Coffee and Weight Loss

[oliviamanda]

Just stubled across this article and found it interesting. I know No S allows you to drink coffee and hello! many of us can't get through the day without it, but if there is any truth to this article... it's enough for me to limit my intake!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... tml?cat=51

Highlights are:

Reason 1 - Coffee Gets On your Nerves

Coffee interrupts the activity of the brain chemical adenosine, which is responsible for calming you down. This added stimulation and nervousness that you get from coffee can make you feel edgy. This edgy feeling can often lead to a sense of hunger or cravings, causing you to eat more than you would normally.

Reason 2 - Coffee Is Seldom a Loner

Coffee intake, decaf or not, is often associated with social food intake activities such as breaks, snacks, and fast-food breakfasts. When someone asks you out for a "cup of coffee," it is usually accompanied by a snack or even a meal that you would not have otherwise eaten. Therefore, for many people, coffee is an excuse to cheat and eat foods in greater quantity and of lesser quality.

Reason 3 - Coffee Is an Energy Crisis

Coffee puts extreme stress on your adrenal glands - the glands responsible for the release of stress hormones. What a cup of coffee causes in your body is a stress response similar to a shot of adrenaline. This "fight or flight" response causes the body to release sugar into the blood as muscle fuel. If you don't use this sugar (who among us works out after a cup of coffee?), the sugar triggers a release of insulin, and before you know it, your blood sugar crashes and burns and these extreme fluctuations in your blood sugar can cause enormously powerful cravings - not to mention that many times the excess sugar released and not used can be turned directly to fat stores. Interestingly enough, when it comes to blood sugar fluctuations, "the decaffeinated contains the same acid oil, and is often no better than regular coffee," so caffeine is not the only culprit.

Reason 4 - Coffee Sends Important Nutrients Down the Drain

Coffee is a powerful diuretic. For some who are battling weight, diuretics may seem like friendly allies, but in reality, harsh diuretics like coffee may do more harm than good. When you urinate too often, you lose magnesium, potassium, sodium, and Vitamin B1. These are vital nutrients that you probably aren't getting enough of anyway, particularly if you are restricting your food intake.

Reason 5 - Coffee is a Toxic Waste

You may not realize it, but caffeinated coffee contains the same alkaloid group of chemical as morphine, cocaine, and strychnine. By the same token, regular and decaffeinated coffee are full of toxins. One researcher reports, "the coffee plant itself is a virtual repository for toxins such as pesticides and other harmful chemicals." Coffee is the most heavily sprayed of all agricultural commodities. It is never wise to knowingly ingest toxic chemicals, but especially during a time when you are trying to lose weight because internal cleansing is so vitally important to your weight loss efforts.

Reason 6 - Coffee Causes a Fuel Shortage

Coffee raises your blood pressure and directly affects your metabolism. As explained previously, your body's reaction to coffee is to produce extra insulin. This internal chemical reaction to caffeine hitting your system retards the burning of stored fat. This is because your body is "tricked" by the insulin and does not realize it could be using the excess fat for energy. For this reason, even overweight people feel excessively tired after the coffee wears off, even though they have excess stored fuel that could be burned off. It may be beneficial to mention hear that statistics show that ¾ of the caffeine ingested in the U.S. comes directly from coffee, so there are a lot of folks doing a lot of bad things to their metabolisms with this treasured drink.

Reason 7 - Coffee Keeps you from Snoozing and Losing

The Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that "lack of sleep may enhance hunger and effect the body's metabolism, making it much more difficult to lose weight." Sleep is important to weight loss for many reasons. It affects the secretion of the appetite control hormone cortisol, it is necessary for the body to properly metabolize carbohydrates, and it insures that adequate amounts of growth hormone are released so that your body's proportion of muscle and fat are balanced. Even if you drink coffee early in the day, the havoc it wreaks on your blood sugar, insulin production, and metabolism can prevent you from getting the restful, restorative sleep that your body needs to help it maintain a healthy weight.

