Caffeine or no caffeine?

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klybarger
klybarger Posts: 214
in Food and Nutrition
I have just found this site today and think it's awesome. Going to give it a try.

I have a question regarding caffeine - some people say it's a big no-no because it makes you hungrier. I would love to hear people's opinions on this!
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Replies

  • stacey76
    stacey76 Posts: 66 Member
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    what is the website link?
  • Diana224
    Diana224 Posts: 10
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    I'm unsure about if it makes you more hungry.
    For me, if I don't eat breakfast it does make me hungry (that could be because I didn't eat...)
    but I don't notice any extra hunger if I do eat breakfast.

    My problem is with the cream and sugar I put in the coffee. lol. I don't like drinking calories but I love sweet creamy coffee.
  • Diana224
    Diana224 Posts: 10
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    what is the website link?
    I think? she meant this site...myfitnesspal
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    I've never noticed increased hunger, but I'm not all that sensitive to caffeine any way, I could chug a large dunkins turbo (added shot of esspresso) and go to bed 10 minutes later no problem. Weird, is there such a thing as caffeine immunity?
  • Svemirka
    Svemirka Posts: 13 Member
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    hmm...i thought caffeine actually supressed hunger

    i have coffee every morning and it is usually with 1/4 of 2% milk and splenda
    and I do not get hungry right away

    now on the other hand, if I don't have my coffee .... I am starving in the morning...
  • TByrd1325
    TByrd1325 Posts: 920 Member
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    I used to drink Cokes like 24/7. After I stopped for a few months I had one at like 8PM. I couldn't sleep for FOREVER. So now the only drink with caffeine I'll have is green tea, all before noon. =)
  • klybarger
    klybarger Posts: 214
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    Sorry - I did mean myfitnesspal

    I have an immense addiction to tea (black - not the herbals). I don't use cream/sugar but I do drink large quantities of it throughout my day. Another program I tried wouldn't count any part of a caffeinated beverage as part of your daily requirements which only made me drink large amounts of tea AND water. Can only take so many breaks at work, if you know what I mean!
  • klybarger
    klybarger Posts: 214
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    I admire your committment - not sure I could kick the tea habit!
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
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    I'm not sure if it makes you more hungry.

    However, I drink brewed ice-tea all day. If it keeps me from drinking Mt Dew or other pop I'll consider my self ahead.
  • kankan213
    kankan213 Posts: 105
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    I'm pretty sure there have been multiple studies that show caffeine actually suppresses appetite. Although what may be making you hungrier is artificial sweeteners used in low-cal caffeine beverages. Artificial sweeteners are said to spike your insulin without actually giving you calories, so you end up hungrier when your insulin drops-- something along those lines. Caffeine itself, pretty sure it doesn't make you hungry!!!!
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
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    I use it to suppress hungry. Actually warmth of coffee right before bed seems to calm me and put me to sleep or at least I have associated the two in my mind.

    Drink up:drinker:
  • laurajoyk
    laurajoyk Posts: 305
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    Coffee is supposed to supress hunger, not make you hungy. Like she said before the over sweetners and stuff may make you hungry though. Also I have read several articles in shape off and on through the years that say to take full advantage of the energy you get from the caffeine you should drink a cup a half hour to an hour before working out, so you will be more energizes and can work out harder or longer. :drinker: I love my coffee! I'm a barista so I get coffee for free every day LOL
  • neenaleigh
    neenaleigh Posts: 584 Member
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    i quit drinking coffee for about 2 months when i started this site...then i found something that said one cup a day will help your metabolism by the caffine speeding up your heart rate....now i eat breaskfast and drink a cup of coffee and im not hungry at 10 anymore, i eat lunch more around 12:00 or 12:30....so id say its more of a surpressor...
  • klybarger
    klybarger Posts: 214
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    Neenaleigh - congrats on being smoke-free! That's an awesome counter!

