Life of the Lintee Bean

 I credit some of my weight gain over the years to my LOVE of delicious coffee drinks.  Now, some of my friends would argue I don’t even like coffee.  Maybe they’re right.  I certainly never ever drink black coffee – or even sweetened black coffee.  I was one of the many in line for a green tea frappuccino or a chai tea latte or a white mocha or a mint condition – no, don’t hold the whipped cream or sprinkles.  Heck, why not also get a scone while I’m there?  They are scrumptious!

So, one of the first things I missed when I started NutriSystem was my “coffee”.  Because I missed it so much, I got a bit creative and started crunching numbers.  I can see the large coffee drinks with whipped cream and flavorings and scones that I got in the past started out my days in excess of 1,000 calories.  Oh my!  I was consuming most of my calorie allotment for the day in the morning and getting little-to-no NUTRITION in the process!

However, I’ve figured out there’s a way to get my coffee and drink it too! – and get the weight off.

Starbucks does have a list of beverages under 200 calories here.  Caribou Coffee has their list of lighter options here.

But I think we can do better than that!  My top choices:

• Grande/medium iced coffee – hold the “regular” sweetener and substitute sugar-free vanilla syrup:  Calories:  5 (yes FIVE calories)
• Grande/medium iced coffee with milk (soy, 2% or skim) – again, hold the “regular” sweetener and substitute sugar-free vanilla syrup:  calories about 50 (FIFTY).  Downgrade to a tall for about 35 calories.
• Tall/small sugar-free vanilla latte (soy, 2%, or skim milk) – hot or iced:  calories about 150 for 2% milk, 130 for soy milk, and 110 for skim milk (if I go this route, I count it as a dairy serving)
• Grande/medium sugar-free vanilla misto/caffe au lait (soy, 2%, or skim/nonfat milk):  calories about 110 for 2% milk, 100 for soy milk, and 70 for skim/nonfat milk (if I go this route, I count it as a dairy serving) – added per NutriSystem member Ari708, thanks!

NutriSystem has their article on coffee and tea beverages:  Iced Coffees and Teas – How Many Calories?  Worth a read!

I indulge in a coffee drink several days per week, and I’ve still managed to lose 40 pounds.  In my opinion, it’s not about deprivation, it’s about moderation and balance!