Reason 8 - Coffee Prevents You from Housecleaning

"When you get up in the morning, your stomach and your whole system are in a cleansing process." When caffeinated coffee gets moving into your blood and the endorphins begin to stimulate you, the natural daily cleansing process that your body has started for its own good stops immediately. You cannot lose weight or be healthy without proper cleansing, and coffee stops your body from being able to accomplish that important task as it is programmed to do.

Reason 9 - Coffee Dampens Your Spirits

Coffee directly affects your mood, mindset, emotional, and mental processes. Because we know that weight issues are often linked to emotional or mental issues, it is important to not repress or numb or ignore these issues. It has been said that "when you want to lose physical weight, you also need to lose mental weight." Scientists project that coffee "can reduce cerebral flow by as much as 30%, which might be one of the reasons coffee prevents you from losing that "mental weight."

Reason 10 - Coffee Elevates More than Your Heart Rate

Besides the effects of caffeine on the heart and entire nervous and cardiovascular systems, several of the oily components of coffee beans themselves, which eventually make their way into your breakfast beverage cup, can elevate a person's blood cholesterol levels. Anyone with imbalanced cholesterol will find it more difficult to lose weight or maintain overall health.

Reason 11 - Coffee De-Livers You

Because coffee is so toxic, "long-term coffee drinkers often have a toxic, congested liver and impure blood." A congested or toxic liver can lead to all sorts of dieter-unfriendly conditions, including protruded stomach, constipation, spastic colon, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Reason 12 - Coffee's Friends are Not-So-Sweet
According to the folks at Roast and Post Coffee Company, only 37% of coffee drinkers drink their coffee black, while 63% add sweeteners like sugar or potentially harmful artificial sweeteners. While regular black coffee may not be high calorie or high fat, most commonly preferred coffee drinks tell a different story. For instance, while a 12-oz. cup of black unsweetened coffee has only a few unmentionable calories, a cappuccino made with even nonfat milk has 80. The popular café mocha with whipped cream will provide you with nearly 260 calories in the nonfat milk version, and 340 calories and 21 fat grams in the regular version. So while coffee in itself may not be overstocking you with calories, it is clear that the way most folks drink their coffee is giving them more than their waistlines may have bargained for.

[marygrace]

Hm, these are some pretty big statements--some of which I've never heard before. Even though they are meant to sound alarming, I'm not really scared. I've read plenty of studies that say moderate coffee intake is fine (and may even be beneficial, since coffee is high in antioxidants). It's probably not a good idea to rely on coffee to seriously get through the day, or develop a 5-cup-a-day habit, and I agree that it's important to be aware of the extras you're putting in your coffee (or eating alongside it). That said, I really enjoy drinking a cup of black coffee with my breakfast in the morning; it's warm, relaxing, and I like the taste. In short, it signals that it's time to start the day. I've tried experimenting with different teas, but they never were as enjoyable first thing in the morning (I like to save a mug of herbal tea for the end of the evening when I'm watching TV). I think I'm going to stick with my coffee =)

[wosnes]

I've read stuff like this before. All I can say is don't believe everything you read.

[RJLupin]

I don't buy it at all. Practically every week, they change their mind about coffee; they being whichever self-appointed "health" guru is getting exposure. Caffeine can suppress appetite, and is good for memory and mood. Also, it's just plain enjoyable to have coffee.

So if you want it, go ahead and drink it. Honestly, I think a lot of the time this so-called "diet" advice we get operates on this principle: "If it's enjoyable, it must be bad, so get rid of it!" Never mind whether it's true or not, the idea is any "diet" has to cut out everything pleasant. Hence we hear all about the supposed horrors of fat, carbs, or whatever.

The general medical consensus, BTW, seems to be that coffee in moderation is fine. It definitely doesn't support these nonsensical scare stories.

[MerryKat]

From my own experience, I have found that I am hungrier when I drink coffee and my weight loss is definitely slower if I am drinking coffee.

For me coffee is a weekend treat and I thoroughly enjoy it, but it becomes too addictive for me to have weekly.

[wosnes]

Here's the way I see it: Some people are going to have problems with it, but there's nothing with which some people don't have problems. Coffee has been consumed for thousands of years without being a major health hazard.

