Green Tea And Weight Loss – An Accidental Experiment

There are certain things you see and read about in regards to weight loss and they never really register.  I bet I have read at least two dozen posts on green tea and it’s health and weight loss benefits over the past couple of years but have never really paid attention for two reasons.

One, I’m a coffee drinker.  Actually, I’m pretty sure I’m comprised of coffee on some molecular level.  Second, other than watching the refined carbs and sugar intake for the sake of general health, I have not felt the need to put forth any actual weight loss efforts as I am happy with where I have been.

The way I discovered green tea as a weight loss aid was somewhat of an accident.  I was traveling and in Florida on business when the urge for caffeine struck me.  I passed a nice little joint called The Hooker Tea company and was confident they would sell coffee as well.  They didn’t (obvious to most by the name tea company), but I was there, so I ordered a pot of green tea hoping I could extract a cups worth of caffeine out of a pots worth of tea.  And I really, really enjoyed it.

Being an impulsive gadget buyer I left there with a cool little device to brew at home and enough loose leaf tea to last me two weeks.  Several  online purchases of different varieties and about two months later I am drinking about three or four cups of green tea each day and have successfully weaned myself off of coffee in the afternoon.

A battle with my achilles  tendon has caused me to withdraw from a favorite marathon and scale way, way, back on my running.  I also have made no changes to my diet, in fact, I am probably eating a bit worse than usual.  My weight however has dropped about six pounds and is holding quite steady.

Now I will be the first to admit this is far from a sound experiment on the effects of green tea on weight loss.   However, I am drinking a fair amount of the stuff, running way less, and eating about the same as usual; and I have lost weight.

I did not get into green tea as a weight loss aid, and I am not a fan of most things in pill form; especially the weight loss varieties.  However I have seen some accidental weight loss and developed a fondness for tea.  And anytime I come across something on a first hand basis like this, I feel it’s worth sharing.

My only concern is the macho factor, or lack thereof, of becoming a tea drinker.