I remember the first time I ever submitted a meal diary, to my personal trainer at the time. As I anxiously awaited his feedback (and judgement). I wondered what he was going to scold me for first—the toast I ate for breakfast every morning? The museli bar I snacked on every afternoon? The pizza I ate religiously every Friday night? But to my surprise, his first comment read: “You’re drinking 3 coffees a day? Why?” He explained that this was probably the biggest thing stalling my weight loss. I was flummoxed. I thought coffee was practically a health food, what with all the longevity-boosting antioxidants and all. Plus, I was having it with almond milk!
But turns out, my trainer was onto something. While caffeine does indeed have its health benefits (drinking lots of it has been found to reduce your risk of conditions like type 2 Diabetes and Parkinson’s disease) overdoing it on the java can impact weight loss—and even make you gain weight! Here’s why.
Why drinking too much caffeine can stall weight loss
The average person drinks around about 300 milligrams (mg) of caffeine daily. This is more than enough to have a negative impact on your blood sugar levels, which in turn spikes your insulin.
“One thing this hormone is very good at storing is fat in your midsection,” says Dr. Vincent M. Pedre. “Keeping insulin elevated can make your cells less sensitive to its ‘signal’; this is called insulin resistance. To lose weight and keep it off, you want your cells to be the complete opposite—insulin sensitive.
Short-term disruptions in insulin sensitivity and blood glucose levels, which lead to weight gain in the form of increased abdominal fat, then deposits a feed-forward mechanism in your abdomen that propels the forces of weight gain, even as blood sugar levels may have normalized with long-term caffeine consumption.”
drinking coffee weight gain
Image: iStock
Can Coffee Cause Weight Gain?
While the effects are obviously going to more dramatic if you chug seven cups of coffee, some people are affected by as little as two cups. It all depends on how quickly your body metabolises caffeine. For slow metabolisers, the caffeine hangs out in their system for longer, and is more likely to spike their blood sugar levels and cause health problems. Meanwhile, fast metabolisers can absorb the antioxidants more quickly without the negative effects.
Then, there’s the fact that caffeine can put added pressure on your adrenal glands. When your adrenals are in overdrive, it floods your body with the stress hormone, cortisol. When your body is in this ‘flight or fight mode’, it can prevent your digestive system from working as it should and increase your appetite. Long term, it can also encourage your body to hold onto more belly fat.
Do you need to stop drinking coffee to lose weight?
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The good news is, you don’t necessarily have to ditch your morning brew to shed or maintain your weight. It’s all about being smart about how you consume it. For most people, a good rule of thumb is to cap your consumption at one or two cups, and never after 2 pm. You also want to pay attention to how you’re having your coffee—if you’re having it with full-fat milk and a spoonful of sugar, that’s obviously not going to do you any favours in terms of the calories.
You can take a DNA test to determine how sensitive you are to coffee and how quickly you metabolise it. If you’re a slow metaboliser, you may want to limit your consumption to one per day, or cut it out completely. The same goes for if you’re going through a particularly stressful or chaotic time. The last thing you want to do is pump your body with caffeine when your adrenals are already working overtime—it will just make you more anxious and may lead to weight gain. You may want to look at switching to mushroom coffee (which has calming adaptogens and blood sugar stabilising mushrooms) or one of these coffee alternatives.
Coffee has become a health food in many circles, and it even borders on sacrilegious to some. Yet some of my patients find that dramatically reducing caffeine intake (and becoming more mindful about its impact) can be a game-changer to reach their goal weight.
I sometimes use coffee and caffeine interchangeably because coffee accounts for most of the caffeine intake among most Western people (while tea is more prevalent among Eastern countries). Let's face it, next to a glass of wine, Americans love their coffee. But in terms of weight gain, coffee is not so simple. Here's what you need to know about your drink of choice:
Can Coffee Cause Weight Gain? | Is Caffeine Good For You?
Drinking coffee has some health benefits.
Thanks to its high amounts of polyphenols and other antioxidants, coffee indeed enjoys a health glow these days. In fact, coffee can be a major source of antioxidants for many people, who might neglect to get them from other important sources, like vegetables. Research shows drinking coffee—sometimes, lots of coffee—can lower risk for certain conditions, including type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's disease. (In terms of the best type of coffee out there, many experts agree on espresso as a high-antioxidant option).
Some studies even show drinking three or four cups of coffee a day could reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 25 percent compared to consuming no coffee or less than two cups daily. Other research shows that drinking coffee regularly can lower inflammation and free-radical-induced oxidative stress, two key players in almost every disease, including obesity.
Caffeine also has a thermogenic effect, meaning it can stimulate fat burning. Research shows caffeine can help you lose weight and keep it off, which is why some weight loss supplements contain caffeine.
Considering this scientific evidence, you might wonder if caffeine or coffee even has a dark side (no pun intended). While I have nothing against coffee, it's important to recognize the risks.
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But too much coffee can diminish the benefits.
While coffee has some profound benefits, the truth is we're overloading ourselves with the drink. The average person gets about 300 milligrams (mg) of caffeine daily from coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, and energy drinks. To put that in perspective, this is about the amount of caffeine in a venti Americano.
These therapeutic, drug-dose amounts can tally up quicker than you might imagine. Bigger sizes and different roasts can become even stronger, and if you're tempted by free refills, you can easily get a gram or more of caffeine in one sitting.
This heavy amount of caffeine (and for some people, much less than that amount) can adversely affect blood sugar levels. Of the seven studies in one review, five showed how caffeine can increase blood glucose levels and prolong those increases.
