Coffee- Give it up or not at all?

DianaGabriela2013

I don't want to give up my coffee for good, so should I not give it up at all?

I've been trying to lose weight for 3 weeks now. I gave up coffee and am drinking green tea instead. Can I do this for 3-4 months? yes. But I will not give it up for good. Should I just make it fit into my calorie goal now? Or make it fit into my calorie goal ONCE I hit maintenance?

I guess I should add I have my coffee with cream. I've tried it black, I've tried cutting down to normal servings of cream...lol. What can I say, my creamy coffee is my guilty pleasure. I look forward to it every morning and makes me happy : )

Spliner1969

It's not the coffee that's the problem for most people, it's the cream and sugar, flavorings, etc. It makes it a very high calorie drink. I still drink it when I'm not using a pre-workout, but I use stevia and no creamer or limit the amount of low/no fat creamer I use.

gamerbabe14

If it makes you happy, why get rid of it? Fit it into your calorie goal. Look at my diary, all of my coffee calories are very, very reasonable.

Polo265

I agree with gamerbabe. Why give it up? I use a tblsp of half and half in each cup @ 20 calories each. I figure I'm in this for the long haul and I intend to fit all of my food 'needs' aka loves into my calorie goal.

Ready2Rock206

Good lord - why would anyone give up coffee?!! If you need to find a less calorie dense cream, use less sugar or whatever but there's no reason to give up coffee. I use a packet of truvia, sugar free torani syrup and 1/2 cup of unsweetened vanilla nut milk (usually almond or cashew) in mine - 20 calories or so depending on the syrup (some have 5 calories) and the milk I use. Even if you spend 100 calories on cream and such you should be able to fit that in your day.

MegaMooseEsq

I would fit it into your calorie goal now - I kind of see this entire process as working towards the eating and exercise habits I'll use to maintain, so if coffee with cream is important to you, I'd get used to having it as part of your daily allowance. Just make sure you're measuring your cream accurately. Also, just to be clear, you're not drinking green tea because you think it has special fat-burning properties, right? Because that's woo. It's perfectly fine to drink if it fills you up and is a happy substitute for drinks with calories, but if you don't like the taste, any zero cal drink will serve the same purpose.

OliveGirl128

Coffee has almost no calories, just learn how to drink it black, (a high quality bean really helps with this), or find low calorie add -in options. Definitely no reason to cut it out though

DianaGabriela2013

MegaMooseEsq wrote: »

I would fit it into your calorie goal now - I kind of see this entire process as working towards the eating and exercise habits I'll use to maintain, so if coffee with cream is important to you, I'd get used to having it as part of your daily allowance. Just make sure you're measuring your cream accurately. Also, just to be clear, you're not drinking green tea because you think it has special fat-burning properties, right? Because that's woo. It's perfectly fine to drink if it fills you up and is a happy substitute for drinks with calories, but if you don't like the taste, any zero cal drink will serve the same purpose.

No, I like it because its warm. Ha ha.

juliehmaui2016

I couldn't give up my AM coffee; it's something I look forward to every morning. I did give up the sugar in it but I use cream, 15ml every day and for me it's totally worth it. Everyone is different though and you have to decide if it's worth the calories or not.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

What about replacing your cream with half & half or milk?

DebLaBounty

Half and half (40 calories) plus sugar free Torani syrup in any flavor you like, twice a day = 80 calories. If you substitute almond milk instead, it's less. I log this into MFP the first thing every morning, it fits within my calorie budget, and I am so happy to have my coffee ritual.

Javagal2778

If you love coffee, don't give it up! Do as others suggested and find a way to make it work in your calories.

Spartan_Gingi

I've just made it work. I love coffee too much to give it up.

the_reserve

It's not a big deal, you can have it every 2nd day or go without for a week, or a month, and then you will enjoy it more when you have another one after a short break. Just know you arent compelled to have to have it every day

MysticGoalie

No need giving up any foods / drinks.

K8style

Have you tried Bulletproof Coffee? I just tried it for a week and my weight started moving again. You should check it out!

OliveGirl128

K8style wrote: »

Have you tried Bulletproof Coffee? I just tried it for a week and my weight started moving again. You should check it out!

That would add calories, which goes against what the op is trying to accomplish....

peaceout_aly

DianaGabriela2013 wrote: »

I don't want to give up my coffee for good, so should I not give it up at all?

