johnlatte

From about.com
Many Snapple Iced Tea varieties contain 42 mg of caffeine per bottle. Snapple flavors with 42 mg of caffeine include:
Cranberry Twist
Diet Lemon
Diet Peach
Diet Raspberry
Lemon
Mint
Peach
Raspberry
Very Cherry

Snapple's "Red Tea" line is made with rooibos and are naturally caffeine free. Snapple's Diet Green Teas contain 60 mg of caffeine per bottle, while their regular Green Teas contain 30 mg of caffeine per bottle and their White Teas contain less than one mg of caffeine per serving. (There are two exceptions to this -- Lime Green and Diet Lime Green both contain five mg of caffeine per serving, or ten mg of caffeine per bottle.) Snapple's Just Plain Unsweetened and Lemonade Iced Tea both contain 18 mg of caffeine per bottle.

unfortunately the surgery is on your stomach and not on your head. A lot of people still have cravings and have a hard time reconciling their relationship with food and eating. This is the hard part related to the surgery. It won't end the bad habits or the cravings. That is something that you have to work through on your own. The sleeve does make it easier to work through, and that's the biggest plus, but you still have to work through it. you may not feel hunger early on, or you may not have cravings, but as time goes by, the feelings return.. Maybe not as intense but you'll get them. it will be up to you how to handle that. Good luck!!

I have two 12 year old girls that I want to walk down the isle some day. They both run, and I want for us to run a 5k together. I used to run alot, but the weight has just gotten out of control. I'm tired of the yo yo. I bet I've lost 1,000 pounds, tried every diet, taken the shots, even did the ephedra cocktail. It really does work, lost 70lbs that way really fast. My Type II was getting out of control and probably was going to have to start the insulin shots. Like one of the other posters, I got kicked off the Harry Potter ride at Universal. Luckily enough, I had taken a single rider spot so that the family and some friends could go together. They never saw that I got kicked, but I was pretty embarrassed and pretented to have ridden it. At the end of the day, I just want to live another 30 or 40 years, see my girls grow up and be happy.

The more weight you loose, and the better your physical condition, the better your recovery will be. I basically acted like I was sleeved a good month before surgery. My Dr. never made me do a liquid diet. I wasn't so worried about losing a lot of weight, BUT I did everything I could to improve my physical condition. Cut down the carbs detoxed as many impurities (white sugars, processed foods etc.) that I could, then hit the gym to get the overall conditioning done. I was sleeved on a Tuesday and was back in the gym on the following Monday and haven't looked back. Never have had any nausea or problems with the sleeve what so ever. Down 26lbs since the surgery on 11/20. The best thing you can do is start now, with a good plan and stick to it. You'll do much better post op if you do.

Looks like what you are saying is fine. Your weight loss on your sig looks good. I would avoid breads and get the Water up to 64+ that might help, but if you are losing the weight and not stalling out and feel good, I would say keep on keeping on.

Very cool!!

Pre-surgery I would've spent it eating popcorn and a quart of ice cream... With magic shell! I am feeling proud of myself and love my post op life!

