Coffeeeeee!

Sassy_xo

I've heard so many conflicting opinions on this one, so I wanted to post this and let this amazing community of people weigh in...
what do ya'll think of coffee? Is it good or bad for you? What do you mix in yours to make it taste good without upping the calorie count to a ridiculous amount? What's your go to healthy order at Starbucks (or your coffee chain of choice)? And does anyone else find that coffee causes them excessive bloating, especially when consumed on an empty stomach?

I'd love to hear your answers to one or all questions Thanks in advance!

kpw818

I drink coffee everyday. Multiple cups. There are plenty of studies showing its benefits, as well as issues. I don't drink soda, sweetened juice, sweetened coffee, dairy products, or much alcohol, so I figure I'm good with my coffee habit.

I sometimes add a teeny bit of almond milk in coffee, but I usually drink it black.

At Starbucks, I will get a coffee with half inch of soy or a soy latte (rarely). I never add sweetener.

Don't know about the bloating. I'll drink a cup before earlier workouts and runs and see to be fine.

janejellyroll

I drink black coffee or espresso daily. Learning to love the taste of coffee was a turning point for me. You save the calories and it is really, really delicious. I gave never noticed bloating. My first thought is this may be related to what you are adding to the coffee.

juggernaut1974

I live on at least 4 cups of coffee every morning.

But I drink it black. Coffee itself has very little in the way of calories, but if you add a bunch of stuff to it, the calories can pile up.

I'm also lucky in that caffeine doesn't really affect me, but for some people it can.

Sassy_xo

I prefer my coffee on the sweeter side, so I normally add a little unsweetened vanilla almond milk and sweetener. I used to add Equal, but have since been warned of the dangers and negative side effects of it, so have switch to Stevia.

Minxgal86

I work at Starbucks actually, so trying to balance healthy eating with your diet can be challenging. Plain coffee is best. Everything else is just calories from there. I like my Pike Place with one pump of Cinnamon Dolce syrup, but then I know the calories I'd have to make up for it later. They do have vanilla soy and coconut milk if you want to cut and have some kind of cream if not drinking it black. I usually drink my one cup of coffee at home, and then just drink water to hydrate myself at work so I'm not hoped up on coffee. Never heard about the bloating, though. I usually always eat oatmeal with my morning cup.

Justygirl77

It can be hard on your adrenals, if you are already stressed. I drink it rarely. But it's definitely delicious and fun to drink sometimes! I prefer cream only.

sistrsprkl

LOVE coffee. I drink about 3 cups in the am at home w/ 2% milk. Later in the day, I may buy another drip or iced and add half & half. I don't experience any negative side effects, it gives me energy for my workouts and to keep up with my kids.

DawnieB1977

I drink a lot of coffee (a prerequisite with 3 young kids I think) and it hasn't affected my weight loss. I buy decent coffee - Nescafé Azera or Carte Noire instinct - and drink it with a small bit of whole milk.

If I drink coffee out I either get a skinny cappuccino or an americano. I like Costa or Caffe Nero (in the UK). I'm not keen on Starbucks as I think the coffee is crap, but if I do go there I like their skinny caramel macchiato or a caramel light frappuccino.

who4fan

I drink two cups every morning with fat free half and half and splenda. I could not drink it any other way. I haven't had any problem with bloating at all. I don't go to Starbucks because their coffee, for me, is too bitter. I occasionally go to Dunkin Donuts for a post workout iced coffee, but I drink it with whole milk and splenda. My coffee is my salvation many days, I am 51and I have a 4 year old daughter, I won't be giving it up any time soon!

nickatine

me personally couldn't live without it .

jj_steele

I love coffee! I drink, on average, a cup a day. It's usually an eight ounce cup of Starbucks French Roast with a tablespoon of International Delight creamer (various flavors). An eight ounce cup is only about 40 calories. On occasion, I do take my coffee black and I really appreciate a good cup of black coffee, but I prefer milk or some other type of creamer in my coffee.

When I buy a coffee drink from a Starbucks store it's usually a treat. My favorite is a caramel macchiato. Every now and then I will order a coffee of the day and use half and half as my creamer and perhaps sprinkle in a little cocoa powder or cinnamon...great taste and a lot fewer calories than my CM! However, I have not had a coffee drink from a Starbucks store since I started my health/fitness journey.

Sometimes, I use my flavored creamers and/or flavored syrups (and a little whipped cream) to make homemade versions of my favorite coffee drinks. I find that my homemade versions have significantly fewer calories than the store/restaurant purchased versions and more importantly, I ensure that my homemade version fits within my calorie goal for the day. CICO.

P.S. This is simply what I do. I make no claims that this is healthy or good for you.

missh1967

Black coffee. Yum. Lots of it.

yogi323

I love coffee. I don't drink it daily, but I drink it a few times a week. I drink home brewed starbucks, with unsweetened vanilla almond milk (about 20 calories worth) and stevia (My favorite no calorie sweetener.) When I got to starbucks I normally just get a tea and use my own stevia to sweeten.

GoPerfectHealth

Black coffee. It's good for you! It may be an acquired taste. I've never used cream of sugar, so I don't feel like I am missing anything. For a lot of people coffee is really dessert.

