That coffee break packs more calories than you thought

Posted on Dec 6th 2006 4:45PM by Martha Edwards

Do you take regular coffee breaks at work? If so, you may be packing on pounds with what you thought was an innocent, non-fattening cup o'joe. Coffee can have a lot more calories than you expect, especially if you're a fan of add-ons like cream, sugar, flavor syrup and whipped cream. This is especially true if you get your caffeine fix from a coffee shop like Starbucks, because their sizes are significantly larger than what a serving of coffee should be.

So what to do? You could switch to non-fat milk or light cream, for one. If you're into sweetness, try a sugar substitute like Splenda. Avoid all the add-ons and be sure order the smallest size. You really don't need 24 oz of coffee, do you?

I have a couple of suggestions of my own: instead of going for coffee, why not go for a walk? It's 10 times more invigorating. Also: when I drink coffee, I use Silk Soy Creamer -- it's lower in calories and fat than regular creamers and it has just a slight hint of sweetness, which is perfect for my palate. Or, switch to tea!

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Tags: cafe, coffee, cream, starbucks, sugar, tea, whitener

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Jeremy Reeves 12-07-2006 @ 1:58PM

Instead of grabbing a coffee over your break, instead get a cup of tea. Use lemon instead of milk, and you'll have experience a slight increase in energy for the rest of the day with no added calories!

Jeremy
www.crazyfortea.com

nilram 12-08-2006 @ 5:19PM

I just don't get the reasoning.

"So maybe we would all be a bit better off if we switched to tea? ... unlike coffee, I can drink tea without sugar or milk."

We should switch to tea because you add calories to your coffee?

I drink my coffee black, and green tea gives me stomach-aches. Lots of bioflavinoids in coffee, if you drink it fresh, which I do. And when I get old[er], my doctor is going to have to tell me to give up *something*, and I'd rather it was coffee than any of my other vices.

Candido 12-12-2006 @ 6:21AM

Ok, first of all I love coffee. I have Asthma and the doctors recommended it to help clear out the phlem in my lungs. And seriously, how many people do you actually see with a heaping cup of coffee with whipped cream and the works? Not many. I drink tea as well, but it doesn't do quite as well as coffee. Why don't they just tell you to lose your job then? That's what they are basically saying. Heck most Americans can't live without coffee, and I am one of them. So big whoop.

lori 12-12-2006 @ 6:29AM

I sell Lip Color that does not come off until you take it off!!
If you are tired of your lip color coming off on the side of your Coffee Mug or you are tired of having to re-apply iy after you drink your Coffee, wine, etc...you need to check this out!

WWW.LALALIPS.COM

Maddison......... 12-12-2006 @ 6:33AM

About coffee,,,, Just a warning for something immediatly physical ... I had an E.D. for about 8 years,,,, I eventually got to drinking coffee ( black, or with one packet of splenda). When I got around to being healthy again, I ended up going through a horrible horrible withdrawal of the caffeine..... i was in the hospital before anyonw mentioned it was the caffeine..... I guess I was a bad case because of my weight being so low,,,, but its just as bad for heavy coffee drinkers who quit towith the coffee even if subtracting the calories........
quickly........ Headaches and muscle cramps so bad you puke........
So,
Just word of advice....... Be careful with any amount of coffee :)
Make it a reward if you can.... If anything, you can afford better stuff so its worth the calories :D

Maddison 12-12-2006 @ 6:33AM

Maddison 12-12-2006 @ 6:34AM

P/S
We should switch to tea because you add calories to your coffee?

Nilram, you are awesome....

Joey 12-12-2006 @ 7:33AM

Life is short.....if you enjoy a cup of coffee each day, drink it!!!!

Dani 12-12-2006 @ 7:58AM

Coffee actually helped me to lose weight! I would drink the flavored kind with Splenda and Non Dairy creamer.....It helped satisfy the occasional craving for sweets. Add a spoonful of peanut butter on the side and I am good to go till dinner time!

