How to Lose Weight with Coffee

Like many people, you’re probably looking to lose a few pounds as quickly as possible. Some people recommend coffee as a dietary supplement, but the role of coffee and caffeine in a weight loss plan is fiercely debated. Caffeine can help you lose a little weight or even prevent it from gaining back, but it can’t help you lose weight dramatically or maintain it permanently; However, you can lose weight if drinking coffee sensibly combined with a healthy diet and exercise. ^{[1] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Table of Contents

Drink coffee sensibly

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Drink a moderate amount of coffee. A little coffee will have long-term benefits. Coffee can temporarily curb cravings and keep calorie burning to a minimum. However, consuming too much coffee can increase stress levels and insomnia, both of which will make you eat more. Just 1-2 cups of pure coffee per day is enough to help you lose weight. In total, you should consume no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day. ^{[2] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source} This amount of caffeine is equivalent to 4 cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of coke, or 2 cans of “energy drinks.” ^{[3] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Remember that black coffee has the best effect on weight loss. A cup of black coffee has only 2 calories and no fat. ^{[4] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source} Drinks like soda and energy drinks can be high in calories and contain hidden sugars, which may not be good for weight loss.

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Take time to drink coffee. If you want to get the maximum benefit from drinking coffee for weight loss, you should consider drinking coffee at intervals throughout the day. Not only will this energize you at work or when exercising, but it can also curb cravings.

Stick to your daily coffee limit as closely as possible. For example, if it’s safe to drink four cups of coffee a day, you could drink one cup in the morning, one at noon, one in the mid-afternoon, and one with dinner. Adjust your schedule to what works best for you.

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Try half-caff (half decaffeinated coffee). If you want to drink more coffee, you can try switching to a coffee that is half regular coffee mixed with half decaffeinated coffee, often called half-caff. This type of coffee allows you to drink up to 8 cups a day and still be safe, and help you lose weight more effectively.

Be sure to read product labels carefully to make sure the coffee you drink has half the caffeine. The product label may also indicate how much caffeine is in a cup. Thus, you can drink as many cups of coffee as you like, as long as you do not exceed the limit of caffeine consumption per day.
Make your own half-caff by mixing half regular coffee and half decaffeinated coffee. Another tip is to drink half a cup of regular coffee with half a cup of hot water.
If you are using a Keurig coffee maker, you can simply leave the K-cup in the machine and brew it again with the same K-cup.

Take advantage of the benefits of coffee for the body

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Reduce cravings with a cup of coffee. One of the benefits of coffee is its appetite-suppressing effect. ^{[5] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to source} Try some coffee if you have an appetite or want to eat more with a meal. Coffee can help keep you cravings until mealtime, or get through a long meal.

Consider drinking decaf or half-caf if you don’t want to drink whole coffee or it’s close to bedtime. You should try to avoid caffeine within four to six hours of bedtime. Drinking coffee too close to bedtime can disrupt your sleep and regain weight. ^{[6] X Research Source}

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Increase water intake according to coffee. Despite acting as a diuretic, coffee does not cause dehydration. ^{[7] X Research Source} However, drinking water throughout the day along with coffee can help keep you fuller longer and reduce cravings. What’s more, this can help keep you from drinking too much coffee, disrupting your sleep. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Try to drink 3 liters of water a day for men, and 2.2 liters for women. ^{[9] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to a source} Water is an important component of the body, and feeling hungry can signal thirst rather than the need to eat. ^{[10] X Research Source}

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Sip coffee before exercising. Coffee can stimulate thermogenesis, which is the body’s way of generating heat and energy from the digestion of food. This can help burn an extra calorie. ^{[11] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to the source} When you combine coffee with exercise, you can help your body burn more fat and calories. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Get around 200 mg of caffeine from coffee for optimal results during exercise. This amount of coffee is equivalent to a medium-sized Americano or small coffee brewed at coffee shops like Starbucks.

Avoid the calorie trap in coffee

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Read the product label carefully. Specialty coffee products taste great, but they can also contain excess calories or fat and sugar that can cause you to gain weight back. Also, anything added to coffee like cream or sugar will increase the calories in the coffee. Carefully read the labels of any coffee products you want to buy to avoid ruining your weight loss plan. ^{[13] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Don’t forget that when you’re losing weight, every calorie counts, even in liquid form.

