Limiting Coffee
 

I love coffee. I mean, really. I wake up very early, often, because I think: "Won't it be wonderful to have a coffee and read the paper?" My favorite place to go is Starbucks (and not even for the wonderful frappes or lattes, just a regular coffee.)

But I'm overdoing it. Coffee has the rollercoaster effect. Blood sugar goes up and down, sending off false hunger signals and creating unnecessary stress. Sometimes I just need to be - meaning, not drinking or eating anything.Right now, my coffee thermos is my pacifier that I carry around with me, but that is not healthy. It does not help me lose weight and be healthy.

So, here I go: only coffee in the morning and a small coffee before I run (enhances performance). That's it.

Anyone else struggling with this too?

I'm exactly the same, I need my stovetop espresso with milk in the morning, it is one thing I seem to be unable to compromise on.

However I will cut right back on the Nespressos in the daytime to just one after lunch at the weekend only.

Ohh you can tell I'm a coffee nerd! :)

I can't tell you anything about what coffee does or does not do to the body or to the diet, so I won't. I have a cup a day, generally. What happens is I make one at work, drink about 1/3, and go make another. Generally, it happens again, so in the afternoon I make 1 more. Whether or not I actually consume a full cup is up to however busy I've been. I do like a latte from DD occasionally with skim milk, no sugar. I have not had sugar in coffee since forever--just don't like the taste. I don't like coffee icecream or coffee yogurt (ugh, sour) for the same reason. I've gotten used to no sugar in my tea now also.

I think of the DD latte as an occasional treat, and a good way to get in some calcium. I guess if I had to give coffee up, I could do it....but I do enjoy the little that I consume.

Unna, can you give me some info on the blood sugar effect? I'm diabetic 2 and didn't know about that. Thanks, D

P.S. Good luck cutting down.

I usually have 3-4 cups a day. Normal instant coffee with water and a bit of milk.

Same here. When I wake up in the morning I crave coffee. Just love it <3

OMG, I would DIE without my coffee. (It's what I'm drinking NOW at 5:15 in the morning!) Black, no cream, and no sugar. Zero calories and I drink it right up to bed time and sleep like a baby.

If you think coffee is bad for you, then by all means stop drinking it...but I think you would be better off giving up sugar and stuff that really is bad for you! :)

I'm with Lori Bell. Most days I drink it black with nothing in it. About once a week or so I want some cream in my coffee, so I have it.
Anyway.. give it up (or limit it) if that's what you think is best. But, it isn't necessary if you don't want to.

Man, I'm jealous of all you black coffee drinkers. I actually sacrifice almost 100 calories for my daily morning coffee. Now I'm wondering if I should attempt to try it black. Oh man, I'm getting nervous even thinking about it. Especially when the special holiday creamers will be coming out soon! :)

I agree that coffee itself is fine for us, as far as calorie counting goes. But if you feel it's affecting your health or you are dealing with caffeine addiction, it would be good to evaluate it.

Good luck on your cutting coffee mission! I hope you'll find it easier than you thought.

Lisa

Unna, I've definitely been there. How do you drink it?

Lisa, I'm with you! I cannot drink mine black, which is why I can't have it more than one a day. I allow myself a second cup if I'm REALLY dragging but I have to sacrifice 1/2 a snack or so.

My blood used to consist of coffee. Once a coworker joked that if you squeezed me, caffeine would leak from my pores. I was terrible- I'd go to Dunkin' Donuts once a day and get a HUGE coffee, and I'd make at least a pot a day. Oy. Over time I just cut back. I got a Keurig machine as a gift and the k-cups were so flippin' expensive (to a grad student, which I was at the time) that I started drinking two cups a day instead of a zillion.

When I started this job, I put the keurig machine on my desk. I'd say I use it about once a week in the afternoon, if I have the extra calories, and like I said, if I'm dragging. But you know what's crazy? If I start doing it on Monday, and then on Tuesday- by Wednesday, my body expects it.

You would have to pry my morning, pre-gym coffee from my cold, dead hands- but I'm pretty flexible about coffee later in the day, now.

I drink a cup or two in the morning. I either drink it black (usually if I'm eating something with it) or with a bit over a tablespoon of half and half (if I'm just having the coffee). No sugar---haven't had that in my coffee for about 20 years. I have two espressos at night with a teaspoon of Sambucca Romana in each. And like Lori Bell, I can sleep like a baby. Caffeine doesn't seem to affect my sleep at all.

Your coffee-drinking seems a lot like my husband. He drinks coffee all day long----and he's never had a weight problem. Sometimes I think he is so full of coffee that it curbs his appetite.

Today, an emotionally bad day, I stopped for an iced coffee at DD, and actually had cream. That's the first cream I've had in 10 weeks. I drank the entire coffee, leaving nothing but ice. It was sooo delicious.

i drink 3-4 cups of coffee a day black or with skim milk and find it doesn't effect my weight loss as long as i drink a glass of water for each cup of coffee

I love coffee- black, with cream, with sugar, however you serve it! I have had to cut back on the creamer, though, even though I LOVE me some coffeemate. I allow myself 1 coffee a day with a tbsp of coffeemate in it- 35 cal. After that, if I want more coffee, I either drink it black or with sf torani syrup in it.