Elevated blood sugar levels also spike insulin levels. Insulin is an anabolic or storage hormone. One thing this hormone is very good at storing is fat in your midsection. Keeping insulin elevated can make your cells less sensitive to its "signal"; this is called insulin resistance. To lose weight and keep it off, you want your cells to be the complete opposite—insulin sensitive.
Does Coffee make you Fat and Anxious?
Therefore, coffee (caffeine) has the potential of making your cells more insulin resistant. One systematic review and meta-analysis looked at seven qualifying studies and concluded that caffeine can reduce insulin sensitivity in healthy subjects in the short term, potentially creating high blood sugar.
These results often happen in a dose-dependent matter. What this means is drinking seven cups of coffee will have a more dramatic impact on blood sugar and insulin levels than drinking two cups. But for some people, it doesn't take much: One study among healthy men and women found caffeine disrupted insulin sensitivity in a dose-dependent manner with no male or female preference, but began at very low doses.
In all fairness, while caffeine can impair insulin sensitivity, researchers surmise the polyphenols in tea, coffee, and other beverages might balance out those effects. Maybe. Truthfully, studies about caffeine's impact on blood sugar, insulin, and health factors like obesity and diabetes are all over the map.
Each person has a different level of caffeine they can handle.
People metabolize caffeine differently, which can skew study results. "Why is there so much conflicting evidence about coffee? The answer may be in our genes," writes Anahad O’Connor in the New York Times. He notes that slow metabolizers (where caffeine hangs out in their system longer) have a higher likelihood of creating health problems.
Fast metabolizers, on the other hand, clear caffeine more quickly, meaning they absorb the antioxidants and other good stuff in coffee without the potential problems of caffeine. In short, slow metabolizers may want to stay away from the most potent forms of caffeine—like coffee.
Additionally, looking at the short-term effects of how caffeine affects glucose and insulin levels can't always explain the long-term effects of how caffeine (and coffee in particular) can affect your risk for chronic disease. However, short-term disruptions in insulin sensitivity and blood glucose levels, which can lead to weight gain in the form of increased abdominal fat, then deposits a feed-forward mechanism in your abdomen that propels the forces of weight gain, even as blood sugar levels may have normalized with long-term caffeine consumption.
Can Caffeine Cause Weight Gain? You Might Be Surprised
In other words, one problem can create another problem that continues to fuel the fires of inflammation and weight gain.
So can coffee make you gain weight or not?
The short answer? No—as long as you consume a healthy balance.
I'm not arguing you should forever give up your beloved morning cup of coffee or mid-afternoon tea, which for some patients can become the best part of waking up or a break in their otherwise-hectic day. For myself, I enjoy a cup of tea with its balanced antioxidant polyphenols and L-theanine for calming the nerves.
At the same time, I want you to be aware that too much caffeine—and for some people, it doesn't take much—can raise blood sugar and insulin levels, which can result in weight gain. That's why cutting out caffeine in the form of coffee is part of any detox program, including my Happy Gut 28-Day Cleanse. In the meantime, let me help you enjoy your cup of joe while balancing its health risks and benefits.
Hi, this is Rixon and I had join this website in 2018, but not actively, today I’m back here to contribute my experience with you in this answer, the way nice to see all of you here!
I love cuppa coffee, not just ordinary coffee, is a premium coffee, it not only smells good and tastes delicious, but coffee is also the most popular morning beverage consumed around the world, it helps us kick-start our morning and keeps us energised through the day. Coffee is known as a great workout booster in our body, Though the drink is most popular for boosting energy, it can also be healthy and help with your weight loss.
The reason why how is it even love coffee so much:
Benefits of Coffee
1. Coffee contains caffeine, tannin, fixed oil, carbohydrates and proteins, which can help improve digestive health, increase blood circulation, and respiration. And lead to better heart health.
2. It contains caffeine, which boosts metabolism, improves energy, and can promote weight loss.
3. Black coffee is a natural healer, many people end up weighing more due to excess water weight, With the help of the black coffee extra water content in the body through urination, helps to shed out extra pounds of water without any threatening side effects.
Disadvantage and Risks of Coffee
1. Never consume a bad quality coffee, it has a lot of impurities in it, which can headaches or general bad feelings. A cup of coffee can be toxic if your coffee is made from beans that have been ripped or ruined, but no worry if you invest and buy the good or high-quality speciality coffee you don’t have to worry about this.
2. Never drink more than 4 cups of coffee a day, as the maximum amount of caffeine is about 400 milligrams.
3. If you have high cholesterol or are caffeine sensitive, pregnant or a child (or a parent of one), you should pay attention to coffee drinking.
Hope you benefited from this answer, please vote and share it’s been useful for you :)
No I do not think so but it also depends on what you put in your coffee. If you use a lot of sugar and sweetened creamer then you can weight.
If you are on a Keto Diet and you use heavy cream or organic half and half and stevia you should be fine. And 1-2 cups of coffee per day is generally should be enough.
Drinking too much caffeine in coffee can make you nervous and stress you. The caffeine can wreck havoc on your adrenaline system and interfere with your stress hormones. I would recommend that you dont drink more that 2 cups of coffee per day. I know that there are some people who drink 4-6 cups and more of coffee per day and I personally think that is too much
I reccomend taking multivitamins and and vitamins C and D and also to take 50mg of DHEA per day for coffee drinkers.
Reasons For Your Weight Gain (8 Surprising and Often Missed Causes!)
Wake up and have a nice cup of coffee.
