Coffee over food?

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taekwondo_bitch
taekwondo_bitch Posts: 158 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I love coffee. I get a latte once a week at the local coffee shop (it's my treat hehe) and every other day have an iced latte or two (or three) that replace my "real food", save a bowl of oats in the morning, carrot sticks and a couple of plain scrambled eggs. I know it's bad because MFP keeps telling me that I'll be 40 kg in five weeks or whatever. But I kind of prefer my coffee. Anyone else feel the same?
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Replies

  • foxruddellc1
    foxruddellc1 Posts: 65 Member
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    You weight less than 90lbs and are trying to lose weight according to your ticker? I'm not clear on your goals...am I reading this correctly?

    As for coffee as food, I can handle a sugarfree and soy latte as a meal but I try not to since it has low nutritional value
  • bribrijean234
    bribrijean234 Posts: 90 Member
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    Just as a general rule... Coffee is great and lattes are amazingly delicious, BUT they won't give you the nutrition you need to fuel your body. If you are going to have them, find a way to make it fit in your day while still eating well rounded meals. Coffee does not a meal make... Especially if you are often replacing several meals with it.
  • taekwondo_bitch
    taekwondo_bitch Posts: 158 Member
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    I'm not clean on them myself. I was overweight until about 12, then I lost the weight but I still have a high body fat percentage. Basically, I'm thin but trying to get fit or at least lose weight to get rid of that percentage. I don't know a lot about pound measurements but at the moment I'm about 50 kg.
  • bribrijean234
    bribrijean234 Posts: 90 Member
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    If you are already at that low of a weight and you want to decrease your body fat percentage you should probably change your strategy from weight loss to lifting and building lean muscle.
  • taekwondo_bitch
    taekwondo_bitch Posts: 158 Member
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    It's an okay weight for me as I'm pretty short (5"3.4). But yeah, I'm trying to do more squats and whatnot because being toned would be awesome.
  • milkyskinn
    milkyskinn Posts: 126 Member
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    ^ the above comment. You can't drop fat to make you look fit eating so little and not providing your body with any building materials. A couple of eggs, oatmeal and carrot sticks is NOT going to support muscle growth. You can still drink your coffee, and you can even use protein powder to up the value it has for you. :)

    Just know you need to eat more than this. Head over to a good calculator like scooby and check your recommended calories. Look around on bodybuilding.com. You don't have to become a full-time hardcore protein sniffing bodybuilder to build muscle, but just eating more nutritious foods and starting lifting will get you on the right track and you get to sculpt your body the way you want it!
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    Why can't you get a skinny latte, and still eat some food? I love coffees out too, I just tend to get a skinny cappuccino as it has less calories but still tastes like a treat! And I eat too!
  • runner359
    runner359 Posts: 90 Member
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    It sounds like you should concentrate on working out. Strength training would change your body fat percentage. I think just cutting calories at this point may be detrimental to your goals as you will lose muscle too and still not have that lean toned body. Weight lifting seems to be the favored path to change body composition . If you check out some of the success stories with pictures here for those that have done weight lifting its pretty impressive. And no the girls that lift are not bulky. Not at all. Just amazing looking. I think I just talked myself into going to lift for a bit this morning!

    Oh and don't worry about your latte but do try to make sure your nutrition is good otherwise.
  • foxruddellc1
    foxruddellc1 Posts: 65 Member
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    I'm not clean on them myself. I was overweight until about 12, then I lost the weight but I still have a high body fat percentage. Basically, I'm thin but trying to get fit or at least lose weight to get rid of that percentage. I don't know a lot about pound measurements but at the moment I'm about 50 kg.

    So about 110lbs? How tall are you? I'd look so sick 110, and my sister-in-law who is my height, 5'3" is at that weight only when competing, in bikini, but she is also amazingly ripped. I mean, sixpack waist that is 22" around. :drinker: so inspiring.

    Are you lifting/training? I'm thinking at your weight heavy lifting may work better for you losing. S.i.l. eats upwards of 2500 calories while training and building up to competition and just torches all of it. May help you with such a low weight already.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    at 5 ft 3.4 and 110 you are already a low weight.

    My sister is same height and weighs 125lb...but she is also about 19% bf...

    replacing food with coffee is something people with ED's do...

    You need to eat some food, get some resistence training in and eat some protien.
  • popshoveit
    popshoveit Posts: 42
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    Find lower calorie options for your coffee and eat more real food. You won't look good by losing weight alone, you will always look "flabby" for lack of a better term, so you need to work out to give your body some structure!
  • taekwondo_bitch
    taekwondo_bitch Posts: 158 Member
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    Thanks for the tips everyone! I'm not 100 percent sure what protein actually does, but it's only a google search away. Conclusion: keep drinking coffee, eat more, strength training, protein.
  • TX_Rhon
    TX_Rhon Posts: 1,549 Member
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    I'm guilty as well. My white chocolate mocha is 350 cals - a small meal!! But I love it. So far, I have still lost weight doing so. :drinker:
  • taekwondo_bitch
    taekwondo_bitch Posts: 158 Member
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    Oh and just to clarify - I get nonfat milk in my latte, no Splenda or sugar. Iced lattes I make at home with instant coffee, nonfat milk and water.
  • taekwondo_bitch
    taekwondo_bitch Posts: 158 Member
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    I'm guilty as well. My white chocolate mocha is 350 cals - a small meal!! But I love it. So far, I have still lost weight doing so. :drinker:

    Haha, in 11th grade I remember some kids at my school had a competition to see who could drink a venti (large, 20 oz) with the cream and marshmallows. Prize money was 25 dollars. Nobody could and I'm not really surprised, to be honest.
  • taekwondo_bitch
    taekwondo_bitch Posts: 158 Member
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    But yeah, I've never tried one. Starbucks scares me a little.
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
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    I am at maintenance so I'm eating more calories than you, but throughout the day, I drink 4-5 mugs of regular coffee with half & half. I am a coffee drinker - caff or decaf I don't care;I love coffee. I have a latte at least once a week. But I don't choose coffee over food; I choose coffee WITH food. Thursday I had a latte with skim milk & sugar free syrup with a ham & swiss sandwich. That would be a better choice for you than a latte only.
    If you want to gain lean body mass, you need eat more and do weights. I don't know what your body fat % is now, but at 50kg, the only way to make it smaller safely is to increase LBM. Good luck!
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    First off, you sound like an ideal candidate for weight lifting being a solution to your body transformation goals - that way you can be heavier AND thinner.
    Then, "If it fits your macros". Skimmed milk is something like 45% protein 55% carbs. Make that fit with the rest of your macros.
    However, do of course be aware that it may cause problems with hunger if it means your stomach is less full for less time by drinking calories.
  • taekwondo_bitch
    taekwondo_bitch Posts: 158 Member
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    Just a thought - it's interesting how so many people go by appearances alone. You could be normal, unhealthy, and you'd never know. Or overweight, and ridiculously fit. I've seen both.
  • Trying2Recover
    Trying2Recover Posts: 43
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    replacing food with coffee is something people with ED's do...

    I second this; speaking from experience

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