I Now Drink My Coffee Black

[SamAdams76]

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it; don't wait for it; just let it happen. It could be a new shirt in a men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black, coffee."

Never thought I'd say this but after decades of having a little coffee with my cream and sugar, I started drinking my coffee black as midnight on a new moon.

This was no gradual transition. I did it cold turkey and on the spur of the moment. A couple months ago, I had taken the train to Grand Central and went to my usual coffee place where I buy my coffee and then usually jockey for space at the tiny messy counter with a million other people reaching for half & half, cream, sugar, spenda, honey, and all that other crap that most people put in their coffee.

Instead, I went straight to my office with a scalding hot cup of black coffee and as I situated myself in my office to start my day, I determined myself to drink the coffee as is.

It was not easy, I confess. The taste was incredibly bitter and I gagged a few times. But I forced myself to drink the entire cup black.

I then repeated the process later in the day and in subsequent days. Nothing but black coffee. Why did I do this? I have been on a strict diet since November and have a goal to lose all my excess weight by the beginning of summer. And I realized that all that cream and sugar in my coffee (2-4 large cups a day) was adding to my waistline.

After a week or two, I started to actually look forward to my cup of black coffee. As well, I cut my coffee intake to just two cups a day. One in the morning and one around 10am. Then I'm done with coffee for the day. I also cut my daily calorie intake by 400+ calories!

I am now burning fat.

Now for some mysterious reason, I have developed a craving for dark chocolate that I have at night. I'm talking 88% cacao chocolate with only 5 grams of sugar per serving. Dark chocolate (not the milk chocolate!) is actually very beneficial for your health and contains flavonoids and other vitamins and minerals that are great for the body. But most people cannot stand the bitter taste of this very dark chocolate. But having developed a taste for black coffee, I now find this dark chocolate irresistible and I have an ounce or two every night after dinner. I even pack it on business trips.

As a result, my blood pressure has also decreased to ideal levels of 110/65 where it used to be 140/90. My doctor says it is because of the lost weight and exercise (I walk at least 5 miles a day now) but also in small part because of the dark chocolate.

So black coffee and dark chocolate. There you go.

[SamAdams76]

[skeeter]

Is that you in the picture? Have you started eating cherry pie?

[Paladin2]

Dark Chocolate at bedtime delivers awesome Dreams, both for Production Values and for Content...

[glasseye]

I prefer ‘blond & bitter’, like my X.

[Scrambler Bob]

I drink mine in the morning with most lights off.

Is that like drinking ‘dark’ coffee?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Very awesome. Mmmm.

[Daffynition]

As long as the coffee is Carrabassett and the chocolate is Lake Champlain, then I'll agree!

[SamAdams76]

[umgud]

I’m 64 and have always drank it black. No designer coffee for me, but it needs to be fresh.

[SZonian]

I switched to black in the 90-91 timeframe...

We could get coffee pretty easily, but cream and sugar were hard, if not near impossible to get where we were deployed.

I’ve enjoyed it ever since, robust/dark roasts (Italian) are what I like.

[Ditter]

I have tried to give up the skim milk and sugar in my coffee but I cant. I’ll just have to give up coffee completely. Chocolate gives me a horrible headache so I gave it up years ago.

[A_perfect_lady]

I have tried and tried to drink black coffee. I haven’t been able to do it. But I never stuck with it for a week. I couldn’t get through one cup. I should try again... someday.

[Chode]

heh heh heh heh...

[SW6906]

This is spooky. I did exactly the same a couple years ago: both the black coffee after decades of half coffee/half milk and sugar, and also the craving for dark, dark chocolate!

[Vendome]

She did seem like she might’ve steeped too long...

[Nervous Tick]

>> The taste was incredibly bitter and I gagged a few times.

Pussy.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

I usually drink coffee black at home but with a good slug of half & half when out. Why? Probably because I’m cheap and don’t want to buy the H&H.

[Nifster]

Have always enjoyed the flavor of coffee (good quality coffee that is). I drink mine hot, bo cream, no sugar

[Marcella]

Coffee with half & half. Eating a square of Hershey’s special dark chocolate right now.

[SamAdams76]

I love a good slice of cherry pie but unfortunately that can no longer be in my diet plan. At least until I get down to my target weight and then I might reward myself with a slice at the Double R diner, along with a damn fine cup of black coffee.

Until then, it's basically whole milk yogurt and cheeses, berries, eggs (lot of eggs), fish, meat, poultry, olive oil, nuts, green vegetables, clear broth soups, red wine, dark chocolate and black coffee. I think that pretty much covers the gamut of my diet these days. I'm not complaining as I love all those foods. But I regret having no pizza, pasta, breads, pastries and cherry pie. That's the stuff that made me fat.