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Dealers of the Macabre is an American original historic epic trilogy that the readers will be on the edge of their seats in suspense from the beginning of the book to the last page
Coffee has become a health food in many fields, and it even borders on sacrilegious to some. Too much drinking coffee or overloading ourselves with such drinks make us weight gain. And the most significant effect is related to caffeine, which has the potential of making your cells more insulin resistant.
Although coffee is healthy in itself, you can quickly turn it into something harmful to sugar. Added sugar is arguably one of the worst ingredients in the modern diet.
The final point is that for all those who can't make it through their day without multiple cups of coffee, a new study suggests that the extra caffeine could help with weight loss.
Others are correct in saying that black coffee offers very little in terms of calories and that coffee with milk, cream, sugar, and other ingredients can start packing on the calories.
But regardless how you drink your coffee, coffee CANNOT make you gain weight, nor help you lose it.
What makes you gain weight is taking in more calories than you expend.
With this in mind, you can go to Starbucks and order a Venti Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino (670 calories) every day for the rest of your life and not gain weight if everything you eat and drink for the day doesn’t exceed your total daily calorie requirements.
Conversely, you can gain weight if you drink a cup of black coffee (1 calorie) every day of your life and exceed your total daily calorie requirements when everything you eat and drink is tallied for the day.
This is all too say that coffee by itself CANNOT make you gain weight, neither can any other food or beverage.
Coffee has zero calories. It is what you add to the coffee that can pack on the pounds.
Sugar is 9 calories / 0.1 oz.
Creamers are even worse.
- Cream Product Calories per 1 oz./ 28 gr / Fat (gr)
- Calories in Cream, Coffee-Mate’s Creamers French Vanilla) 69 cal / 3 g
- Calories in Cream, Coffee-Mate’s Creamers (Hazelnut) 69 cal / 3 g
- Calories in Cream, Coffee-Mate’s Creamers (Original) 142 cal / 7.1 g
- Calories in Cream, Half Cream 39 cal / 3.5 g
- Calories in Cream, Half & Half (Fat-Free) 18 cal / 0.4 g
- Calories in Cream, Single 55 cal / 5.3 g
- Calories in Cream, Whipping (Heavy, 37% fat) 98 cal / 10.5 g
No, Coffee increases the metabolism of the body and help in reducing body weight.
Benefits of drinking coffee are given below:
- Helps in warming up the body.
- It reduces the risk of kidney stones
- Provide instant energy to the body.
- Treats asthma and headache
- Lessen the risk of depression
- Protect from diabetes
- Reduces the risk of liver cancer
- Reduces the workout pain
- Prevention against heart diseases.
- Boost up the memory power
Coffee is and has always been, a controversial drink, since much has been said about its influence on body weight, blood pressure and other aspects of people's health.
However, we still don't know for sure if coffee makes you fat.
For this reason, I will dedicate ourselves to gathering data that allows us to answer the headline's question:
Does coffee make you fat?
And in this way, I will be able to know if it is advisable to include it or not in a weight loss plan.
A long time ago, in 2008, a study carried out on athletes found that the combination of caffeine with carbohydrates allowed an efficient post-effort recovery because coffee favored the assimilation of carbohydrates .
It is in this study on which many believe that coffee can increase the absorption of carbohydrates from food and promote weight gain.
However, many have not evaluated the research in depth, since in it, the dose of caffeine was equivalent to drinking 5 or 6 cups of coffee together with a drink rich in carbohydrates.
For this reason, coffee in a person who consumes it in moderation and reasonably, cannot produce weight gain as a consequence of greater absorption of carbohydrates.
Well, in most cases, we do not exceed 2 or 3 cups a day and we do not drink all of them at the same time.
That is to say, the conditions in the life of a normal person, change a lot with respect to those used in the study with athletes to favor the recovery of glycogen.
On the other hand, we know that coffee can generate, among its side effects, nervousness, insomnia and anxiety , therefore, the greater stress caused by these symptoms may be the cause of a greater intake of food.
Also, anxiety and stress are not a good company for weight loss.
Likewise, coffee provides calories from carbohydrates and proteins basically, although it also contains fats in its composition.
But if we drink it in moderation, the caloric intake will not be significant enough to produce an increase in weight.
I Quit Coffee for a Month, See What Happened to My Body
In conclusion, coffee has been shown to have health benefits and to be an aid in athletes, but in a weight loss plan, it cannot be confirmed that coffee makes you fat and therefore, as long as it is within your habits, you can include it in moderation, not exceeding 2 or 3 cups a day and if you notice that its intake causes nervousness and increased anxiety, the ideal would be to replace it with its decaffeinated version so that food intake does not increase because of this.
The caffeine itself can curb your appetite, leading to weight loss but it depends on how you have it, if you drink it black without sugar, it could be beneficial, but if you drink processed iced coffee drinks with unhealthy amounts of saturated fats and large amounts of added sugar, or add sugar to your own coffee, that would cause weight gain. It's not the coffee that causes weight gain, it's what you add to it, how much you add and how how large the quantities you consume it. That's what determines the amount of weight gain or loss. Just like anything else you consume, if you make a salad with just fresh produce alone, there will be basically no fats, sugars, sodium, and extra calories. But if you add cheese, salad dressing, bacon, cream based sauces etc, your 'healthy' salad will no longer be as healthy as you'd like to anticipate. Unfortunately, the better it tastes, the more unhealthy it probably is lol.
Well, to be frank, I was delaying in answering this question in Quora since I myself was little doubtful with some of the research findings. But finally, my search ended with an article in the The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition[3].
So let me put it in simple and straightforward points that Coffee does not cause an increase in weight. It all depends on how you prepare your Coffee.
