Coffee coffee coffee! Is it packing on the pounds?

24

Replies

  • iFeelBrandNew
    iFeelBrandNew Posts: 263 Member
    If you're putting two tablespoons of half and half into each coffee, at 40 calories, then you are adding between 80 and 160 calories per day through cream.


    Im having a hard time getting the calories. My problem isnt that I eat too much is that i dont eat enough and when I do eat its junk. I had two visalus shakes yesterday 2 coffees and dinner and still only got up to 800 ish cals. :S


    Very tired 24/7 and very low energy...I have 4 little ones and the baby doesnt go to sleep until around midnight and then I finally get my ¨me time¨ for an hour. I need to fix that I know.

    If I go a while without coffee I get a bad migraine and by the 3rd sip of coffee the migraine is gone.

    those are called caffeine headaches, and if you just work yourself through them, they should go away.
  • hehe....now you know how Starbucks has made so much money. Be a man and drink your coffee black (they do make flavored coffee, you know, so you dont have to add flavoring. Don Francisco coffee brand makes hazelnut, chocolate, and vanilla. Look for it on your shelves
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    If you're putting two tablespoons of half and half into each coffee, at 40 calories, then you are adding between 80 and 160 calories per day through cream.


    Im having a hard time getting the calories. My problem isnt that I eat too much is that i dont eat enough and when I do eat its junk. I had two visalus shakes yesterday 2 coffees and dinner and still only got up to 800 ish cals. :S
    Then I wouldn't worry about the coffee. Trading in those shakes for some real food would probably help.


    I literally just started visalus yesterday and before that I wouldnt even eat breakfast or lunch.

    And this is the problem --

    Focus on the big picture. Create a calorie deficit close to your TDEE (if you don't know that, look it up and search here for the new road map thread - caution it's a big read).

    Don't worry about 3 cups of coffee until you understand that and are getting proper nutrition from real food not 2 shakes...

    Once you've done that learn about your macros and how they and excercise can change body composition.

    Good luck.
  • gwicks54
    gwicks54 Posts: 201 Member
    The main consideration should be if you are tyring to lose weight, by what means. There are folks that have been successful, counting calories, carbs or fat grams. I drink lots os coffee & hot tea because it satisfies me. I count carbs only so I use almond milk & sweet n low in my coffee. Usually a little evaporated milk in my hot tea. I have been losing an average of 1 and 1/2 lbs a week. As long as you count it in to whatever your plan is then enjoy it. There is research that shows it reduces your risk of diabetes too.
  • tyrantduck
    tyrantduck Posts: 387 Member
    I used to get coffee extra light and sweet at Dunkin Donuts... meaning double the cream and double the sugar. now i usually just get flavored creamer and add that to coffee at home and don't add any spoonfuls of sugar to it. it's rare that i drink coffee anyway, i usually like to go with a no-cal/no-sugar/very low-carb energy drink for an energy boost instead. but on the weekends i'll enjoy a cup or two. if i get coffee out somewhere, i'll ask for skim milk in it, then i'll add my own sugar/sweetener later so I know exactly how much is in it. honestly, skim milk in coffee doesn't taste bad, but it takes getting used to. i had to go with it every morning for a month to finally get used to the taste.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    I drink a pot a day (the smaller 8 cup pots, not the bigger 12 cup size), have since long before I lost weight, did throughout losing, and continue now well past losing. I use cream.

    _________ does not make you fat. Individual components cannot be separated from the diet as a whole. Your diet makes you fat.

    Its up to you to assemble the pieces together into a whole that allows you to lose weight now and maintain in the future. Sticking to a calorie budget will force you to make trade offs. If you want to keep daily coffee, ice cream, and/or chocolate, go for it, just find a way to make it work for you.
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    If you're putting two tablespoons of half and half into each coffee, at 40 calories, then you are adding between 80 and 160 calories per day through cream.


    Im having a hard time getting the calories. My problem isnt that I eat too much is that i dont eat enough and when I do eat its junk. I had two visalus shakes yesterday 2 coffees and dinner and still only got up to 800 ish cals. :S
    Then I wouldn't worry about the coffee. Trading in those shakes for some real food would probably help.


    I literally just started visalus yesterday and before that I wouldnt even eat breakfast or lunch.

