Anybody have any ideas on this one? I know it makes you dehydrated, but if you have it black virtually calorie free, does it in fact slow down your weight loss? I've read a lot regarding this and have gotten different responses. I figured I would pick yall's brain and your experience.....thoughts?
Does caffeine hinder weight loss??
- Thread starter skyler1
- Start date
I found this:
Yes and no, caffeine may promote both weight loss or the opposite. Caffeine may give a boost to your metabolism, but as it's after-effect, it gives you an urge to "pig-out" at meal time or even in-between-meal snacks. So, gain or lose, it's up to discipline and self-control.
More input from FAQ Farmers:
Caffeine makes it harder to lose weight, according to Dr Thomas Yarnell.
"I have been an avid coffee drinker for ten years now. I recently asked a teacher of mine if coffee aids in raising the metabolism and therefore increasing weightloss. She answered back both yes and no. Caffeine does raise the heart rate and metabolism, however at the same time it dehydrates you. Being dehydrated slows down your metabolism. So I'd assume that caffeine would aid in weight loss as long as you're certain to keep yourself extra hydrated every day. I also read that drinking two cups of coffee before working out improves results. Hope I've helped some. "
"I find that whenever I drink coffee, I'm in the mood to eat a bar of chocolate or a few biscuits. It also leaves me feeling bloated and inactive. Coffee actually dehydrates you, and your body can mistake this for hunger. You should probably drink water if you want to lose weight. Aim for 8 glasses (two litres) a day. "
"Caffeine absolutely hinders weight loss for many reasons. It raises cortisol levels. It raises and drops blood sugar making you crave carbs. It actually makes you lethargic after the initial energy boost wears off, therefore making you less likely to exercise. It is also bad for you in many many other ways. "
"Actually, caffeine does raise metabolism. It also is not bad for you! Not at all! New studies {as of 2005} have shown that coffee can reduce your chances of certain cancers, diabetes and other illnesses and diseases. Though, you should always listen to mum's great advice "too much of anything isn't good." "
"I drink coffee with sugar and it don't make me crave fattening foods or pig out. It also doesn't stop me from working out. I drink lots of water though. I have been able to lose weight and probably would lose more if I quit drinking cofee (because of the sugar not because of the caffiene), but it has not made me gain wait. I also drink tea. I rarely ever drink anything else besides coffee, tea, and water. You really have to just watch what you eat. But if you are looking at calories, fat, sodium, and sugar, everything pretty much balances out. If it's low in one thing, it's high in another. Nothing is really healthy - not even those diet/health meals! "
"They say that caffeine does not help you to lose weight. And no one has ever proven that it makes a person *gain* weight, but in a book I read, it tells how even a little bit of caffeine blocks or causes your body to lose calcium (along with several other nutrients) at an alarming rate. Recent studies have shown that calcium (especially dairy calcium), is excellent at burning fat, by grabbing "stored" fat and converting it into energy. Is caffeine interfering with that process? I have a hunch that it does. I've been overweight for a good part of my life, but there were a few times I've managed to lose a lot of weight and slim down. Once was when I switched to tea, with a good amount of excercise- just one cup a day, which meant much less caffeine. Another time was when I started drinking only water and crystal lite instead of soda and coffee. I slimmed down rather fast then too. I think it mostly helps when you are already excercising. Then recently, two coworkers were discussing their weight. One used to be very thin, and was talking to another who is thin, but wanted to put on some weight. The first one said to the other, "If you want to gain weight- drink coffee." He couldn't explain why but he was certain it was true. This really made me think back on those times I had lost weight, and how I would gain it back over the winter when I would turn to coffee and tea to get warm or help out with sore throats and colds. It all makes me wonder now... "
"In response to the most recent answer, I too have had a strange coincidence occur from time to time in my life. I can say with certainty, "the only times I experienced great success in fat loss was when I wasn't drinking caffeinated beverages." It is a frustrating fact. I work out daily. 20 Minutes at level 12 on the elliptical and a 8.5 minute mile every day, and a full upper or lower body workout every 3rd day. It is clear that I am putting on upperbody muscle in my arms and chest, but in 3 months of working out, I have lost no more than 5 lbs. What about my diet? The only consistent element is 2 to 3 cups of coffee every day. I usually mix everything else up, eating at least 4 times/day, with an occasional splurge. I can't figure anything else to be the factor but coffee at this point. "
"I think that it helps to lose weight. If you feel like a big fat ass then take some caffeine! It will wake you up and get you going. It also helps get your fat ass off teh couch to exercise! I suggest taking caffeine pills because coffee stains your teeth. Who cares about being skinng with buttery yellows."