- Adding 2-3 sachet of sugar and full cream milk to your Coffee will definitely do more harm than good to you.
- On the other hand, your body will love you if you drink your Coffee with skim milk or no milk and minimal to no sugar.
So let us see how Coffee helps in weight loss:
- By inducing satiety
You can notice that a cup of coffee before a meal can cause satiety i.e., a feeling of being full. This is due to the increase in the level of adrenaline after consumption of Coffee.
2. Thermogenesis
Thermogenesis means producing heat in the body. Caffeine in coffee has thermogenic property. It boosts your metabolism and increases fat burning.
Takeaway points,
- Coffee is safe if consumed in moderation i.e., 3 cups maximum[2].
- Avoid full cream milk and sugar with Coffee.
- Avoid excess consumption of Coffee during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Never drink Coffee on an empty stomach as it might cause stomach upset, nausea and vomiting[1].
- Try to avoid Coffee before going to bed as it might cause insomnia.
- Finally, a weight loss plan can never depend solely on one thing. You need to consider a healthy diet and lifestyle in order to lose weight significantly.
Happy weight loss! Take care
References:
1. Coffee: Benefits, Precautions and Dosage.1mg
Starting your day with a caffeine buzz isn't likely to cause weight gain — coffee served black is low in calories. But overdoing it can make you pack on the pounds, especially if your beverage contains added sugar and milk.
VIDEO OF THE DAY
Body changes after I quit coffee
To avoid accidental weight gain, make sure you record the calories from coffee as part of your daily intake, avoid calorie-packed coffee-based drinks and limit your caffeine intake.
Tip
If your coffee is adding too many extra calories or affecting your nightly rest, you may be at risk for weight gain.
Fancy Coffee Packs on Pounds
When you're looking to lose or maintain your weight, steer clear of coffee and espresso beverages like lattes, mochas and macchiatos. Unlike black coffee, which is low in calories, these drinks can pack hundreds of calories into a single cup.
For example, a 16-ounce white chocolate mocha from an international coffee shop chain has 400 calories — without whipped cream — while a 16-ounce iced caramel macchiato has 250 calories. Whipped cream adds 70 calories to your drink, which can further expand your waistline.
Even drinking one or two of these specialty beverages a week on top of your regular meal plan can trigger weight gain. Twice-weekly 16-ounce white chocolate mochas translate to an extra 800 calories a week — enough to gain about 12 pounds a year.
Calories From Cream and Sugar
Regular coffee you make at home can be fattening too, depending on how you flavor it. Cream and milk can pack a surprising number of calories. An ounce of light cream, for example, has 59 calories. And equal amounts of half-and-half and whole milk contain 34 and 19 calories, respectively, while each teaspoon of sugar adds 15 calories.
If you're serving your coffee with an ounce of cream and a teaspoon of sugar, you're taking in 74 calories per cup. And while that might not seem like much, it adds up; drinking five coffees a day in addition to your typical meal means you're getting approximately 370 excess calories daily, which is enough for you to gain more than a half-pound per week.
Read more: How Many Cups of Coffee a Day Can You Drink?
I GAVE UP COFFEE - HERE'S WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU
Caffeine, Sleep and Weight Gain
Unfortunately, avoiding coffee drinks and serving your coffee black doesn't mean you're in the clear when it comes to weight gain. Having too much caffeine can cause negative health effects, including anxiety, and it can also keep you "wired" and unable to sleep.
You already know that too little sleep zaps your energy and productivity, but it also expands your waistline, explains the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Women who sleep less than seven hours nightly had a higher risk of significant weight gain than women who get at least seven hours of shut-eye each night.
That might be because chronic sleep deprivation leaves you drained, which makes it harder to feel motivated to eat healthily and exercise, or because a lack of sleep might lower your metabolism. Either way, if drinking too much caffeinated coffee makes it hard to get adequate rest at night, even a virtually calorie-free brew might trigger weight gain.
Read more: 14 Legit Ways Coffee Can Boost Your Health
The Most Slimming Options
Drink black coffee or espresso in moderation to avoid weight gain. A 1-ounce shot of espresso has just 3 calories, while an 8-ounce mug of brewed coffee has 2 calories, so neither beverage served plain will significantly boost your calorie intake.
Add low-calorie flavor by mixing your coffee with a teaspoon of cocoa powder, adding cinnamon to your coffee grounds and sweetening your drink with stevia. And if you're craving the creaminess of dairy, try using nonfat milk instead of cream.
Drink your coffee earlier in the day to avoid disrupting your sleep, and consider limiting caffeine entirely if you already have sleep issues. Limit your total daily caffeine intake, which will include caffeine from coffee, as well as that in tea and other foods like chocolate, to 200 to 300 milligrams daily, or the equivalent of two to three cups of coffee. After you reach your daily limit, switch to decaf.
Caffeine - whether in coffee, cola or tea - is a stimulant that a lot of people love. I mean loooove! It gives our day a natural boost and can even improve our mood for a bit. Far be it from me to make caffeine sounds like a torrid enemy in our diets, but it can have an impact on our bodies. Let me explain how caffeine can cause weight gain, and even increase belly fat.
In this article, I'll explain why some people may want to consider cutting back on caffeine, including:
Caffeine, belly fat and diabetes (and high blood sugar levels)
Caffeine, belly fat and stress
Caffeine, belly fat and sleep
Caffeine and women
The only type of caffeine I recommend in moderation
Sound like a lot of people you know? I know - it's like reading a horoscope. I could be describing anyone because diabetes and high blood sugar levels are at epidemic levels, stress is far too common, sleep problems hit many of us hard...and, well, a lot of us are women!
