Alex Brecher

@@tenseintexas, sugar-free sports drinks like Powerade Zero aren’t as sweet as Crystal Light and other juice drinks. What you can also do to make your drinks less sweet is use powder or drops, instead of buying ready-made drinks, and dilute them more than the directions say. That is, use more Water or less powder or fewer drops, and your drink will not be as sweet. If you want a completely different option, you can always try for broth. If you are worried about sodium, go for low-sodium or low-salt versions.

That’s a great question! There are a lot of differences and similarities between losing weight with the gastric sleeve and old fashioned dieting. The sleeve definitely makes your stomach smaller, so not as much food fits in. You will get full sooner than without a sleeve. That can help you lose weight as long as you choose low-calorie dense foods. If you choose high-calorie dense foods, you can still “eat around the sleeve.” For some patients, the sleeve can force you to make certain food choices, since you might find that you cannot tolerate certain foods post-op. For some patients, the sleeve leads to less hunger and less interest in food. That can be a hormonal thing, like lower levels of a hunger hormone called ghrelin. But some patients are still hungry after surgery, so you should go into surgery expecting that you will still need to have a lot of discipline with your diet. Even so, there are some things the sleeve can’t do for you, and that you will need to do for yourself just as you would before getting the sleeve. For example, you will need to avoid those high-calorie foods that just slip through the sleeve and don’t fill you up. That is, you will need to choose lean Proteins and vegetables over sugary and fatty and starchy foods. Also as with old school dieting, you will probably need to measure portions, count Protein and calories, and make sure you are getting enough Water. So, as cliché as it sounds, the sleeve really does act as a “tool,” that you have to control. Good luck!

@greeneyedgrrl26, First of all, congratulations on your surgery and your 27 pounds lost! I know it’s easy to get discouraged when there are weeks that you don’t lose weight, but try to put it in perspective. For example, you have been losing weight at an average of more than 4 lbs per week! It might also help to compare your current rate of weight loss to your expectations before surgery. An awesome amount of weight to lose in the first year might be 80 to 100 lbs. You’re on pace for over 200 lbs in a year! Keeping that in mind, ask yourself again if you should really be discouraged because you are not losing weight at a steady rate every day or week, but rather in fits and starts. If you are truly eating as your surgeon or nutritionist recommended, the weight will continue to come off. And yes, I say “continue” because the plateaus can just be a sign of your body catching up after those periods of major weight loss. You asked, “How many times will this happen?” Infinite. As long as you’re losing weight, there will be stalls. They’re not fun, but you can’t prevent them. You just have to work through them, whether it means being patient while sticking to the eating and exercise program that you know is right, or whether it means changing things up a bit to get through the stall. Good luck if you do get the endoscopy, and keep up the good work!

Social eating can be a challenge after WLS. You can be set with your diet and meal plan and everything can be going right, and then – bam! A box of doughnuts appears at work. Or you’re at the mall with a friend and your friend picks up a soft pretzel and a frozen raspberry lemonade. All of a sudden, you want something to munch on! How do you prepare for social eating situations? Are you able to completely resist? Or do you keep healthy Snacks on hand to pull out instead of caving into whatever else is being offered? It can help to keep nuts, Protein bars, and cheese sticks at work, or to pack a hard-boiled egg, some beef Jerky, or another protein snack when you’re going out with friends. What do you do?

These are some great answers! @@dede_mont and @@Dub I completely agree with missing being able to drink fluids while eating a meal! It is so…natural…to do so, and it is something I just took for granted before WLS. I know exactly what you mean, @@aug33k, about being frustrated walking through a grocery store and seeing all those off-limits products. That used to drive me crazy, too. Now I try to think about it differently, and it has helped. Instead of focusing on the products I used to enjoy but can’t have anymore, I try to focus on finding new healthy options. Since there are about 50,000 different products in an average supermarket, I am pretty sure there must be plenty of healthy, interesting, and delicious foods to try – I just have to look for and find them!

