Aah! Nothing like a good cup of warm coffee on a sleepy morning when you are struggling to keep your eyes open. For many that first cup of coffee will signal their brain that the day has begun, and there is no more time to sleep. That first cup will be followed by many more cups during the day, as staying alert and staying awake starts to become a great battle. So for many of us coffee is like a drug that helps to keep us alert, awake and get work done in a day. Besides this does that cup of coffee offer any other benefit? According to some it does, it is said that coffee can actually help you to lose weight and get slimmer. So is it really true or just a myth?
First of all a high sugar cup of coffee will NOT help in fat loss in anyway, infact the sugar will probably add to your body fat. Secondly do not expect that a daily 3000 calorie intake of junk like ice cream, donuts, fried food, etc can be negated by a few cups of coffee. Yes, even 20 cups of coffee a day will not help in fat loss if you overeat during the day. But what about someone who is eating well, and exercising too?
First here are 2 reasons why drinking coffee might help:
- It can act as a mild appetite suppressant- for some people drinking coffee can help keep huger at bay for some period of time after drinking it
- Water loss- for some people caffeine can act as a diuretic. This means that it can help to reduce the amount of water weight by increasing urine amount. However this is not a permanent weight loss
Here are 2 reasons how coffee can harm you:
- Can increase stress levels- caffeine can cause insomnia, increased adrenaline production. This may mean that you end up eating more as you feel stressed out, thus leading to weight gain
- Can add calories- many of us are used to drinking coffee with milk and added sugar. While milk is not so much of an issue, the added sugar is! Some make the coffee with TOO much sugar, and all this can actually lead to weight gain
In the end I will have to say that there is no evidence to show that drinking a lot of coffee makes any significant change in a person’s weight. Sure, if something like 0.45 pounds in 4 months is enough, then its works great, however real, significant and measurable changes in bodyweight directly due to an increased coffee intake have never been proven. A simple example can be that of those who work in the corporate world. Often for those in the corporate world, coffee seems to be a great source of survival. Some are known to drink 15 or more cups, every single day. So are those in the corporate world fitter and slimmer than athletes, I don’t think so.
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| Do all corporate coffee addicts look slim? |
In the end I will conclude by saying that if you want to lose weight, then focus on regular exercise, good diet, and keeping stress levels low. As far as coffee is concerned, a cup or two in the morning is ok, but don’t overdo it. Too much coffee in the long run has been seen to increase stress levels, blood pressure, and cause other health problems. A limited consumption on the other hand can offer some benefits, but significantly increased weight loss is not one of them.