In reality there is a lot to show that caffeine can cause weight gain. Let's get into it.
Can Coffee Make You Fat?
How Caffeine Causes Weight Gain
Coffee and tea are often touted a health food of sorts, largely because of some very real nutrition they possess.
For the time being, I'm just going to focus on coffee as 64% of Americans drink at least a cup a day. I'm going to get to tea later in the post because I know a lot of you might be wondering about the benefits of green tea, especially matcha.
Coffee is rich in antioxidants or plant-based nutrients. Coffee may also may protect your brain and can give a boost to a workout. It can also give you a kick in the morning and improve your mood, but that's largely with inconsistent use (or drinking coffee once every couple of days).
There is a lot of literature that talks about how coffee actually stimulates metabolism and burns fat. While that may be true for some people, it's certainly not true for everyone. In fact, caffeine can have the exact opposite effect, wreaking havoc on our body and forcing fact to be stored through the belly area.
The downside to coffee and caffeine consumption, especially if you've recently experienced weight gain, have belly fat or even have problems managing your blood sugar levels is very real, so read on to stay informed.
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Caffeine, Diabetes and Belly Fat
As I mentioned above, coffee is a stimulant. And stimulants respond to people differently - depending on your gender, age, lifestyle, health status and ability to deal with stress.
When you can't manage blood sugar levels, or if you feel like your hungry all the time, but just don't know why, your hormone, insulin, is trying to tell you something.
Many diabetics and people with chronically high blood sugar levels have an apple shape body type. There's a reason for that!
When insulin is constantly on the loose because you're eating foods that stimulate it, you're probably adding on belly fat slowly but surely. Insulin's job is to make sure that glucose (sugar) gets removed from your blood efficiently. It's job is also to store fat and block the release of fat. Ouch!
Compound that with coffee and you're setting your waistline up for disaster. Even in healthy individual, research has shown that caffeine may decrease insulin sensitivity, or our body's ability to keep insulin in check.
Even in people with otherwise healthy blood sugar levels, introducing caffeine along with food has been shown to impair blood glucose levels.
If you are someone who has diabetes, high A1C levels or has a problem balancing blood sugar levels - think about this. The connection between belly fat and diabetes/pre-diabetes is strong.
CAFFEINE WILL RUIN YOU MUSCLE GAINS!!
does caffeine cause belly fat?
A recent message from a reader with problematically high blood sugar levels who simply cut out caffeine.
Caffeine, Stress and Belly Fat
Stress and belly fat often go hand in hand, thanks to cortisol levels elevated far too long throughout the day. But when we add caffeine to the mix, it only exacerbates the problem.
First, understand that cortisol is a stress hormone. Normal amounts of cortisol are very good! Cortisol helps to maintain our immune system and even manage inflammation.
It also helps us when we need a fight or flight response. Like when a bear is chasing us. Cortisol manages to shunt blood to the parts of our body, like legs and arms, so we can run like the wind and get away. Make sense?
But when we artificially inflate cortisol - we get all messed up.
Despite the fact that a black cup of coffee or tea has no calories to speak of, it can whack on the fat. If your choice of caffeine is a sugary energy drink of a diet soda filled with artificial sweeteners, you're only making things worse.
Let me explain how all this works together.
When you wake up in the morning, your natural cortisol levels should be at their peak. This is a normal and as the day goes on, our cortisol levels start to drop. At bedtime and throughout the night they should be at their lowest levels.
Should you need to run from a bear, don't worry! Cortisol will be there for you.
Caffeine artificially inflates cortisol.
Our body interprets all stress as stress. It does not distinguish a physiological stress from a physical stress. It responds to stress, anxiety and fear with some level of fight or flight. When this happens we store belly fat.
If you're dealing with ongoing stress or anxiety in your personal life, at work or really anytime, your cortisol levels are inflated more. Your body is already perceiving some level of "fight or flight" and probably responding by storing a little belly fat already.
When you add caffeine, you're adding fuel to the cortisol fire, inflating it even more.
Adding caffeine to a life that is already coping with stress, anxiety or fear will add belly fat.
I'm sensitive to this subject, so if you're dealing with chronic stress or anxiety please don't interpret this as some sort of lecture that you've done something wrong, or that you're deliberately trying to sabotage your body. That's not at all what I'm saying.
Rather. cutting out caffeine can help tremendously. It may not resolve stress or anxiety entirely, but it certainly will help.
The TRUTH About Caffeine: You're PROBABLY Doing It Wrong! (Ft. Eric Helms)
Caffeine, Belly Fat and Sleep
We should get about five sleep cycles every night. Each of those cycles lasts about 90 minutes and puts us through an entire cycle of REM. At the very beginning of each cycle, our pituitary gland releases a bunch of human growth hormone (HGH), which helps us to repair our muscles, improve our skin and burn fat.
Did you read that?
A gland in our body releases a hormone that helps us burn fat at when we sleep!
If you want to take advantage of this great benefit, cut back or cut out caffeine - especially after the morning hours.
The effects of caffeine stay in our system for about six hours. This varies depending on size, lifestyle, stress levels, etc. If you're drinking caffeine in the afternoon for a pick-me-up, you'll still have some caffeine in your system right around the time you should be getting ready for bed.
Some research suggests that caffeine moves around your body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm - so much so that you could lose an hour of sleep purely because of caffeine consumption.
That means you're cutting into one of the precious cycles of sleep you need to get a full dose of human growth hormone.
