Can I Drink Coffee in Perimenopause?

Yes, keep your coffee. You can have it all the way through the program, including the first 14 days. What changes is what goes in it and what goes with it. A splash of almond milk works from day one, and real food with protein sits beside your cup, because coffee on its own isn't breakfast.

Nobody is taking your morning cup.

We just want it to have some company.

Is coffee allowed when you start the program?

Yes.

It's one of the first questions women ask their coach. Am I allowed coffee?

You are.

For the first 14 days, the plan is lower carb and higher protein, with a short break from alcohol, dairy, gluten and processed sugar. Then foods come back.

Coffee isn't on that list. It stays.

Lower carb still leaves room for a splash of something in your cup. Your coach will walk you through exactly what fits your plan.

What can I put in my coffee?

Here's how it usually works with the women we coach:

Almond milk, from day one. A splash of unsweetened almond milk works during the first 14 days, while dairy takes its short break.
Milk or cream, after day 14. When dairy comes back, your coach helps you decide how much of it goes in your cup.
Sugar, on pause for 14 days. It takes the same short break as the rest of the processed sugar. After that, you and your coach decide what comes back.
Black works too. If you already drink it black, there's nothing to change.

Here's the thing.

The goal is simple: know what's in your cup, so your coach can build the rest of your day around it.

Does a latte count as breakfast?

Can we please stop pretending a latte counts as a meal?

It's a drink. A big, milky one can still fill you up, though.

A lot of the women we coach tell us they're just not hungry in the morning. Then we look a little closer, and there's a large latte doing the job breakfast should be doing.

You can keep the latte. Count it as part of your food and tell your coach about it, so it has a place in your plan like any other meal or snack.

Then put real food next to it:

Eggs, any way you like them.
Last night's leftovers. Chicken, salmon, whatever is in the fridge.
Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, once dairy is back after the first 14 days.

If your mornings have looked like coffee, a light lunch and not much else for years, read how to tell if you're eating too little to lose fat.

Can I drink coffee before my workout?

Yes. Plenty of the women we coach have their coffee before a morning workout.

Just don't let it be the only thing in the tank. In our experience, a little protein before you train tends to make an early workout feel a lot better.

Here's what to eat before a morning workout.

Can I sip coffee all day?

This is the one we gently work on.

Some women tell us they drink coffee from the minute they wake up until dinner. One cup turns into a refill, and the refill turns into an afternoon pick-me-up.

In our experience, most women feel best with coffee earlier in the day and water through the afternoon.

Enjoy your morning coffee. That's the one that matters to you.
Swap the afternoon cup for water. Try it for a week and notice how your evenings feel.
Feed the afternoon slump. If the 3 p.m. coffee is how you push through, a real snack usually works better. Here's why you crash in the afternoon and what to eat instead.

And if you're waking up in the middle of the night, here's what helps sleep in perimenopause.

When should I check with my doctor about caffeine?

A calm, quick note.

We coach food and training. We don't set caffeine limits for anyone's health.

Check with your doctor if:

Coffee seems to set off heart palpitations, reflux or anxiety.
You're having trouble sleeping and want to know whether caffeine is part of it.
You take a medication, like a thyroid pill, where timing around coffee matters. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you how to space them.
You have a condition that affects how you handle caffeine.

Your coach will happily build your plan around whatever your doctor tells you.

Will coffee slow down my fat loss?

Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat.

In our experience, the cup of coffee is rarely what stands in the way. What matters more is everything around it: enough protein, real meals, strength training and sleep.

We've helped 1,000+ women lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat in 8 weeks. Plenty of them kept their morning coffee the whole way through.

Ready for a plan that keeps your coffee?

You don't have to give up the best part of your morning to change your body.

Start with the short video on our homepage at fortyfwd.com. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method we use to change that.

If it sounds like you, apply for a call with Chris.

He reads every application himself. On the call, he'll look at what a normal day of eating looks like for you, coffee included, and tell you straight whether the program is the right fit. If it is, he walks you through the investment then, once you both know it's a fit.

Keep the cup.

Add the breakfast.

Let's build the rest of your day around it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drink coffee and still lose weight in perimenopause?

Yes. Coffee stays in the plan the whole way through. What matters more is what goes in it and whether real food, with protein, comes with it.

What can I put in my coffee during the first 14 days?

A splash of unsweetened almond milk works. Dairy and processed sugar take a short break for the first 14 days, then your coach helps you decide what comes back.

Is a latte okay for breakfast?

You can keep your latte, but count it as part of your food and add real food beside it. Eggs, leftovers, or Greek yogurt once dairy is back.

Can I drink coffee before a morning workout?

Yes. Add a little protein with it, because coffee on its own tends to leave a lot of women feeling flat partway through a workout.

Should I talk to my doctor about caffeine?

If coffee seems linked to palpitations, reflux, anxiety or poor sleep, or you take a medication where timing matters, yes. Your doctor or pharmacist can guide you, and your coach builds your plan around their advice.

Can I still drink coffee in perimenopause, and what can I put in it?