I think there's a lot of wacky science out there and any number of people are willing to believe it. I have seen respected "experts" really stretch the truth about the results of various studies, often to suit their own beliefs or agendas. I don't pay attention anymore.

There have been times when my coffee consumption has been more than moderate. Now I'd say that I'm a moderate coffee drinker, consuming 2-4 cups daily, usually 2 or 3.

Seen on a T-shirt recently: Coffee is the reason I have a personality.

[oliviamanda]

I hear you about the wacky science thing. The t-shirt slogan you mention is a great reminder that coffee is actually a drug and that caffeine/coffee may be the #1 drug in Amercia and possibly the world. We are all so heavily addicted... doesn't it just say it all when you say I cannot give up my coffee? I know many people that absolutely cannot and will not give it up, even if it's bad for you. I believe moderation is key. If it was 100% bad for us we probably would't be drinking it... and I agree that there are benefits and that "they" keep changing their minds about whether it's good for you or not.

Personally I have reached a weight loss halt and I drink down some decaf probably 4 days a week and I really don't enjoy it. So, that's why I thought it might be a good idea to cut it out and it seems that the reasons to do it make sense for me. I read the Skinny Bitch book which convinced me to be a vegetarian quite easily and also said to cut out the coffee, which I never did. I have cut it down from 7 days a week, but now that I am not enjoying it... it'll be interesting to see if it makes a difference to my weight loss and general well-being to cut it out for awhile.

[marygrace]

Oliviamanda, do keep us posted on how cutting out the coffee works for you. I don't plan on saying goodbye to my morning mug, but am curious to see whether it actually has an effect.

Also, where in south jersey are you from? I lived there my whole life (Voorhees) before moving to Austin last summer.

[TunaFishKid]

I cut out coffee because it makes me eat more. It took me a while to realize that the constant gnawing feeling in my stomach was coffee acid and not really hunger. I actually discovered it by chance when I ran out of coffee one day and noticed I didn't have my usual growly, empty feeling.

(Full disclosure....I'm drinking a cup right now, lol, but it's very unusual. I probably drink a cup or two a month, compared to a cup or two a day before.)

[wosnes]

I read the Skinny Bitch book which convinced me to be a vegetarian quite easily

I've read part of Skinny Bitch (and all of many other books promoting veganism). It was one of the most irritating things I've ever read. There's as much (if not more) wacky science about vegetarianism/veganism as anything else. It's an area where I've noticed the truth stretched the most and the area where I learned to take what is written with skepticism. I don't think there's a thing wrong with being vegetarian or vegan if that's what you want to do. But is it healthier than anything else? I don't think so.

I believe that many of the health issues vegan authors and "experts" attribute to animal products aren't due to animal products at all. I think the problems are due to high consumption of manufactured foods. Peoples who don't eat the manufactured foods don't have the health issues. As the consumption of manufactured foods has increased, so have the health problems. It seems that people are just starting to see that now.

[oliviamanda]

I know that giving up meat isn't for most people and neither is giving up coffee. I have to say that in being vegetarian I have largely cut down my processed food intake and I know I feel healthier for it. Plus, I am not eating my old favorites... bacon, burgers and cheesesteaks. I believe that not having those items in particular in my diet is making me healthier. Plus, my high cholesterol is way down now.

[guadopt1997]

And I just came on the boards to ask if I should count this morning's bottle of frappuccino as a "sweet"!!

[marygrace]

I believe that many of the health issues vegan authors and "experts" attribute to animal products aren't due to animal products at all. I think the problems are due to high consumption of manufactured foods. Peoples who don't eat the manufactured foods don't have the health issues. As the consumption of manufactured foods has increased, so have the health problems. It seems that people are just starting to see that now.

My husband has been a vegan for about four years; I've been a vegetarian since high school and eat exclusively vegan at home or whenever we eat out together. That said, I'm the only veg I know who agrees with your statement, Wosnes. A lot of people put vegetarian- or veganism on a pedestal of health, and while it can be a healthy way to eat, it can also be very unhealthy (same is true for an omnivorous diet). As far as health is concerned, the most important thing is to eat moderate portions of whole, unprocessed food. I find books like Skinny Bitch and others that try to shock people into giving up animal products incredibly irritating; not only are they soft on the science, they're also smug and very much holier-than-thou. It gives ethical vegans and vegetarians a bad rep.

