Coffee & Weightloss

I have a lot of weight to lose, but that's ok because it's less than the amount I have already lost.  This is a coffee blog, not a fitness blog, so it's normally not a topic for this space.  However in the past week I have heard several people say something along the lines of "I had to give up coffee took too many calories to make it drinkable"  

Ummm

NO IT DOESN'T

Anyone who says that is drinking the wrong coffee.  If you have to add milk and creamer every day then you're not drinking quality coffee.  Good coffee is an amazing creature and for just a few calories (about 7 a cup) you can have a taste treat that delights the senses and leaves you satisfied.

I drink coffee every day. 

LOTS of coffee 

And  this isn't me anymore

It would be if I drank tons of sugar and creamer filled concoctions - but I don't do that.  Most of the time I drink it black because

COFFEE IS NATURALLY SWEET.  

I don't need the caffeine to exercise, but it doesn't hurt.  Gives me energy and can cut down of muscles soreness afterwards.

With my girls at a 5k. I've gone from struggling to walk around the block to doing half marathons. I do them very very slowly, but I do manage to finish them. :-)

I won't credit coffee with my losing 165lbs so far.  That was a lot of hard work and eating right.  It's about making choices.  What coffee I drink is one of those choices.  If I choose bad coffee I'm making the choice to add calories to it just to make it drinkable.  When I choose the good stuff - and yes, it costs more - I'm choosing to enjoy the actual coffee with all it's wonderful flavors.  I don't need to hide them and I don't need to eliminate it from my diet just because I want to lose weight.  I get very tired of hearing people say that.  Because I'm known as a coffee lover, people say it to me a LOT.  Then I tell them they're drinking the wrong coffee and the conversation goes downhill from there.  From now on I'm just going to say "I did a blog post on that."  'Cause now I have.  

If you want to keep having your morning cup of joe but don't want to add sugar - start with a great bean. I prefer pour overs and what I call "complicated coffee" but you don't have to do any of that.  I don't deny being a coffee snob, but only a moderate one.  I know that not everyone wants to put as much time into getting it made as I do.  You can still get a much improved cup of coffee by using good beans, freshly ground if possible, in your normal drip machine.  (don't get me started on the single cup monsters) 

Google roasters in your area and go buy a bag.  Most will grind them for you if you need.  Not sure what to buy?  You can start with something basic like a Brazillian or Ethiopian.  Most people like those.  Taste the coffee before you add anything.  With a sweet coffee you can really go too far if you're not careful.  Before long you'll find that you don't want to add anything that might cover up the taste of the fancy, locally roasted beans you just bought.  

And then you can spend your calories on something else.  Even a tall skinny mocha from the Bucks has 110 calories.  That's 110 calories that can go for real food.  Drinking coffee at home?  Sugar has 16 calories a teaspoon and flavored creamers have about 35 calories a serving - but most people I know use two or more servings of each per cup.  That's at least 109 calories a cup and if you have more than a couple cups a day it really adds up.  Again - calories that can go for REAL FOOD.   

Just something to think about.

Me a couple of weeks ago in my current goal shirt. I put it on every Sunday to see if I can button it yet. Getting close. I can button the top or the bottom, but not both. LOL I'm going to have to get a selfie stick for pictures. Or a less busy teenager - because when I have time to try on the shirt - she's always off doing something. I have short arms.