I told my nutritionist that I was willing to use artificial sweeteners for recovery, but not beyond. (I am persuaded that my Diet Pepsi addiction helped get me to where I am, and after weaning myself off of it, I find the aftertaste repellent.) She was not interested in discussing sweeteners or my preference for a whole foods approach to weight loss, which makes me wonder how current her training is.
However, the bariatric nurse assured me I would be back on whole foods quickly, and it was truly the best thing to do for my health. So I won't be stuck in sugar free, fat free, fake food land forever.
While not everyone is sensitive to the biota-changing effects of fake sweeteners, I will discourage my kids from using them, even though their father, who shared my 20-year diet Pepsi habit, is thin and still fits into his high school jeans. Getting them to take Probiotics is a tougher nut to crack! They'll eat fermented sauerkraut and pickles, though -- and occasionally kombucha and yogurt. They are not fans of kimchi and miso.