Thanks for the ideas! These are some good tips for convenient and easy healthy Snacks that you can use in a pinch instead of going for something sugary, fatty, or high-calories. Dried Beans and soybeans are another nutritious, easy Protein snack to think about. I think @Dub’s post brings up a couple of great points. One is that different surgeons and nutritionists have different protocols – some suggest snacking, while others don’t. Another point is that some of us do better with snacks, and others don’t. It’s almost like with indulgences – some of us are best off staying away entirely, while others of us do best by having a bite or two to satisfy a craving. With snacks, some of us can be satisfied with a portion-controlled snack, while for others, a snack is a trigger to think about food and to eat more.

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! Time sure flies, and it’s hard to believe it’s “Back to School” season already! I hope you have been meeting your summer goals – but not to worry if you haven’t. We have plenty of ideas for closing out the summer on a strong note. Here’s the run-down of this newsletter. Back to School Time: Packing a WLS Lunch Member Spotlight in the Newsletter: Meet catwoman7! Back to the Grind after Summer Vacation Enjoy the newsletter, then do something good for yourself – whether it’s stocking up on local produce, scheduling that first surgeon consult, or taking an after dinner walk. Then login to the BariatricPal forums and join the conversations! Can’t wait to see you there. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Back to School Time: Packing a WLS Lunch Sending your kids back to school probably means getting back in the habit of packing a lunch. Their lunches are probably pretty regular: maybe you send them off with a sandwich, a piece of fruit, and a few snacks to get them through the day. Whether you have children or not, there’s a parallel to a children’s sack lunch after getting weight loss surgery. You probably take a more active role in your own meals, and that can include packing your lunch way more often than depending on a restaurant or vending machine to supply it for you. If you don’t know the first thing about putting together a healthy lunch or you’re having trouble coming up with easy, portable lunch ideas, here’s a little bit of help. Protein Is the Centerpiece Gourmet meal or sack lunch, protein is the essential component of any meal after weight loss surgery. Pair it with veggies, fruit, or a little starch for a nutrient-packed meal. You have all kinds of options for a brown bag lunch. Here are few ideas. Fat-free tuna salad on whole-grain crackers or cucumber slices. All-natural turkey breast and low-fat cheese slices rolled in lettuce leaves. Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with berries or sliced melon or peaches. Greek salad with low-fat feta, grilled chicken breast, romaine lettuce, olives, and tomatoes. Don’t Forget the Snacks You may not be eating much food right at lunchtime, but you may need some additional snacks to keep you going through the morning and afternoon. Think protein, fiber, and portion-controlled as you pack your lunch. What about…? String cheese/cheese sticks. Almonds or other nuts. Cherry tomatoes and carrot sticks. Grapes and tangerines (clementines). All-natural jerky: beef, turkey, fish, or soy. Protein bars or shakes (and if you’re looking for some great-tasting ones, check out the selection at The BariatricPal Store. Use coupon code BPNLAUG2016 to get 10% off of your first purchase!). Invest in Some Containers A brown bag works okay, but you might want to bump it up a notch. A reusable lunch bag isn’t just better for the environment. It can also keep your food insulated. Add a few small containers with tight-fitting lids to your collection, and you’ll be ready to take leftovers, salads with a separate container of salad dressing, and dips such as peanut butter or hummus. Insure Nutrition We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Unjury and Opurity BariatricPal is proud and excited to announce two new sponsors for our newsletters. The new sponsors are Unjury, a supplier of wonderful tasting, highest quality protein supplements, and Opurity (from the makers of UNJURY), highest purity vitamin supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Their support lets us keep BariatricPal newsletters coming to you each month. Unjury was founded by a master’s degree dietitian who has been helping patients since 1974. It is committed your health. You know the importance of getting enough protein after weight loss surgery, but you also know that meeting your protein goals can be challenging. Unjury makes your task not just easier but actually enjoyable. Product flavors include Chocolate Splendor, Chocolate Classic, Vanilla, Strawberry Sorbet, Chicken Soup Flavor, and Unflavored. These ready-to-use protein powders come in single-serve and multi-serve containers, and contain high-quality whey protein to keep you full and nourished. Launched in 2007, Opurity is dedicated to using the purest ingredients in its supplements. Opurity Bariatric Multivitamins have two unique big advantages: First, each multivitamin requires only one tablet