My surgeon cleared me for normal food and things are going pretty well. I'm just curious what your take is on Starbucks. I can live without it, but the reality is it's the destination of choice for many of my friends and colleagues. Do you stay clear of Starbucks, or is there a drink or two that are ok now and then? Thoughts?

Larry

From time to time my girls want to go there and I've gotten a skinny latte with fat-free milk. The tall is 100 calories, a bit higher in sugar & carbs than I would like, but for a time to time thing, I don't have a problem with it. They also have the seasonal peppermint mocha in a "skinny" version too. If you want fewer calories you could even do a "short" for 8 oz. Plus it has a fair amount of Protein (10g), so it's not all bad. :-)

Here is their nutrition chart http://www.starbucks.com/menu/catalog/product?drink=espresso#view_control=product

I would say planning ahead and knowing what is "safe" for you to get would be the biggest thing.

I'm pre-op so I may not be the one to answer this, but my thought is that it's okay but use good judgement. A lot of Starbucks products are filled with sugar. Try and choose a product that is much more health conscious. Just my opinion.

I have banned myself from Starbucks for my own good. I am partial to skinny lattes with sugar free syrup or Pike's roast with lowfat milk, which are good options. The problem with Starbucks is all the fat and sugar-laden goodies they peddle. I find it very hard to resist if I walk in there. So I don't walk in there. But if you think you can exercise more self control, why not?

Starbucks is my weakness. I was a twice a day addict for a loooong time. I just started drinking coffee again (I'm 3 weeks out). So usually I have one of their canned Double Shots Light when I get up in the morning. It's only 70 cal. But for the most part I have been avoiding the drive thru. I've gone twice since surgery and have gotten a skinny vanilla latte made with soy milk or a skinny hot chocolate. I'm trying to stick to the one coffee a day because I hate to drink the extra calories and see what it does to my carb count. So, it's not the devil in moderation but if you can get by without it, that's even better. If it's more of a social thing for you, try one of their tazo teas or an iced americano or heck, even an iced water. They have a list of drinks on their website that are 200 cal and under plus the baristas are always most helpful in recommending ways to cut calories out. But even under 200 cal drinks are like 25% of my daily caloric intake so you just have to decide if it's worth it to you. :-)

A daily trip to Sbux has been part of our daily routine for years. It would be unfair to my husband not to go. They sell bottled cold water and I occasionally will have a tall coffee with Splenda and ft free milk. Then I discovered another option. Buy the water, get a cup of ice and fill it with a Pure Protein shake. Sip and enjoy. Bring the water home. Win-Win.

I think Starbucks is no different than any other choice you will need to make during this marathon.

I'm a moderation type of a person...I won't be able to go to Starbucks every day as I would like to and have in the past. It will be a treat. Starbucks has some great alternatives to their full-fat, sugar-laden drinks.

For me, success means making a plan each day and sticking to that plan. If you plan on going to Starbucks, maybe incorporate and additional walk afterwards or some extra time at the gym.

I'm two weeks out tomorrow - I can't get a short down before it gets cold anyway...I drink about 1/3 of it and toss the rest. I hate throwing it away! :-)

I met a friend at SB to catch up on our lives. we both independently brought our own low cal creamer! i brought low fat french vanilla coffee mate (powder) and he brought something similar. with nutrasweet a small cup of coffee is around 60 calories or less! I sip liquids now so a small lasts me longer than a venti used to last me.

I'm 6 1/2 weeks post op that being said. Hi i'm Ken and I am a Starbucks addict!! I've come to terms with it, so I limit myself to one visit a day compared to my usual 3 - 4. Instead of getting my grande mocha latte I've been ordering a Short Soy sugar free vanilla latte with half the pumps of syrup that comes with it only 70 calories.

I think for some folks Starbucks is a big trigger. Bravo to the people who have been able to harness their cravings. The most dangerous thing about Starbucks IMHO is that you can drink those liquid calories and carbs very easily with the sleeve. It doesn't fill you up and as others have noted, use up an alarming percentage of your daily calories when you are trying to lose weight.

That said, I stop in maybe once a month or less. I get a tall decaf skinny latte or skinny decaf mocha and always log it into MFP. I was proud of myself for resisting pumpkin lattes this year since there is no sugar-free version of it.

So to answer your question, I would say Starbucks ranges from bad/evil to not-so-bad if controlled. I don't think I'd put it on my list of "good" places to stop by, though.

I think for some folks Starbucks is a big trigger. Bravo to the people who have been able to harness their cravings. The most dangerous thing about Starbucks IMHO is that you can drink those liquid calories and carbs very easily with the sleeve. It doesn't fill you up and as others have noted, use up an alarming percentage of your daily calories when you are trying to lose weight.

That said, I stop in maybe once a month or less. I get a tall decaf skinny latte or skinny decaf mocha and always log it into MFP. I was proud of myself for resisting pumpkin lattes this year since there is no sugar-free version of it.

So to answer your question, I would say Starbucks ranges from bad/evil to not-so-bad if controlled. I don't think I'd put it on my list of "good" places to stop by, though.

Kind of like staying away from the drive-thru's!!!!!!

It's a choice you make. I have a skinny latte almost everyday and I'm almost to goal. It is evil on my pocketbook! I think a latte a day helps curb my sweet tooth.

I'm a pre-sleever and I have been told to get off the sauce, so I still go but order a large pomegranate/oolong tea with two splendas. They give you the tea bag and I can add hot Water to it. However, I have heard that a ways out from surgery you can incorporate coffee back in your everyday life.

I enjoy a grande passion tea unsweetened with 2 splendas and a splash of lemon aid .....its great

I have a skinny latte with a half of a single shot of coffee, no sugar. It's like milk with a hint of coffee :-) But it's welcome extra protein and I like sitting feeling like part of the "normal" world...

I have a tall soy latte. Seeing the calorie count front and center keeps me away from the baked goods. Lemon cake with icing for 500 calories? No thanks.

Lynda