BeWellKel

As someone who used to work at Starbucks from 2017-2020, the post floating around from 2014 is making me cringe just a bit. Because a lot of people on there have been drinking things under the assumption that it’s low in sugar or decaf. And unfortunately that isn’t always the case.

-The chai pumps are caffeinated and HIGH in sugar because it’s a concentrate and not actual tea. I’d say the best way to get it to avoid the sugar is to ask for only 1 pump, tell them to add water, and get it with non-fat or 1% milk. I believe there used to be a reduced sugar version of the chai, but I believe it was phased out. You could also just buy your own chai tea bags and heat up some milk. It might not be as good, but it’s less sugary.

-DO NOT GET THE SOY FROM STARBUCKS. You might think it’s like regular soy, but it is not. It’s sweetened and therefore high in sugar. If you have to get a milk alternative, go for the coconut milk. But do not get the almond, oat, or soy.
-The Earl Grey at Starbucks is not and never has been decaf. It’s actually one of the more highly caffeinated teas there. If I remember correctly, the peach tranquility was the least caffeinated hot tea there.

-Speaking of Earl Grey, one of my fave drinks is a London Fog. I know some people who had it with coconut milk and sugar free vanilla, but I prefer nonfat or 1%. You can also get it iced, though they’ll very likely use the iced black tea instead of earl grey.

-This wasn’t included in the post, but it is a common misconception: The caramel macchiato doesn’t have caramel syrup in it. It only has caramel sauce on top. The syrup at the bottom is vanilla. So if you miss your caramel macchiato, you can get one with sugar free vanilla, non-fat or coconut milk, and a super light drizzle of caramel. Or you could get no caramel at all and just get a sugar free vanilla macchiato (or upside down latte.)
-All of the refreshers (Mango Dragonfruit, Strawberry, Kiwi) have caffeine in it and are high in sugar because they’re juice concentrates. You could get a tall with water and a little bit of lemonade if you REALLY want one. But my go-to is the Passion Tea with 2 stevia and 1 pump of raspberry. It’s refreshing, low in sugar, and is really tasty. You can also ask them to throw in some dried fruit if you want to.
-The only drinks that don’t have caffeine in them are the cream Frappuccinos, the milk creams (your choice of steamed or iced milk with your fave syrup), and like…lemonade or apple juice. There used to be a reduced sugar version of the Frappuccino syrup for blending, but I don’t know if the stores still have them. Also, unfortunately, asking for less pumps of the sugary frap syrup does change the consistency of the frap. The syrup makes it smooth. I suppose you could get less pumps and eat it with a spoon, but that almost defeats the purpose.

Anyone who still works there, please feel free to correct me or add anything if I’m wrong about something. I’d just hate to see people go in with the wrong info and get sick.

it would be the exception, not the rule, for someone at your starting weight to lose 30 lbs the first month. If you weighed well over 300 lbs, then yea - but I'm very surprised she told you that with your starting weight. Not that it couldn't happen, but it's not very realistic. I hate to question your doctor, but I've been hanging out on bariatric forums for over seven years, and also volunteered at my clinic for about four years. As I said, that's definitely not impossible, but it'd be the exception to lose that much weight given your starting weight.

That weird mentally out of it thing? I get that for a few weeks whenever I've had any surgery. It's your body trying to throw off the anesthesia. Som÷people take longer than others.

Barebell has a few plant based bars that are very good. I get them at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Orgain has some plant based powders that aren't bad. I'm not aware of any whey free protein waters, but maybe GNC would have options?

Thank all for suggestions.

The Built Bars all contain milk.
I do have a powder I love, EarthChimp.
Couldn’t find ripple water. Sadly.
Plan to order some Owyn and Evolve shakes to try.
I heard about Misfit vegan bars and plan to try them. I travel for work so I need bars with me when I can plan well and I travel with powder already so that’s easy.

Found Proti items on this app that have some fruit protein drinks - gonna order those for something Too.

Try the "Built" Bar. You can find on Amazon. It has 20 grams of protein and 130 calories. I tried the salted caramel and the coconut and they are both very good. I use these when I am going to be out for a while and do not get a chance to stop for lunch. It holds the hunger off and gives me a shot of protein.

I don’t like Owyn as much as I like Evolve but I’m not really a fan of that either. As for powders Orgain has a plant based peanut butter flavor that’s divine. I also am a fan of just hemp foods hemp powder but it’s literally just hemp powder so you might have to jazz it up.
Sadly, I haven’t found a vegan/dairy free protein bar I like yet.

i found the Ripple powder for water and the Owyn premade shakes completely plant made. There were other plant options at VitaminShoppe but look at the sugars too. The prices just went way up on Amazon. I got my local shop to carry it.

I'm 18 months out and I still rarely eat refined carbs. I mainly eat vegetables, lean protein (poultry, fish, pork, egg whites), and legumes. I don't eat a lot of processed low-carb substitute foods because they tend to be overpriced and often high in fat and calories, but I do have a few go-to substitutions:
Cauliflower rice - I eat this several times per week and don't miss real rice at all. I buy the frozen stuff, so it's even faster and easier to prepare than real rice. Mr. Tortilla 1-net-carb tortillas (these are small and great for tacos). La Banderita carb counter tortillas (larger and great for wraps, and I cannot tell the difference from real flour tortillas). Mashed cauliflower - good substitute for mashed potatoes (with a lot of garlic and herbs, and low fat gravy).

I forgot about pasta in my previous reply… I haven’t eaten regular pasta since my surgery. Shirataki noodles are pretty good if you take the time to prepare them correctly, but it’s kind of an involved process and I’m too lazy to do it often. Zoodles (zucchini noodles) are ok; I prefer them cooked in the air fryer so they’re not so soggy. I love spaghetti squash (delicious roasted in the air fryer), but it doesn’t really taste like spaghetti.
Radishes are a good substitute for potatoes in soups and stews. They don’t have much flavor, but they have a similar texture.
I don’t do keto (super low carb) and I don’t think it’s sustainable long-term for most people, and also not necessarily good for bariatric patients because it’s a high-fat diet, but I do try to avoid sugar, white flour, rice, potatoes, etc. Most of my carbs are from low-starch vegetables and legumes.