My journey with giving up coffee......

Coffee may in fact increase your insulin, but even if it did, that in and of itself is not going to make it harder to lose weight. A calorie deficit is the only "requirement" for weight loss, nothing else. Also you said you don't use any sugar in your coffee so I really don't see how it would cause an insulin spike to begin with. A cup of black coffee only has about 4 or 5 calories and the small amount of milk you add is only going to make your whole cup of joe around 30 or 40 calories, if that. Be careful telling yourself a certain food is bad, you will only set yourself up for failure in the long run. That being said. Good luck! I'm not giving up my coffee!!!

Yep; I gave up coffee a couple weeks ago. I went on vacation and didn't drink as much coffee, either none or one large cup in a day. When I went back to work the coffee seemed to strong, led me to an early crash, made me restless at night, and then I'd wake up with my heart pounding. Not worth it. The science behind why it's not good for you (speaking as a coffeeholic mind you), is that most coffee isn't growing in the dark rainforest like it should- they're growing it out in open fields in open sunlight. It also increases your stress and cortisol levels, so I believe it does spike your insulin and even contribute to acne if it's hormonal. Biggest eye opener for me was that it's extremely acidic so it's actually taking away the body's ability to absorb all the positive vitamins and minerals from the good foods you eat, since it forces the body to pull alkaline from it's own stash to balance the acidity of the coffee, and you release some of the good stuff when you go to the bathroom As much as I love coffee and it was heart breaking to hear, I knew it didn't feel right to have an afternoon crash every day and wanted to know what it felt like throughout. Ironically after the first week I felt so much energy! And not the kind I was afraid would go away )

I would never give up coffee. It is good for you, full of antioxidants and it fights cancer

that being said I only put a little milk in mine- no sugars at all

My first attempt at low-carb (about a year ago) stalled out pretty quickly. That's when I quit drinking coffee (probably read the same stuff you did), and I was amazed to discover how much better I slept. I was off caffeine for about two months when I finally allowed myself a cup (at about 9 am), and I had a hard time sleeping that night. I guess I'm just more sensitive to caffeine than most people.

So I resumed another low-carb diet earlier this year. And shortly after, quit drinking coffee again. I had one solid week of misery: a massive, non-stop headache; practically falling asleep at my desk; I needed 10-12 hours of sleep every night and was late for work every single day; I only billed out 22 hours that week (I usually bill 40). But on the 7th day, the headache stopped; I had a reasonably productive afternoon, and I've felt pretty good ever since. My sleep quality is so much better. I started waking up earlier and feeling more focused throughout the day.

I still miss my coffee. Like you, it was never about the caffeine for me. I love the smell and taste of coffee. It's one of my favorite comfort foods. And the heating/AC system at work seriously sucks, and my office gets really cold in the afternoon. That's when I most miss my nice hot coffee. I'm what you might call a Northwest Coffee Snob - i.e. I actually can taste the difference between Starbucks, Tully's and Seattle's Worst (but none compare to Batdorff & Bronson, or Ravensbrew). And I used to have a weekend ritual of making my coffee, starting with grinding my own beans.

I've tried decaf, but it really doesn't taste as good. It's nice to commiserate with a fellow coffee lover (as opposed to the caffeine lovers I mostly know).

Cute, but I've tried inviting my friends out for glass of wine in the morning after school drop off and it just doesn't have the same ring.