Yes and no, caffeine may promote both weight loss or the opposite. Caffeine may give a boost to your metabolism, but as it's after-effect, it gives you an urge to "pig-out" at meal time or even in-between-meal snacks. So, gain or lose, it's up to discipline and self-control.
More input from FAQ Farmers:
Caffeine makes it harder to lose weight, according to Dr Thomas Yarnell.
"I have been an avid coffee drinker for ten years now. I recently asked a teacher of mine if coffee aids in raising the metabolism and therefore increasing weightloss. She answered back both yes and no. Caffeine does raise the heart rate and metabolism, however at the same time it dehydrates you. Being dehydrated slows down your metabolism. So I'd assume that caffeine would aid in weight loss as long as you're certain to keep yourself extra hydrated every day. I also read that drinking two cups of coffee before working out improves results. Hope I've helped some. "
"I find that whenever I drink coffee, I'm in the mood to eat a bar of chocolate or a few biscuits. It also leaves me feeling bloated and inactive. Coffee actually dehydrates you, and your body can mistake this for hunger. You should probably drink water if you want to lose weight. Aim for 8 glasses (two litres) a day. "
"Caffeine absolutely hinders weight loss for many reasons. It raises cortisol levels. It raises and drops blood sugar making you crave carbs. It actually makes you lethargic after the initial energy boost wears off, therefore making you less likely to exercise. It is also bad for you in many many other ways. "
"Actually, caffeine does raise metabolism. It also is not bad for you! Not at all! New studies {as of 2005} have shown that coffee can reduce your chances of certain cancers, diabetes and other illnesses and diseases. Though, you should always listen to mum's great advice "too much of anything isn't good." "
"I drink coffee with sugar and it don't make me crave fattening foods or pig out. It also doesn't stop me from working out. I drink lots of water though. I have been able to lose weight and probably would lose more if I quit drinking cofee (because of the sugar not because of the caffiene), but it has not made me gain wait. I also drink tea. I rarely ever drink anything else besides coffee, tea, and water. You really have to just watch what you eat. But if you are looking at calories, fat, sodium, and sugar, everything pretty much balances out. If it's low in one thing, it's high in another. Nothing is really healthy - not even those diet/health meals! "
"They say that caffeine does not help you to lose weight. And no one has ever proven that it makes a person *gain* weight, but in a book I read, it tells how even a little bit of caffeine blocks or causes your body to lose calcium (along with several other nutrients) at an alarming rate. Recent studies have shown that calcium (especially dairy calcium), is excellent at burning fat, by grabbing "stored" fat and converting it into energy. Is caffeine interfering with that process? I have a hunch that it does. I've been overweight for a good part of my life, but there were a few times I've managed to lose a lot of weight and slim down. Once was when I switched to tea, with a good amount of excercise- just one cup a day, which meant much less caffeine. Another time was when I started drinking only water and crystal lite instead of soda and coffee. I slimmed down rather fast then too. I think it mostly helps when you are already excercising. Then recently, two coworkers were discussing their weight. One used to be very thin, and was talking to another who is thin, but wanted to put on some weight. The first one said to the other, "If you want to gain weight- drink coffee." He couldn't explain why but he was certain it was true. This really made me think back on those times I had lost weight, and how I would gain it back over the winter when I would turn to coffee and tea to get warm or help out with sore throats and colds. It all makes me wonder now... "
"In response to the most recent answer, I too have had a strange coincidence occur from time to time in my life. I can say with certainty, "the only times I experienced great success in fat loss was when I wasn't drinking caffeinated beverages." It is a frustrating fact. I work out daily. 20 Minutes at level 12 on the elliptical and a 8.5 minute mile every day, and a full upper or lower body workout every 3rd day. It is clear that I am putting on upperbody muscle in my arms and chest, but in 3 months of working out, I have lost no more than 5 lbs. What about my diet? The only consistent element is 2 to 3 cups of coffee every day. I usually mix everything else up, eating at least 4 times/day, with an occasional splurge. I can't figure anything else to be the factor but coffee at this point. "
"I think that it helps to lose weight. If you feel like a big fat ass then take some caffeine! It will wake you up and get you going. It also helps get your fat ass off teh couch to exercise! I suggest taking caffeine pills because coffee stains your teeth. Who cares about being skinng with buttery yellows."