[wosnes]

I know that giving up meat isn't for most people and neither is giving up coffee. I have to say that in being vegetarian I have largely cut down my processed food intake and I know I feel healthier for it. Plus, I am not eating my old favorites... bacon, burgers and cheesesteaks. I believe that not having those items in particular in my diet is making me healthier. Plus, my high cholesterol is way down now.

Many people who switch to a vegan or vegetarian diet also change to more whole foods. It's kind of hard to say what made the difference, but my guess is the whole foods. Michael Pollan said that people never make just one change to their diet -- when one thing decreases another increases and it's hard to know what to credit for changes in health. Since all those healthy populations eat animal products to some degree (some actually eat nearly all animal products), but don't eat processed foods -- I'm betting on the processed foods.

The only time my cholesterol was ever elevated was a short period of time about five years ago when I was eating a LOT of processed food. I still wasn't eating much meat. When I dropped the processed food, my cholesterol dropped like a rock. Funny thing is, I started eating more animal products than I had in 10 years or more -- and my cholesterol has continued to drop. I'm now at the level of those Greeks they studied 50-60 years ago -- in the 120s.

My eldest daughter, on the other hand, was just told that her cholesterol is high. She doesn't eat much meat or dairy, but does eat a lot of processed foods. I told her to cut those out (don't know if she has or not yet). Her dad has always eaten a lot of meat, but very little in the way of processed foods. I don't think his cholesterol has ever been above 140. (He also naturally eats the No-S way.)

I think those who promote veganism for health reasons have been barking up the wrong tree. I suspect it has a lot more to do with processed foods and hydrogenated fats than it's ever had to do with animal products.

[RJLupin]

See, if I DON'T drink coffee, I get more hungry than if I did. I think it really jump starts me in the morning, and gets me moving.

I hated the parts of "Skinny Bitch" that I read. First of all, who wants to be a bitch? Isn't that a BAD thing? Second of all, it had nothing to do with health and everything to do with pushing a radical political agenda. To claim that meat is poison and makes you fat is beyond ridiculous and completely ignores facts. One thing "vegans" fail to mention is that there are many cultures that DO eat meat and are incredibly healthy. The French, for example, eat far from a vegetarian diet and have much lower rates of obesity and heart disease than do the Americans. People who follow the so-called Mediterranean diet also consume meats (mainly in the form of chicken and seafood) and are among the healthiest people in the world. I can't think of anyone in the Western world who naturally eats a vegan diet, which is an artificial way to eat.

Which leads me into another thing that disgusts me: this book, and others like it, push discarding real food in exchange for processed garbage. Soy ice cream? Really? Have you read the ingredient list of what goes in that? Same goes for all that "faux" meat stuff, which is basically particle board held together with glue. Sure, it's got some soy protein, but to claim that this laboratory by-product is somehow better than eating real, wholesome foods is mind-boggling.

Fake meat, fake ice cream, fake cheese.....these seem to be the cornerstones of vegan diets. No matter what the Skinny Bitches (who are pretty abusive in their book, by the way) claim, this is NOT a normal or healthy way to eat. I think it can be healthy to be a vegetarian, but all of the vegans I've known had hair loss, bad skin, tooth decay, and some even gained weight from their intake of all this processed junk. Eating this way is no more natural than eating a diet solely composed of meat would be. I totally understand the animal cruelty thing, but starving yourself on a diet of imitation food doesn't help matters and is no way to go through life.

Skinny Bitch isn't a diet book or a health book, it's propaganda filled with half-truths and flat out lies in order to push their agenda. Just eat normal, real food and avoid processed stuff, and you'll be fine. No fake cheese or fake ice cream needed.

[Aleria]

This makes me very glad I don't drink coffee except the occasional Tim Horton's Ice Cappuccino (which lately I've been making at home instead... cheaper!)

[kccc]

I am not vegan, but enjoyed the cookbook "Vegan with a Vengance" because the author refused to include ANY fake meat products.