Good Article from Psychology Today…well worth the read......
Portrait of a food Addict - Is addiction to food making us overeat?
Published on August 12, 2012 by Nicole Avena, Ph.D
Look around. Waist lines are expanding at an alarming rate. In fact, with over 60 percent of the country overweight, most of us are overweight. It is the new norm (although that doesn’t mean it is the ideal). Scientists, physicians, fitness experts, cultural analysts, economists and others have identified a wide variety of factors as culprit(s). Surely, you have heard all kinds of explanations about why so many people are overweight: People are less active, junk food is cheap and easier to access, there is no time for exercise, people are more stressed. All are valid possibilities, and on some level, most likely contribute to the problem of obesity.
But there’s one explanation that has been proposed that sometimes elicits a chuckle, or at least a smirk: some people are overweight because food can be addictive.
And at first, the concept of “food addiction” does seem a bit strange. How can food be addictive if everyone needs it to live?
Sure, we need food to live, without a doubt. But, we don’t need empty calories with little to no nutritional value, or excess quantities of high-sugar and high-fat foods that can jeopardize our health.
The concept of food addiction is relatively new. There are limited ways to assess and diagnose it, and there is no official medical or psychological standard. Nonetheless, studies have revealed that there are behavioral and brain changes seen in response to eating food and drug addiction, and these changes are often markedly similar. As a result, scientists have used the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), which is used to diagnose substance dependence (i.e., drug addiction), as a tool with which to study food addiction. According to the DSM-IV, the seven criteria for addiction are:
1. Tolerance as seen when an individual consumes a larger quantity of a substance to reach intoxication or a desired effect; or when a person experiences a markedly diminished effect when consuming the same amount of the substance
2. Withdrawal as demonstrated by a withdrawal syndrome or taking another substance to alleviate or avoid withdrawal symptoms
3. Consuming the substance in larger amounts or for a longer period than the person intended
4. A persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to reduce or control substance use
5. An immense amount of time is spent on efforts to obtain, use, or recover from the effects of the substance
6. Because of use of the substance, participation in social, occupational or recreational activities are given up or reduced
7. Substance use continues despite knowing that a persistent physical or psychological problem is likely to be caused or aggravated by using the substance
An “addict” is someone who exhibits three or more of these criteria any time in the same 12-month time frame.
Let’s take a look at some ways these criteria might be viewed with regard to food. These are just examples, but they highlight the overlaps that might exist between substance dependence and food abuse.
1. People normally experience feelings of pleasure when they eat. However, some people must eat larger amounts of food to experience this feeling. This increased intake of food required to feel satisfaction might be a manifestation of tolerance
2. Headaches, fatigue, and irritability can be experienced when too much time goes between meals, or when people deprive themselves of certain foods. Could this be a manifestation of withdrawal?
3. An individual may sit down with the intention of having a small, healthy meal, but end up eating much more than they intended, and eating foods that perhaps weren’t intended.
4. An individual may make repeated attempts to try dieting or losing weight, but fail. Also, one may try to cut back on eating certain foods that are bad for them, but find it difficult to stop eating them.
5. People spend a large portion of their day (and sometimes even their night) eating.
6. Excessive eating and being overweight impedes participation in recreational physical activities, and can lead some to be embarrassed or uncomfortable at work or with friends when it comes to their weight.
7. One may continue to overeat even though he or she knows it will impede various aspects of daily life and well-being, such as increasing risks for heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Food addiction is a hotly debated topic in science and fitness. As we continue to search for explanations regarding why, despite all of the public health warnings of obesity, many adults and children continue to be overweight, it’s important to keep in mind that eating highly-palatable foods, or merely just the exposure to such foods, can have effects on our brains and behaviors. Many people overeat because food taste good, and it does something else for them beyond just supplying nutrients and calories.
Nicole Avena, Ph.D. is a research neuroscientist and an expert in the fields of nutrition, diet and addiction.

I gave up soda simply because it isn't a healthy option. I was a huge diet coke and diet dr pepper drinker, but decided that once I was sleeved, I would make every effort to be as healthy as possible. Don't need it in my world, don't miss it and feel that by ditching it, I am more healthy than if I kept drinking (even if I had a just a sip every so often, like so many on here do). Many on here feel that they are depriving themselves if they give up soda. I'm personally just the opposite, I'm depriving myself of good health by drinking it. So I ditched it. Your mileage may vary though....

I don't advocate you doing this at all...however I do tons of research and it was pretty simple to find.
http://www.5daypouchtest.com/
Here's another one that you might consider
http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/28139-the-basics-boot-camp/
Again, I am not an advocate of these types of gimmicks, I feel that the best way to lose the weight is stick to a healthy and balanced diet, restrict processed carbs and exercise to the point of raising the resting heart rate, for at least 20-30 minutes a day. That works for me, maybe not for everyone. YMMV.

On top of the things you mentioned. Get used to drinking Water, a lot of Water. If you don't like water, start to like it. Being dehydrated after surgery is the worst. Another tip that I truly believe in is getting your butt into gear and working out. If you aren't, start right now. By surgery be able to walk no less than a half mile non stop and without being winded. The more you can do, the better you will be on the back side. Take this time to figure out your relationship with food and eating. The surgery is only one step of many. The biggest issue that I see on this board is that people have the expectation that the weight will just simply go away with very little effort. They want to hide behind the "everything is okay in moderation" meme. That is a huge myth, if we could do moderation, would we be here? You have to work at it every day. I am working off weight that I have lost at least 3 times in the past, and this way is a lot tougher than the other 3 times. Some people have a hard time reconciling that permanent lifestyle changes are necessary in order to achieve the goal that I think you are seeking. Have patience in yourself and in the process. If your Dr. or nutritionist says don't do something (like drink soda or booze) then follow their plan. Everybody's Dr does it differently so coming to the internet boards and asking permission or absolution might make one feel better, but in the long term, we are all just bunch of fat asses so what do we know?
Good luck to you. It sounds like you are going in with your eyes wide open. You'll do fine!

