coffee instead of soda?

tburgardt

I just had a baby 2 1/2 weeks ago and I also have a 5yo & 2yo. I am very tired and having a hard time waking up. I usually rely on soda to wake up. It just tatstes so good. Lol. But I know it's not good for me or my weight loss goals. So I've been drinking more coffee. Is that a better choice or no not really? And the tough part is the caffeine. I need it. I am addicted. So I can't just stop drinking cold Turkey.

ilex70

IMO, yes coffee is better as long as you don't load it up with high calorie junk.

Most regular soda has either high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweetener, both of which I prefer to avoid. So if I am splurging on a soda I like to get real sugar - usually a Mexican coke at a restaurant.

ETA: I do use a flavored coffee creamer (not good for you, and I know it), but I measure it and fit it into my calories for the day.

ETA 2: Also the soda is bad for your bone health.

leannamvaughan

Yep, coffee is better. One thought I had was that the energy you get from soda is probably a combo caffeine and sugar high. When you switch to coffee and take out the sugar (I think it's a good choice) you will probably feel a lag.

Sugar is super addictive and high amounts of processed sugars are very bad for you. It's a great idea to work them out of your diet.

LBuehrle8

I will be the unpopular person here and say if you can fit pop into your calorie allotment for the day then go for it. If coffee is easier for you to fit into your daily calories then I would try that. I don't think large amounts of pop is good for a person but if you want to have one and can fit it in then do it. I am not a coffee drinker but I love me a diet pop and I have one or two a day, still healthy, and still losing weight.

kimny72

LBuehrle8 wrote: »

I will be the unpopular person here and say if you can fit pop into your calorie allotment for the day then go for it. If coffee is easier for you to fit into your daily calories then I would try that. I don't think large amounts of pop is good for a person but if you want to have one and can fit it in then do it. I am not a coffee drinker but I love me a diet pop and I have one or two a day, still healthy, and still losing weight.

+1. If you like the soda and fits in your calories, it's not hurting your weight loss. If you are having a tough time sticking to your calorie goal and are looking for ways to save some unnecessary calories, then the coffee would be better, assuming you aren't adding in a lot of calories to the coffee.

tburgardt

I am trying to cut back on sugar. Everyday I will put less sugar in my cup. But I do use a French vanilla creamer

LBuehrle8

tburgardt wrote: »

I am trying to cut back on sugar. Everyday I will put less sugar in my cup. But I do use a French vanilla creamer

I would make sure you are weighing the creamer, unless it's a diet creamer, as those can be high calorie.

Nuke_64

Coffee with sugar and cream could easily have the same amount of calories as a soda. If it fits in your daily calories, either is fine, but coffee has a lot more caffeine.

What about diet soda and coffee with artificial sweetener? I do both, but are zero calorie (or nearly), no guilt pleasures.

kgirlhart

I put 2 tsp sugar and 2 tbsp half and half in my coffee and it has 70 calories for an 8 ounce cup. I drink 2 cups every morning so that is 140 calories which is the same as one 12 ounce Coke. If you really want the Coke then you can make room for one Coke per day in your calorie goal. If you want to drink black coffee then that will definitely have less calories and coffee does have more caffeine. Another option is Breakfast Tea. I like Irish Breakfast tea and I don't put anything in it so it is calorie free. But honestly I am not planning to give up my two cups of coffee every morning so I just work it into my daily goal.

chandanista

Congrats on the new little one!

So, this is my breakfast today; it's full of work coffee and so forth.


However. I will have a can of Coke Zero this afternoon. I have cut down from a Big Gulp to a can a day, and have no plans to cut further at this point.

If it fits and helps you reach goals then go for it!

WickedPineapple

I agree that coffee is probably a better choice versus pop, dependent on what you put in it. Personally, I put cream or soymilk and sugar in my coffee. I find artificial sweeteners disgusting, so have been slowly decreasing the amount of sugar I can tolerate. Using a light vanilla soy or almond milk are a nice lower calorie replacement for cream too. Also, if you're looking for caffeine, you might want to experiment with black tea.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

I don't drink coffee, but I do drink a lot of tea.

I had a long term diet coke habit, particularly in the summer. It gets pretty addictive when you drink it frequently, even with the overpowering artificial sweetener taste. I would sometime crave it after workouts in the evening, which would keep me up at night. (Exercise + caffeine = yowza!) As I have gotten (ahem) older, it has gotten harder on my stomach, which has finally gotten me to stop drinking Big Gulps every day in the summer.

Anyway, for me the best alternative is hot or iced tea, which has just about the same amount of caffeine. I sweeten with Nutrasweet, but much less than is in DC. I like iced tea with milk and Nutrasweet ("latte"), which has a nice amount of caffeine, is cool, and is easy on the stomach. Dunkin Donuts will sell it to you that way, although they look confused and offer to put in lemon as well (don't do it, it curdles the milk). Starbucks will also sell it that way at a higher price and better tea.