per day*. Second, Opurity is so dedicated to quality that it is unique in using no ingredients from China. Choose from chewable orange-berry multivitamins for gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients or for lap-band patients.Opurity also sells chewable calcium, vitamin D and folic acid/vitamin B-12 chewables. All supplements come with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. They return policy is: “Yes you can return it.” Support from Unjury and Opurity helps us continue to bring you the services you enjoy on BariatricPal, so please support these two brands! When looking for your bariatric surgery supplements, first visit Unjury.com and Opurity.com. Purchasing from these companies helps support BariatricPal. Thanks to Unjury and Opurity for your generous sponsorship, and thanks to BariatricPal members who support our partnership! *You still need calcium and sublingual B-12. Member Spotlight in the Newsletter – Meet Catwoman7! We’re delighted to put this month’s spotlight on catwoman7. She’s a RNY gastric bypass patient who has lost well over half of her body weight. She started at 373 lbs. and is down over 200 lbs.! Catwoman7 had been thinking about surgery for 10 years. She had planned to wait until she turned 65 so Medicare would cover it, but realized she may not make it to 65 if she didn’t lose some weight! So, she changed her health insurance policy to a more expensive one which covered the surgery and got surgery done at age 55. Her surgeon recommended RNY or VSG. Since she already had gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), she opted for RNY gastric bypass. It turned out to be a good choice – besides the remarkable weight loss, she hasn’t had an episode of reflux since surgery! Catwoman7 says life has changed a lot since surgery. She no longer sticks out in a crowd. People don’t stare at her anymore, and men who are looking at her aren’t just looking at her weight! She doesn’t have to worry about fitting into things anymore: she won’t get kicked off planes, she doesn’t need an extension belt, booths aren’t an issue anymore, she can wear regular-sized clothes, and she can use a standard scale. Life is a lot more comfortable all around. Exercise is easier, she sweats less, and she can do every pose in yoga class. She can cross her legs, paint her toenails, and tie her shoes. Her arthritic joints ache less. She doesn’t have to fear meeting new people or getting her photo taken anymore. There were some challenges along the way. The food restrictions were tough. Also, catwoman7 didn’t feel completely “normal” in the initial post-op stages, although that passed and now she feels great! Now, her biggest challenge is hunger, which returned around 6 months post-op. She is aware of it, and is careful not to snack more than she should or to let bad habits creep in and cause regain! Catwoman7 started out using BariatricPal for information and advice. She continues to visit it every day to keep her focus. She says it’s like a support group. Her advice to others is to stick to the plan. Remember, “you have given yourself an incredible gift – don’t blow it!” The weight will come off with patience. Thanks, catwoman7, for being in our member spotlight and sharing your story and advice. If YOU can think of someone you’d like to see in the spotlight, let Alex Brecher know. Send a PM with the subject line “Member Spotlight.” You can select yourself, too! We want to hear your story! Back to the Grind after Summer Vacation The summer can feel a little different than the rest of the year. Even if you don’t have a long vacation or get the chance to leave town for a while, the summer months can feel a little slower and more relaxed than other times of the year. When you also consider the heat that can zap energy and weaken willpower, it may not be much of a surprise if the scale isn’t showing quite what you’d like. It’s not yet panic time, though! Getting back on track can be as simple as taking small steps. Here are just a few ways to get back to the basics – the same tried and true basics that successful weight loss surgery patients everywhere depend on. Hit your numbers. Get your 65 or more grams of protein per day to fight hunger and stay nourished, and stick to your recommended calorie limit – often 1,200 per day in the post-op period and 1,400 or more per day while losing weight or maintaining. Hydrate. Boost metabolism, fight hunger, and increase energy by drinking plenty of water all day (except at meals, of course!). Keep a full water bottle at your side to remind you to sip, sip, sip. Get moving. If the heat is still too much for you to safely and comfortably exercise outdoors, consider your indoor options. Larger gyms and smaller workout studios can be cool, comfortable places to get in some cardio and weights, and explore options for fun group fitness classes. Watch your portions. Portions can creep up if you let your guard down, and just a little bit of awareness about portion sizes can get the pounds to start coming off again. That’s about it for this newsletter – I hope it was useful to you. Thanks for all of your support for BariatricPal, and see you on the boards! · Unsubscribe from all BariatricPal E-Mail.