I've been trying to lose weight for 3 weeks now. I gave up coffee and am drinking green tea instead. Can I do this for 3-4 months? yes. But I will not give it up for good. Should I just make it fit into my calorie goal now? Or make it fit into my calorie goal ONCE I hit maintenance?

I guess I should add I have my coffee with cream. I've tried it black, I've tried cutting down to normal servings of cream...lol. What can I say, my creamy coffee is my guilty pleasure. I look forward to it every morning and makes me happy : )

I've been into fitness since high school and have never even thought about giving up coffee. I actually depend on it for pre-workout many days. Coffee and espresso are about 0-5 calories x serving. Skim milk is a good alternative for cream with a little more protein and less calories. 1-2 packets of sugar is (I think) 15-30 calories. Starbuck's has awesome sugar and calorie free options. Check out BDawnFit on Instragram (or Brittany Dawn on Youtube) she has videos about all the low cal coffee options at Starbuck's.

dragon_girl26

How many calories did you normally consume in coffee each day (including cream, sugar, etc), OP?

snickerscharlie

DianaGabriela2013 wrote: »

I don't want to give up my coffee for good, so should I not give it up at all?

I've been trying to lose weight for 3 weeks now. I gave up coffee and am drinking green tea instead. Can I do this for 3-4 months? yes. But I will not give it up for good. Should I just make it fit into my calorie goal now? Or make it fit into my calorie goal ONCE I hit maintenance?

I guess I should add I have my coffee with cream. I've tried it black, I've tried cutting down to normal servings of cream...lol. What can I say, my creamy coffee is my guilty pleasure. I look forward to it every morning and makes me happy : )

You can pry my morning cuppa from my cold, dead hands, so I hear you!

If that one cup with lots of cream is worth it to you, have it. Just log it honestly.

Life is much too short to completely abandon the small pleasures in it.

Christine_72

The milk i add to my tea everyday adds up to 240 calories, it's just something i make fit as i'll never give it up, plus it adds to my protein and fat goals. I've learnt to drink my coffee black, I add a tsp of xylitol for sweetness.

Moxie42

I've found that cold brew coffee is smoother than regular coffee- it's not as acidic and harsh. It's the only coffee I can drink black without my stomach getting upset. Maybe cold brew would require less sugar/cream additives for you and therefore reduce the cals?

I bought a cold brew kit from Bed Bath and Beyond (basically a pitcher with a fine-mesh infuser included)- I think it was maybe $30, and I can use regular ol' coffee in it, so other than the initial cost of the kit, I don't spend any extra money in order to have cold brew, and it lasts 2 weeks in the fridge so I waste less coffee than when I was brewing pots everyday.

cerise_noir

Me give up coffee?

Hahahahahahaha....no.

kshama2001

I've turned coffee into breakfast by adding protein, fiber, and fat.

CindyWard2

Life is not worth living if I can't have my 2 cups with 2 tsp sugar and 2 Tbs creamer. I feel 150 calories a day is a small price to pay to keep myself out of prison...because if I couldn't have coffee I just may kill the first person who comes at me early every morning!!

teebeegeebee

Coffee is my lifeline, I switched to decaf with a pod machine, and I add almond milk. all up each cup is 75 calories.
losing the caffeine took a while
I still take an espresso with caffeine 30mins before i train to elevate my heart rate

kgirlhart

I have 2 cups daily each cup has 2 tsp sugar and 2 tbsp half and half. So at 70 cals per cup that is 140 calories per day. For me that is non negotiable. If you love your coffee and it makes you happy then just make it fit your calorie goal. There is no need to cut out anything you love. You might just need to cut down the portion sizes.

Machka9

I drink 2-3 cups of black coffee every day. No plans to give it up.

I have tried green tea, but don't particularly like it. I prefer Lady Grey, French Grey, Chai Rooibos, Lemon Ginger, and flavoured Chamomile. All "black" ... occasionally with a tiny bit of Stevia.

CynthiasChoice

You say you have a lot of cream? How much? Could you cut down gradually?
I switched from coffee with milk and sugar to decaf with 1 cup heated almond milk and Stevia. It took a while to get used to, but now I enjoy it very much. Cinnamon and nutmeg helped me through the transition.

VeronicaA76

It's not the coffee that's the problem, but what most people put in it. The sugars and creams are what make it so weight loss unfriendly. I drink black coffee all the time, it's even my Pre-workout.

CarolynG93

I've cut down to 1 a day! It's made me appreciate it a lot more. Really enjoy having my coffee in bed in the morning. Machine coffee and 100ml skimmed milk mmmmm x