Caffeine and weight loss

Betsysquared

Just looking for opinions please,

does caffeine slow down weight loss?

Or is it just that people always have to have a little bit o cake with their coffee?:D

EileenG

I reckon it's the sugar in the coffee and the biscuit with it that kills the diet, not the coffee itself.

Most slimming products are actually do anything are based on caffeine, which is a thermogenic, and will cause you to burn a few more calories. It also increases your pain threshold so you work a little harder, for a little longer, in the gym.

Coffee is the number one source of anti-oxidants for most people. Yes, blueberries have more, but not many people eat blueberries very often, while most people drink coffee at regular intervals. There is good research that it reduces the incidence of gallstones, type two diabetes and liver damage.

I like my coffee, can you tell?

Betsysquared

Well I am glad to hear it Eileen as I too am a lover of coffee

I can't see myself how a couple of cups a day (without the sugar addition) would do any damage, its just that a lot of diets say to ditch the caffeine and Patrick Holford is not a fan of it either

But I feel that my diet is pretty clean at the mo so if it is my only vice, so be it.

It keeps me (relatively) sane

echosound

Can I jump in here to ask a question (well two!) I am guessing I know the answer to this already but no harm to get some learned folk's opinion to be sure

I used to drink a lot of coffee, so switched over to decaff for a long while. I now only drink 2-3 cups a day, sometimes less, sometimes none (of instant decaff, this is down from anywhere between 6 and 10 cups of "real" coffee a day ) and am wondering if
a) there is any point sticking with the decaff or would it be better to switch back over to regular coffee (given the benefits of caffeine you listed EileenG, and given that decaffeination is achieved through use of chemicals, which I am a bit wary about due to my own lack of knowledge of the chemicals used) and b) should I also ditch the instant and try to get into the habit of dragging out the filtered coffee machine? i.e. is instant just muck and are the benefits only from "proper" coffee.

EileenG

My own personal take is that you are better with the real thing, since decaff and instant are very processed (and taste nasty too), but I'd use an expresso type coffee maker to make it.

I use one like this www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.kitchenaria.com/images/uploads/espresso_coffee_maker.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.kitchenaria.com/Coffee-Break/Fine-Dining/kitchenware_1464.html&usg=__Ejm_T_5CKfQBPJqYigRf9W8Xf_I=&h=300&w=233&sz=9&hl=en&start=0&sig2=dejC6pZGD8kymF9FbUGf8w&zoom=1&tbnid=9gWS2YO8Lw_JbM:&tbnh=129&tbnw=97&ei=4tvFTNP8DcKRjAebh7W4BQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dexpresso%2Bcoffee%2Bmaker%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dubuntu%26sa%3DN%26channel%3Dfs%26biw%3D1440%26bih%3D694%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1222&vpy=96&dur=596&hovh=148&hovw=114&tx=142&ty=96&oei=4tvFTNP8DcKRjAebh7W4BQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=37&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0
and it make great coffee. Oddly enough, the amount of caffeine is less than the French Press or percolator types, because it's the length of time the coffee spends in contact with the water that determines the caffeine in your cup.

echosound

Thanks for that EileenG, and for the recommendation for the espresso maker too! Will take a look at getting one of those rather than the percolator thingamejig I already have

EileenG

I see them quite often in TK Maxx. Get a good solid one, and it will last forever.