Any way you can start carrying the Protein2O ready to drink? Tons of people can't find in their local stores. Their toll free number is 855-290-7820 I was just at their offices - turns out they are near me- and what a wonderful company!!! Very committed to producing a good- tasting, pure, low cal drink. May be worth a phone call? I think the people here would benefit from the addition of a Protein drink that is lighter than a shake and who have a hard time locating it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App We don't really carry these because it costs way too much to ship actual liquid and our customers aren't interested in paying high shipping fees.

Enough is enough! This topic has been locked. I'd like to remind all members to please read our posted forum rules that you agreed to upon signup. Forum Rules and Guidelines Welcome to BariatricPal! A warm welcome from the entire BariatricPal team! Forum registration is free. Our community includes members from all kinds of different backgrounds and regions of the world, but we all share the goal of leading healthier lives. To keep BariatricPal a friendly and helpful place for the entire community, we have developed the following rules and policies. We ask all member to follow these guidelines, and members who do not follow them may have their posts removed or accounts suspended or terminated. Your use of BariatricPal is your agreement that you accept all forum policies. Forum Moderation and Community Standards Full-time BariatricPal administrators moderate the forums. All posts must follow the posting guidelines outlined below. To maintain BariatricPal’s high standards, we reserve the right to remove, modify or move any post or thread at our discretion and without explanation. Please contact us if you do not understand any of the rules, guidelines or policies outlined below. BariatricPal administrators and moderators attempt to prevent or remove all objectionable messages. To help us, please use the “Report Post” link to let us know when you see a post that violates the forum guidelines. A moderator will look into the matter. BariatricPal.com reserves the right to accept or dismiss user complaints at its sole discretion. Disrespectful and Hurtful Posts are Forbidden All posts must fit within BariatricPal’s guidelines for acceptable posts. Posts must be consistent with BariatricPal’s core beliefs. Weight loss surgery can be an effective tool to fight obesity. Our common goal is to fight obesity through a unified voice. No weight loss surgery is inherently better or worse than any other. Each has advantages, and each has disadvantages. Some individuals are good candidates for one kind of surgery, and other individuals are better candidates for another kind of surgery. No individual is more or less deserving of weight loss and health because of a decision to get or not get weight loss surgery, or because of which type of weight loss surgery he or she chooses. BariatricPal serves as a place where anyone can ask questions about weight loss surgery without fear of ridicule. BariatricPal serves as a forum for open discussion and polite disagreement so that everyone can benefit. Weight loss surgery “bashing” is absolutely prohibited. This include, but is not limited to, statements that a specific type of weight loss surgery is: Bad or wrong Easier than another type of weight loss surgery or “cheating” when someone is trying to lose weight Out of date or obsolete Doomed to failure In addition, “bashing” of individuals is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, statements that a person is: Lazy for choosing one type of weight loss surgery over another Unprepared for or undeserving of weight loss surgery because of Deserving of complications or disappointing weight loss because of their choice of weight loss surgery Violations of these rules and consequences will be determined at the sole discretion of BariatricPal and based on individual situations. They may include, but are not limited to, the following: Editing or removal of the offensive post(s) Warning from BariatricPal staff or Forum Hosts to avoid such posts in the future Temporary suspension of membership Permanent removal of the member’s account These guidelines do NOT forbid disagreement and candid discussions on BariatricPal. Members may discuss and defend their points of view in respectful manners. Please feel free to contact BariatricPal with any questions about these guidelines. Remember that written communication is different from face-to-face communication. When you post a message on the discussion forum, send someone a text message, email, or private message, or meet in a chat room, a lot of the message is lost. When you are face-to-face with someone, you can use tone of voice, gestures, and expressions to help get your point across. These aids are lost when you communicate online. Your message can accidentally come across as harsh or rude. A good way to reduce accidental misunderstandings is to read your own message before posting it to see if there is any way that a reader could mistake its meaning in a negative way. Additional BariatricPal Posting Guidelines Be polite. Rudeness is not tolerated and can lead to post removal or account suspension. All members have the right to express their opinions and are encouraged to do so while maintaining a courteous tone. Posts that are forbidden include, but are not limited to, the following: Rude posts Obscenity, pornography and profanity. The following are examples of unacceptable content in photos: nudity underwear, thongs, g-strings, or banana hammocks excessive cleavage close-up shots of cleavage, butt, breasts or crotch in any state of dress hateful or violent imagery images containing profanity. Posts that are disrespectful or include personal attacks. If another user attacks you, do not reciprocate. Instead, use the Report Post link and an administrator will handle the problem Any abuse towards our staff and/or management in any form Posts that contain derogatory references to sex, gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, or endorsement of violence against any person or group, even if couched in humor. Use common sense. Don’t break the law Don’t use others’ experiences as medical advice. 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If I'm in NY on Sep 27th, I am going to attempt to stop by and say hello to everyone that attends. Thank you for organizing such a great event!

