Coffee for Weight Loss?
This new phenomenon has been discussed thoroughly, therefore we will discuss in this article the following question: can coffee be effective for weight loss? If so, how? “It's well established that coffee can add a boost to your metabolism, based largely on the fact that caffeine revs the body to help you burn more calories.” Eat This, Not That! says. “Caffeine may stimulate brown adipose tissue, or the fat in your body that burns calories, per a 2019 study in Scientific Reports.
Essentially, researchers discovered that drinking one cup of coffee increases your metabolic rate to the point that brown adipose tissue activity occurs, leading to fat-burning and weight loss,” Women’s Health writes.
Women’s Health also shares a study with readers, “People who drank four cups of caffeinated coffee per day saw a 4 percent decrease in body fat, according to 2020 findings by Harvard public health researchers that were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study’s authors suspect this is because drinking coffee increases a person’s metabolic rate (which can cause an increase in the number of calories burned).”
The magazines shares, ‘Dr. Arnot recommends dieters drink at least three cups of black coffee a day, claiming health benefits like mood improvement, higher energy levels, a faster metabolism, and—of course—weight loss. He says that certain types of coffee (like light roast, not dark roast) and the overall quality of your beans (including where they were sourced) are more likely to have a better impact on your health.”
So there's health benefits from drinking coffee. How can you drink coffee knowing it won’t hinder your weight loss? Because like these magazines said, it’s hard to know what types of coffee will help or hinder your journey. So how can you ensure that your intake will help your weight loss journey? Well, here are some tips:
1. What brand are you drinking?
Some coffee drinks are super super high in sugar, so it’s important to be careful of which one you choose. “Coca-Cola with Coffee is just one of many examples of the fact that if a maker adds sugar to a coffee beverage for flavor, in terms of its affect on nutrition, it becomes more of a sweet treat than a coffee drink.” Eat This, Not That! shares.
For example, Krispy Kreme Frozen Lattes contain boatloads of sugar. “Krispy Kreme is best known for its calorie-packed donuts, so we weren't too surprised that a 48-gram sugar, small coffee drink also found its way onto their menu. Made with ice, coffee, artificial flavor, high fructose corn syrup, and topped with fat-filled whipped cream, the Frozen Caramel Latte contains as much sugar as 18 of the chain's glazed doughnut holes!” Eat This, Not That! shares. They also share that some types of white mochas are very high in calories and sugar. How'd you like to start your day with five pastries worth of sugar? That's what you'll be slurping down if you get to the bottom of a venti whole-milk white-chocolate mocha with whipped cream.
The "espresso with white chocolate-flavored sauce and steamed milk" beverage packs 620 calories and an astonishing 67 grams of sugar—more than you'll find in five of the coffee chain's chocolate croissants. Big yikes”
2. Skip on the sugar
According to expert Dr. Manaker, “Not putting sugar in your coffee is one of the easiest ways to help you meet your weight loss goals.
The guidelines for how much sugar you should have in a day varies depending on your caloric intake, but the average suggested sugar intake is no more than 50 grams per day for a 2,000 calorie diet.” Just know that you’re not the first person to have a hard time avoiding added sugars.
It’s in practically everything! “Sugary drinks, candy, baked goods, and sweetened dairy are the main sources of added sugar. But even savory foods, like breads, tomato sauce, and protein bars, can have sugar, making it all too easy to end up with a surplus of the sweet stuff. To complicate it further, added sugars can be hard to spot on nutrition labels since they can be listed under a number of names, such as corn syrup, agave nectar, palm sugar, cane juice, or sucrose. (See more names for sugar on the graphic below.)” WebMD shares. Sugar can affect your weight and even your heart. “When you eat excess sugar, the extra insulin in your bloodstream can affect your arteries all over your body. It causes their walls to get inflamed, grow thicker than normal and more stiff, this stresses your heart and damages it over time.” WebMD explains. “This can lead to heart disease, like heart failure, heart attacks, and strokes.
Research also suggests that eating less sugar can help lower blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease. Plus, people who eat a lot of added sugar (where at least 25% of their calories comes from added sugar) are twice as likely to die of heart disease as those whose diets include less than 10% of total calories from added sugar.”
3. Add collagen peptides
Collagen is known to help nail and hair growth, and is mainly put in smoothie blends with its powdered form. “One of the major contributors to weight gain is overeating.