You are having the " WTF did I just do" moment that a lot of people go through. You have to look at the long term. The weight didn't appear over night and it isn't going away over night either. It will take time for the body to adjust to the major surgery you just had. First thing is to stop weighing every day...just stop that! It doesn't do you any good what so ever to measure in .5 increments. Second, stay on your plan. It will work, you just have to have the patience and the mind set that over the long run, you will be successful. It is easy to get discouraged, I have been there. I see people that have lost more weight than me that was sleeved after me. I follow my eating plan and I work out, I track everything like a crazy, but I got through stalls and have lost really slowly. But you know what, that's fine, it isn't more weight coming on, it is weight that is going off, never to return. This isn't going to be a quick fix, but more of a permanent solution, if you do things correctly. Hang in there!

+1 on the sodium intake. It gets overlooked by a lot of people when tracking. Sodium is a key source of Water retention and causes weightloss to slow way down. Plus it is just too unhealthy. There's a lot of sodium in processed foods such as Soups and deli meats. Both are highly recommended by nutritionists and WLS Drs. So it pays to watch and track the sodium intake. I also agree that tracking sugars are unnecessary if you are tracking carbs. I would also caution you against going all on with sugar free everything. There's WAY to many nasty chemicals in sugar free products and studies have show that sugar free replacements are actually more harmful and more addictive than sugar itself. If you must have a sweet try to use natural sugars such as raw unprocessed cane sugar, agave or stevia.

I don't advocate you doing this at all...however I do tons of research and it was pretty simple to find.
http://www.5daypouchtest.com/
Here's another one that you might consider
http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/28139-the-basics-boot-camp/
Again, I am not an advocate of these types of gimmicks, I feel that the best way to lose the weight is stick to a healthy and balanced diet, restrict processed carbs and exercise to the point of raising the resting heart rate, for at least 20-30 minutes a day. That works for me, maybe not for everyone. YMMV.

+1 on the sodium intake. It gets overlooked by a lot of people when tracking. Sodium is a key source of Water retention and causes weightloss to slow way down. Plus it is just too unhealthy. There's a lot of sodium in processed foods such as Soups and deli meats. Both are highly recommended by nutritionists and WLS Drs. So it pays to watch and track the sodium intake. I also agree that tracking sugars are unnecessary if you are tracking carbs. I would also caution you against going all on with sugar free everything. There's WAY to many nasty chemicals in sugar free products and studies have show that sugar free replacements are actually more harmful and more addictive than sugar itself. If you must have a sweet try to use natural sugars such as raw unprocessed cane sugar, agave or stevia.

So today I go to the ortho Dr. for my wonky foot...On the documentation, I put down that I can't take NSAIDS, like a good sleeve boy should. So the nurse handling my case asks me if I was allergic. I replied no, that I had had VSG and can't do the drugs. We go on to talk about about me having the surgery the weight that I have dropped etc. Well..now, this nurse was 300lbs if she was an ounce. She says, she'd rather do it the "natural way"...hmmm...okay good for you..then tells me that she is going to get hCG shots for her birthday...hmmmm...I tried to keep a straight face, and was super supportive of her doing her "natural" thing, but when she left the room, I had to...well...laugh.

So today I go to the ortho Dr. for my wonky foot...On the documentation, I put down that I can't take NSAIDS, like a good sleeve boy should. So the nurse handling my case asks me if I was allergic. I replied no, that I had had VSG and can't do the drugs. We go on to talk about about me having the surgery the weight that I have dropped etc. Well..now, this nurse was 300lbs if she was an ounce. She says, she'd rather do it the "natural way"...hmmm...okay good for you..then tells me that she is going to get hCG shots for her birthday...hmmmm...I tried to keep a straight face, and was super supportive of her doing her "natural" thing, but when she left the room, I had to...well...laugh.

