Thoughts on coffee....

My feeling is that (as with most things) moderation is key, and from what I've read in the news it seems coffee might not be bad for you, and might in fact have some health benefits.  As long as you're only having a cup or two, not an entire pot, not drinking it all day and/or having trouble sleeping, I don't see a problem.  Even better if you're not adding a bunch of cream and/or sugar.

I normally drink 1-2 cups (black) every day, and I enjoy it without any guilt whatsoever.

How so?

There have been many threads on caffeine in the past, with links to studies showing it's positive effect on performance in training and racing (sorry too lazy to Google/search ). The kicker, though, was the base level - or normal consumption - they were starting from was minimal.

I'm a big fan of things in moderation - so I'm one of those who doesn't feel bad about literally one cup of superweak black work coffee in the morning. I also don't like being dependent on things, so am very aware if I feel I "need" to have more, and think about what I need to do to compensate (more sleep, less training volume, less stress, etc.). 

But since this was in the weight loss forum I was curious on the thread... I'd be interested to hear stories of how caffeine did or did not aid in weight loss for others.

I love my coffee.  I have been managing my weight loss for awhile now, and have found several things out from my nutritionist: 

For weight loss, I am not really sure if there is any concrete evidence one way or another about it's effects on weight loss.  Yeah, it might make your appetite less for a little bit, but that's only temporary. It is a stimulant, but this can be bad because it can cause nervousness, insomnia, high blood pressure, nausea (you might find as you work on race nutrition, that some gels/bars, etc have a lot of caffeine in them that can make your stomach hurt).  

Coffee also increases urinary secretion of important minerals such as magnesium, potassium and sodium and uses up a fair amount of vitamin B1.

You also have to be careful of what coffee you are drinking, some are really high in calories and fat content.  I know I won't do Starbucks, because if you look at the calories in their latte's and stuff, it is mind boggling.  

I still drink coffee...in moderation, but now I control what goes in the coffee.  Almond Milk or Hemp Milk and no sweeteners.  This actually over time has decreased my intake, and I am down to only 2 cups in the morning.  I used to be an all day coffee drinker too!  

I'm 54 and have been drinking 2 cups a morning for 30 years, just 2 never 3.

I quite caffeine in Jan. After 1 month I would have told you it's no big deal either way. But, over the next couple of months things really changed.

I now fall asleep much quicker and deeper. Within 10 minutes of waking I'm ready to go at a high effort level both physically and mentally. My energy levels are improved and level throughout the day.

The biggest difference and the reason I'll not go back is focus. The best way I can explain it is chess. I can go much deeper into a decision tree of moves and counter moves than when I drank coffee. As a software developer, this ability to focus intently is crucial for me. 

I definitely have seen the need to reduce the caffeine as a larger percentage of my caloric intake is used to support training rather than other metabolic functions. I also may be the outlier here because I tend to take my coffee black anyway, so I never put sugar or milk/cream into it. I do think that caffeine in combination with sugar is HORRIBLE for you, seeing as caffeine is a chemical that uses your reserves and a simple glucose molecule goes directly into your reserves.

I like my coffee like I like my women...

Black, bitter, and preferably free trade!

That's hilarious!  Yeah, I think I'm going to start to only drink it black or with the Almond Milk like pp.'s suggested...maybe if it doesn't taste like French Vanilla I won't drink as much.  I can at least give it a shot!

This has been an interesting discussion.  I am a coffee drinker, I think by habit and love of the taste and ritual more than the caffeine.  I am a person that can drink a cup of coffee (or any caffeinated drink) and go right to sleep at night.... and I mean within minutes (my hubby makes fun of how fast I fall asleep!).  I do believe in moderation, I have one cup during the week usually and I may have a 2nd cup on the weekend mornings if we are having a slow and relaxing morning.  I do try to eat very healthy besides the limited coffee.  I don't drink sodas or really much of anything else besides water.  My coffee is BAD I will admit, I use a hazelnut creamer.  But I see it as my one little naughty thing I do and it is limited.  I don't feel bad about it.  Also I know I can go without it, I don't NEED it, busy mornings I can just jump out of bed and go and not miss it really.  I have read studies that say there are some health benefits of coffee, but I pretty much cancel that out with the hazelnut creamer!  LOL!  I will say I have a tendency to drink more when it it cold outside.  In the summer I cut it back a lot.  I hate drinking hot drinks when it is hot outside!

