Is coffee bad?

HaelaBaer
HaelaBaer Posts: 44
in Food and Nutrition
I'm a coffee-holic. Caffeinated or decaf, blonde, dark, or hazelnut, morning, noon or night. I know that caffeine will keep me up and make my heart race, and sugars and creamers can be fattening, but if coffee something you should give up when it comes to dieting?

What are some other pros or cons for coffee lovers?

Replies

  • chani8
    chani8 Posts: 946 Member
    Too many calories in a drink that I just.can't.sip.slowly.enough.

    So to me, although I love coffee, its becoming not worth the calories.

    I think in the summer when I can freeze it and eat it with a spoon, it will be more worth it! ;)
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    No coffee is not bad.

    How many cups are you drinking a day?
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    You should give up nothing to lose weight, except for over eating and being lazy. If you enjoy coffee drink it, if you add anything extra to it my suggestion would be get a better brand of coffee so it tastes better, but if not add whatever you want and just log it.

    Don't mess with my coffee :)
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Too many calories in a drink that I just.can't.sip.slowly.enough.

    So to me, although I love coffee, its becoming not worth the calories.

    I think in the summer when I can freeze it and eat it with a spoon, it will be more worth it! ;)

    Drink it black with no sugar (almost no calories - well about 5)

    I always used to drink it with milk and I sugar - I started drinking it black and unsweetened for about a week straight (this was about 3 months ago) and now I couldn't imagine adding anything to it.
  • ekz13
    ekz13 Posts: 725 Member
    nope coffee is good.. coffee is a bean...and beans are veggies... and veggies are gooooood!... drink your veggies :bigsmile:

    (just don't add alot of stuff to it and enjoy)
  • HaelaBaer
    HaelaBaer Posts: 44
    I drink at least 12 ounces before work, and maybe another 24 at work. With my work schedule I'm usually home 3 hours before supper and 7 hours before bed. I stopped drinking hazelnut and vanilla coffee and switched to a light roast which isn't bitter if I don't add a lot of sugar.

    I also switched to monk fruit sugar blend and stevia from sugar and sweet and low. I mix half caf and decaf too now.
  • TLwineguzzler
    TLwineguzzler Posts: 289 Member
    nope coffee is good.. coffee is a bean...and beans are veggies... and veggies are gooooood!... drink your veggies :bigsmile:

    (just don't add alot of stuff to it and enjoy)

    ^^^ this!! I couldn't function without that first mug in the morning
  • hollyyy92
    hollyyy92 Posts: 20
    Hi hun, I've been trying to reduce caffeine, I was drinking so much tea / coffee that I even associated it with being 'able' to get up in the morning lol I was convinced I couldn't be without it, I started drinking tea at about 11, I am British after all haha. I've been substituting most coffee/tea now with peppermint tea and I'm finding it helps, it doesn't need any sugar or milk and I'm growing to love it xx
  • caffeinatedbookworm
    caffeinatedbookworm Posts: 32 Member
    Coffee is amazing. I drink coffee every single morning. I used to drink it with milk and splenda/stevia, but now I drink it black. I'd say a little bit of almond/organic dairy milk is ok, and stevia if you have to sweeten it. I try not to drink caffeine after 4 so I can fall asleep on time. But there are definitely benefits of coffee (antioxidants are a big one)!

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/17/coffee-health-benefits_n_4102133.html
  • FlexinHenrique94
    FlexinHenrique94 Posts: 48
    Somedays I just feel like having a lot of coffee, and it never harmed me in any way. I don't feel "extra energy" or those "caffeine shakes" when I drink more coffee "than what I should". If you want to have "more than you should" , go ahead and test how your body reacts to it. But seriously now, I don't think it's bad for you. It can actually speed up your metabolism. I tend to drink 2 cups of black coffee before working out.
  • pennyllayne
    pennyllayne Posts: 265
    Coffee can affect blood sugar, so that's where you might find it a problem when it comes to dieting. But for many people it acts as an appetite suppressant. However, if drunk with meals it can prevent absorption of certain nutrients and if you aren't getting enough calcium in your diet high amounts of caffeine can lead to calcium loss. Caffeine is also a gut irritant and so can cause digestive problems in sensitive people. Caffeine can also affect cortisol levels, which is bad for fat loss.

    Apart from that, high amounts of caffeine actually have a metabolism boosting affect and has benefits for people with active lifestyles. I drink mine black with nothing added and don't drink any after midday or it affects my sleep. I'd say you only need to think about eliminating it if you are having difficulty with sleep or your weight loss reaches a plateau.
  • Cathalain
    Cathalain Posts: 424 Member
    If I don't have my coffee in the morning, I turn into a raging beeatch. :explode:

    I can't stand it black, though. Ugh. I usually add stevia and Coffee-Mate sugar free creamer - it's 15 calories for a tablespoon and that's usually enough to get me through.

    Even if it were 100 calories a tablespoon, I'd still drink it. Coffee is necessary. Coffee is the drink of the gods.
  • Platform_Heels
    Platform_Heels Posts: 388 Member
    Too many calories in a drink that I just.can't.sip.slowly.enough.

    So to me, although I love coffee, its becoming not worth the calories.

    I think in the summer when I can freeze it and eat it with a spoon, it will be more worth it! ;)

    Coffee itself has no calories, it's the other "stuff" that's added to it: cream, sugar, or if you get frappe's etc.
  • gym_jam
    gym_jam Posts: 1
    Great solution for coffee lovers on a diet is protein coffee. Sound weird, I know, but it tastes just like regular coffee - it just contains 22g of protein too.
    One cup of this a breakfast keeps me full until lunch, protein is very filling.
    http://www.bulkpowders.co.uk/complete-protein-coffee.html
  • arguablysamson
    arguablysamson Posts: 1,709 Member
    I'm a coffee-holic. Caffeinated or decaf, blonde, dark, or hazelnut, morning, noon or night. I know that caffeine will keep me up and make my heart race, and sugars and creamers can be fattening, but if coffee something you should give up when it comes to dieting?