MindySaysWhaaat

I think coffee isn't bad in general, but overdoing it could be bad. I don't drink it often, but if I'm out with friends and they want to go for it, my suggestions are as follows.

Starbucks: I like the skinny cinnamon dulce iced latte or the skinny hazelnut iced latte. To make them a bit sweeter (since they're sugarfree) I'll have them switch out the skim milk with soy milk. This does make them a bit more calories, but I think the middle size (grande?) is less than 200 calories.

McDonalds: I like the sugarfree vanilla iced coffees. I think the largest one is 160 calories, and the 16oz one is 120 calories.

shawnmichaelhartwell

Personally, I follow a set of rules with coffee(since its a stimulant.)

1. Don't drink after 2pm to prevent effects on meletonin(the sleep hormone.)
2. Good fats are, well GOOD, so feel free to add in creams. Make sure to maintain calories and macronutrient goals.
3. Never, ever drink before, after, or during a meal for 1 hour or more to allow magnesium yo be absorbed by the body(caffeine blocks uptske of magnesium.)

Even when following this set of best practices I rarely drink coffee. I would say it's perfectly fine to drink but attention should be paid so that you treat it like any other item in your diet.

morgiedoll333

While everyone is right that black coffee saves you tons of calories... I just can't do it.
At home I usually use 2-3 tablespoons of original coffeemate creamer (40-60 cal).
At Starbucks I either get a skinny vanilla latte (grande, 120 cal);
or an iced coffee, sweetened with cream (meaning they put a few pumps of simple syrup in it and add cream) for 120 cal.

Hope that helps!

jmichaelminton

I drink black coffee with or without Splenda. It is an acquired taste, though.

Dotz4skinny

The way I drink my coffee depends on my mood. I currently take mine with a tablespoon of nondairy coffee creamer, a dash of cinnamon, and a tablespoon (sometimes less) of a combination of molasses and agave nectar syrup. All of this usually totals at around 100 calories or less! Summertime, I cut out the creamer completely and just pour it over ice.

Dotz4skinny

Oh, and here's a calorie free tip for those of you who hate drinking black coffee: TEA! However big cup you desire, fill it with hot water, then load it up with any highly caffeinated teas (black, English breakfast, green, Earl Grey...). I personally don't like sugar in my tea, but you can add some if you want. Either way it's not nearly as harsh as most black coffees tend to be, so this should help!

DC_TheDrivah1

I add 1/2 cup of Silk cashew milk to my coffee. I think it adds about 12cal.

xmarye

When I started out my journey, I noticed that one really bad habit I had was my 3-4 coffees a day. I used to get Tim Horton's large double double, which racks up 300cals each. So I had to stop having it. When I make my coffee at home with 2 tbsp of cream and sugar it amounts to 62cals. I still occasionally have my Timmies, but I make it a treat and only order a small or medium (150-200cals). It's good to develop awareness and tweak accordingly to your goals!

juggernaut1974

DC_TheDrivah1 wrote: »

I add 1/2 cup of Silk cashew milk to my coffee. I think it adds about 12cal.

1/2 cup of milk in coffee? So is that coffee flavored with milk, or milk flavored with a little coffee??

belimawr

Black coffee all the way here. Never milk. Never sugar or sweetener. For cups or more a day.

thomasjohnlynch

A nice legal high, even decaf as its de-caffeinated but not caffeine free. I am hooked of course <blush>. And the oils, acids, stimulants, diuretics just keep pounding my adrenals, kidneys, intestinal track, circulatory systems etc. Just like the dairy industry, the studies we ALL want to see keep getting funded and telling us how it stimulates the brain, improves everything, weight loss........yeah sure got it. Its an addiction, and its got lots of chemicals, and ingredients all you have to do is look independently at it (without that 3rd cup in your hand) . the proof of course is its usage and abuse. https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/us-sales-coffee-energy-drinks_chartbuilder.png?w=1024&h=575 A LOT of people are breaking the habit to slightly a bit better product? Tea? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/09/03/america-is-slowly-but-surely-becoming-a-nation-of-tea-drinkers/ yep had some today........maybe a 12 steps program?

FluffySandwich

I am pretty much a coffee addict. Love the stuff! I usually drink it black or with a spoonful of cream if I have any, never any sugar. Actually, I take that back. I find that Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condense milk is very good, but I usually can't stand sugar in my coffee.

If I drink it on an empty stomach, sometimes I start feeling nauseated. I think I'm starting to get used to that now, though.

OOH, ALSO: If you add coconut oil to your coffee and blend it up in the blender so it emulsifies, it gets frothy on the top and tastes so good... almost feels like a cappucino, and those are healthy fats in there. I also heard that if you add grass fed butter to your coffee, the caffeine will stay in your system longer.

beemerphile1

I drink a half gallon or more of coffee every day. I use only a pinch of sugar per cup and count it as water.

Absolute_Hot_Mess

Coffee is like air. Adapting to no coffee would surely destroy me.

turbosad

A cup of black coffee every weekday.

Chappieswife1

I can't live without my coffee. I love the frozen and iced coffee so I blend my cold coffee with my vanilla protein powder and put it over ice. I am not a breakfast eater so this solves my breakfast issue, flavors my coffee and gets my protein count up.