When we get less sleep, our body's produce more ghrelin, or the hormone that stimulates appetite and stores belly fat. A lack of sleep also tells our body to produce less leptin - which is the hormone that tells us to stop eating.
You may feel like you're sleeping fine, but if you drink caffeine, especially past the AM hours, it's highly likely you're cutting out precious sleep that's resulting in additional belly fat.
Just a quick reality check here. I am the mother of 3 kids, the youngest of whom did not sleep through the night until he was 22 months. He's 4 now, so I know that a full night of sleep is not always possible. And as much as I thought I needed coffee through the day - especially in the afternoon - I curbed it and it actually helped my sleep.
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How To Keep Your Coffee Habit Healthy - Tamil Health Tips
Caffeine, Women and Belly Fat
Not all women are affected in the same way, but for many women, even a moderate amount of caffeine consumption can increase circulating estrogen levels.
Two very important hormones, estrogen and progesterone, should sit in balance with one another. When we increase our circulating estrogen level beyond normal, we throw off the balance creating a disproportionately greater amount of estrogen to progesterone. This is what's referred to as estrogen dominance.
A hallmarks of an estrogen dominant body is the pear shaped body type. This is a woman who has a smaller waist, but stores more fat through the hips, thighs and lower belly (usually below the belly button).
Belly bloating, premenstrual headaches, lumpy breasts and trouble sleeping - in additional to unwanted fat storage - are a few other signs your may be dealing with estrogen dominance.
Usually our body does a pretty good job detoxifying caffeine from our body via our liver. But the pathway that's used to detoxify caffeine is also the same pathway that is needed to detoxify caffeine. This creates congestion or a chemical traffic jam in our liver, which forces our body to hold on to an excessive amount of estrogen.
This is one of the ways we create the imbalance of estrogen to progesterone followed by a cascade of hormonal problem leading to weight gain and belly fat.
Healthier Caffeine Options
First of all, if you fall into any of these categories and you're thinking, "Holy cow! This is happening to me," bypass the healthier caffeine options for now and stick to a caffeine-free diet.
I've mentioned that some people are not quite as sensitive to caffeine as others. I still don't think drinking coffee or black tea 24/7 is good for anyone, and I'm fairly certain the court of public (or researched) opinion agrees. But if you don't have problem with belly fat, can manage your stress reasonably well, sleep like a baby and don't have an apple shape body type or a pear shape body type (estrogen dominance) - then this may be a good option for you.
Matcha Green Tea
I know it's super popular right now, but I've always been a big fan of matcha green tea. It's a true green tea with unique properties that make it significantly more nutrient-dense than regular old green tea, and it doesn't contain nearly as much caffeine as coffee. Winning!
A cup of matcha green tea has nearly 140 times the amount of antioxidants of a cup of green tea
Matcha green tea is a great source of the amino acid L-theanine, which produce a calm sense of alertness versus the jitters of coffee or black tea
Matcha green tea has 35mg of caffeine per serving versus the 200mg per cup of coffee
Matcha green tea has some fairly strong cardiovascular benefits, including helping to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol
There are a bunch of matcha green teas out there. I only buy ceremonial blend, which is the highest quality. It's not cheap, but one container of matcha lasts a long time as one serving is 1/2 teaspoon.
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This is my recommendation for matcha green tea.
So there you have it. I feel pretty strong about caffeine consumption. I can't say that I never drink a cup of coffee, but I'm careful about how much and how often I have it. I sometimes go caffeine free for long periods of time, especially at times in my life when I'm dealing with more stress than normal.
This is 100% your choice, but if you're dealing with anything I've mentioned above, try giving up caffeine for a few weeks to see what happens.
If there is no way you could ever go cold turkey, then step off your caffeine routine by drinking a cup of matcha green tea a day. Then curb it from there.
caffeine can cause weight gain and belly fat
Note: there are affiliate links within this post, which means if you click on one and make a purchase, I may make a small commission to keep information like this coming. Thanks in advance.
A cup of coffee. You know by now that it has that boost of caffeine to perk you up in the morning or get you moving again during that afternoon slump. But it's also rich in antioxidants to better your heart health, among many of the benefits you can get from that beloved cup of Joe. Yet with all the good that coffee can bring, your coffee habit might be leading to weight gain, without you even realizing it.
Sure, black coffee with a bit of milk is rather clean and lets you reap those benefits more easily. Once you start ordering those frappuccinos, lattes with whipped cream, and holiday drinks with candy canes, peppermint mocha, and pumpkin syrups, that good-for-you cup of java becomes a diet disaster. And that's when this daily drink becomes not so great for you.
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To help you keep on track, here are 10 ways your coffee could be causing weight gain. While you're making healthier choices, be sure to try out these 21 Best Healthy Cooking Hacks of All Time.
1 It's high in syrups and sweet ingredients.
Barista adding flavored syrups for coffee
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To avoid this happening, your best bet is to always keep your order simple and limit the sugary syrups, drizzles, and add-ins.
"The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar to 24 grams per day for women and 36 grams per day for men and some large-sized coffeehouse drinks can contain 80 grams," says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, and author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club.
2 You only drink Keto coffee.
keto coffee
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While keto and paleo fans are big on bulletproof coffee—which is packed with coconut oil, butter, or MCT oil—they lack carbohydrates. So these coffee drinks are higher in fat and calories, which could lead to weight gain if you're not taking those calories into account.
"This fat bomb can pack 400-500 calories which still count towards your daily total," says Harris-Pincus.
3 It's too large.
Frappuccino
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Is a venti really necessary?