The key to weight loss is to feel full by consuming healthy foods and drinks with enough protein and nutrients to keep you satisfied and not tempted to overeat on the not-so-healthy stuff.” The Mayo Clinic prefaces. "‘Adding collagen peptides is a great coffee habit for weight loss because it gives you a boost of protein, which may help support a feeling of satiety in the morning without affecting the taste of your coffee at all,’ says Manaker.
Not only does research back this up, but one of our expert writers tried drinking collagen with her coffee for two weeks straight and reported feeling full from breakfast to lunch every day.”
4. Don’t Skip On Meals
Skipping meals to drink coffee to lose weight isn’t as healthy as one might think. “Coffee may be a natural appetite suppressant, but Burak warns that it should never be used as a meal replacement or substitute for food.” Eat This, Not That! writes.
"‘Coffee alone is not a meal or snack, but I often find clients still using a 3 p.m. cup of coffee as a way to skip a meal and save calories as it does temporarily suppress your appetite,’ says Burak. Unfortunately, this meal-skipping is not only harmful to your metabolism, but it may also lead to overeating later on in the day. This is a delicate balance because according to Burak, drinking coffee with your meal can help give you a feeling of satiety or fullness, which can also help prevent you from overeating.
‘It is also liquid which, like water, helps to keep your tank feeling full and therefore can assist you with eating a more appropriate amount of food if you're looking to lose weight,’ says Burak, ‘but the bottom line is, don't skip meals and eat when you're hungry!’"
5. Take Coffee Supplements
Green coffee bean supplements have been known to boost metabolism and help with weight loss. “Hate the taste of coffee? (What’s wrong with you?! Kidding, kidding.) You’re not necessarily out of luck when it comes to cashing in on the potential fat-busting power of coffee thanks to something called green coffee bean extract.” Women’s Health Magazine shares.
“A supplement available in a powder, pill or capsule, or liquid, the extract is derived from unroasted coffee beans—which allegedly maintain higher levels of chlorogenic acids, a.k.a. the antioxidant stuff in coffee typically associated with its major health benefits, than roasted beans.
Green coffee bean extract is often touted as a so-called natural weight-loss supplement, which should raise flags for anyone trying to lose weight the good ol’ fashioned way (because, sorry to say, there really is no such thing as a miracle drug for weight loss!).
6. Drink Decaf
Instead of a cup of coffee with caffeine, caffeine free coffee can have just as big of an effect. “It’s also possible that drinking decaf coffee could have the same appetite-suppressing effects, meaning you may consume less calories overall. There aren’t really any studies looking at the effects of decaf coffee, specifically, on weight loss, so it's still unclear what role it plays in the coffee/weight loss landscape.” Women’s Health shares. “Coffee has been known for its ability to lower multiple conditions, but it has always been chalked up to the caffeine itself.
However, decaf has been shown in a few studies to have similar effects, meaning that it’s not just the caffeine that lowers the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. In fact, it could be said that decaf coffee can be just as beneficial as regular coffee, without having to expose yourself to caffeine on a daily basis. While they’re not sure what is exactly causing these effects in both regular and decaf, the fact that it’s not solely the caffeine is an important finding to decaf drinkers everywhere.”
Coffee Affection, a blog for coffee lovers, also shares. And decaf has the same antioxidants as normal coffee. “For those drinking coffee strictly for antioxidants, the switch to decaf should be an easy one because it still contains the same antioxidants as regular coffee. However, it should be noted that decaf has a slightly lower amount of these antioxidants, possibly due to the caffeine extraction process. Regardless, this means that those who have been chugging the world’s most used drug for health reasons can confidently switch to decaf.”
7. Drink decaf for sleep
Sleep is an important part of weight loss. During your sleep it helps you recharge and helps your muscle growth. And drinking decaf coffee can actually help with sleep and anxiety if you don’t like the way coffee with caffeine gives you the jitters.
“Coffee is often the first thing suggested when someone is tired in the morning, especially after a long and restless night. However, caffeine is a powerful stimulant that can wreak havoc on your sleep, causing bouts of insomnia. Switching to decaf can help reduce insomnia that may be caused by too much caffeine, which will then improve your overall energy in the morning. Ditching caffeine can also help lower anxiety, especially in individuals that suffer from anxiety disorders.”
So there you have it. Follow these steps when drinking your hot (or iced) cup of joe!
