Caffeine

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kristy_estes21
kristy_estes21 Posts: 434 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I keep seeing people saying to limit or eliminate caffeine in your diet to lose weight. I honestly do not understand the concept behind this. I have 2 cups every morning with a little sugar free powdered creamer. It does not make me hungry as some suggest. It actually helps suppress my appetite a bit. I eat 5-6 meals a day at the same time every day. I drink at least a gallon of water every day, if not more. Yes, if you drink Starbucks mochas and such it is quite fattening, but regular brewed coffee without all the fatty, sugary extras isn't bad.

Replies

  • ohgeez10
    ohgeez10 Posts: 4 Member
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    I'm with you.

    I have 2-3 cups a day. I use soy creamer and agave as my sweetner. I also make it a point to drink 1/2 to 1 gallon of water a day.
  • Beebs33
    Beebs33 Posts: 262
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    I have 2 cups a day as well...sometimes 3 but I try not too. Too much coffee they say can mess with your digestive tract and all the foo foo stuff in it is calories. But you sound like me and do not put a lot in it so I say keep doing what you are doing. Some research states that a cup or 2 of coffee a day is actually good for you.
  • stanvoodoo
    stanvoodoo Posts: 1,023 Member
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    Cafeine dehydrates you, that is why Doctors recommend no cafeine. If you can't get rid of it, drink extra water to make sure you are properly hydrated.

    Good Luck!
  • lifeisadancefloor
    lifeisadancefloor Posts: 91 Member
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    I agree, I drink a black coffee every morning, I read somewhere that it actually helps kick your metabolism in gear, but I don't know if it is true or not. My coffee every morning hasn't been stooping me from losing :) so I am not going to cut it out, because some days I NEED it haha
  • kristy_estes21
    kristy_estes21 Posts: 434 Member
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    Definitely not going to get rid of it. I love coffee. :) Hence why I drink at least a gallon of water a day. My daily fluid intake consists of two 8oz cups coffee, 96-144oz water (depending if I workout or not usually), one cup skim milk before bed. No juice, soda, energy drinks, etc.
  • runlaugheatpie
    runlaugheatpie Posts: 376 Member
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    I've tried without, less, before eating, after eating - I've never experienced any pattern at all when it came to weight loss. I work for a coffee company so it's already hard enough cutting back. I've done this simply because I sleep better at night without 27 shots of espresso each day.
  • runlorirun
    runlorirun Posts: 389
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    I refuse to give up my coffee. I will even make allowances for Starbucks once in a while (love the skinny drinks, cuts the calories in half).

    I drink 3 16 oz cups a day, just about a pot, and in between each cup I drink 20 oz of water. Doing this helps me keep up on my water and helps me limit my cups to just three.
  • beatlemom
    beatlemom Posts: 250 Member
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    i drink a crystal light energy in my water once or twice a day, It equals to about 2-3 cups of coffee and I think it helps with my appetite, energy levels and has a diuretic effect so I am not retaining water. I think it's fine and my body is telling me it's working, so....
  • farmgirl88
    farmgirl88 Posts: 91 Member
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    The caffeine consumption that you are talking about it fine--especially since you are getting the caffeine from a natural source (coffee) and you are drinking at least of gallon of water a day.

    Caffeine can become a problem if you have too much--if it makes you jittery or overly alert. At that point, the caffeine begins to artificially stimulate cortisol--your flight or fight hormone, also known as your stress hormone--and too much cortisol in your system makes you hold onto fat (it's meant to be helpful when stress means war or some sort of life threat and that leads to famine and the cortisol would allow you store up nutrients until the stress ended).

    So that's where the "caffeine is bad" line comes from. Too much of anything is a bad thing--including caffeine.

    ***Also, you'll want to reconsider your caffeine intake if you are addicted to it (you get headaches if you skip a day of consumption) or if you drink too much or too late in the day and it affects your sleep.
  • notoriousgtt
    notoriousgtt Posts: 75 Member
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    Caffeine has been proven to boost your metabolism, to get rid of it is a waste.
    Most peoples caffeine comes from coffee (with milk/cream and sugar) or fizzy juice which is obviously not good for you.
    Caffeine itself is fine, it'll give you a boost if you have some before you go to the gym and make you work harder for longer.
    As for it dehydrating you, drink water, simples :)
  • kristy_estes21
    kristy_estes21 Posts: 434 Member
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    Too much of anything is a bad thing--including caffeine.

    I disagree...one cannot have too much wine. Haha!!! KIDDING!!
  • farmgirl88
    farmgirl88 Posts: 91 Member
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    Too much of anything is a bad thing--including caffeine.

    I disagree...one cannot have too much wine. Haha!!! KIDDING!!

    :laugh: :drinker:
  • xTattooedDollx
    xTattooedDollx Posts: 426 Member
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    I cut out caffeine about a year ago. I wasn't losing much weight and I just felt bla all the time. If I do have some caffeine nowadays which is very rare, I feel bloated and bla and I always gain a little. It just affects people differently. I have always been told that it dehydrates you.
  • BEERRUNNER
    BEERRUNNER Posts: 3,049 Member
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    I drink about 3-4 cups a day(no sugar)! its supposed to be good for the liver! Plus it boosts my metabolism! hoooraaay for coffee!!!
  • BEERRUNNER
    BEERRUNNER Posts: 3,049 Member
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    Caffeine has been proven to boost your metabolism, to get rid of it is a waste.
    Most peoples caffeine comes from coffee (with milk/cream and sugar) or fizzy juice which is obviously not good for you.
    Caffeine itself is fine, it'll give you a boost if you have some before you go to the gym and make you work harder for longer.
    As for it dehydrating you, drink water, simples :)

    smart man!!!!! Im with ya partner!
  • runningfromzombies
    runningfromzombies Posts: 386 Member
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    I would never give up my morning cup of coffee. :laugh: Sure, too much of anything is a bad thing, but with a tablespoon of creamer and some sweetener, it's hardly damaging my caloric intake, and the caffeine in one cup is really not much.

    Also, I read this article a while back, it was pretty intriguing: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/health/nutrition/26best.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

    The gist is that coffee before running/exercising has been proven to improve performance. Interesting. I haven't tested it myself, but it's something to think about.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    Cafeine dehydrates you, that is why Doctors recommend no cafeine. If you can't get rid of it, drink extra water to make sure you are properly hydrated.

    Good Luck!

    No, it doesn't. Plenty of people drink nothing but tea and they aren't desiccated Mummies. Caffeine is a mild diuretic, but the overall effect of a cup of tea or coffee is still going to be hydration.

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