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Remove cream and sugar. A cup of coffee contains only about 2 calories. However, cream and sugar added to coffee can significantly increase the calorie count. If you can’t drink pure black coffee, use only skimmed milk and sugar-free sweeteners. ^{[14] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Note that each tablespoon of full-fat cream has 52 calories and a mixture of whole milk and cream (half-and-half) has 20 calories. They are also high in fat. One tablespoon of sugar has 49 calories. Adding 1 tablespoon of these ingredients equates to about 100 extra empty calories. If you usually add more, those calories will cause you to gain weight back.
Remove the butter if you normally put butter in your coffee (like butter coffee, also known as bulletproof coffee). One tablespoon of butter has 102 calories and nearly 12 grams of fat. Both can hinder weight loss. Try switching to skim milk or a more nutritious, non-sweet nut milk like coconut water for a richer flavor. ^{[15] X Research Source}
Make sure to use unsweetened cream and milk. Flavored milks often use sugar or other additives that contain empty calories. Read the nutrition information on the label to see how many calories are in a serving of the product. ^{[16] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}
Consider iced coffee if pure black coffee is too strong. Iced coffee usually has a milder taste. However, you need to make sure there are no sweeteners from sugar.
Add flavor to regular coffee. A little cinnamon, raw cocoa or honey can make your coffee sweeter and help you enjoy the taste of your cup more. ^{[17] X Research Source}

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Avoid specialty coffee drinks. Many coffee shops often offer coffees with particularly appealing flavors like pumpkin or mint. However, these drinks are similar to desserts with hundreds of calories and added fat. If you’re trying to lose weight, stick to plain brewed coffee and just stick to other tempting drinks to treat yourself to occasionally. ^{[18] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Read the nutritional information before purchasing specialty coffee products. If there is no nutritional information on the product, you can ask the store manager for a list of products and nutritional information on it.

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Find ways to reduce calorie intake. You can also indulge in a special coffee from time to time; However, if you really enjoy drinking this coffee and still want to avoid the calories, consider other alternatives to cut calories. ^{[19] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

Order the smallest glass with unsweetened syrup, skim milk and artificial sweeteners in place of the regular options. Ask the waiter not to add whipped cream on top of the coffee. This way you will be able to avoid many empty calories. ^{[20] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

Adopt a balanced diet

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Eat regular and nutritious meals. Diet plays an important role in weight loss. Three healthy and balanced meals a day can help you lose weight and burn fat. Whole foods high in vitamins and minerals, complex carbohydrates, and moderate amounts of fat can help you stay healthy and lose weight.

Cutting 500 to 1,000 calories per day out of your current calorie intake is the golden rule when it comes to calorie cutting. Don’t forget that you shouldn’t have less than 1,200 calories per day; otherwise, you will not see results (because your body will understand that you are hungry and will store energy and fat), and you will also suffer from not eating enough. If you want to know the exact number, the US National Institutes of Health has come up with a new tool that can help you determine exactly how many calories you need each day to lose weight. There are also many other websites where you can access this calculation, including http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/calculators/calories-required/ and https://www.supertracker.usda. gov/bwp/index.html.
Incorporate a variety of foods from the five food groups in meals and snacks. The five food groups include: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, and milk. Make sure to choose a wide variety of foods to absorb a variety of nutrients to promote health and help with weight loss. Healthy foods are usually high in fiber, so they also keep you full throughout the day. ^{[21] X Trusted Source USDA Center for Nutrition Ppicy and Promotion Go to Source}
Eat whole fresh fruits and vegetables like raspberries, blueberries, broccoli, and carrots. Eat whole grains from foods like whole-wheat pasta or bread, oatmeal, brown rice, or whole-grain flour. For protein, eat lean meats like pork or poultry, cooked beans, eggs, or peanut butter. Milk can be obtained from sources such as cheese, yogurt, cow’s milk and milk from nuts, even from ice cream.

