I love True Lemon products. The lemonades are really good and sweetened with Stevia. I order from the website to take advantage of their multipacks. I also like the 100% powdered lemon or the orange ginger to shake into my water, or use on a chicken breast. .

Why are you eliminating Nestea Zero? Are you not wanting the artifical splenda? Or is it just because it was too habit forming and you're going cold turkey?

There is no carbonation in Nestea. I do drink it on occasion now as a "treat". I am trying to limit my artifical sweetners so that's why I consider it a treat but if you are going to drink MIO or Crystal Light it is essentially the same thing.

Now that I am a year out I drink some sparkling water with lemon or lime when I feel like I need a "drink"...instead of grabbing a beer! I can have a bit and it doesn't bother me but everyone is different.

Last summer I wasn't drinking anything like the Nestea so I would just have slices of lemon or lime in my water. Fresh mint or cucumber both give a little flavour too.

Mio (and the generic) are good for me. I use one squirt in a liter and it isn't too sweet for me.

My surgeon wants me off of all caffeine. That might be why you can't have the Nestea?

I use a product called Stur, which you squirt into your water. It is sweetened with Stevia and very light tasting. They have a sample pack on Amazon.

I am also in the process of getting off pop and caffeine. I am going to try infused water. I think I could make a fruit infused water, based on the same idea as making sangria. I think peach & orange slices would be good. I've also seen apple slices & cinnamon sticks. I've had cucumber infused water and that very refreshing, especially on warm days. I think now is the time to experiment so we have some skills ready for post-surgery. Good Luck!

I am a huge coffee drinker and weaned myself onto decaff before the surgery to avoid the side effects of going cold turkey. I added one scoop of decaff to each pot, increasing the decaff and decreasing the regular until it was all decaf. No headaches!

I drink plain water but also really like the Green Tea Peach Mango Chrystal Light. Sometime plain water in the afternoons makes me feel like I'm starving! I also really like Sparkling Ice. It's a carbonated flavored water with zero calories and zero sodium. You have to really watch the sodium levels in some of those flavored waters. Now I will tell you that 3 years out from surgery and my tummy still doesn't like carbonation, so I sip a little and then shake the carbonation out. Like I said, no calories and no sodium, so it's worth the effort to get rid of the carbonation.

I like infused water...I add peach slices, mango....any fruit you like, really is refreshing!

Thanks for all the suggestions! I think I will try making orange water tonight!

One thing I have some to crave lately is ice milk! I get the fat free milk and pour it in a cup of ice. Plus there's a little protein in it!

I have been off sodas for over four years, carbonated beverages over two. (sleeved 1/4/2012). My most earnest advise to you: just don't look for a replacement. Water - unsweetened teas or lightly sweetened with agave or honey - a few more calories BUT you aren't exposed to the chemicals found in sweeteners. You forget about soda sooner than you think.

My Dr suggested I get a sleeve, still thinking about it...

Came across this topic and had some questions..


1) does caffeine need to be cut out completely post sleeve? Or is is something you need to limit to ensure hydration? Is coffee / tea ok as long as you are also drinking lots of water?

2) are there any fizzy drinks allowed? (I'm not looking to drink cola, I don't drink it now aside from the occasional diet coke, but is perrier ok?)

Thanks!

Per my surgeon:

1) Caffeine irratates the lining of the stomach, which is why we are asked to decaffinate ourselves prior to surgery and for awhile after as we heal. My surgeon let me go back to regular coffee after about 3 months. Yes you need to limit it, or at least I do, because if I don't, I drink more coffee than water. Water is much more beneficial to our weight loss efforts and not just for hydration purposes.

2) Carbonation is discouraged because it expands as a gas in your tummy. Before you heal it's dangerous to put that much pressure inside your tummy. After you heal, carbonation makes for a very uncomfortable and often painfull tummy. I am 3 years out now and still don't like to drink anything carbonated or fizzy. My favorite flavored water is carbonated, I sip a little bit and then shake the carbonation out. This water is worth the extra effort to me because it's not just zero calories, but it's also zero sodium, which is hard to find in flavored water. Anyway, I really won't drink it without shaking out the carbonation, it's just too uncomfortable.

Teavana has a really beautiful strawberry lemonade tea. It makes great, fruity iced tea that you can add stevia to, and is bright pink. Very yummy. Also, Tazo has bags of hibiscus tea that you can make iced, and add sugar free lemonade mix too, for a pink and fruity arnold palmer. Great during the summer and both are completely decaf.