Coffee

leslieraeann

Do you count homemade coffee with no creams or sugars as water or do you count only water?

PrizePopple

Brewed coffee still has a few calories. I make an Americano at home, so I log the 2 shots of espresso and then add the added water to my daily water intake.

ourtruelovewillneverdie

I count it. The calories are small but there are still calories in it. Sometimes I add my coffee to the water consumption, other times I dont.

Lourdesong

I drink Maxwell House. The calories are so negligible in coffee that MH doesn't even bother putting a nutrition label on the packaging.
And I don't log water or coffee.

VeryKatie

You can log it as water but some people choose not to because it is a diuretic.

leggup

leslieraeann wrote: »

or do you count only water?

Are you asking if people count the calories in coffee, or are you asking if people log coffee as water?

I do not log my water any more now that I know I drink close to a gallon every day. Once you get into a routine of drinking enough water when you're thirsty, there's really no need.

As for counting calories in coffee, I don't because I have 2 cups of black coffee a day and I always end the day 50-100 calories under my limit.

echofm1

If I drank black coffee I wouldn't log it. I also don't log Crystal Light or plain tea. The amount of calories in any of them won't realistically affect weight loss, unless you drink gallons a day. Whether you log it as water depends on you. The counting tool is just there for you. Do you want to make sure you're getting enough liquid in a day, or are you trying to increase how much water you drink? If you have a specific goal, such as drinking more plain water, only log the actual water you drink.

bohoT

I log my coffee as food – there a few calories in it that could add up if you drink enough. I don’t count it as water intake. Personally coffee makes my body feel less hydrated. Plus I need the reminder to drink less coffee and more water. That is just my personal choice based on my body – I don’t know that there is any science to back that up.

BoutThatBass

I do log coffee as food, and I absolutely don't count it as water - because of the caffeine, coffee's actually dehydrating. One summer when I worked a physical-labor-type job in the outdoor heat, I actually had a supervisor tell me that for every cup of coffee I drank, I needed to drink an additional cup of water to avoid dehydration, and that definitely turned out to be true for me.

nickatine

I drink my coffee black with half a packet of splenda, or sugar twin. I don't log it as the calories are so miniscule

VeryKatie

I feel like logging coffee as water is similar to logging an apple as water. Both have water as a main "ingredient", both medically add to your daily water intake. But would you log every juicy fruit and veggie as water?

SueInAz

VeryKatie wrote: »

I feel like logging coffee as water is similar to logging an apple as water. Both have water as a main "ingredient", both medically add to your daily water intake. But would you log every juicy fruit and veggie as water?

To look at this in reverse, if you ate the coffee beans (yes, they are edible) and drank the water would you count the water? The "diuretic" effect of coffee is negligible; the amount of water far overcomes the slightly diuretic properties of the caffeine.

In addition to all of that, our bodies need about 64 ounces of water each day which includes the water that is in the food we eat. You do not need to drink 64 ounces of pure water every day. If you choose to, great, but don't think that you must do it to lose weight, because you don't. You should, however, drink a bit more if you live in a hot climate and replace water lost as sweat during workouts but again, that water can come from any source.

Short answer, I don't drink coffee and I don't track my water intake but if I did, I would count anything I drink as water, including coffee.

yoovie

when i use my MFP food diary, i track coffee as coffee - it was the first thing I found when I got the app. BAM! coffee (black) - I didn't add it to the water counter thing cause then i would have been tracking it twice, ya know?

Aliceyogi

I log EVERYTHING!!!! There is more to life than calories and I often use MFP to track how I am feeling before/during/after workouts as well as just through out the day. By logging everything it is easier to keep track of your overall lifestyle. Also if any one is looking to cut back on coffee but loves the taste try roasted barley. I use Robarr and while it is caffeine free I am still able to get a great taste of coffee which I love without the caffeine later in the day. Also I noticed I didn't have to put in any additional cream or sugars. I would never count anything I drink as water EXCEPT water. Its good to know how much just water you drink.

makeupandthings

I don't log it as food or water when I drink it black. If I drink with milk then I'll log it as food. At the end of the day, 10 kcals are not going to make the difference for me, although 100 kcals might. I never actually log any water intake, but I never had any difficulties reaching my daily water intake.

lemurcat12

I don't log it. It's not that many calories and is basically the same day to day. If this means my real calorie limit is even as much as 25 calories above what I think it is, eh. (I drink it black.)

nicsflyingcircus

I log my black coffee and it's add ins. I do not count it in my water consumption.

lfrazier2482

I log my coffee. It's an easy thing to do when I use the "multi add" feature in the morning when I make breakfast. Yea it's only a few calories but also adds potassium which helps when I am looking at my nutrition chart at the end of the day.

SCV34

I log water as water and nothing else. Coffee and other drinks go in my beverage section of my diary.

sullus

BeanByDesign wrote: »

I do log coffee as food, and I absolutely don't count it as water - because of the caffeine, coffee's actually dehydrating. One summer when I worked a physical-labor-type job in the outdoor heat, I actually had a supervisor tell me that for every cup of coffee I drank, I needed to drink an additional cup of water to avoid dehydration, and that definitely turned out to be true for me.

This information is incorrect. Coffee and Caffeine are not dehydrating, and hydrating with caffeinated beverages is just as effective as hydrating with plain water.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15467100
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16131696
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21450118

silentKayak

Why are you logging water? If you're trying to create a habit of drinking more water, then don't log coffee as if it were water. Only track things that contribute to your goals.

KylaDenay

When I log coffee, it's like 5 calories, so I just forget about it and log the creamer.

CindyMarcuzAdams

The way I log coffee is if I have 2 coffees I will log is as one water. Back in the old days of weight watchers I seem to recall that non water liquids could be counted as half.

TimothyFish

I don't log it, at all. I'm not worried about a little inaccuracy. I'm trying to lose weight, not write a scientific paper.