Since I started Atkins on 7/8, I've been reading a lot of low-carb diet books. Quite a few of them advocate giving up coffee entirely. Some of the reasons are: it inhibits weight loss, it stimulates insulin production, it is bad for the liver, its production produces toxins, etc.

I am a coffee fanatic. I used to drink 8 cups a day. Now I am down to three. I would find it very hard to give it up entirely, but I might consider it, if it would really make a significant difference in my weight loss (I'm doing okay so far).

Have any true coffee lovers out there decided to give up coffee entirely? Has anyone noticed a difference in their rate of weight loss, or in how they feel? (In other words, convince me I should give it up, in addition to all the other things I have given up!

From what I have been able to glean from articles on-line and books the coffee thing varies with the individual. There has been so much cotradictory research on coffee over the years, I have just about given up trying to keep up with whether it is causing warts, cancer or making me smarter or fat. That presupposes one is not drinking it to excess. I am a coffee fanatic -- good coffee. In fact I can usually identify some brewed varietals by taste and smell (straight Guatamalan vs Costa Rican, for example). That essential lifeskill aside, I am now down to three 5-oz cups a day. In my youth it was 12 to 20 cups a day!

I don't think the 15 or so ounces per day is affecting my weight loss. However, I may never really know if I don't cut it out, right??. The fact is though I AM losing at a pace that satisfies me with some caf in the diet and am confident I can stick with this WOE. If I have more coffee during the day I make some decaf or half-caf. BTW if you do want good decaf to help you make that transition , stay away from the politically correct Swiss Water bilge and get the old fashioned chemically extracted. Contrary to enviro mythology there are no measurable extraction chemicals left in the beans and it actually tastes like coffee. A common supermarket gourmet decaf coffee that is not Swiss Water processed is Millstone.

Now for the great admittance. Since doing Atkins and BFL I no longer NEED the AM coffee to get going. My energy level is way up. I just like the coffee ritual thing. I could just as easily drink decaf. I just don't like it as well and I would rather start the day with something pleasant.

Ditto Basalt...I drink an 18 oz. bowl of properly brewed coffee every morning...I'm not giving it up, not because I need the boost but because I enjoy my routine and I appreciate the taste. (I'm a good Columbian fan, myself!) I haven't noticed any major stalls, but I do limit myself to the one large coffee in the morning. My problem is the 3 sweet and lows and 3 oz. of cream I put in it.

I'm with you, get a good decaf and mix your favorite coffee half and half into it...this will at least show you whether the caffeine is making any difference in your weight loss.

Otherwise, just be willing to take the slower path to weight loss and enjoy the java!

I was a big coffee lover also, I drank 3-4 cups a day throughout the day. I had to quit suddenly due to heart problems. It didn't effect my weight loss at all. The only differences I 've noticed is I feel a slightly more calm mood and I fall asleep a little faster at night.

In the CKD threads they have mentioned that coffee on an empty stomach in the morning burns more fat if you do an intense workout.