So when I first met with the nutritionist 4 weeks before surgery, the hardest news was that I would have to give up my coffee for at least the 4 weeks prior, and 2 weeks post surgery, and should probably give it up permanently. :wink2: Yikes...any other Starbucks junkies out there who cried at that news too? Anyway, I gave it up for over a month.

Well this morning (I'm 10 days after banding) I decided to try to get my fix in a healthier way. I put a half packet of Carnation instant Breakfast in a mug, poured in some mild half caffinated coffee, a splash of fat free creamer and a splash of skim milk. Here's the count - about 140 calories, and 4 grams of Protein. It tasted wonderful and I wasn't hungry until noon. :wink_smile: I doubt my nutritionist would be thrilled with me, but I'm thinking it's a fair compromise!!

Open to other yummy and healthy ways to get a little coffee fix!

(oh, 2 other favorites for mushy stagers - Cozy Shack sugar free tapioca pudding - made with Splenda - you can't even tell its artificial sweetner. And second, toss a little rotisserie chicken, instant mashed potatoes, parm cheese & chicken stock in the food processor and blend like crazy....looks gross - tastes awesome!)

jnfwilds- I think you bring up a great point. COMPROMISE!! I think your coffee alternative is a great one. I hate to beat this cliche to death, but EVERYTHING IN MODERATION!! The fact that you made a change yet are still satisfied with your "coffee fix" is what this process is all about. I know my nutritionist is a stickler about our post-operative program but she has been fantastic in working with me to find alternatives that have worked for me. I say GOOD FOR YOU!! Oh and thanks for the mushi suggestions. The rotisserie chicken sounds yummy!! I'm moving to mushies tomorrow....THANK GOD!! Keep up the good work and keep being creative with your choices.

Amy

Oh I love the idea of your cafe mocha! I switched to decaf, and once I weaned myself off the caffeine, I don't mind the difference.

I hear my grandmother laughing at me from heaven for all the YEARS I made fun of people who drank decaf. Like, what's the point of decaf, why even drink the coffee, if I couldn't have caffeine I'd just die, etc etc.

Karma.

I used to have three to four cups everyday with a TON of cream and sugar. Now I have nonfat creamer and Splenda during the week and on weekend morning I allow myself to have it the "bad" way.

I have coffee every morning, I was never told not to drink coffee, just carbonated beverages. I used the light my Maxwell House for a while, then I switched to Dunkin Donuts brand, yum.

I have coffee every morning, I was never told not to drink coffee, just carbonated beverages. I used the light my Maxwell House for a while, then I switched to Dunkin Donuts brand, yum.

I LOVE Dunkin Donuts brand...Having some now w/FF vanilla Creamer. I could never give up my coffee, it was actually on my list of liquids in the early post op stages.....Diet Coke - had to give that up, don't miss it really~

Oh, I'm so glad to hear this from all of you!! My nutritionist is very mean about coffee (he was probably never addicted to ANYTHING). This gives me comfort. I am happy to cut back and cut down on the caffiene, but seriously, I didn't see the need to cut it completely! Coffee wasn't the thing that made me 100 lbs overweight!

And that FF Vanilla Creamer - yummo!

My clinic says that caffiene is a gastric stimulant which means it will cause faster digestion leading to faster hunger. That's why they say no-no. I still have to have a cup every morning. Of course my weight loss has been less than spectacular! I'm not goingg to blame the coffee though. I prefer to blame our 80" of snow keeping me inside most of the time.

jnb, I hate to be the devil on your shoulder but I can recommend a terrific, great tasting drink that has a little caffeine in it. It's called AchievOne and it's delicious!!! It has zero fat, 120 calories per drink, 5 carbs and 20 grams of protein. And it's DELICIOUS! I don't even like coffee but I love these drinks. =)

I just discovered that International Coffee has light brands that are extremely low in carbs. I just got some and haven't had a chance to try them out yet (got vanilla) and will let you know how they are.

coffee and tea were on my approved list of foods after surgery. I still have Starbucks skinny lattes. Tall skinny latte is 90 calories, no fat and 9 grams of Protein. Yum!

Sorry, just realized I was in the Feb 2008 forum. Good luck everyone! I love my band!

Now, this morning I was feeling sad because I've been stuck at the same weight for 7 days even though I'm eating about 600 calories a day of mushies and shakes. The INJUSTICE of it! So, I treated my poor self and went to Starbucks and ordered my old favorite (Venti Peppermint Mocha) but trimmed it by ordering a tall, non fat, 1 pump, no whip decaf. To my surprise, it tasted almost as good as the old version. Also, you can go on their website and enter your drink of choice, and it gives you the nutrition info. To my surprise, my new version is only 170 calories and has 10 grams of Protein. Yay!

Now - Miss Gibson - where would one find these AchieveOne drinks? Since my life now seems to revolve around finding sources of protein - I'm intrigued!!

And Karen - I'm all about International coffee - they're easy to make at work! I'll have to try out the light version!

I second the AchievOne. Best-tasting protein drink EVER, if you like coffee drinks. The only drawback is that it comes in glass bottles--hard to stuff in your purse...

I ordered mine from evitamins.com

I ordered about $120 worth I loved it so much. I was thrilled to finally find something I liked. The only problem is that I still haven't been banded and I'm almost out of the drinks! I really think you'll love it if you like flavored coffees.