Can I drink coffee when trying to lose weight?
So you’ve decided to lose those extra pounds, but you’re wondering if you have to give up your favorite coffee drink to achieve your new goal. Actually it depends on what your favorite coffee drink is. If you have a taste for coffee loaded with heavy cream and tonnes of sugar then you certainly cannot drink it while trying to lose weight due to the high amount of calories it contains.
Alternatively, plain black coffee contains very little calories (only 2 calories in one cup) and this makes it an ideal beverage for weight loss. Drinking black coffee when trying to loss weight doesn’t only help you cut back your calorie intake, it also helps you eat less food by reducing hunger pangs and craving for food. This helps you control your appetite, eat less and ultimately lose weight.
So, should you drink coffee when trying to lose weight? Absolutely, but only black coffee. And this doesn’t mean you should drink it excessively because there are still the negative effects of caffeine to worry about.
How does caffeine affect weight loss?
Did you know that aside giving you an energy boost coffee can also help you maintain a healthy weight?
We all know caffeine as the major component of coffee and we’ve heard of the role it plays in stimulating the nervous system, increasing energy level and cognition, reducing risk of cardiovascular diseases, amongst these amazing benefits of caffeine is its ability to aid weight loss. Since coffee contains high amount of caffeine, drinking plain black coffee can help you maintain a healthy weight and this isn’t an assumption. Studies have shown that caffeine can help the body loss weight and keep fit, this is why caffeine is present in many weight loss supplements. Other ways in which caffeine promote weight loss include;
It breaks down fat: caffeine has the ability to break down fat cells. It does this by stimulating the nervous system to release a hormone called adrenaline, the presence of this hormone in the blood signals the fatty tissues to break down fat and release them into the bloodstream. Of course this action alone cannot make you loss weight because to actually loss weight, the fat in your blood has to be burnt off through exercise or other physical activities. Caffeine helps in breaking down fats so they can be burnt off faster, leading to weight loss.
It increases metabolism: an increase in the rate at which the body uses up food and water leads to a decrease in weight. Simply put, higher metabolism equals weight loss and caffeine has the ability to increase body metabolism. This can help you loss weight and maintain your new weight because you cannot gain weight if your body has a high metabolic rate.
It reduces appetite: studies have also shown that caffeine can help curb appetite, this is due to its ability to decrease the level of a hormone called ghrelin. This hormone is also called the ‘hunger hormone’ as it’s responsible for the feeling of hunger. Low level of ghrelin means no hunger pangs, and this can help reduce the amount of food you consume and that can aid weight loss.
It boosts energy level: a popular effect of coffee is increase in energy level and this is due to its large caffeine content. The caffeine in coffee raises the levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine which makes you energized and alert even when you should ordinarily feel tired. This way you stay active and burn off some fat. A good way to loss weight is to drink plain black coffee before an exercise session, this can help you exercise more and get better results.
Coffee can help you lose weight but this does not necessarily mean that your weight loss strategy should be consuming gallons of coffee everyday. It may surprise you to know that excess intake of caffeine through either coffee or other caffeinated beverages can annul its effect on weight loss because the body can become accustomed to these effects of caffeine and develop a tolerance for them.
Which coffee is best for weight loss?
Drinking coffee can help you lose weight, it can also make you gain weight. It all depends on the type of coffee you drink. A cup of black coffee or espresso contains almost zero calories, but what about when you add generous amounts of cream, sugar or syrup to sweeten your coffee drink. A cup of sweetened coffee drink can contain as much as 400 to 600 calories (especially those gotten from coffee shops).
Regular consumption of these very sweet coffee drinks will invariably lead to weight gain. Even your homemade coffee drink with natural and healthy sweeteners can over time lead to an increase in weight, especially if you lose sight of your total calorie intake. Shedding those excess pounds and generally maintaining a healthy weight will be a lot easier if you ditch sugary and high calorie beverages. Black coffee is a great substitute for sweetened coffee drinks and it’s the best kind of coffee for weight loss.
How many calories are in a serving size/portion of heavy cream?