Last edited:
Beagle1
New member
Heh, you should probably wrap each of those quotes, at the very least, it their own set of quotation marks, its confusing to read! 
In my personal experience, drinking anything with caffine leaves me feeling hungrier than I was before, but with a bit more energy. So really, it depends on what you do with it that matters. As far as I can tell, the caffine itself doesn't cause/hinder weightloss, its the effects it has that cause ourselves to cause/hinder weightloss.
In my personal experience, drinking anything with caffine leaves me feeling hungrier than I was before, but with a bit more energy. So really, it depends on what you do with it that matters. As far as I can tell, the caffine itself doesn't cause/hinder weightloss, its the effects it has that cause ourselves to cause/hinder weightloss.
houstontrainer
New member
Caffeine and Weight Loss
I personally have found that it's not the caffeine but the sugar that hinders weightloss. Here is an excerpt from an article I found.
I personally have found that it's not the caffeine but the sugar that hinders weightloss. Here is an excerpt from an article I found.
Is caffeine harmful to me?
Physiological effects of caffeine on the human body are fairly understood and well documented. The main physiological effect of caffeine appears to be as a stimulant of the central nervous system and most of the effects observed are behavioural in nature. Caffeine is associated with an increase in intellectual activity, but this seems to be significant only when the individual is fatigued or bored. Similarly, caffeine has been linked with sleeping problems and although there is evidence to support this, the variation from individual to individual is considerable.
Caffeine: can it be used to our advantage?
Caffeine speeds up our metabolism (it can be found as a main ingredient in most weight-loss products). It also increases the breakdown of fat, freeing fatty acids, which are used in energy production during exercise. Conversion of fat to energy is about 30% more efficient when caffeine is consumed prior to exercise.
Does this mean that caffeine burns fat? Not exactly. The caffeine-enhanced fat breakdown can only occur during exercise. While the fat is being burned, glycogen and glucose are being reserved, allowing blood sugar levels to remain higher for longer. Higher glucose levels ward off hunger. This is why coffee is popular among students and think tankers. The brain functions exclusively on glucose, and higher blood sugar levels facilitate thinking.
Physiological effects of caffeine on the human body are fairly understood and well documented. The main physiological effect of caffeine appears to be as a stimulant of the central nervous system and most of the effects observed are behavioural in nature. Caffeine is associated with an increase in intellectual activity, but this seems to be significant only when the individual is fatigued or bored. Similarly, caffeine has been linked with sleeping problems and although there is evidence to support this, the variation from individual to individual is considerable.
Caffeine: can it be used to our advantage?
Caffeine speeds up our metabolism (it can be found as a main ingredient in most weight-loss products). It also increases the breakdown of fat, freeing fatty acids, which are used in energy production during exercise. Conversion of fat to energy is about 30% more efficient when caffeine is consumed prior to exercise.
Does this mean that caffeine burns fat? Not exactly. The caffeine-enhanced fat breakdown can only occur during exercise. While the fat is being burned, glycogen and glucose are being reserved, allowing blood sugar levels to remain higher for longer. Higher glucose levels ward off hunger. This is why coffee is popular among students and think tankers. The brain functions exclusively on glucose, and higher blood sugar levels facilitate thinking.
~~Sunshine~~
New member
Well from personal experience My mom drank Diet Pepsi like crazy about 5 or more a day and lost 70 pds in a less than a year!
W
wonderwoman
Guest
i have mixed feelings about it but you sure cant argue with hard facts, can you? i have personally cut down my daily coffee consumption by several cups a day, but i cant say for sure if it has helped my loss or not. the less coffee i drink, the more i seem to eat! as for the exercise, it seems to remain the same no matter how much coffee i drink. yesterday i was just reading in a magazine that after a cup of coffee, your body's heart rate speed's up for FOUR hours after you drink it thus raising your metabolism during that time. so i'm not sure what "studies" i should go with!
zoila
New member
Hi, hope its not to late to reply to this one. Because I was having problems with my liver I was refered to a specialist, Now I dont drink coffee but live on the diet drinks. My husband was absoultly convinced this was the cause of my problems. So I asked my specialist he said the atifical sweetner wasnt the problem but the caffine that was in the drinks wouldnt help me to lose weight.
He said that caffine stimulates your (pancreas)insulin, sending your insulin levels high and in turn causeing you to crave sweets(chocolates) and fatty foods. I hope this information helps
He said that caffine stimulates your (pancreas)insulin, sending your insulin levels high and in turn causeing you to crave sweets(chocolates) and fatty foods. I hope this information helps