    What are some other pros or cons for coffee lovers?

    Coffee itself is great. The things added to them are NOT. Add Stevia to sweeten, or Splenda, but nothing with calories. The coffee stimulates the metabolism, but the more you drink, you build up a tolerance and your body resists it. Still, it's a great beverage if not polluted with creams and sugars. I keep my intake to 3 to 6 cups per week with Splenda added to boost me up.
  • HaelaBaer
    HaelaBaer Posts: 44
    I actually found a powdered cream with NO TRANS FAT. Most say 0, but they have small amounts, and hydrogenated is just evil sounding. It's so bad for you.
    Anyway, most powdered cream has hydrogenated junk in it, but I found a brand called Sammi's Best online. It does add about 25 calories per tablespoon, but it's better for me to burn off those calories than consume the trans fat.
    Also, international delight in liquid form has no trans fat.

    I'm so glad I can enjoy my coffee without feeling guilty. Trans fats were my real downfall. You all helped me research and make a healthy choice without sacrifice. Thank you!
  • Docmahi
    Docmahi Posts: 1,603 Member
    pros - amazing

    cons - none
  • segovm
    segovm Posts: 512 Member
    I'll play devil's advocate... I always do.

    When I was on a fitness kick in my twenties I gave up caffeine for about five years and it was sort of great. Energy level for me became much more food based vs. caffeine / sugar based. If I was feeling low I was hungry.. it sounds simple but I was WAY out of touch with my body before that.

    I'm looking to drop it again primarily because for me it is a pretty big time sink. I do this whole "wake up" thing where I drink coffee and do nothing for two hours in the morning. Off the caffeine, when I needed to wake up I just got out of bed and often went for a nice run to start the day. So I want the two hours back!

    Nothing wrong with the stuff though in the big picture sense. I suspect that it sort of messes with some people in that they are essentially taking an appetite suppressant in lieu of breakfast which for me just led to HUGE dinners but that's not coffees fault... well, maybe it's a little bit coffees fault.
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  • tycho_mx
    tycho_mx Posts: 426 Member
    Coffee is one of the few proven, competition-legal performance enhancing substances:

    http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/caffeine-and-the-endurance-athlete

    That said, most people don't really like coffee... they like coffee flavoured drinks like frapuccinos, mochachiattos, and similar stuff with cream, milk, and tons of sugar. And the effects are the same as consuming anything with large amounts of cream, milk, and tons of sugar: many calories that may complicate balancing your nutritional budget.

    I drink lots of coffee, but actually like it black and unsweetened. Espresso is my favourite, but will take a good filtered brew, too.
  • tatd_820
    tatd_820 Posts: 573 Member
    I have coffee every day! Some times 2 cups. It's something that I don't want to give up....so I wont! I enjoy it and so can you!
  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
    At least nobody's convinced me it's bad. About 5-10 calories per cup, high in potassium, tasty when you buy the right types, high in caffeine for a good pick-me up precisely when you need it. :)
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    It tastes terrible! I don't know how people can stand it. :sick:
  • ferrytrip
    ferrytrip Posts: 497 Member
    I am 6 hours into a 12 hour shift on next to no sleep. Coffee is my only hope to make through.
  • moondazed
    moondazed Posts: 73 Member
    I was talking to a body builder who told me that coffee can affect your strength in your weight room. So although it is giving you that boost of energy, your gains might not be as strong. He gave me some scientific stuff to back of the claim, but I've never actually looked into it myself. Might be interesting to read about!

    I personally LOVE to drink coffee first thing in the morning (and afternoon, and evening sometimes..) just keep it black or add some 30cal almond milk! :)
  • ErnestDecker
    ErnestDecker Posts: 19
    Coffee is not really bad for health, but if you drink coffee in excess amount then it will be harmful for you. Due to some facts coffee is not good for our health, the facts are like unfiltered coffee is not good, for pregnant women caffeine in coffee is harmful, if you put lots of cream and sugar in your coffee then it badly effects to your health. Some good points relevant to coffee are if you drink maximum 3 cups coffee in a day then the possibility of heart attack is less especially in women, drinking coffee is also result to lower the risk of diabetes and also help to reduce the development of depression.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    Only for some people. For me it is a migraine issue. Otherwise the amounts most normal people drink is not bad.
  • MuscleHeadNerd74
    MuscleHeadNerd74 Posts: 1,930 Member
    Read >>>>>> http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/coffee-and-health/faq-20058339
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
    I think it depends if it's worth the calories to you. My coffee is 75 calories for 24oz. with sugar free creamer and Trader Joe's liquid stevia or Stevia in the Raw depending on what I have on hand. So I don't cut it out. I love my caffeine and I have not run into any issues losing weight while keeping it.
  • pleasurelittletreasure
    pleasurelittletreasure Posts: 236 Member
    Not to sound all Charlton Heston here, but coffee is the one thing that would have to be wrestled out of my hands with screaming and thrashing. And I fight like a girl!

    That being said, I do limit myself to 2 cups a day, limited sweetener if any and just enough cream to make it toffee-colored. I can give up a lot of things but that is not one of them. And guess what? I have lost 26lbs since I've started losing. And that is steady weight loss, not up, down, back and forth. I stalled out for a while over the winter because I started eating too much, but since I curbed that back up, my coffee has remained my one true love. (Sorry, hubby. Love you, too.) And the losses continue. Keep the coffee coming. Just don't try to live on it! All things...moderation...yadda...you know.

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