Here's a 15% coupon code for members that have never ordered before from the BariatricPal Store: ILUVBP2016

It's hosted by a good friend, Reeger Cortell. She's AWESOME!

There’s a good chance your eating patterns have changed dramatically since WLS. Is that reflected in your food budget? On the one hand, a lot of your new habits are probably less expensive than before WLS. For example, you’re probably eating way less food. You may be eating out less, and cooking for yourself more. On the other hand, some of your habits may be more expensive. People think of eating healthy as expensive. A lot of fruits and vegetables are pricy, especially when you get them out of season. The costs of low-fat and low-carb versions and special diet foods like Protein powders can add up. And instead of getting a huge meal for almost nothing at a fast food restaurant, you may opt for a smaller but healthier order from a more expensive restaurant. So, overall, would you say you spend more or less on food than you did before surgery? Or have you not even noticed the difference?

We just started carrying GENEPRO in the BariatricPal Store. It's the 2nd generation version which is supposedly more efficient than the first.

We just started carrying GenePro in the BariatricPal Store. It's the 2nd generation version which is supposedly more efficient than the first.

@@northstar9148, It can be so frustrating to work so hard and not see the scale move! There can be a few things to think about. As others have asked, were the weighing conditions the same: same time of day, same day of the week, same scale, same clothes? Have you been counting calories, or just carbs? It can be easy to go overboard on the calories when you only focus on carbs, and you won’t lose weight if you’re eating too many calories. Foods like Protein shakes, cheese, and whipped cream can be high in calories, even if they don’t pack in the carbs. It’s also easy to eat really big portions. How long has it been since you’ve been on this diet? Sometimes it takes a while to see results. Good luck!

@@skinnyjeansatlast, Congratulations on your surgery! I didn’t get the sleeve, but I think you have gotten some great answers here. Everyone has a different experience. It could be very painful after surgery, or it could be smooth sailing. A lot of it is out of your hands, but there are some things you can do to help yourself, even at this point. Probably the biggest thing is to hit your Fluid recommendations. It’s hard, I know, but that’s the one thing that can help you heal faster and get over pain and nausea faster. You can also try using walking as a pain management technique. You are probably in the hardest phase now, so stay positive and think about the benefits!

@@BeautifulSharifah, It’s tough to lose that weight. That’s why you’re looking into weight loss surgery! But there’s hope! Have you asked your surgeon for a meal plan that can help you? Working at Chick-Fil-A is not the best, but it could be worse. Instead of thinking about what you can’t have, what about focusing on what you can? Chick-Fil-A has a bunch of junk – fried chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, waffle fries, Breakfast sandwiches on biscuits, and milkshakes, but they have plenty of good things, too. You can have grilled nuggets for 140 calories and 23g Protein, a side salad with light dressing for 105 calories, a Greek yogurt parfait for 230 calories, a fruit cup for 50 calories, and more. It should be possible to grab a healthy breakfast and lunch. Aside from Chick-Fil-A, you can focus on cutting back on unhealthy foods like sugary drinks, Desserts, and fried foods. You can also think about what you can have rather than what you shouldn’t. Think vegetables and lean protein, with some fruit and healthy fats, and you should be able to lose some weight. Finally, stay positive! You have a lot of reason to stick to your healthy eating plan, since the reward is weight loss surgery! Also, remember that you have plenty of time. It will probably feel like the weight is coming off so slowly, but that’s okay. You have tons of time, and can hit your goal by losing a pound a week. Good luck!

