Coffee- Give it up or not at all?

DianaGabriela2013
DianaGabriela2013 Posts: 108 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I don't want to give up my coffee for good, so should I not give it up at all?

I've been trying to lose weight for 3 weeks now. I gave up coffee and am drinking green tea instead. Can I do this for 3-4 months? yes. But I will not give it up for good. Should I just make it fit into my calorie goal now? Or make it fit into my calorie goal ONCE I hit maintenance?

I guess I should add I have my coffee with cream. I've tried it black, I've tried cutting down to normal servings of cream...lol. What can I say, my creamy coffee is my guilty pleasure. I look forward to it every morning and makes me happy : )
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Replies

  • Polo265
    Polo265 Posts: 287 Member
    I agree with gamerbabe. Why give it up? I use a tblsp of half and half in each cup @ 20 calories each. I figure I'm in this for the long haul and I intend to fit all of my food 'needs' aka loves into my calorie goal.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    I would fit it into your calorie goal now - I kind of see this entire process as working towards the eating and exercise habits I'll use to maintain, so if coffee with cream is important to you, I'd get used to having it as part of your daily allowance. Just make sure you're measuring your cream accurately. Also, just to be clear, you're not drinking green tea because you think it has special fat-burning properties, right? Because that's woo. It's perfectly fine to drink if it fills you up and is a happy substitute for drinks with calories, but if you don't like the taste, any zero cal drink will serve the same purpose.
  • DianaGabriela2013
    DianaGabriela2013 Posts: 108 Member
    MegaMooseEsq wrote: »
    I would fit it into your calorie goal now - I kind of see this entire process as working towards the eating and exercise habits I'll use to maintain, so if coffee with cream is important to you, I'd get used to having it as part of your daily allowance. Just make sure you're measuring your cream accurately. Also, just to be clear, you're not drinking green tea because you think it has special fat-burning properties, right? Because that's woo. It's perfectly fine to drink if it fills you up and is a happy substitute for drinks with calories, but if you don't like the taste, any zero cal drink will serve the same purpose.

    No, I like it because its warm. Ha ha.
  • juliehmaui2016
    juliehmaui2016 Posts: 32 Member
    I couldn't give up my AM coffee; it's something I look forward to every morning. I did give up the sugar in it but I use cream, 15ml every day and for me it's totally worth it. Everyone is different though and you have to decide if it's worth the calories or not.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    What about replacing your cream with half & half or milk?
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,169 Member
    Half and half (40 calories) plus sugar free Torani syrup in any flavor you like, twice a day = 80 calories. If you substitute almond milk instead, it's less. I log this into MFP the first thing every morning, it fits within my calorie budget, and I am so happy to have my coffee ritual.
  • Javagal2778
    Javagal2778 Posts: 74 Member
    If you love coffee, don't give it up! Do as others suggested and find a way to make it work in your calories.
  • Spartan_Gingi
    Spartan_Gingi Posts: 194 Member
    I've just made it work. I love coffee too much to give it up.
  • the_reserve
    the_reserve Posts: 3 Member
    It's not a big deal, you can have it every 2nd day or go without for a week, or a month, and then you will enjoy it more when you have another one after a short break. Just know you arent compelled to have to have it every day :)
  • MysticGoalie
    MysticGoalie Posts: 328 Member
    No need giving up any foods / drinks. B)
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    DianaGabriela2013 wrote: »
    I don't want to give up my coffee for good, so should I not give it up at all?

    I've been trying to lose weight for 3 weeks now. I gave up coffee and am drinking green tea instead. Can I do this for 3-4 months? yes. But I will not give it up for good. Should I just make it fit into my calorie goal now? Or make it fit into my calorie goal ONCE I hit maintenance?

