There is an ongoing debate about whether or not coffee can help you lose weight. Some believe there are no benefits to a cup or five of java each day while others swear by their daily routine of drinking coffee before their workouts. The debate about coffee is an old one. In fact, in a 1920’s ad campaign meant to promote coffee it was declared, “We outgrow our old foolish fears-Who now is afraid of Coffee. Coffee is the Indispensable Drink”.
The evils that once surrounded coffee, like the belief it causes heart disease and other ailments, have pretty much been updated to reveal that drinking coffee is relatively safe. However, will it help you lose weight?
There are a few studies which indicate the caffeine found in coffee and tea could enhance efforts to lose weight or at a minimum prevent additional weight gain. Some would argue this may be the result of other lifestyle choices made by those that drink coffee.
For example, many weight lifters will drink coffee before a workout as a way to enhance the workout and avoid muscle fatigue. With a more efficient session at the gym, and less muscle soreness, there is a better chance that their strength training habit will continue. With this type of healthy habit, you will lose weight.
There has also been research to suggest that caffeine may suppress your appetite for a short period of time. Enjoying a hot cup of coffee, “The sovereign drink of pleasure and of health” could allow you to delay indulgence in a snack or meal with more calories. The warning with this, however, is to avoid filling up your coffee with loads of sugar or fat laden products such as creamers and whipped cream. This combination serves to pack on many more additional calories, the bad kind.
Coffee with caffeine also acts as a diuretic which causes an increase in the amount of urine released from your body. This could result in a temporary reduction to your water weight. It could also be argued that those extra trips to the restroom are an opportunity to get up, stretch, and get in a good brisk walk. These sudden bursts of energy could aid in your efforts to lose weight! Why not take the long way to the restroom and get some added benefits from coffee not discussed in the medical reports?
Some concerns with the coffee and weight loss connection suggest that drinking coffee interferes with your digestive system. When this important system is off balance it makes your entire outlook on the day suffer, which could negatively affect your eating and exercise routines. It’s been suggested that if you start your day with a cup of coffee rather than a piece of fruit or vegetable juice, the normal cleansing that occurs in your system is stunted. In other studies coffee is shown to aid the liver, your body’s filter.
But not everyone’s body reacts the same way to coffee. If you find that you feel uncomfortable early in the day and have the habit of starting the day with a cup of coffee, then you may try starting your day with a glass of water first. This will not only hydrate your body after it’s nightly snooze session, it can aid in relieving some of the coffee-related digestive problems.
The final conclusion about the effectiveness of drinking coffee and your ability to lose weight remains unclear. It’s probably most accurate to know that every body is different. You must stay in tuned to how your body reacts to different habits and foods. There are benefits to drinking coffee and the concerns about health risks have now been better researched. There is little risk in that morning cup of coffee; however, if you want to lose weight you may need to skip on the muffin or bagel that usually accompanies it.