Francois Dekker 12-12-2006 @ 8:18AM

Nobody that promotes drinking soymilk could possibly know what they are talking about when it comes to health or fitness. If soy is not naturally fermented it is NO good! I am so sick of people that think that they know healthy stuff and promote it without doing any research - canola oil also comes to mind!

(Remember when fitness magazines and doctors were promoting margarine and told us to stop eating butter and eggs! -- well now it is canola oil and soymilk!)

Do your own research, including you Ms Edwards!

Jen 12-12-2006 @ 8:25AM

Um, maybe if everyone ate a healthier diet and worked out you'd have natural energy and wouldn't have to guzzle "coffee" just to keep your eyes open at work. Most of the copffee out there isn't even coffee anymore. IT's some chemical laden science experiment that masquerades as real coffee. A cup or two of freshly ground ORGANIC coffee in the morning is all you need. If you find yourself craving a pick me up in the middle of the day, you're not eating right. The Standard American Diet is a disgrace. And you wonder why everyone is obese, sick, tired, and depressed all the time.

mat 12-12-2006 @ 10:23AM

dont drink the crap!!

larry bates 12-12-2006 @ 8:46AM

pour me another cup of coffee for it is the best in the land....

DoodyBoy 12-12-2006 @ 8:48AM

Coffee makes me doody! YAY, DOODY!

charlene 12-12-2006 @ 10:58AM

It is not only the sugar and cream that are packing on the pounds. It is the caffiene that will cause many people to retain fluid. Caution, do not cut the caffiene out completely cold turkey. It will lead to withdrawals.
Try switching to a green tea for 2 weeks and see how much weight you have lost.

SoyGata 12-12-2006 @ 9:27AM

Maddison, how much freaking coffee were you drinking? I drink 2 cups per day. If I run out of coffee and miss my morning "dose", it certainly makes me grumpy (because it throws off my morning ritual), but it doesn't lead to headaches and muscle cramps. I HAVE had headaches from caffeine withdrawal in the past, when I would consume espresso-based drinks every day. The key is the amount of coffee that one regularly consumes.

Drinking coffee in moderation is not bad. In fact, doctors are saying that it can have a number of health benefits.

Enjoy your coffee! I'm having some right now, with 1% milk and Splenda.

Hector 12-13-2006 @ 7:57AM

or all of the fat asses need not to drink or eat any more than they should. Only chunkys will take a coffee break and worry about gaining weight. Go out and walk, run, swim, bike, weight train anything else.

Rene 12-12-2006 @ 9:40AM

I have gained 40 lbs in three months because of coffee alone. I started drinking coffee...lots of cream.. several times a day in March and by the end of summer I went from a size 5 to a 14. I know it's the coffee because I did the same thing a few years back. As soon as I quit the coffee the weight started to drop. I have always eaten a lot of food and have stayed a size 5/7 even after six kids. I only gain weight when I start drinking coffee.For some reason the calories in the creamer are different. It is a lot of corn syrup.

Kathy 12-12-2006 @ 4:09PM

Coffee has been linked with helping memory. If you drink it black...which I do...it can be a benefit...even up to 8 cups a day!!!Which is when you start to get the benefits.

Even Oprah's Doc. Oz thinks it a good thing!!!

bobbie 12-12-2006 @ 9:47AM

All of the leadint diet pills have tons of caffeine in them. Caffeine revs up body temp which helps burn fat.
I don't take diet pills, but I drink lots of coffee. Black or sometimes with a teaspoon of lite creamer.
Perhaps it is snacking from the vending machines at break that is causing weight gain and not the coffee.
Every workplace I have been in only offers regular coffee, sugar (or sug sub)and creamer. You don't see a lot of flavorings or whipped toppings offered unless you work in a coffee shop.
And tea? Ewwww. I drink it here and there, but coffee is way better.