Coffee as an appetite suppressant? - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

mkendrick · 04-19-2010, 06:10 PM

I have never been a coffee drinker. I could probably count the number of times I have drank straight black coffee on both hands. It's just never been a habit I've developed...I don't even know how to make coffee, lol.

Well I'd had a looong night and had a long day in front of me yesterday, so I decided to stop by Burger King for a cup of coffee. Just for kicks and giggles, to see if it even did anything for me. I got a medium black coffee, no sweeteners or creamers. First of all, I actually really enjoyed the time I set aside to drink it and even the taste. I can see how people get in the routine. Well, other than being an absolute machine at the gym and hyperfocused on studying, I had absolutely NO appetite yesterday. I ate, don't get me wrong, but I was not hungry at all. Meal times came and went without me realizing it, and one of the veeery few times in my life I actually considered skipping a meal because I just didn't feel like it. And that is so unlike me, I love eating more than anything and I always have an appetite even if I just ate Thanksgiving dinner, lol. That cup of joe lasted me well into the evening (I drank it at 6am that morning!). I even went for a jog at 11pm, haha.

Well, I was curious, so I got another cup this morning. I wondered if maybe yesterday was just a fluke on the appetite thing. Drank my cup, was super productive again today, and again had no appetite. I am still eating, I ate 1500 cal today of good whole foods, but that voice in my head that's constantly saying "food time yet? what am I gonna eat? how many more minutes till lunch? can I squeeze the calories for a snack in?" has completely shut up. I simply haven't been thinking about food at all. While I wouldn't do this, I think I could comfortably get through the day without eating a bite.

Is this a common side effect of coffee?? I do NOT want to become a caffeine junky. I can get through my days with more than enough energy as it is, and I don't really like the jittery feeling. So I will not be having coffee every morning, and I certainly won't have coffee so I don't ever feel like eating. I hope it doesn't sound like I want to drink coffee so I can comfortably not eat, lol. But, unless I'm completely imagining this no appetite thing, I can definitely see coffee being a weapon in my arsenal. If I'm just having one of those days when I want to eat everything in sight, maybe I could have a cup of joe to ease up on the cravings.

Does coffee do this to anybody else?

ValRock · 04-19-2010, 06:36 PM

It does it for me too

. On days that I skip my coffee *cough* yesterday I make bad food choices... for me it's a MUST!

Gelene · 04-19-2010, 06:40 PM

Absolutely does this to me. I have almost cut coffee clear OUT of my diet. I used to get up first thing and drink 2-3 cups with half and half every morning, which would roll around to about noon for the last. I could go ALL day and NEVER even think about food or much less eat it. So for a few years that's what I did. Not intentionally, but doing so caused me to pack on some major pounds. So like I said, now I drink coffee MAYBE once a week. I still love it though when I can get my hands on it Lol.

stellarosa27 · 04-19-2010, 08:12 PM

Caffeine is an appetite suppressant so this makes sense

chickapea · 04-19-2010, 08:14 PM

Coffee definitely has this affect on me too, and I used it at one point in my life as a crutch, basically a diet pill in a cup, to kill my appetite most of the day. Just one of many silly things I did in my sordid dieting history. If you think about it, all the teensy-tiny celebrities that you never see eating, what do they have in their hands 90% of the time? A coffee.

But back to normal, real life. I liked to drink coffee a few times a week at work, and one day I had a pounding headache and I realized I hadn't had a coffee in a few days. My body had become dependent on it without even realizing it! So, I cut it out cold turkey, and it sure wasn't pleasant, but I am glad I did.

Nowadays, I let myself have coffee again, just once a week, before going hiking. I use it an energy boost - DH calls it my "juice" and says I'm cheating when I make him eat my trail dust.

dragonfly21 · 04-19-2010, 08:15 PM

coffee isn't an appetite suppressent for me, which is unfortunate because I drink it every day! I do drink it at night if I'm craving something sweet though. With some flavored sugarfree creamer- yumm!!

stellarosa27 · 04-19-2010, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chickapea

Nowadays, I let myself have coffee again, just once a week, before going hiking. I use it an energy boost - DH calls it my "juice" and says I'm cheating when I make him eat my trail dust.

I did that this weekend (or over did it, shall I say

) and boy am I paying for it.

Someone was explaining to me today that caffeine masks the effort of an activity - so if you drink coffee before working out, you don't realize if you're working harder than usual - I do this before I work out at school. I get coffee to keep me up, but my work outs are usually way more intense and I don't mind it, because the caffeine tricks me

mkendrick · 04-19-2010, 09:42 PM

Yep, I think I might add coffee to my weekend routine. Maybe as a "treat" on Sunday mornings. I seriously worked out like a machine, I've never felt so vigorous during my workout, it was awesome!

But at the same time, I definitely do not want to get dependant or build up a tolerance. So it will be a weekly treat for me, I think.

fashinjunkie09 · 04-19-2010, 10:56 PM

I was watching the Today Show the other morning and there was a lady on there, some type of doctor/expert that said drinking an 8 oz cup of coffee about 20-30 min before a workout can actually help you by increasing your stamina, pretty much like Stella said about masking the effort of things. She said that as long as you don't over do it, you can drink coffee every day and I do. It keeps me from snacking in the mornings but only holds me over til about 2 (I always eat breakfast too). You're lucky in a way, but I bet if you started drinking it everyday the effects might not be as noticable over time so it's probably good that you're only going to drink it on weekends!

lissa9501 · 04-20-2010, 01:31 AM

its an appetite suppressant for me too, if i drink coffee in the am i dont eat until lunch or if i drink it at lunch i dont eat until dinner. it stops me from snacking

love114 · 04-20-2010, 02:26 AM

Yeah, coffee is definitely an appetite suppressant for me, too. I never used to drink coffee before, hated it. But I had a pretty difficult semester this past winter and there were maaaany long nights, especially writing 5 finals in a week so I tried coffee...and it helped! I don't drink it everyday now, I prefer my tea but I do maybe once a week or when I know I have a long day ahead of me and am just not energetic enough early in the morning. I've never tried drinking coffee and then working out after...hmm might give that one a try.