Hi Petey.

I've gone through periods of getting off caffeine completely and I don't recall noticing any particular weight gain or loss. I swap my coffee and Diet Pepsi for the decaffeinated versions thereof. I'm currently back on the high octane due to lack of availability/logistics.

I think Dr Atkins originally believed that caffeine worsened carbohydrate intolerance. I don't know what the evidence says, but I think it could have an indirect effect on weight loss: if it worsens insomnia or anxiety, or if you're consuming a ton of it with lots of cream (ie fat that you'd otherwise be burning off your body.) I think if you drink it in moderation and be sure to keep those other issues in check, most of us are fine with regular coffee.

For me, coffee has an appetite suppressant effect well worth the 2 cream + 1 Splenda I put in it. Lately, I just have one in the morning while I'm at work. (Work is Tim Hortons, the Canadian Dunkin' Donuts, pretty much. I'm allowed to drink as much as I want, but I'm more than a little coffeed-out! :p )

Hi Kristine, thank you for your 2 cents. Right now I'm drinking 2 cups of high octane with a tablespoon of heavy cream. I am familiar with Tim Hortons, I have a friend in Ontario that refers to it as "Timmy Ho's" 😄

:lol: Yup, most of us just call it "Timmy's" and lots of folks call it "Timmy HoHo's".

I never had their coffee. I'd like to try it one day.

I don't think coffee made any difference one way or another, but I can't drink it anymore due to other health issues. I wish I could! Used to have it with half and half (I know, a few carbs there) and splenda or stevia. Stevia with Erthritol is a better choice than Splenda from what I've heard.

Update
 

I just wanted to give everyone an update . Today makes the 6th day since starting induction. I drank 2 cups of regular coffee (with caffeine) with a tablespoon of heavy cream in each one and as of today i am down 6.5 lbs!!! :thup:
I will continue doing this limiting myself to only 2 cups per day with a tablespoon of heavy cream. Looks like perhaps Dr. Atkins was wrong on ceffeine afterall.

Here's a timeline of Dr. Atkins' view on caffeine over the years ..


1972 Diet Revolution: Caffeinated beverages limited to 6 servings per day from all sources (coffee, tea, diet colas etc) UNLESS you suffer blood sugar swings and hypoglycemia. In that case limit was 3 servings. Note, a serving is one 8 oz cup, not a super-size 20 oz bucket ;).

1992 New Diet Revolution: No caffeine at all during the 14-day Induction period, then may slowly and cautiously add it back if tolerated. On p 309 he wrote, "... caffeine stimulates the insulin mechanism, and that's your vulnerable spot. It raises blood sugar at first and then allows it to crash. ..."

2002 New Diet Revolution, revised edition: The "no caffeine at all during Induction" rule was softened to simply "avoid excess caffeine". Excess caffeine was considered anything over 400 mg per day from all sources. (note, this is the current advice still given by Atkins Nutritionals).


For what it's worth, caffeine has never interfered with my weight loss efforts, including back in the low-fat dark ages :lol:

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One significant issue with caffeinated coffee has to do with blood PRESSURE. Caffeine can trigger a spike in BP that lasts for several hours. This has been my personal experience, although the spike is less now since I've removed 60+ lbs. If you have a home BP monitor, it would be worth checking to see if this is an issue for you. Check your BP before caffeine, then 1, 2 and 3 hours after. I now limit caffeinated coffee to two 10 oz mugs in the morning only.

:sunny:

That's what I drink, 2 10 oz mugs in the morning and that's it. As for the Atkins diet revised caffeine that's when I bout his book in 2003 after the 2002 updated version. So that's why I was curious and skeptical of caffeine. But now that I'm losing a good amount I'm going to stick with what I'm doing. Thanks for your input 👍

One cup caffeinated with stevia and heavy whipping cream - zero carbs, zero artificial ingredients.

Petey, one of the things you will notice in your reading of low carb books and their second/third etc editions, is that the newer issues incorporate the latest research - so they change their recommendations.

Atkins didn't have low carb research available, he just observed his clinic patients and drew his conclusions from their stories.

As an example, the first Protein Power book, written by the Eades', were cautious about fat. They recommended a cap on how many eggs you could eat in a day because of the fat content in eggs. They have shifted away from that recommendation.

In fact, in one of the first videos in the Diet Doctors series, he recommends that you eat less than 36 eggs a day! This is not a typo.

At one time eggs were anathema in the medical community and were believed to be responsible for many awful things that you could have go wrong with your body.

Personally, I like going back to the original books. Then I realize how far we have come just because research is happening despite the boycott by the medical community.

Attitudes, opinions and beliefs about coffee - decaf or fully caf - are just that - until there is valid research to answer the question.

If it doesn't interfere with your weight loss or general health, do what you think best for you.

That was a very interesting read Benay. Thank you for your input. Today made day 7 of induction for me and after a week of having 2 cups of ceffeinated coffee per day i am happy to say that i lost 11 pounds!! :agree:

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CONGRATULATIONS, PETEY!!!!!!!

Very sound advice on everything we consume.

I think caffeine is like dairy in that tolerances and effects vary so widely it’s hard to make a blanket statement about it.

I do half caff myself if I drink it.