    YOU NEED TO WORK AT EATING THEN! This won't work if you aren't getting enough "actual food". 2 shakes and 4 coffee's a day won't do it. You will become tired and frustrated and give up......eat real food! It is better to eat well and go a bit over then it is to eat crap and be under.....
  • Lyra89
    Lyra89 Posts: 674 Member
    Try a soy cappuccino from Starbucks with stevia, cinnamon sprinkle & a dash of cocoa...NOM! Only 85 calories. Couldn't live without it!
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    Large double double please!! Im addicted to coffee. And I just cant drink it with milk or skim milk instead of cream..Just cant stand the taste! I try to make it at home instead of going to Tim Hortons but it doesnt help having the place across the street. How much is coffee effecting my weight loss? I drink about 2-4 a day

    How much cream is in each? How many calories would you estimate this to be? Is that causing you to go over your calorie goal for the day?
  • dp1228
    dp1228 Posts: 439 Member
    the coffee wont inhibit your weight loss as long as it fits into your daily calorie and nutrition goals. but not eating enough will. please at least try eating more food..... REAL food. not shakes. you say your not tracking your calories. you should probably start doing that. only eating when your hungry is a good start but you need to do more.
  • WhoTheHellIsBen
    WhoTheHellIsBen Posts: 1,238 Member
    Black coffee has less than 10 calories in it, if you can't drink it black then you are either drinking crap coffe or you're not addicted to coffee as much as you are addicted to all the crap you add to it, fact. :drinker:
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    I drink my coffee with heavy cream, and a lot of it (hundreds of calories a day in cream alone), but my plan is fat-heavy so this works well for me.

    If I wasn't restricting carbs then I'd switch my nutrition around and skip the fat.

    As others have said, it all depends on your plan.
  • PlunderBunneh
    PlunderBunneh Posts: 1,705 Member
    Use flavored creamers. I was able to cut out sugar entirely, and use about a tablespoon per 2 cups of coffee. Or, switch to a flavored syrup and soy creamer. Even lower cals.

    Getting coffee out is on par with going out for ice cream in my book. Most days, just not worth those calories, but a nice treat once a month or so.
  • John2347
    John2347 Posts: 336 Member
    if you are gaining weight it is because you are not eating enough... plain and simple. your body needs to know that food is coming in on a regular basis, and enough food for that matter. so 800 calories a day is definitely not enough. you should be eating at least 1200.
  • AngryDiet
    AngryDiet Posts: 1,349 Member
    Tim Hortons scales the cream and sugar to the size of the cup, for consistent flavour. So this means that a large double-double will have significantly more cream and sugar than a small double-double.

    I suggest you learn to enjoy coffee with milk instead of cream, and reduce the sugar to a single. It will grow on you if you try.

    Even then it will still be packed with calories, but at least it will be significantly less.
  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
    If you are exhausted all the time to lack of sleep with a little one: you need to eat more frequently I saw mention that you get only 800 calories per day...that isn't enough to survive while in a comma, let alone while taking care of a child. You also mentioned not eating breakfast or lunch...you need to eat multiple times per day. Not eating is putting a strain on your body.

    Your body is telling you that you are missing nutrients and the first things I would say you need to add are:

    fresh, raw fruits & vegetables (especially those high in B vitamins)

    Top energy foods
    Sprouts - all type (high in antioxidants)
    whole grains (good source of vitamin B)
    whole grain oats
    Parsley (high levels of B12 & more vitamin C than citrus fruits)
    seaweed (sea vegetables are high in vitamin B & C)
    Vegetables (fresh green, leafy, broccoli, asparagus, spinach)
    Peaches
    Flax Seeds (high in omega-3 & omega-6)
    sunflower seeds
    Grapes
    Yams & squashes (loaded with vitamin c but also good at balancing hormone and blood sugar levels)
    wheatgrass
    mung beans

    For an afternoon pick-me-up instead of coffee laced with cream, have a cup of Astragalus and ginseng tea; it's a natural source of B vitamins -- you can find and order online.

    also, if you must, must have coffee...try almond milk in place of your cream; in Silk unsweetened there are 15 calories in a 1/2 cup.
  • Jenny_Taylia
    Jenny_Taylia Posts: 540 Member
    the coffee wont inhibit your weight loss as long as it fits into your daily calorie and nutrition goals. but not eating enough will. please at least try eating more food..... REAL food. not shakes. you say your not tracking your calories. you should probably start doing that. only eating when your hungry is a good start but you need to do more.



    Im loving all the replies here and getting alot of good info on how to lose weight the right way instead of just starving myself again. However some people seem to be missing what I am saying. I KNOW I need to eat right and healthy and exercise. There is no miracle anything for weightloss. I got ViSalus for free...aboot 2 months worth. So Im treating it as if this is my moment to doing something about losing weight instead of complaining about it.

    Im not going to continue ViSalus once the shakes are done. Ill istart (hopefully) eating as much as I should and make healthier choices. Im using ViSalus as a stepping stone to get my butt in gear!
  • Jenny_Taylia
    Jenny_Taylia Posts: 540 Member
    if you are gaining weight it is because you are not eating enough... plain and simple. your body needs to know that food is coming in on a regular basis, and enough food for that matter. so 800 calories a day is definitely not enough. you should be eating at least 1200.