(More and more, I have trouble finding cookbooks I like b/c there are too many that just combine food-products and call that cooking. I've been thrilled to discover Mark Bittmann through this board.)

I am of the belief that one-size-does-not-fit-all when it comes to eating styles. There are people who thrive on low-carb, people who are almost ill on them, etc. So, coffee may be different for all people.

One of my favorite motto is "moderation in all things, including moderation." I limit my coffee to about 2 cups per day (most days). Yet it seems that every article I see on coffee promotes an extreme - either I should cut it entirely, because even one cup is too much, or I need to drink more (yes, more) to get the full anti-oxident effect.

Whatever works... 2 cups is good for me.

[oliviamanda]

I only skimmed the SB book. My husband had become vegetarian because he was always sick, especially after eating beef. Plus, he is a veteran of the Gulf War and read an article said that they used beef cells in the vaccines the government gave them during the war and somehow it might have a link to Gulf War illness, which he has. Since he has stopped eating meat, he has no more stomach upsets. His mother is allergic to the hormones in beef and has to get hormone-free and has gone to the hospital many times, even when the label said it was okay.

We had been eating poultry only for a long time. When he went vegetarian, I stumbled on the book and decided it was easier to eat that way, too... and I actually wanted to. I understand the scare politics and I in no way preach that other should be vegetarian. I am happy not to be eating meat. The SB was just a final push in the direction I was already heading for. I do eat meat on special occasions and am not against anyone consuming as much meat and coffee that they want! : )

And actually I do not eat very much soy. I do eat dairy products, which SB says not to do. No fake ice cream or soy hot dogs for me!

[marygrace]

Fake meat, fake ice cream, fake cheese.....these seem to be the cornerstones of vegan diets. No matter what the Skinny Bitches (who are pretty abusive in their book, by the way) claim, this is NOT a normal or healthy way to eat. I think it can be healthy to be a vegetarian, but all of the vegans I've known had hair loss, bad skin, tooth decay, and some even gained weight from their intake of all this processed junk. Eating this way is no more natural than eating a diet solely composed of meat would be. I totally understand the animal cruelty thing, but starving yourself on a diet of imitation food doesn't help matters and is no way to go through life.

RJ, I really take issue with what you're saying. True, eating a diet of fake foods (vegan or otherwise) is not normal or healthy; however, these foods are not the cornerstone of a vegan or vegetarian diet. Most vegans and vegetarians eat a diet of whole, unprocessed plant foods, and consequently are in great health. I'm a vegetarian, my husband is vegan, and we know plenty of people who eat the same way---none of them have hair loss, bad skin, tooth decay, or are overweight.

Further, eschewing all animal products may not be "natural" from an evolutionary perspective, however, we live in an age (and country) that allows people to thrive on a diet of plant-based foods if they choose to do so. I think the fact that I as an American have enough plant-based food available to me so that I'm able to avoid participating in the suffering (and environmental damage) caused by meat production is extraordinary, and I'm thankful. Vegetarians and vegans who have chosen this lifestyle on a basis of ethics are not "starving themselves" in the name of cruelty. Instead, we are eating an abundance of plant-based foods--foods that are not sentient beings and cannot suffer--in an effort to avoid doing harm to other creatures and the environment, and we have made the conscious decision to do so.

If someone wants to go on a vegan diet and eat fake garbage solely in an attempt to get (or stay) skinny, fine, but it's a stupid idea. If the decision to become vegan is driven by compassion, it should be respected.

[RJLupin]

Well, I am sorry if I offended you. I used to be vegetarian myself, so I can totally understand the cruelty thing. I do NOT approve of factory farming, or how animals are treated by the meat industry.

My criticism was mainly directed at the Bitch people, but also it's been my own experience with my friends who were vegan, many of whom WERE sickly and unwell, and did eat a lot of processed junk. Even if they were to cut that out, there are so many vitamins and minerals found in animal products that you would pretty much have to take supplements to replace them. Since eggs and milk can indeed be harvested in cruelty-free ways, I see little reason to remove them from the diet. Likewise, fish are probably one of the healthiest things to eat, and there's no way to replicate that even by taking pills. Perhaps some vegans don't use processed food, but if so I haven't met them.