"Even items like sugary Frappuccinos can fit into a healthy diet in small amounts, where a tall is 12 ounces," says Harris-Pincus. Keep in mind a venti iced drink is 24 ounces and if you're choosing something sweet, it'll easily be far too high in sugar and calories.
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"Stick with a small or tall and save the larger drinks for brewed or cold brew coffee," Harris-Pincus says.
4 You're drinking it as a meal.
coffee pot pouring into two mugs
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"Coffee is not a meal," Harris-Pincus stresses. "Protein, fiber, and produce are the keys to a healthy, balanced diet to help keep you satisfied and manage hunger." And those aren't things you're going to get from a bad cup of coffee!
A high calorie, sugary, and fattening coffee drink can take the place of a nutritious meal without contributing needed nutrients, and it can cause sugar to spike too, which might increase cravings later on. And if it's minimal, the lack of calories could lead to overeating later, as well.
5 You always add whipped cream.
starbucks frappuccino on table with green straw
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Another high-sugar item that isn't doing you any good? Whipped cream, according to Harris-Pincus. Whipped cream is simply excess calories and doesn't contain any nutrition. Plus, it's a gateway to adding on cocoa bits, drizzles, and other sweet items to go on top of that whipped cream coating.
6 You load up on artificial sweeteners.
Coffee with sugar
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Don't let these seemingly healthier options fool you. Spoiler alert: they're bad news!
"Artificial sweeteners (think Splenda, Sweet N' Low, and Equal) may seem like the perfect zero calorie addition to your morning brew; however, folks that use artificial sweeteners are more likely to consume more calories and be at a greater risk for obesity compared to those that do not use non-nutritive sweeteners," says Ilyse Schapiro MS, RD, CDN. Artificial sweeteners hold weight on you, and can make you crave more sweets.
7 You use a sweetened nut milk.
Man barista making coffee latte
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"The problem with ordering an almond milk latte or oat milk cappuccino at your local café is that baristas usually use the flavored versions that contain added sugars," says Schapiro. "High consumption of added sugars is associated with weight gain and increased risk for the development of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease," she says. It's best to only ask for a splash or DIY your own oat milk latte at home using an unsweetened version.
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8 You stock up on bottled coffees.
coffee drinks
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Grabbing these premade coffee drinks might seem like a quicker option, but they're not ideal as they're loaded up with one big culprit. You guessed it—sugar.
"Take the Original Iced Coffee from Dunkin', for example. Just one bottle contains 260 calories and 29 grams of added sugars, making this one of the worst beverages to jumpstart your morning with," says Schapiro.
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9 You go with what's trendy.
whipped coffee
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The Whipped Coffee trend might have taken over social media, but it's not necessarily diet friendly. And that's something to keep in mind with any viral coffee trends you come across that you want to try out.
"This popular concoction contains instant coffee, sugar, and boiling water poured over iced full-fat milk, and although this coffee may taste great and make for an Insta-worthy picture, the excess calories, fat, and sugars in this beverage should be something to consider if your whipping this up regularly," says Schapiro.
10 You often order frappuccinos or cold cream.
frappuccino
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We can't say it enough—you should stop sipping on frappuccinos (those are sugar bombs!) or cold cream drinks that have a thick, sweet topper often.
"The Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew may get you in the [holiday] spirit, but the creamy, cold foam is loaded with excess calories, sugar, and artificial ingredients," says Schapiro. With up to 360 calories, 48 grams of sugar, and little to no protein, this beverage is sure to drive up your blood sugar and have you reaching for more food soon after. Skip!
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world.
However, the effects of coffee on weight management are mixed.
Its benefits include appetite control and improved metabolism, which could aid weight loss.
Yet, coffee contains caffeine, which may lead to poor sleep and more sugar cravings in certain individuals — both factors which may negatively impact weight. In addition, many coffee beverages contain added sugar and excessive calories.
This article takes a detailed look at how coffee affects your weight.
Black coffee may promote a healthy weight
Black coffee — without any additional ingredients — is very low in calories and may help you achieve a healthy weight.
Coffee is low in calories
When trying to lose weight, you have to create a calorie deficit. You can do this either by increasing physical activity or consuming fewer calories.
An easy way to reduce calorie intake is to choose lower-calorie beverages. For example, replacing just 1 cup (240 ml) of a high-calorie, sugar-sweetened beverage with the same amount of water may lead to over 4 pounds (1.9 kg) of weight loss over 6 months (1Trusted Source).
Reasons To Use Black Coffee For Weight Loss
By itself, coffee is a very-low-calorie beverage. In fact, 1 cup (240 ml) of brewed coffee has only 2 calories (2Trusted Source).
However, coffee only contains this minuscule number of calories if you drink it black — without adding sugar, milk, or any other ingredients.
If you’re attempting to reduce your total calorie intake, replacing high-calorie beverages — such as soda, juice, or chocolate milk — with plain coffee may be a good place to start.
Caffeine may boost metabolism
Caffeine is a natural stimulant commonly found in coffee, tea, and soda. Per serving, coffee typically contains the highest amount of caffeine of these three beverages.
One cup (240 ml) of brewed coffee offers about 95 mg of caffeine. Still, the caffeine content varies depending on the type of bean, roasting style, and preparation (3Trusted Source).
Caffeine may improve your metabolism — a measure of how many calories your body burns each day. This is one reason why caffeine is included in many weight loss supplements.
However, large doses of caffeine may be required to significantly influence metabolism.
