Does Coffee Make You Gain Weight? Or Lose Weight?

Who doesn’t love a cup of coffee? Statistics show that the United States is one of the paramount consumers of coffee in the world. As a popular beverage for people, coffee has an unshakable place in our cuisine. It is a lifesaver when you slip into fatigue on a hectic day at work. Still, is coffee healthy for you? The debates on the properties of coffee and whether it can help you to lose weight or gain weight has been existing for a long time. Many properties of caffeine have proven benefits in aiding weight loss. But if the use exceeds or you consistently add sugar and cream to it, it can result in weight gain.

Through this article, we will discuss whether coffee makes you gain weight. Before diving right into the topic, we will analyze the benefits offered by coffee. Then we will move on to a discussion on the ways that make coffee unhealthy and how you can make your cup of coffee a healthy beverage. The article concludes by providing you with some healthy and tasty coffee recipes which can aid in weight loss. Enjoy this article with a hot cup of brewed coffee and let us know what you have in mind in the comments!

What Are The Benefits Of Drinking Coffee?

Studies have shown the benefits of drinking coffee on weight loss. Caffeine can burn fat and aid in metabolism. Check out the list below to know some of the benefits offered by coffee for weight loss.

✔ Coffee can activate your metabolism: Studies have shown that the main component in coffee, that is caffeine, can aid in your metabolic process. But it is not the only active substance that boosts your metabolic rate. Some of the other compounds in coffee such as Theobromine, Theophylline, and Chlorogenic Acid can positively affect metabolism. Research has proved that caffeine can enhance your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) to 3-11%.

✔ Drinking coffee burns fat: This is one of the major reasons behind caffeine being a crucial component in weight loss pills and supplements. According to a recent study, the findings depicted that drinking coffee can help in fat reduction by 4%. Caffeine has a significant role in releasing adrenaline, which is a hormone that can aid in the process of fat mobilization. This, in turn, will help you to burn more fat than normal.

✔ It can burn calories: Coffee can activate the process of thermogenesis, through which the body produces heat. When heat is increased in your body, it affects the calorie burn positively.

✔ Caffeine can energize you: Well, this is one of the evident benefits of drinking coffee. Studies have shown that caffeine can burn fat and thereby boost your energy levels. This is because caffeine can stimulate your nervous system which in turn will aid in fat loss and curb your fatigue and hunger.

✔ Coffee contains antioxidants: Antioxidants play a crucial role in fighting against the free radicals in your body. These free radicals can damage your DNA and cause oxidative stress and aging. Some of the antioxidants in coffee such as hydrocinnamic acid and polyphenols can reduce the risk of many diseases like Diabetes and heart disease.

✔ Caffeine can curb your hunger: One of the crucial components in coffee is chlorogenic Acid. Many studies have shown that chlorogenic acid can help you to reduce your cravings and appetite. The higher the chlorogenic acid content in your body, the lower your blood sugar levels will be. This will lead to effective weight loss and a loss of appetite.

✔ Drinking coffee can decrease water retention: When water is stored inside your body, it can cause a bloated feeling for you. Studies show that an increased level of water retention can resist your ability to lose weight. While caffeine cannot be retained by your body, drinking coffee can make you urinate often. This will fight against water retention and thereby weight loss.

Coffee And Weight Gain

Usually, a cup of coffee or two can’t do any harm to your body. But when the amount of coffee is increased and it is mixed with a lot of sugar and cream, you can expect some serious weight gain issues. Check out the list below to know about some of the ways your coffee is adding up to your weight

How Coffee Is Adding Up To Your Weight?

❌ Coffee with a lot of sugar: Sugar can harm your health. When you add sugar and other sweeteners to your coffee, you are making it an unhealthy drink. Studies show that too much sugar can increase your weight and create a risk factor for diseases like heart attacks. It can also cause exceeding levels of blood pressure, diabetes, and fatty liver disease.

❌ Drinking coffee as an alternative to the main course meal: Now, this can cause some serious issues. Replacing a high-protein breakfast with a cup of coffee can increase your fat content and cause you to gain weight. Your body will lack the nutrients that are needed for a healthy metabolism.

Also read: Best Healthy Breakfast Recipes For Obese People

❌ Coffee with whipped cream: Whipped cream is just another added sugar content that can do serious harm to your body. It doesn’t contain any nutrients. So drinking coffee with whipped cream can do badly for your health instead of good.

