coffee discussions

[jmprgrl74]

I was reading another thread where mention was made about coffee stalling some people. I thought it was caffeine that might be a problem - decaf is okay isn't it? I drink 2-3 cups a day of decaf coffee.

Thanks!

[Lulubell]

Re: coffee discussions

in the spirit of "not assuming what's right for me is OK for you", coffee is one of those things that will vary from person to person. so, if you find that you are stalled, try cutting the coffee down or out and see if it makes a difference. about the caffeine - that's really tricky, because it is a drug, and w/d gives you shakes, headaches, etc. but it is also a stimulant. some people find that a small amount of caffeine boosts metabolism. others find that it wreaks havoc on the nervous system.

i drink about 12 oz. of decaff daily, and i don't think it has any affect on me. however, keep in mind that coffee has a ton of other things in it, aside from caffeine, that could be a problem. and it will also depend on how heavy you are with cream/half-n-half and/or artificial sweetners.

[Lyssie]

Re: coffee discussions

Ditto everything Lulu said, plus, decaf still has caffeine in it...

[jmprgrl74]

Re: coffee discussions

Interesting. Thanks for the tips - I may cut it out for a little bit since I am stalled just to see. I also started using half-and-half (full fat) on dairy rung (which was the only dairy I've added since I can't find the stinkin' low carb milk!), apx. 1 TBS. per cup of coffee and think I'll switch that back to heavy cream just to see. Thanks for your thoughts!

[julirama723]

Re: coffee discussions

Also make sure you're counting the carbs in your coffee in your daily totals. Each serving of coffee (without adding any sweeteners, creamers, etc.) has 1-2g carbs. So 2-3 cups a day (depending on how big your cups are) could be anywhere from 2-6 extra carbs.

[jmprgrl74]

Re: coffee discussions

Holy CRAP! I didn't realize coffee itself had carbs!! Thanks!

[Scooterjam]

Re: coffee discussions

Jmprgrl74, I've learned that 'air' has carbs in it. haha!

[gonnabskinny]

Re: coffee discussions

Coffee only has carbs in it if it is instant coffee. Coffee made from grounds with tap water, whether caffeinated or decaf has 0 Carbs. Here is the link to the USDA website http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

[julirama723]

Re: coffee discussions

Coffee has carbs because it is a bean.

This is the info from fitday for coffee. Not only will the nutritional info vary based on the size of the cup, but on HOW MUCH coffee was added to make the brew.

I think what's happening here is what happens on nutritional labels. If something has less than .5g of carbs per serving, it can be labeled 0 carbs. If something has between .5-.99g carbs per serving, it is labeled as <1 carbs.

When in doubt, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Coffee, made from ground, regular Serving: fl oz coffee cup (6 fl oz) mug (8 fl oz) Quantity not specified Nutrition Facts Amount Per 1 coffee cup (6 fl oz) Calories 3.54
Calories from Fat 0 % Daily Value * Total Fat 0g 0% Saturated Fat 0.00354g 0% Polyunsaturated Fat 0.00354g Monounsaturated Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 3.54mg 0% Potassium 95.58mg 3% Total Carbohydrate 0.708g 0% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Protein 0.177g 0% Alcohol 0g

[cincywbbw]

Re: coffee discussions

I had no idea about the carbs either...Grrrr. I like to add some of that divinci flavored syurp to mine with heavey cream. I bet that kicks the carb level up a notch too!

[gonnabskinny]

Re: coffee discussions

I'm not sure why Fitday has those figures when the USDA labs are usually what it pulls from. However here are the actual scientific figures from the USDA. This was for an 8 oz cup. I realize that the nutritional labels on products round them down or even sometimes up.

Edited, because it did not copy right. So I just put some of the pertinent info.

Coffee, brewed from grounds, prepared with tap water (1)

New Search kcalRefuse: 0%

Scientific Name:
NDB No: 14209 (Nutrient values and weights are for edible portion)

Nutrient Units 1.00 X 1 cup (8 fl oz) 237g
Water 235.55 g
Energy kcal 2
Energy kj 5
Protein .28g
Total Lipid (fat) .83g
Carbohydrate, by difference .00g
Fiber, total dietary .00g
Calcium 5mg
Iron .02mg
Magnesium, Mg 7mg
Phosphorus, P 7mg
Potassium, K 116mg
etc, lots of other info that I didn't copy
-----------------------------------
Footnotes:
1 Includes fast food and home brewed coffee.
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 19 (2006)

[julirama723]

Re: coffee discussions

To each his own.

If you're drinking coffee, you can decide if you're counting any carbs present or not.

[sweetgirl2]

Re: coffee discussions

I love coffee, but I gave up the caffeine when I started Atkins! I still enjoy a decaf coffee now and then and I also know there is caffeine in Cocoa if I have that also

I count the carbs in Fitday for a cup, but I always did wonder about it so have this webpage about coffee in my favourites.

http://www.carb-counter.org/beverage...ch/Coffee/1400

It has a lot of information about all sorts of coffees, and there's such a range. Maybe when you brew coffee using beans, you're simply flavouring the water unlike when you add the grounds in an instant coffee, because there is a big difference in carb amounts listed, especially if you like to drink lots of coffee!

[ValidRouge]

Re: coffee discussions

I'm one of those people who coffee, caffeinated or not, causes MAJOR issues. I was never a coffee drinker during my first 6 months of Atkins...never touched the stuff and I lost weight rapidly. When I quit smoking in July, for some weird reason I started craving coffee...probably for the stimulant effect of the caffeine as a replacement (crutch I'll admit) for the nicotine. Anyway, ever since July I've been on a roller coaster with the coffee and my weight and cravings. When I remove coffee from my diet, I start losing and don't have mad cravings. If I add it back, I crave, I binge on legal foods, I gain. Basically, I have all kinds of issues.

Here's a thought for some of you regular coffee drinkers. The stuff is addictive, we all know. Just as I had emotional ties and physical addictions to my cigarettes, I'm sure some of you too have those bonds to coffee. However, if you've been drinking coffee all along and have still lost weight, you might say that you can drink coffee and still lose, right?. But WHAT IF you found that if you cut it out, your weight loss increased SIGNIFICANTLY??

What if?

[Lulubell]

Re: coffee discussions

anything is possible, joy. and you make a good point about this. it is something that we should strive to do.

as a demonstartion of an addictive personality, i have cut down on coffee significantly since starting this WOL in January, but i can't (won't) cut it out completely. in my mind, i feel like i have given up so much successfully (i also quit smoking 5 years ago, cold turkey) in the way of foods that i used to REALLY enjoy (which is crazy, because they were killing me, much in the way drugs can kill a person). when i think about willpower and goals and overcoming addictions, i like to think of myself as a person who can be content with coffee as a treat every once in a while or, when i get to goal, a slice of cake once in a blue moon that will not set me off on an eating frenzy.

but you know as well as anyone else, that addictive personalities trade one addiction for another: cigs for coffee, coffee for candy, sweets for salty, etc. it can go on and on in a kind of perpetual battle for getting the upper hand on that personality flaw. i have found since starting this WOL that i spend way more time thinking (and acting on) about shopping and purchasing things: furniture, jewelry, books. etc. if you ask my DH, he will tell you that i have traded bad food for shopping now.