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Stay away from “junk” foods. It may be delicious, but this type of food is a dieter’s most dangerous enemy. Unhealthy foods are often high in fat and calories, making it difficult to lose weight. ^{[22] X Research Resources ifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/how-to-eat-healthy/art-20046590}

Avoid starchy foods made from refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white pasta, white rice, and baked goods. Avoiding these foods or replacing them with whole grains can help keep you full and lose weight. ^{[23] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to source}
Read food labels to find “hidden” sugars. Look for words like corn syrup, sucrose (diameter), dextrose or maltose (malt), all of which are sugars. All words that end in “ose” are sugar.

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Change your diet slowly. Eating healthy is not a matter of a few weeks, but a lifetime. The right diet can help you lose weight and prevent weight gain. You may be excited about dieting, but making gradual changes can help keep you from falling back into bad habits.

Start with replacing processed or “junk” foods. For example, try eating brown rice with meals instead of white rice, eat more vegetables than rice. You can also eat popcorn or veggie bars instead of chips.
Allow yourself to “cheat” once a week or when you reach a goal. Cheat days can help you stop cravings and indulgence. ^{[24] X Research Sources}

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Up menu. Meal planning will help you not easily fall back into bad habits. ^{[25] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to the source} It also helps you make sure you’re getting enough calories and nutrients without going over your calorie intake for the day.

Plan three meals and two snacks a day. Vary the foods in the meals. For example, you could have a cup of yogurt with fresh berries, a slice of whole-wheat toast, and coffee with skim milk for breakfast. Make a salad with a variety of vegetables, grilled chicken and beans for lunch. The evening is a family meal with fish and a small plate of mixed vegetables and some steamed cauliflower. If you want dessert, eat some fresh fruit or unsweetened fruit ice cream.
If you plan to eat out, you should also include it on the menu. Check out a restaurant’s menu online or call ahead to see if they have something healthy to offer. Pick a few healthy items from the restaurant menu and put it on your menu. Remember to avoid buffets, bread baskets, sauces, and fried foods. Order an espresso for dessert, unless it’s too close to bedtime.

Physical activity

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Exercise regularly. Combining physical activity with coffee and a healthy diet can help you lose weight reasonably, about 0.5-1 kg per week. You can achieve your weight loss goals faster by engaging in physical activity 5-6 days a week. ^{[26] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Aim to exercise each week for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of high-intensity activity. The golden rule here is to try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day to lose weight. If you can’t do 30 minutes in a row, you can break it down into doable chunks. For example, you can practice twice, for 15 minutes each time.
Choose activities that you enjoy like walking, jogging, swimming or cycling. Remember that sports or other activities such as acrobatics or jumping rope may also count as weekly exercise.

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Exercise to increase muscle strength. Muscle burns more calories than fat cells, even at rest, so muscles will help you burn calories even while you sleep. Incorporating simple muscle strength exercises into your daily routine will help you lose weight faster. There are no specific guidelines for when to train your muscles, but you should try to work out at least 2 days a week. ^{[27] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Consider consulting a coach before starting to exercise. They can help you find muscle movements that are right for your needs and abilities.
Do exercises that work the whole body. For example, squats and lunges work the legs, abs, and upper body. ^{[28] X Research Source} Try wearing an exercise band if the weight seems too heavy.
Practicing yoga or Pilates regularly is another way to strengthen the body. You can take a yoga or Pilates class, follow a DVD, practice online, or go to the gym.

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Let your body rest. Like diet and exercise, rest is important to health. Not getting enough sleep can actually make you gain weight, because the body is more stressed. Getting less than 7 hours of sleep a night can reduce or counteract the effects of other healthy habits. ^{[29] X Research Sources}

Give yourself at least one day of complete rest each week. This will help the body build muscle and recover from exercise or stress. You can combine with “cheat day” in eating.
Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night and aim to get 8 to 9 hours of sleep. Take a 30-minute nap during the day if you feel tired. ^{[30] X Research Source}

Advice

Combine coffee consumption with a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise for best results. If you try to rely on only one method to lose weight, you may find it difficult to achieve your goals, and even harm your health.

Warning

Coffee does not cause stomach ulcers, but can irritate existing ulcers.

Steps