Caffeine info does it affect weightloss?

[*Trying-again*]

Hi

Wondered what your thoughts/opinions are on caffeine?

I drink lots of tea about 9 cups a day but only about 4 cups of coffee a week. I think I have a bit of a caffeine addiction as I drink so much tea, partly because I find a hot drink comforting and partly out of habit. Ive recently noticed the first thing I do when I get home is put the kettle on even though I probably dont really want one.

Interested to know what affects caffeine has had on others or whether its affected weightloss or made anyone gain it somehow? Tried redbush naturally caffeine free tea but dont like it despite persevering with it.

Decaf tea/coffee contains chemical in the decaf process which i dont want take so thats not an option.

Just could do with knowing whether Im worrying for no reason about my caffeine intake. Im struggling to lose weight despite really trying and wondered if it was this that was causing it?

Any comments would be appreciated

Karen x

 

[FatmanSlimming]

I knew it was sometimes added to so called weight loss/diet pills, this is copied from the bbc health site.

Caffeine has been shown to have very modest effects on increasing metabolism, and is sometimes added as an ingredient to weight loss pills. These pills often make claims about speeding metabolism to 'effortlessly melt' excess fat, but in reality the amount of calories that slimming pills containing caffeine would actually burn is very small.
Caffeine may also suppress appetite, but without making other changes to your diet and lifestyle caffeine is unlikely to make a significant difference to your weight.

 

[*lesley*]

Decaf tea/coffee contains chemical in the decaf process which i dont want take so thats not an option

Normal coffee contains around 400 chemicals anyway and there is no proof that decaf actually has harmful levels in it. If you googled decaf coffee and then normal coffee you will find a whole range of reasons why you shouldn't drink either.
It's an addiction, same as nicotine or food. When i stopped drinking caffiene i had a headache for 4 days!
Without caffeine i feel calmer and have the added bonus of a caffeine buzz from just one cup of normal coffee should i need it (which is not often at all)!

 

[Kitsune]

It is generally thought that caffeine speeds up the metabolism, but if you put a lot of sugar or milk in your tea or coffee, the effects would be negligible.

The amount of caffeine that you are taking in is likely unhealthy. Caffeine is a great contributor to poor circulation, can cause muscle pain and soreness, especially in the back, and stomach pain as well. Many people who consume a cup or two of coffee more than usual in one sitting have experienced a rapid heartbeat, or an irregular heart beat. Caffeine is in some respects considered to be good for the heart, but too much can cause some rather scary symptoms. Another problem with high caffeine intake is that it can eventually lead to chronic insomnia (which will then slow the metabolism).

Certainly, I wouldn’t recommend cutting caffeine out altogether unless you had a caffeine allergy. It would be extremely difficult, especially when many foodstuffs contain caffeine, many of which are high in anti-oxidants. The best thing to do is to cut it down gradually and try to take a cup less every day, as you may experience caffeine withdrawals if you try to do too much too fast. You may even like to try to switch to herbal teas which tend to have low levels to no caffeine, especially if you find comfort in a warm drink.

Personally, I try not to have anything that has obviously got a lot of caffeine in it, aside from the odd bit of dark chocolate now and then. Although my tea cupboard is infamous for the widest and oddest selection of herbal tea. ^^

 

[*Trying-again*]

Thank you for all your comments, I have a small amount of milk in tea and dont drink too much coffee. Ive gone on to fruit sugar and have just under half a teaspoon.

I was interested to hear coffee has 400 chemicals in it. I had no idea there was that many.

I bought some herbal raspberry strawberry and loganberry tea which is ok. Tried some green tea and was disgusting but heard it helps with weightloss.

Thanks again

Karen x

 

[Kitsune]

Green tea has about as much caffeine in it as regular tea, but the only difference is that it has other health benefits. It is definitely an acquired taste! ^^

I always found the fruit teas quite nice, and the spicy teas are great for the winter. A teaspoon of honey usually brightens them up a bit, as if you’re not used to them you might find them a bit bland in comparison to regular tea.

Oh, a great caffeine free alternative is raspberry leaf tea! It tastes really similar to regular tea, and you can even put milk in it if you like (not something you can do with all herbal teas). However, it is not a tea to be taken if you are pregnant, not until the later stages anyway – helps childbirth along.

 

[foodiegal]

I cut down my caffeine when I read that it can stimulate your appetite.
I do drink coffee some times before I work out, as it can help speed up your body's fat burning process, apparently.