesome and have some great health benefits, but alas it tastes like liquid nasty to me. Sigh.

Good luck!

I have my can of Diet Mt Dew every morning.  Crystal Light the rest of the day.  7+ years out and no weight gain.

If you believe that, then I have a nice oceanfront property to sell you in Arizona.

I gave up soda YEARS ago.... not only because of the artificial sweeteners, but because the carbonation is not good for your body either.  Many studies have shown that the chemicals and carbonation are especially bad for women and their bone density.

As for alternatives.... anything citric acid or chemical based (like crystal light) I stay away from.  I drink a lot of different hot and cold teas, hot and iced coffees, the occasional muscle milk, almond milk (low calorie), Hood Calorie Countdown Chocolate and 2% milk, etc.  If you can handle the acidity, you can drink the Propel Zero (gatorade type drinks), but again you get the chemicals.

The only sugar free sweetener that I can tolerate is splenda.  Therefore, I do use Splenda based sugar-free syrups such as Torani and some of Starbucks when I want to sweeten up my drinks.

Best wishes to you on your continued sucess!!

You have to watch the DIET anything.  The sweetner they use really isn't good for you.  IF I'm going to have a little soda, I choose the regular, my body knows what to do with that sugar.  The aspartame and other artificial sweetners will tend to give me migraine headaches.

I drink a lot of lemon/honey tea, which will hurt the enamel on my teeth, but it is a good way to get the water down.  Not a lot of lemon and not a lot of honey so it works for me.

I am 6 yrs. out and still drink more water than anything.  We like changes in our diets and just have to admit that the taste of water is one of those things we can't change and deal with it.  I don't think anyone on here will tell you that they never get tired of the taste of water, but we all still drink it.

Best wishes and good luck to you.