Why tea? There are hundreds of types. If you add in flavored teas, there are thousands. David's Tea sells an amazing variety of flavored teas which help to stave off hunger. (Purists don't like flavored teas, but luckily, I'm not a purist.)

tburgardt

To be honest I didn't even think about looking at the cream or even weighing it.

LBuehrle8 wrote: »

tburgardt wrote: »

I am trying to cut back on sugar. Everyday I will put less sugar in my cup. But I do use a French vanilla creamer

I would make sure you are weighing the creamer, unless it's a diet creamer, as those can be high calorie.

tburgardt

thank you. And your breakfast sounds really good. I haven't had grapefruit in idk how long!

chandanista wrote: »

Congrats on the new little one!

So, this is my breakfast today; it's full of work coffee and so forth.


However. I will have a can of Coke Zero this afternoon. I have cut down from a Big Gulp to a can a day, and have no plans to cut further at this point.

If it fits and helps you reach goals then go for it!

tburgardt

so I'm not a tea fan. I just don't like the flavor of just plan tea. I've tried hot and iced. Maybe I'll have to try the flavored maybe that will be my best bet.

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

I don't drink coffee, but I do drink a lot of tea.

I had a long term diet coke habit, particularly in the summer. It gets pretty addictive when you drink it frequently, even with the overpowering artificial sweetener taste. I would sometime crave it after workouts in the evening, which would keep me up at night. (Exercise + caffeine = yowza!) As I have gotten (ahem) older, it has gotten harder on my stomach, which has finally gotten me to stop drinking Big Gulps every day in the summer.

Anyway, for me the best alternative is hot or iced tea, which has just about the same amount of caffeine. I sweeten with Nutrasweet, but much less than is in DC. I like iced tea with milk and Nutrasweet ("latte"), which has a nice amount of caffeine, is cool, and is easy on the stomach. Dunkin Donuts will sell it to you that way, although they look confused and offer to put in lemon as well (don't do it, it curdles the milk). Starbucks will also sell it that way at a higher price and better tea.

Why tea? There are hundreds of types. If you add in flavored teas, there are thousands. David's Tea sells an amazing variety of flavored teas which help to stave off hunger. (Purists don't like flavored teas, but luckily, I'm not a purist.)

AspenDan

I've lost 85lbs, and quitting soda cold turkey was HUGE!! I never ate a lot, but I drank 300-800 calories a day in soda..I switched to MIO, which is a 0 calorie sweetened water additive, but then as winter came to Colorado, I switched to coffee with splenda..still basically 0 calories, but warm and very addicting! I loooove coffee now and am very happy to be done with soda's

nichalsont

tburgardt wrote: »

so I'm not a tea fan. I just don't like the flavor of just plan tea. I've tried hot and iced. Maybe I'll have to try the flavored maybe that will be my best bet.

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

I don't drink coffee, but I do drink a lot of tea.

I had a long term diet coke habit, particularly in the summer. It gets pretty addictive when you drink it frequently, even with the overpowering artificial sweetener taste. I would sometime crave it after workouts in the evening, which would keep me up at night. (Exercise + caffeine = yowza!) As I have gotten (ahem) older, it has gotten harder on my stomach, which has finally gotten me to stop drinking Big Gulps every day in the summer.

Anyway, for me the best alternative is hot or iced tea, which has just about the same amount of caffeine. I sweeten with Nutrasweet, but much less than is in DC. I like iced tea with milk and Nutrasweet ("latte"), which has a nice amount of caffeine, is cool, and is easy on the stomach. Dunkin Donuts will sell it to you that way, although they look confused and offer to put in lemon as well (don't do it, it curdles the milk). Starbucks will also sell it that way at a higher price and better tea.

Why tea? There are hundreds of types. If you add in flavored teas, there are thousands. David's Tea sells an amazing variety of flavored teas which help to stave off hunger. (Purists don't like flavored teas, but luckily, I'm not a purist.)

Too bad you don't like tea. It is my savior. I enjoy it iced or hot with sweet & low. Sometimes I add French Vanilla or Pumpkin Spice creamer to my hot tea. I use loose tea or bags, no bottled stuff. I rarely have sodas anymore.

DawnieB1977

I have 3 children (6, 4 and 21 months) and I drink a lot of coffee, and it hasn't slowed down my weight loss at all. My 21 month old has never slept through the night, and I work as a teacher, so caffeine is kind of essential lol. I just have milk in it, but obviously if you have loads of sugar it's not the best option. I'm not a fan of soda, and never have been, so I've never had to choose between coffee or soda. If you drink a decent coffee (I buy Nescafé Azera or Carte Noire Instinct) then you don't need to sweeten it.

maidengirl_

How about a zero calorie soda like Coke Zero or a sparkling water? I have tried it and honestly can't taste the difference between it and regular coke.

alecta337

I've been a pretty heavy coffee drinker for a few years (about 4-6 cups per day) always loaded up with creamer. I've recently switched to taking caffeine pills. I found some that are 200mg, which is about 2 regular cups of coffee. The pills also come in 100mg if you don't need a huge dose. If you look online theres a TON of pills that have caffeine + other "energy supplements". I suggest getting something that has 1 ingredient: caffeine.