So today I go to the ortho Dr. for my wonky foot...On the documentation, I put down that I can't take NSAIDS, like a good sleeve boy should. So the nurse handling my case asks me if I was allergic. I replied no, that I had had VSG and can't do the drugs. We go on to talk about about me having the surgery the weight that I have dropped etc. Well..now, this nurse was 300lbs if she was an ounce. She says, she'd rather do it the "natural way"...hmmm...okay good for you..then tells me that she is going to get hCG shots for her birthday...hmmmm...I tried to keep a straight face, and was super supportive of her doing her "natural" thing, but when she left the room, I had to...well...laugh.

So today I go to the ortho Dr. for my wonky foot...On the documentation, I put down that I can't take NSAIDS, like a good sleeve boy should. So the nurse handling my case asks me if I was allergic. I replied no, that I had had VSG and can't do the drugs. We go on to talk about about me having the surgery the weight that I have dropped etc. Well..now, this nurse was 300lbs if she was an ounce. She says, she'd rather do it the "natural way"...hmmm...okay good for you..then tells me that she is going to get hCG shots for her birthday...hmmmm...I tried to keep a straight face, and was super supportive of her doing her "natural" thing, but when she left the room, I had to...well...laugh.

So today I go to the ortho Dr. for my wonky foot...On the documentation, I put down that I can't take NSAIDS, like a good sleeve boy should. So the nurse handling my case asks me if I was allergic. I replied no, that I had had VSG and can't do the drugs. We go on to talk about about me having the surgery the weight that I have dropped etc. Well..now, this nurse was 300lbs if she was an ounce. She says, she'd rather do it the "natural way"...hmmm...okay good for you..then tells me that she is going to get hCG shots for her birthday...hmmmm...I tried to keep a straight face, and was super supportive of her doing her "natural" thing, but when she left the room, I had to...well...laugh.

Boo, if feel ya.
You know, we are all just work in progress. Just like our weight, we didn't get these body/weight issues overnight, and were aren't going to emerge as the rocking, cool, sexy people that we want to be overnight either. The biggest hurdle, and you know this, is between our ears. We have to break those chains that we aren't where we want to be or we don't look like we want to look, just like we have to break the chains that food has on us.
For me, I've just decided to live. Many days I don't think about VSG or losing weight or any of that. I go out and do my activities, eat as healthy as I possibly can and just focus on living. I don't come round here much simply because I just want to be John, not John the VSG guy. I think living in the VSG world can weigh heavily on people that are further out like us. We have to break that chain and just become who we are. We can't put all the pressure on us, because if we do, we haven't learned a thing. We are no different than we were when we were doing weight watchers, or Atkins, or HGB or Phenphen or Efedra or anything else. But we are different, we made the commitment to get healthy and get better. Cut yourself some slack, take a deep breath and just be the best boo you can be. The rest takes care of itself. Hang in there, you got this!