❌ Drink more coffee than water: Studies show that drinking more than 4 cups of coffee a day can have serious health hazards to your body. It can cause side effects such as severe headaches and abnormal heartbeat. Drinking an excessive amount of coffee can add to your weight instead of helping you to lose it.

❌ Coffee with too much milk: If you are trying to lose weight, it is better to drink black coffee. If you drink coffee with too much milk, it can add to your calories and hinder your weight loss goals. Drinking black coffee can enhance your metabolism and improve your energy levels without adding weight.

Ways to Drink Coffee without Gaining Weight

There have been conflicting opinions regarding whether drinking coffee can benefit you or not. There are several methods that you can practice to have a healthy coffee-drinking habit. By following these strategies, you can drink coffee without gaining weight. Want to know how? Check out the points below:

Drink coffee when you feel cravings: Drinking a cup of coffee when you have those cravings can reduce the intensity and make you feel full. Try drinking decaf coffee as this is coffee that has 97% caffeine removed. Through this, you can lose weight.

Read the labels before purchasing: Caffeine-based products can come in delicious forms. So it is better to read the labels before blindly purchasing them as these might contain some huge amount of calories in the form of sugar and milk-based products.

Remove the sugar and cream: One cup of coffee only contains 2 calories. But when you add milk and sugar to it, the calories can spike up. You can add skimmed milk and sugar-free sweeteners for extra taste. Avoid all sorts of whipped cream and butter in coffee.

Don’t exceed the limits: Drinking coffee sensibly can help you to lose weight. You can drink 1-2 cups of coffee daily. But more than 4 cups can cause weight gain and other issues.

Drink decaf: Decaf or half-caf are coffee beans that are removed from caffeine content for 97%. You can safely drink these decaf many times a day as they won’t add calories. Instead, they can help you lose weight.

Easy and Healthy Coffee Recipes for Weight Loss

There are ways to make your daily coffee tasty and healthy at the same time. You don’t need to drink black coffee to lose weight. Some other means of making coffee can also help in weight loss. Check out some of the easy and healthy coffee recipes here:

>> Bulletproof Coffee

Bulletproof coffee is a keto coffee that is effective for weight loss. To make bulletproof coffee, first, you need to brew coffee using water and coffee powder. Put this in a blender and add butter and coconut oil. Blend thoroughly for 30 seconds. Serve in a cup.

>> Paleo Iced Coffee Shake

This is an ideal way to get your protein from a coffee drink. You have to take a blender first. Add protein powder, espresso coffee, cashew milk, and the date and blend thoroughly. Add ice cubes and repeat the process. Paleo Iced Coffee Shake is ready to serve.

>> Cold Brew

Grind your beans using a coffee grinder and make a coarse grind. Add these to water using a measuring cup. Stir until it is mixed properly. Using a coffee filter, strain the coffee. You can use ice to chill the coffee.

>> Wake me up Coffee Smoothie

This is a healthy alternative to your normal milk coffee. All you need is some chilled coffee, ripe banana, oats, milk, and nut butter. Mix all these using a blender. Wake me up Coffee Smoothie is ready to serve.

>> Cashew coffee

Blend brewed coffee, cashew pieces, vanilla extract, salt, and honey. Blend thoroughly. Serve in a cup.

Conclusion

On going through the points mentioned above, you can understand that drinking coffee healthily can have many benefits for your body. It has proven benefits in aiding in weight loss and boosting your metabolism. Caffeine, as researchers have proved, has the potential to initiate thermogenesis in the human body through which a great amount of heat will be produced. This will kickstart your metabolism and thereby convert your body literally into a fat-burning furnace. But on the other hand, drinking coffee limitlessly can have negative sides.

Studies have shown that excessive caffeine in your body can reduce the metabolic rate and thereby activate fat accumulation. So it is necessary to have a healthy method to drink coffee, otherwise, it can cause you to gain weight. By limiting sugar and milk in coffee, one can drink it to harness better results for the body. Also drinking one or two cups daily can do good more than bad. By taking appropriate measures, you can cultivate the habit of drinking coffee healthily. So, in a conclusion, one can say that there are no inherent downsides to drinking coffee. But, to harness healthy results one should keep it within a limit and should choose the ingredients wisely.