I made the switch for 2 reasons:
1. I used to get free coffee, now I have to pay 2-4$/cup and a bottle of 80 caffeine pills costs ~5$ at Walmart. I usually take 2 pills per day, 1 in the am when I first get up and one when I used to have my second dose of coffee, right after lunch.
2. I realized how many calories I was getting from coffee, and it was just crazy. Caffeine pills have 0 calories.

tburgardt

I definitely know what you mean by a lot of coffee. Lol. I have a 5yo, 2 1/2yo, and now the newborn who just turned 3 weeks this past Friday.

DawnieB1977 wrote: »

I have 3 children (6, 4 and 21 months) and I drink a lot of coffee, and it hasn't slowed down my weight loss at all. My 21 month old has never slept through the night, and I work as a teacher, so caffeine is kind of essential lol. I just have milk in it, but obviously if you have loads of sugar it's not the best option. I'm not a fan of soda, and never have been, so I've never had to choose between coffee or soda. If you drink a decent coffee (I buy Nescafé Azera or Carte Noire Instinct) then you don't need to sweeten it.

Sued0nim

Diet soda, black coffee (or count the milk) and give yourself a break ...you should be resting and recovering not worrying about weight which has plenty time to come off

I would imagine a breakfast based on protein and carbs would help more ...try scrambled egg with ham and veg on toast or similar rather than a low fat yogurt and piece of fruit

callsitlikeiseeit

drink what you want as long as it fits.

and you just had a baby.

relax.

i drink at least one diet soda a day.and coffee.

the coffee is what keeps me from killing people, though.

TashaaaKayeee

I can't cut off coffee but I did cut off the cream. I use Silk Almond creamer. Less calories, no dairy, gluten free, only 3 sugars. Different flavors as well. Vanilla, hazelnut & caramel. it's delicious. & usually just drink coffee on my days off which is two days a week. I used to drink it all day everyday.

Katla49

I drink coffee and sweeten it with stevia. Most of the artificial sweeteners have health risks and stevia does not. It is not "sugary" and took a bit of getting used to but I like it now.

tburgardt

I can't relax Lol. I wish I could. I just can't sit and not do anything. I find something to clean every day. And I'm stuck in the house because I got into a car accident a week after I had the baby so I can't drive my car. I'm just used to not being home all day everyday.

Cynsonya

I drank a 20oz RedBull everyday for 10 years, 2-3 cups of coffee a day, and about 3 sweet teas and 3 Pepsi's. I was the textbook case of caffeine/sugar addiction. I work a very physically demanding job on my feet 50 hours a week. I felt like I HAD to have it. About a month and a half ago I said, "No more!" I had headaches for about two weeks. Now I'm fine and just crave water when I wake up. I'm actually amazed I could do it. You could too.

But there's really no reason to unless you just wanted to like I did. I think coffee is actually good for you as long as you don't add tons of cream and sugar. I'll still have a cup of coffee here and there but the dependence is gone.

Nuke_64

Katla49 wrote: »

Most of the artificial sweeteners have health risks

Not true.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/artificial-sweeteners/art-20046936

Lydilod

AspenDan wrote: »

I've lost 85lbs, and quitting soda cold turkey was HUGE!! I never ate a lot, but I drank 300-800 calories a day in soda..I switched to MIO, which is a 0 calorie sweetened water additive, but then as winter came to Colorado, I switched to coffee with splenda..still basically 0 calories, but warm and very addicting! I loooove coffee now and am very happy to be done with soda's

I quit soda cold turkey too, about two years age. Oh the headaches! I'm happy just drinking water most of the time but in the winter I like unsweetened Almond milk with a teaspoon on honey in it. I don't like coffee or tea, except the occasional fruit tea

shannie018

I used to drink up to a 2liter a day of Pepsi. I gave it up on February 1st. I drink coffee a couple times a day and I feel this is a better choice for me because I can control how much sugar I put in my coffee. I can't control how much sugar is in Pepsi. Personally, I believe coffee is better for me then all the Pepsi.

Joanna2012B

Katla49 wrote: »

I drink coffee and sweeten it with stevia. Most of the artificial sweeteners have health risks and stevia does not. It is not "sugary" and took a bit of getting used to but I like it now.

I use stevia too, have been for 15 years now. I did have to acquire a taste to it, but now I can't stand sugar. Coffee is your better choice, however, a soda in moderation is fine.