I know we have been through the coffee discussion before, somewhat recently, but I have a question.

I thought I was doing a good thing by ordering my latte breve with sugar free syrup. Something made me check out the starbucks site today and I was shocked to find that a SMALL latte breve has 15 grams of carbs. I checked our carb counter here and found that a CUP of half n half only has 10 carbs. What gives here? I know they are not using a cup of half n half in my breve.

The other thing which I wasn't surprised at was the huge amount of calories. Making it breve really cuts the carbs but DOUBLES the calories. It is becoming clear to me how aware i need to be to make this all work for me. Yikes!

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Renee
1/19/04
261/220/160
41 lbs off
60 lbs to goal



Race to 199 Challenge
Labor Day Challenge: Focusing on the Journey
Personal Goal: 199 by 12/31/05

Ok, Renee, here's the Starbucks scoop:
A tall breve latte will contain just shy of 11 ounces of half and half, and one ounce of espresso. It's actually more than a cup of half and half in your latte. At 1.3 carb grams per ounce, plus the one carb gram for the espresso (yes, coffee and espresso have carbs!), the total comes out to almost exactly 15 grams of carbs.
Some ways to cut carbs is to ask them to make your latte with heavy cream, at .8 grams per ounce, or make you a breve misto, which is brewed coffee and steamed half and half. You get a lot less dairy that way, especially if you ask for extra foam. Or, ask for an Americano, which is espresso and hot water, and then add heavy cream or half and half to it. Yes, the calories jump when you start adding half and half or cream, so for me, a latte is a treat.
And here's an insider's tip: if you get steamed half and half or cream, they will charge you for it; if you ask for cold heavy cream to add to your drink, it's free.

HTH,

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Trina

Vice-President of the Intergalactic Order of Brussels Sprouts Haters

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I hate to admit it, but as much as I love coffee, I am intimidated by Starbucks names. [b]What does it all mean???[b] Can't you just go in and order coffee with sugar free syrup and cream? What is that called? Why do I have to learn a new language just to get a fancy cup of coffee? Is there any such thing as one of the iced drinks that doesn't blow your daily carb allotment?

Please note: East Texas is not the leading edge. We didn't even have a Starbucks until sometime late last spring.

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Judy
All time highest = 180, Goal = 140, Current status = RIGHT ON TARGET!
Every single time I put food in my mouth, it matters. No more fooling myself!

Nope - no normal names. You have to be seduced by the White Chocolate Mocha (which I had to give up since it's 600+ calories)

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Tina

Judy what part of East texas are you from.. some 10 yrs ago i went to a starbucks in Plano... wich is near dallas..


any way about coffee i usualy brew a strong pot of coffee at home use heavy whipping cream and whip it usualy add davice suggar free syurp . it usualy ends up tasteing like one of those yummy capachinos you can buy! i love em

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01/02/04-248{ 4/29/04- 218} 6/30/04- 204
7-05-04 198 8/30/04 - 190 (got lost after that-)
4/03/08- 261 -
Goal-140-145

Judy -
After my weekly trip to Starbucks tonight it was hilarious to log on and see this post. Yes, you CAN have a regular cup of coffee at starbucks. All of the 15 year olds sucking down the 2200 calorie, 47,000 carb drinks might look at you funny - but it can be done. My daughter has GA's (Girls in Action - it's a church missionary support thing where they learn about missions) on Wednesday night, and my dh and I hit Starbucks for coffee and then pick someplace to go and window shop. Tonight it was Lowes - we just bought a house in August - and have lots and LOTS of plans. We spent an hour walking around looking at stuff sipping our Venti (Large) coffees.

You can get a Iced Caffee' Americano (only has 4 carbs in a Large) which is just expresso, water and ice. And luckily - most if not ALL Starbucks are stocking Splenda - and all of them have half and half.

I moved to Texas from Guam and became addicted to Starbucks but probably gained 30 pounds because I was having Caramel Frappucinos (coffee, cream, and LOTS AND LOTS of sugar) coffee. It's my one vice that I refuse to give up - the coffee - I gave up the Frappucinos. A funny side story - we went on a family vacation, and had to stop in Texarkana overnight. We got up the next morning, and asked if they had a Starbucks where we could get some coffee. The guy behind the counter said "A Star what? Is that a resturant?" -- we knew we were in hell! ;-)

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Started: 261
Currently: 182

Yes there are still outback areas where Starbucks is just starting to venture.

Gilley -- Plano is Dallas! Honey, that's not even close to the designation "East Texas". I live a whole lot closer to Texarkana than Dallas. And, I'm a whole lot closer to Louisana than to either one of those.

Rhalvahn, I definitely know Katy --- that's Houston as far as I'm concerned.

My friend says she's going to "Fourbucks". That's about right as I see it. The profit margin for that place has to be outrageous.

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Judy
All time highest = 180, Goal = 140, Current status = RIGHT ON TARGET!
Every single time I put food in my mouth, it matters. No more fooling myself!

