I've only recently (in the last two years or so) become a complete coffee addict. I find it to be extremely soothing and relaxing and it seems to work as an appetite suppressent for me as well. When I'm feeling a little hungry between meals or snacks and I know I don't really need to eat anything, I'll make a nice hot cup of coffee and that usually does the trick. I don't like the idea of all that caffeine though, it kind of goes against the whole healthy living idea, so I only drink 1/2 cafe during the day and strictly decafe after 5:00-6:00 p.m. I look at my coffee addiction as one of the few induldgences I allow myself because it really is like a treat to me, and I figure, hey, at least it's not chocolate cake or something, right? You gotta do whatever works for you and if having your coffee is important enough to you, then by all means, you should feel free to enjoy it, IMO. Plus, you've made the switch to 1/2 cafe, so at least you're trying, right?!

Beverly

I use coffee as an appetite control too when I get an urge to snack... After 2PM I stop drinking it because it prevents me from sleeping, I will drink hot water and a slice of lemon instead... When I drink alot of water I don't feel the need for coffee as much during the day...

Thanks for your replies! You both sound like you use it pretty much how I do...when I get an urge to snack, I make a cuppa. I love my coffee, so it's as much a treat as anything else I *could* be eating.

As I've said at work for years - I pour a lot of coffee! Seriously though, I drink several cups of coffee a day. One steaming hot and strong at home. One or two at work (though I probably pour 3 or 4). I usually stop drinking it after lunch, though I may have a latte if I happen to be out and about. Caffeine never used to bother my sleep, but I find as I get older it does, so unless I'm out I don't drink coffee at night unless it's decaf. I definitely find it does the trick if I'm looking for something as a treat or snack during the day. I don't find it to be as much an appetite supressant as a substitute.

Pat you hit it on the nose there : " I don't find it to be as much an appetite supressant as a substitute."

I have chronic insomnia and don't tolerate stimulants well at all. I have 1 mug of 1/2 cafe/1/2 decafe every morning, and that's it. From then on, it's herbal teas and water. I don't find that caffeine or lack of it has any effect on my appetite, but it sure has an effect on the quality of the rest of my life. Even with 2-3 cups, my prescriptions meds fail and I'm sleepless for a night.

Mel

Ah, Mel, you sound like my DH. He has chronic insomnia too, but I can't convince him to give up coffee. I should just start mixing it without telling him. He has been through many, many prescriptions trying to find one that will for more than a few days. The key is to find a balance between being able to sleep and being hung over with the meds the next morning.

I drink a lot of coffee and a lot of tea. So I guess I am getting probably faaaaar more caffeine than is good for me. But i'm not losing sleep over it (no pun intended :P)

I LOVE tea. Real tea, black tea made with tea leaves steeped in a pot served with little milk and sometimes a tiny drop of honey if i'm in a sweet mood...none of this piddly tea bag nonesense lol. Tea is ritualistic for me, very much a relaxant...comes from when I am at home my Mum, Dad and myself all sit and drink tea and discuss the state of the nation ususally at least 3 times a day.

Coffee on the other hand is something I tend to drink more often when I am at University. Not as a stimulant to keep me awake...coffee doesnt do anything for me in that respect...its just a little quicker to make. It's also more of a de-stresser, i tend to drink it quicker than tea, when I really need something to calm me a little.

Hmmm...this was a rather..err...longwinded way of saying no, I dont use coffee (or tea) as substitutes or to prevent eating. I just enjoy...yes, I may well be addicted but...meh...I'll live lol.

Livi

yes I do exactly the same I wish i didn't I get shakes in the morning now before i have tea or coffee. I prob drink 15 -20 cups a day. i'm trying to move to decaf but its very hard.

I stopped drinking coffee years ago. I can drink it occasionally but i would say - once a month or so. Recenly I started to drink more often as we got a very fancy coffee machine, but again, after 2 times the feeling was satisfied and I am back to my herbal teas and water. I personally find that coffee is addictive, and the less I drink it the less I want it. Living coffee-free is a great life. I guess I wuld never be able tod rink my water if I would drink 2x6cups cofee/day. See, coffee even though it is liquid, does not satisfy your water intake, as the more coffee you drink, the more water you require. Hence the less coffee you drink, the only water you need is 2l/day. I guess you will need to drink much more than 2l/day if you drink so much coffee.

Good luck, giving up coffee was one of the nicest things I did for myself. I do not have this coffe smell from my mouth anymore, my skin is nicer in color, my teeth are white, and if you calculate how much money you save on NOT drinking coffee, you will be sursprized.

Hi,

I agree with Sashenka on the coffee issue, coffee is a dehydrator.
I used to live on coffee but it was better not to drink as much as it raised my already too high cortisol (stress hormone) levels.
So now I have 1 cup of strong coffee in bed, first thing in the morning, and 1 cup of decal in the evening. For the rest I drink mainly hot water, which I like etter than tea. Also it makes it more easy to get the water in, although I still find it difficult to get the 2 l per day.

rabbit

Good Morning,
Coffee...ahhhhhh...love it. Must have it.

I did quit cold turkey when I was pregnant and never touched it for a year. But then started up again and now I'm about 1 to 2 mugs a day, 1/2 & 1/2. It doesn't seem to hurt or help me, I just love it. And once in a while I will brew a pot or buy a cup in the afternoon to get me over the hump.

Anne

I never drank much coffee until I starting losing the weight. I found coffee a useful tool to get through the afternoon. I'd get a cup right after lunch and nurse it a couple of hours. Now I usually just have a couple of cups in the morning, but that trip to Starbuck's is still a good way to satisfy the afternoon longing for something rich and sweet.

A friend claims that when she quit caffeine, her skin started looking a lot better, and her "cellulite" areas became smoother. I have no idea why caffeine would have an impact on cellulite, but she swears there's a direct correlation. Hmm.