For example, one study found that a caffeine dose of 4.5 mg per pound of body weight (10 mg per kg) increased metabolism by up to 13%. This would equal 680 mg of caffeine — a whopping 7 cups (1,660 ml) of coffee for someone who weighs 150 pounds (68 kg) (4Trusted Source).
Still, some research shows that regular caffeine intake may improve body weight maintenance and weight loss.
In one study, an increase in caffeine intake was associated with less weight gain over 12 years. Yet, the participants who consumed the most caffeine were only about 1 pound (0.4–0.5 kg) lighter than those with lower caffeine intakes (5Trusted Source).
A different study looked at people who successfully lost weight. Those who consumed the most coffee and caffeine were more successful at maintaining their weight loss over time (6Trusted Source).
Caffeine may reduce your appetite
Caffeine may also help reduce your appetite.
Appetite is controlled by many different factors, including nutrient composition of meals, hormones, and activity levels. Drinking caffeinated coffee may reduce levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin (7).
Additionally, studies show that drinking caffeinated coffee may reduce the number of calories you consume throughout the day, compared to not drinking it (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).
However, the research surrounding caffeine as an appetite suppressant is conflicting, and some studies report that caffeine has little to no effect on feelings of fullness (10Trusted Source).
Thus, more studies are necessary.
SUMMARY
Plain, black coffee is very low in calories and high in caffeine. Caffeine is a natural stimulant that may boost your metabolism and decrease levels of hunger hormones, which could prevent weight gain.
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Coffee may still encourage weight gain
Although some studies suggest that coffee may be beneficial for weight loss, it may also negatively impact weight in several ways.
Caffeine may disrupt healthy sleep patterns
Caffeine acts as a stimulant by blocking the effects of adenosine, a chemical in your brain that makes you sleepy (11Trusted Source).
This may be helpful if you need an extra jolt of energy. However, if consumed later in the day, coffee may interfere with your sleep patterns.
In turn, this can lead to weight gain. Poor sleep is associated with higher body weight, increased appetite, and more cravings for processed food (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).
Popular coffee pairings may be fattening
Many people associate coffee with a sweet treat, such as a pastry. That’s because caffeine alters your perceived sense of sweetness, which may result in craving sugary foods (15Trusted Source).
The daily addition of a high-sugar snack with your coffee may lead to eventual weight gain.
To avoid the sugar cravings and potential weight gain that may come with consuming high-calorie, sweet treats, enjoy your coffee with foods that provide a source of protein and healthy fat — such as a handful of nuts or an egg breakfast.
Protein and fat both promote fullness and may reduce the frequency of sugar cravings (16Trusted Source).
Certain coffee drinks are loaded with calories and sugar
Although plain coffee is low in calories, many coffee beverages are packed with calories and sugar.
Coffee shops and popular franchises sell sweetened coffee drinks that contain added sugar and hundreds of calories. For example, a Starbucks Grande (16 ounces or 470 ml) Caramel Frappuccino has 420 calories and over 16.5 teaspoons (66 grams) of sugar (17).
Regular intake of sugary beverages, such as sweetened coffee blends, is associated with weight gain and a higher risk of obesity (18Trusted Source).
Additionally, many people add butter or coconut oil to their coffee to make a trendy drink known as Bulletproof coffee.
Although adding healthy fats like coconut oil to your diet can benefit health, adding too many of these high-fat, high-calorie foods to your coffee — without adjusting for the extra calories — may backfire and lead to unwanted weight gain.
SUMMARY
Caffeinated coffee may negatively affect sleep, which can promote weight gain. What’s more, some coffee drinks are high in sugar and/or fat, which may lead to excess calorie intake and subsequent weight gain.
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How to drink coffee without gaining weight
There are many ways to enjoy your daily cup of coffee without gaining weight.
The most important tip is to avoid adding excess sugar to your coffee. Sugar is present in many flavored creamers and pre-prepared lattés — and many people add table sugar or liquid sweeteners like agave syrup directly to their cup of joe.
Here are a few ways to reduce sugar intake while still adding flavor to your coffee:
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Sprinkle in some cinnamon.
Use unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, or half-and-half.
Use a small amount of a natural, no-calorie sweetener, such as stevia.
Add a few drops of vanilla extract.
Melt in a small square of high-quality dark chocolate.
Although half-and-half and coconut milk are low in sugar, they are higher in calories than the other additions. It’s best to use small amounts of these products in your coffee to prevent excess calorie intake.
Coffee has a naturally bitter flavor, so you may need to gradually reduce the amount of added sweetener in order to adjust your taste buds. For example, the next time you purchase a sweetened latté, try asking for half of the usual amount of flavoring syrup.
Better yet, prepare your own coffee at home. This will allow you to not only be in control of the amount of sweetener but also save money.
If you enjoy Bulletproof coffee, try to choose healthy fats — such as grass-fed butter or coconut oil — and use small amounts. Additionally, be mindful of your daily calorie intake to ensure that you’re not over-consuming calories.
SUMMARY
You can minimize your risk of gaining weight with coffee by limiting added sugar, incorporating healthier flavor alternatives, and avoiding surplus calories.
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The bottom line
Coffee alone does not cause weight gain — and may, in fact, promote weight loss by boosting metabolism and aiding appetite control.
However, it can negatively affect sleep, which may promote weight gain. Additionally, many coffee drinks and popular coffee pairings are high in calories and added sugar.
To minimize your risk of weight gain, try cutting out added sugar and high-calorie additives.
Consuming a daily cup of coffee can be a healthy way to start your day. However, it’s important to be mindful of the ingredients used when preparing or ordering your drink.
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