Apr 9, 2019 3 min read

Some of you may remember a column in the last year or so where I discussed how I like my coffee. I said I like it as strong as it can be brewed, and then softened with a lot of flavored creamer. I told you that my favorite flavor is caramel, but I can handle a nice chocolate or coconut. That all is still true.

However, I no longer drink coffee daily. When I was looking at ways to cut my daily calorie intake as one step in my ever-present journey to health, I discovered just how many calories I was consuming in my morning cup of Joe.

The label on the creamer bottle is deceiving. Not the part that says there are about 35 calories per serving. I expect that is true. But underneath that part, it says that a serving size is only a tablespoon.

What is that about? What size cup of coffee is that supposed to flavor? Have I mentioned how strong I make my coffee? I need a bit more creamer that a tablespoon. Especially since I prefer a vat of coffee to a mug.

My brother jokes that I vacillate between peanut butter-colored coffee and what he calls my “fluffy cloud” days. Either way, it is not happening with one tablespoon of creamer.

So, when I discovered that several hundred of my daily calories were coming from my beloved creamer, I had to take pause. The first thing I did was to cut back to two cups a day.

I noticed immediately that I started sleeping better at night. I have always been sensitive to caffeine, but thought if I drank all my coffee before lunch, I was OK. Apparently, that is not the case.

Then, I switched to pure maple syrup and whole milk in place of the creamer. This allowed me to attain the proper color and moderate my sweetness a bit. I did that for several weeks.

Finally, I attempted to drink my coffee – hold on for dear life, folks – black. I did it for a few days before realizing that I don’t actually love coffee at all. I apparently just love coffee creamer. So, I gave up coffee. I go days and even weeks without a cup now.

That’s not to say I NEVER have it anymore. But it is more of a treat now, instead of a daily staple. Every so often I stop and get a large cup at the corner store. I stop at the creamer station and put several pumps in my cup.

Because I still want it to look like fluffy clouds and have a sweetness to it when I drink it, occasionally I’m willing to make room for the calories.

Laura Zoeller can be reached at zoeller5@verizon.net.