    I guess I should add I have my coffee with cream. I've tried it black, I've tried cutting down to normal servings of cream...lol. What can I say, my creamy coffee is my guilty pleasure. I look forward to it every morning and makes me happy : )

    I've been into fitness since high school and have never even thought about giving up coffee. I actually depend on it for pre-workout many days. Coffee and espresso are about 0-5 calories x serving. Skim milk is a good alternative for cream with a little more protein and less calories. 1-2 packets of sugar is (I think) 15-30 calories. Starbuck's has awesome sugar and calorie free options. Check out BDawnFit on Instragram (or Brittany Dawn on Youtube) she has videos about all the low cal coffee options at Starbuck's.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited August 2017
    How many calories did you normally consume in coffee each day (including cream, sugar, etc), OP?
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    DianaGabriela2013 wrote: »
    I don't want to give up my coffee for good, so should I not give it up at all?

    I've been trying to lose weight for 3 weeks now. I gave up coffee and am drinking green tea instead. Can I do this for 3-4 months? yes. But I will not give it up for good. Should I just make it fit into my calorie goal now? Or make it fit into my calorie goal ONCE I hit maintenance?

    I guess I should add I have my coffee with cream. I've tried it black, I've tried cutting down to normal servings of cream...lol. What can I say, my creamy coffee is my guilty pleasure. I look forward to it every morning and makes me happy : )

    You can pry my morning cuppa from my cold, dead hands, so I hear you!

    If that one cup with lots of cream is worth it to you, have it. Just log it honestly.

    Life is much too short to completely abandon the small pleasures in it. :)



  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited August 2017
    The milk i add to my tea everyday adds up to 240 calories, it's just something i make fit as i'll never give it up, plus it adds to my protein and fat goals. I've learnt to drink my coffee black, I add a tsp of xylitol for sweetness.
  • Moxie42
    Moxie42 Posts: 1,400 Member
    I've found that cold brew coffee is smoother than regular coffee- it's not as acidic and harsh. It's the only coffee I can drink black without my stomach getting upset. Maybe cold brew would require less sugar/cream additives for you and therefore reduce the cals?

    I bought a cold brew kit from Bed Bath and Beyond (basically a pitcher with a fine-mesh infuser included)- I think it was maybe $30, and I can use regular ol' coffee in it, so other than the initial cost of the kit, I don't spend any extra money in order to have cold brew, and it lasts 2 weeks in the fridge so I waste less coffee than when I was brewing pots everyday.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    Me give up coffee?

    Hahahahahahaha....no.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I've turned coffee into breakfast by adding protein, fiber, and fat.

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  • CindyWard2
    CindyWard2 Posts: 88 Member
    Life is not worth living if I can't have my 2 cups with 2 tsp sugar and 2 Tbs creamer. I feel 150 calories a day is a small price to pay to keep myself out of prison...because if I couldn't have coffee I just may kill the first person who comes at me early every morning!!
  • teebeegeebee
    teebeegeebee Posts: 218 Member
    Coffee is my lifeline, I switched to decaf with a pod machine, and I add almond milk. all up each cup is 75 calories.
    losing the caffeine took a while
    I still take an espresso with caffeine 30mins before i train to elevate my heart rate

  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,131 Member
    I have 2 cups daily each cup has 2 tsp sugar and 2 tbsp half and half. So at 70 cals per cup that is 140 calories per day. For me that is non negotiable. If you love your coffee and it makes you happy then just make it fit your calorie goal. There is no need to cut out anything you love. You might just need to cut down the portion sizes.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,519 Member
    edited August 2017
    I drink 2-3 cups of black coffee every day. No plans to give it up.

    I have tried green tea, but don't particularly like it. I prefer Lady Grey, French Grey, Chai Rooibos, Lemon Ginger, and flavoured Chamomile. :) All "black" ... occasionally with a tiny bit of Stevia.
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
    You say you have a lot of cream? How much? Could you cut down gradually?
    I switched from coffee with milk and sugar to decaf with 1 cup heated almond milk and Stevia. It took a while to get used to, but now I enjoy it very much. Cinnamon and nutmeg helped me through the transition.
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
    It's not the coffee that's the problem, but what most people put in it. The sugars and creams are what make it so weight loss unfriendly. I drink black coffee all the time, it's even my Pre-workout.
  • CarolynG93
    CarolynG93 Posts: 8 Member
    I've cut down to 1 a day! It's made me appreciate it a lot more. Really enjoy having my coffee in bed in the morning. Machine coffee and 100ml skimmed milk mmmmm x

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