I have to say that lately I have cut down my consumption a little bit without trying. I started using my bodum press, that honestly makes about 3 decent size mugs. I have it hot in the morning, throw the leftover in the fridge for the afternoon.
So most days, I have about 3 mugs, unless I'm out somewhere and get a cup or someone makes a cup for me.

Anyway..this is a cool thread! I LOVE coffee :D It's a smell that will wake me up in the morning if someones makes GOOD coffee. (I mean fresh beans, ground up. YUM!)

Lisa: I used to drink cream in my coffee as well. For whatever reason, I just decided to try it black a little bit. I have to say that I enjoyed it. Although, personally, it has to be good coffee. If it's "cheap" stuff then I let it cool and then drink it. For some reason when cheap coffee is hot it tastes worst than when it's chilled. LOL. Anyway... do what makes you happiest. Don't just cut out cream just to cut calories. I mean, if it works great. But, you may not enjoy it that way...

I suppose I'm a coffee 'binger' and I personally feel the bad results..... there is actually a point that you can reach (that I have reached), where you drink too much coffee and it actually has the opposite effect - it makes you tired.

For all of those who drink coffee until bedtime - I'm certainly not criticizing! In fact, I obviously love the taste too!

But, personally, in my body, it spurs on ravenous hunger pangs about 45min. after drinking. Definitely coming down from an insulin spike! So, that sort of sends me on a hungry - not hungry roller coaster the entire day.

I hope no one thinks I am saying coffee is bad! I'm just saying it is not helping me at all in my healthy efforts. Sort of like some people say carbs don't help them.... I, on the other hand, have no problems with whole grains. My body just was not made for too much coffee - whereas my boyfriend can drink much more and never complains of any bad side effects. I also can't drink alcohol - it causes my heart to race and I can't sleep.... so I obviously have funky blood!

I'm thinking I will switch to decaf in the afternoon or peppermint tea..... something soothing about sipping a warm drink....

I was just wandering if anyone else felt it was having a negative effect on their diet....

Thanks for the responses, I loved reading them! I don't feel so alone anymore!

I LOVE LATTAES!! I do not feel any quilt having one once a day. Regular with nonfat milk is only about a 120 calories and I get my calcium and vitamin D. I see it as a treat, especially when I feel like going off the wagon. (which has been happening all to often as of late, but here I am once agian:) Plus, coffee has a ton of antioxidents! I usually drink it black in the morning and then in the afternoon or evening I will have a lattae. :) First post in about a month, feels good to be back.

I drink coffee in the mornings. The only change I've made is to limit my creamer. I don't want to waste 100-200 calories on a drink. That's an afternoon snack!!

Try CLICK espresso protein powder, it's 120 cal, 5g sugar and 15g protein, plus it has caffeine so you still get your 'kick'--great option for the morning to replace both your breakfast and cup of joe! There are two flavors, mocha and vanilla latte, and you can buy them at The Vitamin Shoppe. They are very yummy :)

I love, love...did I mention LOVE my coffee! Personally it decreases my appetite. It is more of a treat than anything else for me. I WISH the caffeine would do something for me, especially since I work nights! I like mine light 'n sweet, I use low fat coffeemate & it ONLY has 10 calories per tablespoon and splenda to sweeten. I Love it...I think the sweetener takes some getting used to but you truly can aquire a taste for it if you stick with it. I haven't had white sugar for months and I actually don't miss it. That's saying a lot considering I used to have such a horrible sweet tooth!

I am one of those long-term extreme black coffee drinkers. I've read different things about it. Some things say that coffee drops your blood sugar, but other things say that effect is only from certain acids that are usually filtered out in our modern coffee-making methods. I don't know; it might, or it might not. I have always drunk coffee and always had lower blood sugar, which makes it hard for me to diet. But I'm not entirely sure it's coffee that does it. I have noticed some shaking after certain brands of coffee that I don't drink anymore. It's not caffeine because other kinds are fine. I just don't drink those certain brands anymore.

Also, beware and know what you are drinking or not. Starbucks regular blends can have more caffeine than their bold blends. People mistakenly assume that 'bold' means more caffeine but it's only the roast and flavor, not the caffeine. And even some decaf coffee has at least a little caffeine in it.

I've tried to switch some off to some tea to see if tea will have a weight loss effect. I've had 'real' people tell me that they lost weight when they switched their coffee over to green tea. I'm going to try both green tea and oolong tea. Different material say each one helps weight loss, and other things say neither one does. But I'm going to try for myself.

I wish I was able to drink coffee black. I have been trying to cut out as much dairy as possible. I just can't seem to cut out my "non dairy" creamer. Coffee is too strong otherwise. I keep trying though...

I love me my coffee. I like plain old store brand coffee. I add NFPM and either truvia or flavored syrup. I budget the calories for several cups a day. I drink high-test in the morning and decaf in the afternoon.

Coffee is my go-to crutch that I use to avoid eating between meals. I alternate with tea, depending on my mood. I'll admit that I break one of the dieter's cardinal rules (I really don't drink much plain water). But it seems to work for me.

When I drink coffee (while trying to lose weight), I usually drink it black with some sweet'n low and cinnamon sprinkled in. Sometimes I use the flavored creamers and try to get one with the lowest sugar I can find, and I'll use that maybe on a day where I'm having some cravings. I also have read that black coffee is a good thing to drink before working out, so I do that when I work out in the morning (along with a glass of water since it's a diuretic) :)