The FastDay Forum

I keep "special" coffees that I only have (black) on Fast days. Dowe Egbert make a Hazelnut and a Caramel flavoured one both for no extra calories also the instant coffees that have coffee grounds like Azzera make it feel like a Fast day treat.

[Betsysgr8]

I drink coffee all day long everyday. I switched off all the "creamers" (too many unpronouncable names included hydrogenated oil, bleh) a few years ago and went to non-fat milk (lactose free, much better than regular non-fat) in my coffee. Before 5:2 it was the only way I really consumed any dairy (lactose intolerant) but now I put my regular amount of milk in my first cup of coffee and just keep topping up with more coffee until by the end of the day it's nearly black. So instead of totaling nearly 2 cups of milk a day, I'm down to under a half a cup.

It's surprising how many "hidden" calories we consume.

[Tracieknits]

I agree about the quality of the coffee. I can easily drink coffee from my Nespresso black. Other coffee - well it might need help.

I also got myself some lovely chocolate flavored nespresso pods while on vacation. They're gorgeous and I really enjoy them as a calorie free treat.

I have moved toward black coffee on fast days and less stuff in my coffee on regular days. I used to love half and half and sugar in my coffee. Now, even on normal days, I only have a splash of regular whole milk. I cut it out little by little over the course of a few weeks. Also, Coffee mate powder is a boatload of icknast. Have you read the ingredients? I would try cutting it out altogether, gradually and slowly.

Heck, if you really have been having "a lot" of it every day, all day long, just cutting out the Coffeemate in your coffee might lead to a really surprising weight loss!! Think about it, if you have a tablespoon (30 calories) in every cup, and a cup every waking hour (say 12 cups a day), that's 360 calories a day in Coffee Mate. that's 2520 calories a week from Coffee mate! Since 1 pound is 3500 calories, that's basically 3/4 of a pound you could lose every week from ONLY cutting out the Coffee Mate in your coffee!!!

WOAH!!! Good advice, Tracie!

BTW, I wouldn't skip coffee on a fast day. The headaches won't let you do that easily.

Hello fellow coffee lovers -
I have found that I really miss creamer in my coffee on my fast days, so instead of cutting it out, I just switched to a lower calorie version (10 cals per tablespoon) and reduced the number of cups I had. I really find that making choices and deciding what you really want on fast days are also helping to teach me to be choosier on feast days as well. I find myself asking "do you REALLY want that, or would you rather have ____." Good luck you!

I was a latte girl but now enjoy decaf americano every day. I make a pot of decaf illy in my mukka using water not milk, tastes great and just 5 calories.
Pukka cleanse tea is also good, and lemon and ginger tea, and green chai too.
Filtered water is very palatable plain, very hard water around here.
:0)

I also drink Azzera instant about 5 a day, I have a drop of unsweetened Almond milk with mine, 26 cal for 200ml and as I eat below 500cal on fast days I don't count it.
Chris x

I used to use creamer and artificial sweetner. I now just use the creamer, like you do, but do not make it as light as I used to. I try to use just enough for flavor I still use the creamer and don't really count it, other than just estimating at end of the day. Remeber total calories on fast day is just a guideline. I do plan to drink black coffee more at some point as I ween off creamer. One thing I think you will realize the more fasts you do is you start really focusing on flavor of things and coffee is one thing I try to appreciate and enjoy, even black.

I had never even tried coffee without milk before starting 5:2, but on my second fast I did and to my surprise I found it wasn't bad. Now I drink it black on fast days and white on feed days and I can't even decide which I like better now! Just try it without the creamer, if it's not to your taste maybe try different coffees and see if they're better.

I use almond milk with a little Splenda on fast days, it is pretty low calorie, and if you have a milk frother (I got one at Ikea for less than $2) it makes a lovely foam. I feel like I'm having a fancy latte and it adds a nutty flavor. Yummy

Making my coffee from grinding some special beans and using a plunger, addition of soy milk and sweeten with small amount of honey is my go too pick up around 2pm on a 5:2 fast day. It keeps the dreaded nasty caffeine withdrawal headache at bay. If bugged by hunger pangs I add 1 tspn of virgin coconut oil. Sorry to all the purists but it works for me.

Have you tried Coconut creamer? I used to drink about 4 TBSP of fat free milk in my tea several times a day...coming in at about 20 cal. Now I have about 2 tsp of coconut creamer for 5 calories with the same amount of taste.

I was a latte girl but now enjoy decaf americano every day. I make a pot of decaf illy in my mukka using water not milk, tastes great and just 5 calories.
Pukka cleanse tea is also good, ...

I clicked into this thread because I'm a big coffee drinker, but woah! That right there is a whole other language!

americano, illy, mukka and pukka cleanse are not words usually ever heard in this part of the world. I googled but I"m still not sure what mukka is.

Funny that supposedly we're both speaking English

Have you tried Coconut creamer? I used to drink about 4 TBSP of fat free milk in my tea several times a day...coming in at about 20 cal. Now I have about 2 tsp of coconut creamer for 5 calories with the same amount of taste.

Oohh coconut creamer sounds great!! Thank you ALL for the wonderful ideas and suggestions.. I think the idea of filling my cup with a bit of milk or almond milk and then just adding coffee ONLY as I go will work out.. I hope

Hi all! I am a heavy coffee drinker (I literally drink it sun up to sun down). Today is my first fast day, but I completely neglected to remember that the powdered Coffee Mate creamer is 10 calories per teaspoon!!! I am a bit distraught as I use a lot of this in my coffee all the time. Do you count these sorts of things towards everything, and how do you cope as a coffee drinker who LOVES their creamer on fasting days? Also, what about a piece of Trident Gum? The label says >5 calories per piece, but is that something you would also worry about or am I being too "anal?"

Advice much appreciated!!

Hi Meeshee! I LOVE coffee with creamer and whipped cream, especially on fast days! So what I do is use unsweetened Almond Milk. I actually like the taste and it's VERY low calorie. I forget how much exactly (I'm fasting so am fading fast LOL ) but something like 30 cal per cup and I use only about a quarter a cup at a time, maybe less. I like the powdered coffee mate too but you might want to try the Almond Milk and see what you think. Also, I get low cal, low sugar whipped cream and put a teaspoon or so in my coffee. I don't mind black coffee but sometimes I'll get a double espresso and ask for a small amount of whipped cream.. THese days I'm trying to keep my calories low during the day (less than 500) so I do count it all and try not to eat anything until dinner/before bedtime. HOpe that helps!