Is coffee a snack?

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franxious
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Is coffee a snack?

Post by franxious » Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:25 pm

I just don't know what to do about coffee. I love it, and I have two large cups every morning. I don't count this as a meal or as a snack, since the amount and preparation is a constant, and I really don't see any good reason why I should stop -- I can lose weight despite the coffee.

But in the afternoon, sometimes I want coffee, and sometimes I don't. I have it with milk and sugar, so it does have calories. It's pretty much always just one cup. I've been trying to figure out in advance if I'll want coffee and get it with my lunch, so that it's part of a meal. But sometimes, I totally forget, or there's no decent coffee around at the right time, etc. In the beginning of no-s, I didn't have the coffee. Lately, I've been having it, even if it's not with lunch.

Assuming the coffee is NOT a gateway food (i.e., I won't be tempted to have a doughnut with it, or to put flavored syrup in it (yuck!), or in any way escalate my intake), is it OK? Or is it a snack that will undermine all my other no-s hard work?

P.S. I also drink water and unsweetened tea (green, black, herbal) during the day. I just don't like coffee black, and for me there's nothing like a cup of coffee prepared the way I like it...

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Blondie
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Post by Blondie » Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:22 pm

I don't count coffee. I drink too much of it (although it's decaf only), and I will soon try to cut down...soon. But no, I don't count it.

silverfish
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Post by silverfish » Fri Feb 01, 2008 2:24 am

Triple-shot caramel mochalattes - definitely an S!

Regular coffee - not a problem. And like tea it's a really good way to get through if your breakfast or lunch has fallen a little short of the next meal but don't need something as filling as a glass of milk or juice.

kccc
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Post by kccc » Fri Feb 01, 2008 2:30 am

I don't count it. I drink two large cups every morning, of cafe au lait (hot milk and coffee) with one tsp. sugar each. It's essentially a cup of low-fat milk across the two, plus the sugar.

On the rare occasions I have it late in the day, it's in the same category as a "milky drink to get you through" - not optimal, but technically okay.

However... I think this is a case-by-case decision. If it IS a "gateway food" or if you find it's escalating, then yes, it's a problem. Until then, I'd let it go.

For me, squeezing too tight in too many directions at once is a recipe for failure. It's better to have the coffee "for free" than to let trying to give it up sink everything else.

Finnegar
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Post by Finnegar » Fri Feb 01, 2008 7:33 am

It's interesting, I was just thinking about this today. I used to always have a cookie/piece of cake at lunch and dinner, which I've successfully cut out. However, I seem to have replaced it with a craving for hot chocolate. I rationalized it one day since it was freezing and there were 8 inches of snow on the ground outside, but after that?

franxious
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Post by franxious » Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:52 pm

Thanks for your perspectives, everyone.

Thinking about it, being allowed to have an occasional cup of coffee would add greatly to my satisfaction but would have minimal negative impact. So I'll count it as free. It certainly does help bridge the gap when I get a little hungry before the next meal.

Lisa

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NoelFigart
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Post by NoelFigart » Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:22 pm

franxious wrote:Thanks for your perspectives, everyone.

Thinking about it, being allowed to have an occasional cup of coffee would add greatly to my satisfaction but would have minimal negative impact. So I'll count it as free. It certainly does help bridge the gap when I get a little hungry before the next meal.

Lisa
Caffeine is also an appetite suppressant.

If you have that cup of coffee in the "good china" you can have a feeling of special without screwing up your healthy eating habits, too.

I do find, actually, that Reinhard is quite right about making a small "event" of a meal.

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