    Yea but....Again...I didnt say Im getting 800 a day....that was yesterday. Somedays it could be 600 cals...some days it could be 2000 cals. I just joined MFP yesterday and going to try my hardest to meet 1200 cals a day.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    Ah Tims...how we love thee...lol

    At my heaviest I was drinking three or four double doubles a day (they really are located everywhere in Halifax) and the only food I ate was supper and the snack foods after that. It took me months, but I'm down to two large with single cream each week. (My hubby wakes me up each Sat and Sun morning with a fresh one. :heart: ) I still drink two small coffees each day at work, with milk or blend (if I'm feeling like spoiling myself a little) but no sugar.

    But, to get to this point, I needed to decrease it a little each week or three...double cream + 1 sugars for a while, 1 cream + 1 milk + 1 sugar, etc.

    Sounds like I had to wean off some major drug or something, eh? But I can say that reducing coffee and eating real food during the day instead has made all the difference to losing and maintaining.

    Good luck!
  • emtjmac
    emtjmac Posts: 1,320 Member
    If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight.
  • AngryDiet
    AngryDiet Posts: 1,349 Member
    If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight.

    What is this witchcraft?
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Personally, I have taken my coffee black ever since I started drinking it in college. In fact, iced black coffee was my norm so that I could chug it on my way to my first morning class. However, I eat a dessert and other treats on a regular basis. There is nothing wrong with a daily treat, so long as you still get enough protein and stay under your daily calorie goal.

    Enjoy your coffee! :smokin:
  • ksmiley412
    ksmiley412 Posts: 274 Member
    If you're putting two tablespoons of half and half into each coffee, at 40 calories, then you are adding between 80 and 160 calories per day through cream.


    Im having a hard time getting the calories. My problem isnt that I eat too much is that i dont eat enough and when I do eat its junk. I had two visalus shakes yesterday 2 coffees and dinner and still only got up to 800 ish cals. :S
    Then I wouldn't worry about the coffee. Trading in those shakes for some real food would probably help.


    I literally just started visalus yesterday and before that I wouldnt even eat breakfast or lunch.

    Your not getting enough calories if your only getting 800ish you need 1200 calories a day not to put your body in to starvation mode.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Black coffee has less than 10 calories in it, if you can't drink it black then you are either drinking crap coffe or you're not addicted to coffee as much as you are addicted to all the crap you add to it, fact. :drinker:

    More like absurdity! I like my coffee black, but that doesn't mean *everyone* should! How about an ounce of respect for someone else's taste buds?
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Don't force yourself to drink black coffee. If you like coffee but need cream, add a little cream. It's 40 cals a day, it's not like you're eating a bucket of fried chicken.

    :heart: LOVE this one! :flowerforyou:
  • WhoTheHellIsBen
    WhoTheHellIsBen Posts: 1,238 Member
    Black coffee has less than 10 calories in it, if you can't drink it black then you are either drinking crap coffe or you're not addicted to coffee as much as you are addicted to all the crap you add to it, fact. :drinker:

    More like absurdity! I like my coffee black, but that doesn't mean *everyone* should! How about an ounce of respect for someone else's taste buds?


    If people wanted to respect their taste buds they would be buying good coffee to begin with so you wouldn't have to drown it in crap.If you truly liked coffee you wouldn't have to manipulate the flavor with cream and sugar
  • mommygirlx3
    mommygirlx3 Posts: 39 Member
    migraine is cause you are hooked on the coffee, try using some half and half and some milk you need to eat more food that is part of why your so tired.
  • stephdeeable
    stephdeeable Posts: 1,407 Member
    Saying "If you can't drink it black, you don't like coffee" is like saying "If you can't eat it raw and unseasoned, you don't like chicken!" Not everyone likes it the same way.

    I like black coffee, but if I didn't I wouldn't make myself drink it. If you're truly committed to your weight loss, 2 tablespoons of cream is not going to stand in your way. I do agree with learning to live without the sugar though, in everything, not just coffee.
  • nellyett
    nellyett Posts: 436 Member
    I usually have 2 LG Tims with cream and sweetener everyday.....I just fit it in to my cals. :)
  • Try Stevia for sweetener. 0 cals and totally natural. You can cook with it, too. I use the powdered extract. Try mixing decaf and caf to wean yourself from the caffeine. The headaches probably result from your dependency. It can be from drinking caffeinated cold drinks or chocolate, etc., too. With decaf coffee, you still have the taste, "comfort" drink, and something to fill you up when you aren't eating. You might want to eat in the a.m. to keep your energy up and to increase your metabolism, especially if you are keeping up with young ones! Also, you might not realize it but the eating habits you have now won't change as you get older, they'll just begin to take a toll on you. Weight isn't the only problem with how we eat. Diabetes, cholesterol, etc. can happen to thin people, too!