I cut the calories and carbs in my Starbucks drink by switching to cappuccino, which uses much less milk/cream than a latte. In fact, I make it even smaller by asking for a short, dry, breve cappuccino - sometimes with two shots of espresso, sometimes with one. Sometimes the baristas are overly generous with the 1/2 'n 1/2, but the ones that know me keep it to a minimum. I like it small, but very intensely flavored (I'm all about the flavor, LOL!). The liquid part is about 1/3 of an 8-oz. cup, then the foam fills it to about 2/3s, mas o menos.

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~~~Teelbee
Back to GOAL!!!
start weight: 176/goal range: 137-134/now: 138
Reached goal in Aug. 2003 - 4rd year of maintenance.

Just so you know how far "outback" Starbucks has failed to reach so far, the nearest Starbucks to me is more than 3 hours away! I'm with Judy; when I see Starbucks at the airport, I still can't try their coffee, because I don't know how to order it, LOL!

Aderyn

Lol!
Here in So. California, there are Starbucks nearly on every corner! Kind of like a 7-11 store. When my teen boys were at home, I became very familiar with this place. It was a favorite hang out after mid-week Bible study, and after school, and when the moon was full, and when there was any type of event at all that involved their buddies being in the same place at the same time, lol. Now my dd is a teen, and the question I hear constantly is , "Can we stop by Starbucks?" sigh.

But it is definately addictive! I usually have a breve (translate to made with 1/2 and 1/2) OR a made with heavy whipping cream, sugar free latte. It is funny ordering one, what a mouthfull for a cup of coffe " yes, I would like a grande, sugar-free vanilla latte, made with heavy cream, please"

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Cynthia

I live in the Dallas, TX metroplex area. Starbucks are EVERYWHERE! And, all you have to say here is, "fix it the Atkins way"! BUT, I am glad you started this thread because we were going to Starbucks 4 or 5 times a week for a couple of weeks. I was having it made the "Atkins way" with SF syrup, heavy cream, decaf, the smallest size they sell, and I GAINED 5 POUNDS BACK!!!!!! This is the ONLY thing I was doing out of the norm and so I quit the habit and guess what?!! I lost the 5 pounds back plus, I have also lost some more! Anyone else had this experience?

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271/214/150

I guess it is my up bringing, but I can't for the life of me spend money for coffee when I can make it at home and have it taste so much better.
First of all I do decaf, and I have been to a starbucks once (one that was in a barnes/noble bookstore) and ordered a cup of decaf, and was it bad.... no flavor at all, just colored water as far as I was concerned. I buy beans from costco (great decaf beans 2 lbs for 5.99) I grind them at home, brew a strong pot of coffee so it tastes like coffee, and add splenda and heavy cream, and just sit back and enjoy.
so....If you don't want the extra calories, carb grams, make your own coffee, save some money, get a mug with a lid to keep it warm and enjoy.
(you can buy flavored coffee's, or buy the flavored sugar free syrups.)
c

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http://www.youravon.com/cnorulak
carolyn in texas
started 8/11/03 327/268/177
5/20/08/ - 348
onward thru the fog

Jeez, I've lost a lot of weight while drinking coffee and low-carbing. I started drinking coffee (BIG TIME) about a year ago. I had been in a stall for some time. I'm down from 288 to 199.5 now and coffee hasn't caused me any problems.

I actually think it can be an aid. I don't know about you guys that drink all this doctored up crap. I use heavy cream and splenda in my coffee. But I use GOOD coffee. I roast my own at home, now, from green beans I buy on-line. It's actually economical and very fun. (Everybody got coffee as a gift for Christmas! heh...)

I had everybody going nuts over some Bolivian Cenaproc Organic that I got in one order. It was the best cup of coffee that I ever had, and my brother agreed with me on it. It is a little bit spicy, slightly like pumpkin pie, but not from any adulterating liqueurs, just all natural coffee. (Good luck finding any, thouigh -- they had a peasant uprising a few months back.)

I think coffee helps me because it gives me an incredible sensual experience, something I don't miss in food anymore. I can just trance out and breathe deeply and try to identify all the subtleties in the coffee and feel like I'm the luckiest ******* on earth. Where I used to get urges for low-carb snacks, I get a coffee jones now. It's a nice pace breaker.

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**************
"And so, in my State of the—my State of the Union—or state—my speech to the nation, whatever you want to call it, speech to the nation—I asked Americans to give 4,000 years—4,000 hours over the next—the rest of your life—of service to America. That's what I asked—4,000 hours."

Wow! Wonderful to wake up to all these responses!

Teelbee or anyone...what do you get when you ask for "dry"?

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Renee
1/19/04
261/220/160
41 lbs off
60 lbs to goal



Race to 199 Challenge
Labor Day Challenge: Focusing on the Journey
Personal Goal: 199 by 12/31/05

Yeah, not surprising, really. Starbucks smallest official size is called a "tall", and runs 12 oz., I think. Figuring 1 to 2 oz for espresso and an inch or so at the top for foam, that could include as much as 8 oz. of cream! So that's about 300 calories and 11 to 12 g. net carb for a tall, breve, latte.

__________________
~~~Teelbee
Back to GOAL!!!
start weight: 176/goal range: 137-134/now: 138
Reached goal in Aug. 2003 - 4rd year of maintenance.