Hi,
Very new to this forum but I am trying to decide whether I should switch to tea as I've heard that coffee can actually contribute to weight gain and food cravings. Has anyone here given it up? If so do you feel it's made a difference in your ability to lose weight or do you feel its made no difference? I love coffee btw and don't want to give it up but I will if it will help I would appreciate your feedback. Thanks!

Several years ago I quit all the bad stuff and coffee was the first to go...not even for weight loss originally but for blood pressure reasons. I switched to black tea and my body responds better. The caffeine is just enough (about half of a cup of coffee) and I dont use sweeteners so my tea is ZERO calories in the morning. It feels like such an indulgent cheat too because I can buy any flavor I want and keep it zero calories without sweeteners.

The unexpected plus has been that my body has GRADUALLY learned not to rely so heavily on caffeine and instead derive energy more from my morning protein and greens.

Personal favorites are Yogi Green Tea Mint Garden, Bigelow Plantation Mint, Bigelow Pumpkin Spice (mmm), and most of the Twinings picks.

Hope this helps.

Coffee/Caffeine in moderation is NOT bad for you. There is no science to support any theory that says otherwise.

That said, anything done in EXCESS can be bad for you...and coffee is no exception to that rule!

I was just reading "Eat This Not That" last night and they actually mention how a cup of coffee is good for you. They say it helps up your metabolism. I am a self admitted coffee addict. A couple of weeks ago I had a horrible stomach virus. Since then coffee doesn't taste the same to me so I've gone from 3-5 cups a day to 1.

I lost 65 lbs in 2005 and back then I drank a lot of coffee everyday and was still using SUGAR at that time....and let me tell you....I have a side of coffee with my sugar and cream!

At the end of the day, everything in moderation yet more importantly, do what works for YOU. Each of our bodies are different Good luck.

I drink coffee every day. Mostly it is 3/4 or more decaf with just a bit of regular. I work the graveyard shift and nurse this "half decaf" through the night (till about 5am). It helps me stay alert and it especially helps curb the carb cravings that go with working through the night. On my days off I have a "half decaf" to start the day but that's more for the taste than anything else. I don't drink soda or non-herbal tea (I have tried to pick up the green tea habit but so far it hasn't taken).

I was curious about this too, so thanks for the responses!

I think the issue with coffee is those that use cream and sugar in their coffee. I drink tea but I drink it plain. A lot of people also drink coffee black.

I drink my coffee black, so I've never been concerned about it from a weight loss perspective, but earlier this fall I did stop drinking it for about 8 weeks, as I was concerned by how dependent I'd become on it.

The short version - I started drinking coffee again by the beginning of December, and was happy to have it again. I love the taste (good black coffee, to me, is delicious and saisfying) and I am a much more pleasant, energetic person after my morning cup. I'm trying to stick to a total of 24 ounces (2 of my 12 oz. tumblers) a day, but that's not unreasonable.

Personally, the only positive side-effect for me of going off coffee was that I had no caffeine related headaches. As it is now, I occasionally get a headache on Saturday mornings, when my morning cup is delayed by a couple of hours.

Also, and in the realm of TMI (sorry!) my bathroom habits are much more regular when I'm drinking coffee. This is true even if fiber and liquid intake and exercise are the same, so the only thing I can attribute this to was the lack of coffee.

I stopped drinking coffee as I thought I could see a definitive link between my caffeine consumption and my cravings. I drink green tea - which does have caffeine in it - because I could never live without hot drinks.
I think everyone is different, but if you suspect it triggers cravings for you why not give it up for a month or so and see for yourself if it makes a difference?

I love coffee and would never give it up. I lost all my weight despite drinking coffee every day I jst do it in moderation.

Only downfall: travelling. not always easy to find a cup of (NORMAL!) coffee in some places of the world. So I got the headache.

I find that coffee (more than one cup a day) increases my anxiety so I am trying to go decaf again...I'm at half caf now. That said, I'm a bit less hungry with the 2 or so cups a day.

I just can't give up my morning coffee. I drink it strong with a tablespoon of Carnation Sweet Itallian Creamer. The creamer is 35 calories per serving and I measure so as to not go over.

The rest of the day, I've replaced my coffee with green tea. Sometimes I drink it cold, sometimes hot and always with fresh lemons.

I have not noticed any less on an appetite even though I'm drinking about 5 cups of green tea a day. Does it matter what kind of green tea you buy in order to get the full health benefits? Does anyone drink tea that is not bagged and then strain it?

Hello! I skim these forums once in a while and thought I'd reply. I've gotten very heavy into tea lately, and before that, heavy on coffee. I do notice that tea or coffee increases appetite after the initial filling factor, but from what I've learned, it's because they are diuretics. If you drink water as well to offset the tea/coffee you should be fine. Like someone else mentioned, black coffee and plain tea help out with metabolism, so nothing wrong with enjoying your drinks just be light on the additions

I drink a lot of coffee, all black. My doctor is okay with that because my BP is fine. I never cut down through my weight loss or in maintenance. It certainly seems all the added calories may be the real issue.

Hi everyone! I am a coffee lover. I drink it with sugar and creamer. I add the calories and apply them to my daily allowance. Drinking coffee actually keeps hunger and cravings down for me. My blood sugar levels, BP, and all other blood work came back completely normal the end of December.
I am going to try something new to try and lessen my coffee calories ...I'm going to drink my coffee using a smaller cup and use 1/2 of the regular amount of sugar and creamer. I will see if that will help me lose 2 Lbs. a week instead of 1 Lb. every 7-8 day's.
It's worth a try