As an adult of course I respect your choice to eat whatever you want, and I do applaud people who make (reasonable) efforts to avoid animal cruelty. At the same time, I look at veganism as more of a religious belief than anything based on health. It's no more natural than it would be to eat a diet composed solely of animal products; I do not believe cutting out entire foods groups is a wise choice for most people, especially since their removal may require supplements. Since it isn't required for health, why impose dietary restrictions that are almost impossible to stick with? Just as most people on low-carb diets won't give up bread and pasta forever, I don't think most people will give up eggs, milk, dairy products, honey, etc. If it works for you, great, but again I distance that from "health" and put it more into the "lifestyle choice" camp.

[oliviamanda]

RJLupin... I am not offended in the slightest. I love all my No S family and welcome what anyone has to say about the topic at hand... which was coffee. : )

[marygrace]

RJLupin, while it's definitely true that animal products contain plenty of important vitamins and minerals, a well-planned vegan diet is also nutritionally sound (the only vitamin of potential concern is B12, but that can be obtained through fortified foods or nutritional yeast) and requires no supplementation.

While I wouldn't go as far as to call veganism a religious belief, it certainly is a moral one--and one that may or may not take health into consideration. It's completely a lifestyle choice as opposed to a health choice, which is what I was trying to say in my last post (while also trying to say that it's not an unhealthy choice to make if executed correctly). In other words, most people who choose to be vegan do so for ethical reasons, and most people who choose to be vegan opt for a diet of whole, unprocessed foods so as to avoid becoming malnourished or having to rely on supplements. Further, since it's an ethical choice, it's not one that can really be likened to cutting out carbs or some other food group--there's no moral objection to not eating bread, it's just a method some people use for losing weight. Once they've lost the weight, they'll probably start craving carbs again and eat them. On the other hand, once you've made the decision to stop eating animal products from an ethical standpoint, I find it hard to understand how a person could go back to eating meat (unless they've simply changed their belief, I guess).

Anyways, it looks like we both really dislike the Skinny Bitch book--at least that's something we can agree on!

[wosnes]

About coffee from my local news. I tend to take these warnings with a grain of salt -- or LOTS of grains of salt. People have been drinking coffee for hundreds of years without problem, or very few have problems. Plus, there are people who are against it (or other substances) for other reasons and then try to make a big case against that substance.

There's nothing that we ingest that someone doesn't have a problem with. Doesn't mean that none of us should consume it.

[Elspeth]

Yay, coffee! Elixir of life! My problem with coffee was that I tended to associate it with "coffee break," in other words, time for a donut or a muffin. Once I got out of the habit I was able to go back to enjoying it for its own sake. I drink one or two 12-ounce cups a day on non-fasting days. Since I like cream and a cube of sugar in my coffee, I have to skip it on fasting days and have unsweetened white tea instead.

Thanks for posting the link wosnes (and for getting the thread back on track!)

[MerryKat]

I love hearing about things that you others can't eat or drink which I can and visa versa.

The wonder of the human body and it is such a blessing we are all different.

[alarkaspree]

I find coffee incredibly helpful for the exact opposite to the reasons outlined in point 2) - 'coffee time' is an important social thing for me - I meet other mom's from my daughter's class, I take the kids to a cafe, whatever. For me, coffee made by someone else in a nice cup with a friend to chat to is enough of a treat that I don't feel the need to add muffins. If I take the children out for ice cream in the summer, I have iced coffee and it tastes almost as good as ice cream. It is a treat, a break, but not a snack.

(And I take it black without sugar, so I'm not adding calories by drinking it. I just love the taste.)

[oliviamanda]

Going to get a cup of coffee with a girlfriend almost always is accompanied by a dessert that we at least share. My mom has always had "tea" time because she is British. Tea and coffee are always accompanied by cookies and sweets. I have to say No to her on N days, but it's so difficult to have one without the other. It's a ritual. And if I ever have a red day on my HabitCal, it's most likely due to tea time.