I don't know about any studies done on the subject, but I do know that I felt alot better after not drinking soda or caffine. I am going to trust the advice of Dr. and dietician. Also, not that it means anything, but others that I know who drink these items seem to be the same ones that also don't seem to be following the food plan.

I'm about 5 months out and I dont drink soda. Every now and then I though about it, I once even entertained the thought and had a sip from my sister's cup and I didn't care for the flavor and I had a major burp to expel the gas. I may give it a try again sometime down the road but like others said only as a rare treat - if anything I miss club soda/ soda water with a squeeze of lemon, not coke.

I am 10 months out from surgery and haven't had a pop / soda for 12 months now. (Except two accidentally sips - coke and Splenda tea look a lot alike in a dark cup! Almost spit my nephew's coke all over the place. LOL!)

I have been told that pop / soda will cause pain and irritation for most. I can say I don't miss it at all, so that is easy for me. The problem I have is they are telling me that I should cut back on Splenda tea and that just doesn't sound possible!!!! I would say that is my vice and I am backing off on it. Out of the two, it is the lesser of the evils, but I need to get back to water. Ugh...I have a sinus infection now, so water isn't tasting good, but this too shall pass! Overall, I can say I am doing much better cutting back.

Good luck!

MY SURGEON SAYS NEVER DRINK SOFT DRINKS.
1. Phosphates in carbonated beverages inhibit the absoption of calcium and can cause osteoporosis. Calcium helps to stimulate fat breakdown.
2. Carbonation forces food through he stomach pouch, reducing the time food remains in the pouch. The less time food remains in your stomach pouch, the less satiety (feelings of fullness) you experience, enabling you to eat more with increased risk for weight gain.
3. Food forced through the pouch by the carbonation could also significantly enlarge the size of your stoma (the opening between the stomach pouch and intestines). An enlarged pouch or stoma would allow you to eat larger amounts of food at any one sitting. In this way, consuming carbonated beverages, even if the drinks are diet or calorie free, may cause weight gain or interfere with maximal weight loss success.
4. In addition to the adverse effects that carbonated drinks have on weight loss or weight loss maintenance, carbonated beverages may also have adverse effects on health. Soda beverages and other carbonated drinks are acidic with a pH of 3.0 or less. Drinking these acidic beverages on an empty stomach in the absence of food, as Bariatric patients are required to do, can upset the fragile acid-alkaline balance of the gastric pouch and intestines and increase the risk for ulcers or even the risk for gastrointestinal cancer.
5. Not to mention, soft drink usage has also been found to be associated with various other health problems. These include an increased risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney stones, bone fractures and reduced bone density, allergies, cancer, acid-peptic disease, dental carries, gingivitis, and more.

I've also seen a lot of people who were HUGE soda drinkers pre-op end up discovering soda post-op, even diet soda, led them down the path to a lot of bad old habits. Diet soda, led to regular soda, led to drinking with meals, led to eating lots of slider foods, led to major regain. It's a risk, only you know whether it's worth it to you.

I think the above is a key, key point. There are always going to be things you want, things you miss, etc etc... Slippery slope. When I am tempted by "testing" various things, I try to really think about why I did this surgery, and how it's not over after I lose the weight. I don't "get to go back to my old life, but skinnier". As said above, only you know whether it's worth it to you.

I don't know what the actual truth is about carbonation stretching your pouch, but I do not drink it. My dietician said it would stretch your stomach and to avoid it for life. I haven't had any soda in 4 months and rarely ever do I even crave it.

Truthfully, I have no clue on this. BUT SERIOUSLY why in the world would anyone want to drink it anyway when you're trying to lose weight and or maintain!!!! This is a lifestyle change and we need to do it for LIFE!!! STAY AWAY FROM THE SODA'S they're not good for you anyway!!!!

Truthfully, I have no clue on this. BUT SERIOUSLY why in the world would anyone want to drink it anyway when you're trying to lose weight and or maintain!!!! This is a lifestyle change and we need to do it for LIFE!!! STAY AWAY FROM THE SODA'S they're not good for you anyway!!!!

I see where you're coming from .... There are certain things that I know I need to avoid completely because they are trigger foods. (pretty much all pastries, pies and snack cakes) or foods that are slider foods But for me soda isn't a problem. I used to drink it daily, and then I woke up one day and said "hey, all this diet soda, isn't good for me, I'm going to have water instead... Now, it's merely a nice treat that I happen to enjoy on occasion especially in a social setting where there is a lot of snack food around... it give ME something that I can sip on and not feel deprived because I'm not indulging in cakes and chips. It's no different to me than any other diet beverage. I actually drink mostly water and when I sweeten something I use stevia... I rarely consume ANY commercially available diet drinks because I don't want to overindulge in artificial sweetener, I won't even buy the really delicious looking protein drinks if they have artificial sweeteners... because It's not something I want in my body on a daily basis... but yeah, I like an occasional indulgence so I get a 20 ounce coke zero and enjoy it over the course of two days .. though sometimes I don't even drink the second half. . I feel like I definitely can have a healthy lifestyle that includes a few diet sodas in a month and honestly sometimes I don't drink any at all.. Now if my doctor was to explain to me some reason why soda is bad for my sleeve then I wouldn't drink them.

I look at it this way, too. I see (diet) soda as a special once in a while treat, which is what it was intended to be in the first place. Soda really should not be anyone's daily staple, regardless of whether it's diet or not, and regardless of whether someone has a weight problem or not. For me, everything in moderation is okay. I was never able to moderate anything before my sleeve, but that is the true blessing that my sleeve has given me -- I can be moderate now and enjoy a little of something once in a while.

MY SURGEON SAYS NEVER DRINK SOFT DRINKS.
1. Phosphates in carbonated beverages inhibit the absoption of calcium and can cause osteoporosis. Calcium helps to stimulate fat breakdown.
2. Carbonation forces food through he stomach pouch, reducing the time food remains in the pouch. The less time food remains in your stomach pouch, the less satiety (feelings of fullness) you experience, enabling you to eat more with increased risk for weight gain.
3. Food forced through the pouch by the carbonation could also significantly enlarge the size of your stoma (the opening between the stomach pouch and intestines). An enlarged pouch or stoma would allow you to eat larger amounts of food at any one sitting. In this way, consuming carbonated beverages, even if the drinks are diet or calorie free, may cause weight gain or interfere with maximal weight loss success.
4. In addition to the adverse effects that carbonated drinks have on weight loss or weight loss maintenance, carbonated beverages may also have adverse effects on health. Soda beverages and other carbonated drinks are acidic with a pH of 3.0 or less. Drinking these acidic beverages on an empty stomach in the absence of food, as Bariatric patients are required to do, can upset the fragile acid-alkaline balance of the gastric pouch and intestines and increase the risk for ulcers or even the risk for gastrointestinal cancer.
5. Not to mention, soft drink usage has also been found to be associated with various other health problems. These include an increased risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney stones, bone fractures and reduced bone density, allergies, cancer, acid-peptic disease, dental carries, gingivitis, and more.