So I would go with anything in moderation!  = )

According to Prevention Magazine 2-3 cups per day can help prevent both type 2 diabetes and alzheimers disease.  I choose not to give up my 2 cups per day.  Green and white teas have also been shown to have healthy benefits, according to Prevention.

jami 

I REFUSE to give up coffee. As a poster above said it's all about moderation.

In this world we live in we are all told to stop this , give up that, don't do this etc. For me, I really enjoy a good cup of coffee (nothing worse than a bad one!) so I continue.

It might have something to do with me being in my late 40's and a bit stubborn

Interesting.  Did you make any other diet changes?  Give up or reduce sugar?  Pop?

Just read this article which says coffee drinkers live longer.  Yay!!

No other changes. I was already on a very healthy diet and had been for 18 months.  

I've never had coffee, so take this for what it's worth.

I drink homebrewed iced tea every day. I go through a half gallon a day. It's completely unsweetened. I've been doing that while sustaining a steady weight loss that has totaled 35 pounds in 4 months.

I am sure that when I get to a point where I am fine tuning every single thing I ingest even more than I am now, I will take a long hard look at the tea. But for now, it's part of a plan that works for me. I moved to unsweetened tea a few years ago, so it wasn't new to me for weight loss.

But of course, people can use COFFEE to mean a lot of things, and with this whole Starbucks culture, it's really become an excuse to drink milkshakes all the time and call it coffee. What's in it? Straight up coffee? Have at it.

HanaCarina - 2012-05-09 10:22 AM Recently my husband and I have almost completely changed our diet for the better. We're doing a lot of juicing, eating more fruits/vegetables and less meat, basically going from "terrible diet" to a nutritious one. I've taken to it well, with one exception: COFFEE! I'm totally addicted to caffeine and the "coffee routine" of my mornings. The hubs says I need to kick the habit because it's detrimental to training and diet. I'm just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the topic. Should I detox or is there nothing wrong with keeping it in the mix

Answer scientifically is YES, CAFFEINE HELPS.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, speeding up all the body's processes....burning more calories and speeding up metabolism without you even noticing it!

Theoretically the caffeine will aid in weight loss due to sympathetic nervous system stimulation. While it may not be the PROPER way to lose weight, it helps. Think of people that do meth, or other forms of amphetamines. They are all skinny, because of the CNS stimulation. They're all psychoactive drugs, and yes, caffeine is a drug.

Also, there is no such thing as a detox. It's a scam, pseudoscience, snake oil. Whatever you want to call it...but alternative medicine is for another day

I've done a lot of research on the subject in medical and scientific journals and unfortunately, the findings are contradictory and inconclusive.  Just like the issue of the benefits of red wine.

Despite the benefits of red wine, other studies show that even moderate alcohol consumption increases risk of breast cancer and oral cancers.

Some studies show that drinking AT LEAST 4 cups a day of coffee decreases risks of oral cancer..while others point to the fact that it causes nervousness, anxiety...

It's really hard to know what to think.

As for the calcium depletion properties of caffeine, some studies show that lattes and adding milk counteract that. That the ca depletion is really only relevant for black coffee.

Also, as for the sugar, most people don't put in more than a packet of sugar. Not such a big deal.

I think the coffee scare is overrated. I think transfat and corn syrup are far worse.

Anything beyond limit is never good for us. So if you are addicted to the caffeine then it will affect you once in a day is absolutely OK.