I have not been banded yet, I am still in the qualifying process with my insurance, but I am ADDICTED to this website and do have a question.

Both yesterday and today I indulged in a frappe style ice coffee drink (better do it now!) and joked that when I get banded I'll just put protien powder in it and it can be my lunch.

I was only half-joking.

I know I will have to give up my love for diet pepsi....but how about coffee/ice coffee/frappucinos??

THANKS my new friends <3

My doctor is a tad on the Nazi side, which is both good and bad.... and he makes his patients promise before they have surgery that they will no longer get any coffee drinks from Starbucks or any fast food place. He said the only good coffee is the kind you make at home, with fat free sweetener. Take that for what its worth.

I still occasionally enjoy a Starbucks skinny caramel macchiato (grande is 140 calories and 11 protein).

I was surprised by my surgeon singling out frappes as a big cause for lap band "failures". Since these weren't my personal vice, she explained that frappes/smoothies/frozen drinks are a big culprit. I even saw frappes mentioned by name as a problematic food that causes weight gain in LB patients. Dr said patients might reach for these drinks instead of taking time to chew a food. I know these drinks are a problem with gastric bypass patients too - its how they regain or end up with wicked diarrhea.

I drank coffee daily as a substitute for Breakfast. I haven't had any since I had to refrain prior to surgery (big 2 day withdrawal headache - treated with Tylenol), No plans to return.

My doc limits coffee to one caffeinated per day. I'm allowed as much decaf as I like but since I'm making changes, I've included this one!

Once in awhile as a treat maybe (I also like the skinny macciato at Starbucks, yum!) but daily is a bad idea, replacing a meal with it is even worse. It's all empty calories and sugar so definitely not in your best interest.

I will admit I drink my Dutch Brothers skinny caramalizer about 3-4 times a week. In addition to my morning 2to cups of home brewed coffee. I think they,re not worried about the caffeine as much as the calories. The frozen Frapps are too much like dessert for me, but iced coffee is great. If u get an iced Americano with ff milk and splenda, its not any different than hot coffee.

I wouldnt make it a meal. But enjoy your life! Lifes too short to never have something that u love. Its why i was banded in the first place

Good luck

Marci

One of the few things I refused to give up when I got my band was my morning glass of iced coffee at home; sweetened with Splenda and just a dash of half and half. My daily limit continues to be what it always was: one 12 oz glass a day. I stopped adding chocolate syrup years ago. My surgeon doesn't know, and I'm certain he would definitely disapprove of my "habit".

Starbucks is now offering a sugar free lite mocha...I had one the other day when meeting a friend for the afternoon. I could tell they used a SF syrup, but it was quite good. I go to Starbucks on the average of once a year...

Caffeine has a reputation of being an irritant to the stomach...so monitor yourself in the event that you begin to feel anything like heartburn.

I have tea and coffee ad lib throughout the day, but i dont drink it strong and its always made with skimmed milk .. traditionally in the UK we are tea drinkers, now i would have trouble if i was told no more tea lol

My nutritionist said that I could have as much caffeine as I wanted. HOWEVER this all depends on your doc. I love making an iced coffee at home. It saves money (bonus!) and you can make it how you are supposed to have it, with artificial sweeteners and sugar-free creamer. I make mine in a pitcher (about a gallon) and store it in the fridge. I make it once a week and get a cup in the morning. I have found that I LOVE a particular blend of coffee that has some bits of coconut in the grounds with some other things and quite frankly I prefer making my own stuff at home.

The drinks from Starbucks and restaurants are more like milkshakes with added coffee. Think of them in this manner and you will end up thinking "that's not good for me." The best things for you are what you make at home. You are in control of what you put in your body and what/how it's made. My nutritionist said diet sodas are okay but that's in moderation too.

Bonus tip: If you consume a lot of sodas a day, start trying to balance it out with some Water. For every soda have a glass of water. It will help you ween yourself off of so many sodas. Or you could do my method, have caffeine once a day (in the morning) and drink water the rest of the day. Good for the kidneys, skin, and everything else.

i still drink iced coffee from Starbucks, i put splenda and xtra ice. I don't do the frappachinos,

Lapband gal who does the blog will drink a strawberries and cream (tall) with double Protein in place of an on the go meal. Not saying to do it but it works for her.

Or i make coffee at home

I will have one occasionally. If it is a frappe I just use a spoon...no straws, bad for the band. We r still human and a treat every once in a while is normal. Mocha skinny is good.

As someone who worked for Starbucks for 6 years I pretty much am an espresso over ice and nothing added. If you have to add things to your coffee to tollerate it you aren't making it right or its not the right blend for your pallet. How some people feel about wine tasting I feel about coffee. I find my favorite is Asia Pacific coffees and if there is a concern about it being irritating to the band or stomach a good rule of thumb is pick and drink bold or extra bold coffee it has less acidity and won't irritate like a medium or mild blend of coffee. Don't be fooled by sweet drinks marketed as being healthy.