Let’s get one thing straight: I love coffee, and in and of itself, coffee is awesome! It is actually a healthy drink option! It is filled with antioxidants and has been shown to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, can help control symptoms of Parkinson’s disease,  prevent liver disease, and even delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.  Sounds like something we should all be drinking, right?!

So if coffee is so good for us, then why am I saying that it is making you fat?!

Well, you see it is not the coffee that’s to blame. Coffee only has one calorie per 8-ounce cup.

So what is it then that is making us fat?… It is what you are putting into your coffee!

It is the sugar and the cream and the coffee creamer.

1 tsp of sugar is 15 cal
2 tbs of half and half is 40 cal
1 tbs International Delight French Vanilla “Creamer” 35 cal

How many of you are measuring out the sugar, half and half, and creamer that you are putting into your coffee? An average unmeasured pour equals four to five times the usual serving size amount.

So, instead of your morning cup of coffee with flavored creamer having 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 6 grams of sugar, in reality, it is probably actually closer to 140 calories, 6 grams of fat and 24 grams of sugar.

Once you have had a second cup, and you’ve already exceeded the maximum recommended daily sugar intake of 40 grams by 8 grams.

Let’s put it into an even greater reality…that single cup of coffee with 1/4 cup of creamer equals an additional 15 pounds a year gained.

Don’t worry this doesn’t mean you need to give up drinking coffee altogether!

Try retraining yourself to actually enjoy the coffee flavor of your morning cup of coffee.

Try measuring out your sugar and using 2% (or even skim milk) instead of half and half. Start slowly reducing the amount you add to your coffee and eventually you will be able to enjoy it black.