@@LisaAdams50, Congrats on your surgery and success so far! You must be doing things right if you haven’t had any pain or nausea since surgery! If you choose to drink, just remember that it’s different than before surgery. You’re way more sensitive to alcohol. It will affect you faster and after drinking less than it did before. Also, remember that you’re on a “strict diet,” but that drinking alcohol lowers your inhibition…so it’s harder to say no to unhealthy foods. Do your best to plan ahead and stay aware of what you’re eating. Good luck, and enjoy the event.

@, In answer to your first question, nope, I never had second thoughts! I knew I needed to do something if I didn’t want to struggle with food and weight for the rest of my life. But I got the lap-band, which is different than the sleeve. If you already know the answer to the questions you asked, then you already know the answer – weight loss surgery is for you! And it is totally normal to be nervous. Why wouldn’t you be? It’s a permanent change to your body, it’s a permanent change to your lifestyle, it involves surgery and risk. But if you’ve already weighed out the pros and cons and you know the answer – then you know! But if you’re still unsure, then keep thinking. Until you get into that operating room, it’s never too late to back out, or to sign up again for surgery. Take all the time you need to go over each of your doubts – how risky is it, can you really follow the rules, is there anything else you can and should do to lose the weight without surgery? Your feelings are totally normal. And if you’ve already decided for sure to get surgery, just focus on what you can do to make it go as well as possible – for example, starting a walking program now, and reading up on all the post-op diet rules. Good luck!

@@OKCPirate, I tend to agree that there’s probably not much you should do. Your daughter is still quite young. She may still believe (and possibly be right) that she can do it herself without surgery. Or maybe it hasn’t yet occurred to her, but it will once she gets too bothered about her weight. The only reason I can really think of why you might bring it up would be if you think that for some reason she doesn’t feel comfortable bringing up the subject with you. For example, if you two don’t have much of an open communication relationship. Or maybe if you think she may think that you will not believe in her ability to succeed, she might be scared to approach the topic. Even then, I would think twice about talking to her about it. Good luck! I know it is hard for you to watch, given how much you love her and how much you appreciate your own surgery.

@@LipstickLady, Thanks for the post - and congratulations on recognizing and appreciating your own health and beauty. The truth is that most of us aren’t going to transform our appearances into those of movie stars, even if we get weight loss surgery, hit goal weight, and get fit. It’s just not going to happen! And you’re right that at this point, it’s not worth worrying about people who judge us by our stretch marks. The benefits you mentioned, like fitting into clothes and participating in athletic events, are way more fun and rewarding!

@Elizabeth Anderson RD, Thanks for being the voice of reason on this issue! It kills me when WLS patients avoid all fruit, no holds barred, because they look only at its sugar content. I realize that some gastric bypass patients especially might get dumping syndrome with too much of certain kinds of fruit, but most WLS patients can safely eat fruit and benefit from it. Fruit is like any other food. It needs to be eaten in moderation, and as part of a healthy meal plan. For those who are more prone to blood sugar spikes, it’s probably better eaten with some Protein. And it’s never healthy to eat unlimited amounts of anything! Fruit has so many health benefits that there’s no way it’s “like eating candy!” It’s packed with Fiber and other nutrients, including, as you mentioned, various antioxidants. Research links it to lower risk for heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers, not to mention…lower body weight! That’s not quite the case with candy! Thanks for the article!

The standard list of cold summer treats may be a distant memory if you’re being a little – okay, a lot! – more cautious about your diet. Your weight loss surgery diet isn’t likely to include those cold treats like ice cream, root beer floats, ice cold soft drinks, and iced lattes. They’re way too sugary and high-calorie to have regularly. Still, there are plenty of other cold treats that hit the spot, too. What do you do to stay refreshed, on track, and satisfied on hot days? I love frozen watermelon slush and sugar-free ice pops. Frozen bananas are a little higher in calories and carbs, but they’re way healthier than ice cream and still super healthy. What your summer secrets?

That definitely wasn't my intention!!!