    I was always told caffeine raised your metabolism and dehydrated you. But from what I'm hearing here, that's not the case. Think I'm going to go make a cup of tea!
  • richhorn
    richhorn Posts: 1 Member
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    Studies have also shown that coffee and tea DO count towards your daily goal of water drinking. The diuretic effects of caffeine are overstated by most nutrition sites. A regular coffee drinker will retain the same amount of water from coffee as from drinking the same amount of water.

    You may have to pee more often, or sooner, but you'll pass the same amount of liquid at the end of the day.
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    I've never noticed increased hunger, but I'm not all that sensitive to caffeine any way, I could chug a large dunkins turbo (added shot of esspresso) and go to bed 10 minutes later no problem. Weird, is there such a thing as caffeine immunity?

    Some people won't experience outward effects of caffiene so much that they feel "accelerated" or woken up, I guess it is sort of a resistance. I'm in the same boat as you. However if you compare how you feel the next morning when you wake up after chugging that espresso versus how you would feel if you didn't its a different story usually (every body is different). It was an interesting test our prof had us do for Psychopharmacology, really neat stuff. You'd be amazed how much less rested you are with the caffeine in your system even if you can fall right asleep. It sticks around for about 5 hours whether you're awake or not, and it screws with your sleep cycle pretty badly.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    I've never noticed increased hunger, but I'm not all that sensitive to caffeine any way, I could chug a large dunkins turbo (added shot of esspresso) and go to bed 10 minutes later no problem. Weird, is there such a thing as caffeine immunity?

    Some people won't experience outward effects of caffiene so much that they feel "accelerated" or woken up, I guess it is sort of a resistance. I'm in the same boat as you. However if you compare how you feel the next morning when you wake up after chugging that espresso versus how you would feel if you didn't its a different story usually (every body is different). It was an interesting test our prof had us do for Psychopharmacology, really neat stuff. You'd be amazed how much less rested you are with the caffeine in your system even if you can fall right asleep. It sticks around for about 5 hours whether you're awake or not, and it screws with your sleep cycle pretty badly.

    I'll take your word for it, I don't need to mess up my sleep cycle any more than I already do.
  • jlefton1212
    jlefton1212 Posts: 171 Member
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    I know that if I have diet soda, it increases my appetite, but I always blamed this on the artificial sweetener and not the caffeine. I am pretty sure there have been studies that show that artificial sweetener DOES increase appetite.
  • Demetria
    Demetria Posts: 178
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    Sorry - I did mean myfitnesspal

    I have an immense addiction to tea (black - not the herbals). I don't use cream/sugar but I do drink large quantities of it throughout my day. Another program I tried wouldn't count any part of a caffeinated beverage as part of your daily requirements which only made me drink large amounts of tea AND water. Can only take so many breaks at work, if you know what I mean!

    I think the only side effects of having too much caffeine is the energy highs and lows.

    You could switch to decaf. Drinking tea is very good for you even if it is decaf. Tea is full of flavenoids, and antioxidants but only the fresh brewed hot or iced not the bottled. White tea has the lowest amount of caffeine, then Green, then Black, then coffee tops them all. Herbal teas are not from the true tea plant like Black, Green and White. Coffee is good too as long as you don't over do it just like dark chocolate. I will stop there, lol.

    Also depending on medications, I am on one where it actually increases the effects of the caffeine so I switched to decaf green tea. In the morning I have regular flavored green tea, then by lunch I have decaf green tea so that it won't mess with my ability to sleep. I have 6 to 9 cups of green tea a day with no artificial sweetener just Truvia which is from the Stevia plant, so it's natural.

    Demetria
  • klybarger
    klybarger Posts: 214
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    Demetria - I'm not big on the flavoring of green teas (always has a grassy taste to me). But have you tried the red teas (rooibos)? Naturally decaf and has some very healthy benefits. I'm lucky to know a great little tea shop that has some awesome blends. But one side effect I'm finding is that I have vivid dreams if I drink it in the evening -

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