Stolen from MFP, but it makes a ton of sense and something to keep in mind when going grocery shopping or eating in general.
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Oh, how happy all of us "dieters" were the day Skinny Cow candy bars became available! We can have chocolate! Peanut butter! Caramel! Gooey caramel and chocolate in one little bag! And not feel guilty! Yum! I have realized I cannot have them in my house. Why? They're a sensible treat, at only 110 calories (give or take depending the delicious flavor you finally decide upon). It is the completely sabotaging comfort of "SKINNY". Oh yes, you can have one. Enjoy one! Fondle it in it's pretty wrapper and delight in the first crunch. But I cannot stop at one. That is the same eating behavior that got me to 240 pounds in the first place. If one is good, two is better. Hell, three is 3x better! And guess what, it is guilt free because it is SKINNY!
Don't get me wrong, 110 calories is a lot better than the 245 or 300 or 500 of a regular candy bar or chocolate fix. But I get so wrapped up in "ALLOWED" because they're lower in calories, they are no longer on the forbidden list. I need my forbidden list. It keeps me safe, and hopefully thinner.
And "light" products are doing the same damage. Light chips - heck yes! I'll have more please. In reality, I would never even think a chip is ok while I'm working so hard, but hey, they're LIGHT! Safe, OK, Allowed, please indulge. Don’t even get me started on the sodium "Light" yogurt is the worst offender, in my opinion. Yummy, creamy, dessert flavored yogurt - healthy! Sweet and almost like pudding! And yogurt is healthy right? Oh not so fast...
Many have HFCS, which for me, makes me crave more sugar. I think nothing of snarfing down a carton of yogurt as a "healthy" snack, because it is "light", "healthy" and yummy. In reality I just ate a bunch of ingredients I can't pronounce, and I'm not really satisfied. In fact, if there is aspartame in it, I’m probably going to crave more sugar in about 8 minutes. There I am, sabotaged by “light”.
Yes, I admit I have eating issues (most of us do or we wouldn't be in this battle) and I have a hard time saying no. But it is a whole lot easier to say no when it isn't available, and no matter the "light" label, if it looks like a (chocolate) duck and quacks like a (chocolate) duck, it's a chocolate duck.
So I'm cleaning out my cupboards and fridge, at least for now. Out go the "light" chips, granola bars, Cookies and yes, the Skinny Cows. Into the trash with the "light" yogurt and Mayonnaise and Salad Dressing. If it isn't naturally low in fat, sugar and calories, I'm not interested. At least for now.
Apples, baby carrots, whole wheat crackers with fewer than 25 ingredients that look like a piece of the periodic table. salad dressing made from olive oil and vinegar. Beautiful berries and oranges when I'm really craving something sweet.
Because I personally cannot be trusted. And I'm not going to buy into anything "Skinny" unless is a new pair of skinny jeans that finally fit.

You aren't wrong at all, but there is a lesson to be learned. People take so many different approaches to this surgery and the aftermath. I no longer post here as much, simply because of posts like the one you describe. Sure, I don't want to be on a "diet" and I don't profess to be on one. I do live my life just fine without stuffing my face with junk food. If someone has equate eating junk to joy of life, then most likely they will fail at this. These are the usually the same people that post on the "Regrets" thread or come back and what to know why they have stalled for months on end. There's nothing much anyone can do to offer support to these people. They haven't made the real commitment to living a healthy lifestyle. For me, and only for me, I made the commitment to get healthy and live a healthy lifestyle. Junk food, sodas, french fries, fried fish all have no place in that lifestyle. If others want to blow it over some crappy ass food, then it isn't up to us to tell them otherwise. They'll only become butthurt like you've seen and generally it is a waste of time.. I now just sit back and watch as they b***h and moan about stalling or gaining....

You aren't wrong at all, but there is a lesson to be learned. People take so many different approaches to this surgery and the aftermath. I no longer post here as much, simply because of posts like the one you describe. Sure, I don't want to be on a "diet" and I don't profess to be on one. I do live my life just fine without stuffing my face with junk food. If someone has equate eating junk to joy of life, then most likely they will fail at this. These are the usually the same people that post on the "Regrets" thread or come back and what to know why they have stalled for months on end. There's nothing much anyone can do to offer support to these people. They haven't made the real commitment to living a healthy lifestyle. For me, and only for me, I made the commitment to get healthy and live a healthy lifestyle. Junk food, sodas, french fries, fried fish all have no place in that lifestyle. If others want to blow it over some crappy ass food, then it isn't up to us to tell them otherwise. They'll only become butthurt like you've seen and generally it is a waste of time.. I now just sit back and watch as they b***h and moan about stalling or gaining....

Boo, if feel ya.
You know, we are all just work in progress. Just like our weight, we didn't get these body/weight issues overnight, and were aren't going to emerge as the rocking, cool, sexy people that we want to be overnight either. The biggest hurdle, and you know this, is between our ears. We have to break those chains that we aren't where we want to be or we don't look like we want to look, just like we have to break the chains that food has on us.
For me, I've just decided to live. Many days I don't think about VSG or losing weight or any of that. I go out and do my activities, eat as healthy as I possibly can and just focus on living. I don't come round here much simply because I just want to be John, not John the VSG guy. I think living in the VSG world can weigh heavily on people that are further out like us. We have to break that chain and just become who we are. We can't put all the pressure on us, because if we do, we haven't learned a thing. We are no different than we were when we were doing weight watchers, or Atkins, or HGB or Phenphen or Efedra or anything else. But we are different, we made the commitment to get healthy and get better. Cut yourself some slack, take a deep breath and just be the best boo you can be. The rest takes care of itself. Hang in there, you got this!