Coffee a day?

kelsierose094

I've heard an equal amount of good AND bad things about having a coffee a day...and by coffee i mean things like lattes or cappuccinos. I buy one every day whether it's on my way to work in the mornings, or at my local cafe on the weekends. I get a skinny cappuccino with no chocolate.. but I've seen some things saying that coffee links with depression, and "weight gain" (though I'm assuming thats excessive coffee-drinking, and because of the milk and sugar etc). What are your thoughts - is a latte/cappuccino/flat white a day okay?

I shall cry if the answer is no :laugh:

JesterMFP

As far as weight gain/loss/maintenance goes, I think it's a case of fitting it into your calories. As far as nutrition goes, if you're on a very tight calorie restriction, taking up a large portion of that with lattes could be an issue if it stops you getting the other nutrients you need. Otherwise though, you can definitely fit it into an overall balanced diet.

As far as mental health etc. from what little I've read (so take it with a pinch of salt) I think it depends on how sensitive to caffeine you are. Too much can be a problem, especially for people with anxiety. I have depression and anxiety, but I don't find a moderate amount of caffeine to cause me any problems. I drink tea most days, and one or two (strong, black) coffees a few days a week. My intake varies over time, and I haven't noticed any link between that and my symptoms. I don't think I'm particularly sensitive to caffeine though, because I can go days without and not experience any withdrawal symptoms.

If you are already consuming a coffee a day, and don't have problems with depression, then I wouldn't worry about it. It sounds like your daily coffee is something you really enjoy, so I don't see any compelling reason to cut it out.

kelsierose094

As far as weight gain/loss/maintenance goes, I think it's a case of fitting it into your calories. As far as nutrition goes, if you're on a very tight calorie restriction, taking up a large portion of that with lattes could be an issue if it stops you getting the other nutrients you need. Otherwise though, you can definitely fit it into an overall balanced diet.

As far as mental health etc. from what little I've read (so take it with a pinch of salt) I think it depends on how sensitive to caffeine you are. Too much can be a problem, especially for people with anxiety. I have depression and anxiety, but I don't find a moderate amount of caffeine to cause me any problems. I drink tea most days, and one or two (strong, black) coffees a few days a week. My intake varies over time, and I haven't noticed any link between that and my symptoms. I don't think I'm particularly sensitive to caffeine though, because I can go days without and not experience any withdrawal symptoms.

If you are already consuming a coffee a day, and don't have problems with depression, then I wouldn't worry about it. It sounds like your daily coffee is something you really enjoy, so I don't see any compelling reason to cut it out.

I have anxiety as well - and I haven't noticed any links. Because I have one a day, I thought maybe i'd be relying on it too much...but whenever I do go without I feel perfectly fine! Thank you, I'm glad I can still enjoy them. I love the vibe of cafes, therefore I always go to them...and a coffee is probably the most healthy thing there :laugh:

CassieReannan

I used to drink a lot of coffee a day (hello!! nursing student here!! :laugh: ) but now I limit myself to a couple a week. A coffee once a day won't hurt you though, apparently it's good for you.

Hexahedra

Caffeine speeds up your metabolism, and as such actually helps in weight loss. What doesn't help is the heavy cream, sugar, caramel, and whatever calorie dense stuff added to your coffee.

PattyReid92

Personally I use coffee and tea to help weight loss, I personally find it helps inhibit hunger quite well (Caffeine has been proven to have mild hunger suppression qualities). I have around 3 coffee's a day, more if things are getting difficult at work.

d9123

i drink coffee as a preworkout

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

I normally drink 1-3 cups a day with splenda and one or two tsp of powdered creamer. I've lost weight just fine.

alisonlynn1976

Caffeine is neuroprotective. I feel good about having my 2 cups of black coffee per day. I'll get a latte or something once in a while, but most days I feel like I don't need those extra calories.

patentguru

I cannot go without my 2-4 cups coffee, latte, etc.

diaryofaskinnygirl

If calories are a concern, choose a cappuccino over a latte. The foaming process of the cappuccino also doubles the volume of the milk, making it less calorie dense than the latte. In the cafe I work for , a tall skinny cappuccino is 68 cals.

Be warned though, in some cafes, like the work I work in, "skinny" means low fat, not non-fat. So ask for non-fat if you want to be extra careful.

icemaiden17_uk

You can pry my coffee out of my cold dead hands!!

I suffer with anxiety and noticed no reduction or increase relating to caffeine intake! And I now take my coffee with only 1 sugar instead of the 2 I used to and I am happy with that for the rest of my days! In relation to it linking to weight gain I'm not sure I believe that claim. My OH drinks nothing but coffee all day every day with 2 sugars in it and he is verging on very under weight. (I kinda hate him for this as he is a grade a pig as well )

Still, my point is that if you fit it into your calories and you see no ill effects just roll with it and pay no heed to pseudoscience.

dltaylorii

Not much into the lattes and such. More of a dark roast / americano kinda guy.

m0jk

love my coffee latte's etc.. i NEED IT! I used to have 6-10 mugs a day.. started this diet a week ago and cant drink it black with no sugar so cut down to 1 in the morning and twinnings green tea fruit infusions the rest of the day. I REALLY HATE TEA :P