The FastDay Forum

Is it okay to drink coffee during the two fasting days?

Yep, no cals (as far as I know), just count the calories in any milk or sweetener you put in.

However, caffeine does affect water retention so I have found it best to have no coffee, no tea, no salt on fast days. Herbal tea like lemon and ginger, or fennel are fine.

I drink coffee black or a splash of milk. The day would be unbearable without it.

If you decide to go without coffee/tea, do not go cold turkey if you are used to it everyday! You may suffer from caffeine withdrawal - headaches and the like. I generally have my cup of tea in the am with a little sugar and milk, cannot abide it without the M&S (unless it is iced tea).

Take care.

Love my coffee too. I sprinkle cinnamon in coffee to cut sugar. I try to limit artificial sweetener.

I'm not a coffee drinker, but I drink tea all day constantly. English Breakfast tea with a splash of milk. I have a bottle in the fridge with a 100kcals worth of skimmed milk in it to last the whole day. I still have 400kcals to have a decent dinner with at the end of the day.

[Betsysgr8]

Coffee drinker here, all day every day, I wouldn't have been able to start this WoE if it restricted caffeine.

There seem to be different views as to whether caffeine causes water retention or is a diuretic, or has no effect; maybe it affects different people differently. Anyway in the long run it won't make any difference - water in the system will come and go.

So I agree with the advice already given - drink coffee if you want to, don't get hung up about it, but count any calories in milk or (if you must) added sugar. And (as always) it can affect your sleep the following night. I try to avoid caffeinated coffee after lunch on fast and non-fast days, but I drink tea any time of day...

Definitely start my fast day with a bucket of coffee - it feels like breakfast and having it with milk makes it more 'normal' - and I can't abide it black. I measure out 100ml semi skimmed milk for 50 cals and usually make it last 3 cups of coffee or tea (but strangely don't crave tea on a fast day even though I like it most other days). Today I plonked the whole lot in my massive mug so will have to allocate myself a bit more for my evening decaf. Other drinks during the day are herbal teas (the Yogi Teas Choco one is lovely and has a lovely rich chocolatey aroma to it) or water.

A friend swears that decaf makes her 'go' - can't say I've noticed anything like that but then I am usually regular as clockwork! I guess that would counteract fluid retention if it was so...

Thanks everyone! Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my fasting days and it's my second week. Last week I went without coffee on the fasting days and decided this time to drink my coffee black and obviously didn't add sugar. Thanks for the opinions!

I can go without food but not coffee! Thats one of the things I like about this WOE, I don't have to give up my coffee. I drink it black and unsweetened so its no prob that way, I can end up with eyes like a bushbaby on a bad fast day though!

Coffee drinker here. For me it is definitely a diuretic and I need to be careful about water vs have throughout the day. But the increased fluid intake helps me by covering any potential hunger issues

I don't know if I could get through a fast day without coffee I love my coffee but I limit myself to one cup of coffee and/or one cup of black tea as too much caffeine does affect my sleep.

Other than that I keep up fluids up with plenty of water and a cup of stock/bouillon if necessary.

Coffee for me is essential( and lots of it) - and nicotine unfortunately. I quit smoking decades ago but still use tobacco free nicotine - actually on my doctors recommendation, he says my brain needs it. Apart from these two substanses I eat and live healthy and I actually feel the best I ever have - physically and mentally.