As you may already know, heavy cream contains a generous amount of calories and in one cup of heavy cream you’ll find 821 calories. One serving size of heavy cream is one tablespoon of heavy cream and it contains about 51 calories. Other nutrients in heavy cream include; proteins (5g), carbohydrates (7g), sugar (7g), saturated fat (55g) and total fats (88g).
How many calories are in a serving size/portion of 1%, 2% and 3.5% milk?
Unlike heavy cream, milk contains much less calories, though the amount of calories still differ depending on the type of milk.
For 1% milk, a cup contains 102 calories, 8g of protein, 12g of carbohydrate, 13g of sugar, 2g of saturated fat and 2g of fat. A serving size of one tablespoon contains 6 calories.
For 2% milk, a cup contains 137 calories, 9.7g of protein, 13g of carbohydrate, 11g of sugar, 4.9g of total fat and 3g of saturated fat. A serving size of one tablespoon contains 8 calories.
In a cup of whole milk or 3.5% milk, there are 149 calories, 8g of protein, 12g of carbohydrate, 12g of sugar, 8g of total fat and 5g of saturated fat. A serving size of one tablespoon contains 9 calories.
What are the nutrients in milk?
Milk is a highly nutritious drink since it contains nearly all nutrients required in the body. The components of milk include; Calories, Water, Carbohydrate, Fat, Protein, Vitamins, Minerals, and Minor Biological Proteins & Enzymes.
The calories in milk come from its proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Milk is a good source of water as it contains approximately 88% water. Proteins and fats make up 3.3% and 3.4% respectively, carbohydrates make up 4.9% of milk and it’s found mainly as lactose. Milk contains a variety of vitamins (vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, D and K) minerals (calcium, copper, magnesium, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc) and other biological proteins and enzymes like lactase, lipases, lactogen and lactoperoxidase.
What are the nutrients in cream?
So you know cream contains lots of calories, but aside that, what other nutrients does it contain? If you’ve ever asked this question, you’ve got your answer right here.
Cream, the ivory colored component gotten from milk, is actually quite nutritious though the precise nutrient composition isn’t exactly the same for all cream types. The general nutrient composition of cream includes; fats, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, amino acids, vitamins A, B2, B5 and B12, phosphorus, calcium, lactose and moisture. The percentages and exact amount of these nutrients varies and largely depends on the type of cream.
Which drinks are best for weight loss?
Losing weight and maintaining a trim figure can be a challenge. And if this is something you’re struggling with, you can attest to the fact that dieting and exercising aren’t exactly cakewalk. Despite that, losing weight, eating right and maintaining a healthy weight can be easy and even fun if you enjoy the process. And you can learn to enjoy dieting when you consistently wash down your food with healthy beverages that don’t compromise on taste.
The good news is that there are many healthy beverages containing compounds that can increase body metabolism, reduce appetite and consequently lead to weight loss. And even better is that these exotic beverages thrill your taste buds while gradually helping you achieve your weight loss goal. Six of the best drinks for weight loss are discussed below ( in no particular order).
Green Tea: green tea is a healthy drink as it contains nutrients, antioxidants and other compounds with tonnes of health benefits. The major component of green tea which makes it an ideal beverage for weight loss is a compound called catechin. Catechins are antioxidants that increases the body’s metabolic rate while also aiding the body to rapidly burn fat. Green Tea also contains caffeine which aids in weight loss by breaking down fat and increasing energy levels. Another amazing component of green tea is an amino acid called L-theanine. This amino acid slows down the absorption of caffeine by the body, this prolongs the effects of caffeine like, longer and more stable energy boost. All these add up to the amazing ability of green tea to help you lose weight and maintain a healthy body size. Several studies have shown the tremendous ability of green tea to facilitate weight loss, especially the matcha green tea which contains very large amounts of catechins.
Black Coffee: this is one of the most popular beverages in the world and it’s well known for its energizing effect. Caffeine, the main component of coffee, is a substance that stimulates the nervous system to produce adrenaline which is responsible for the increase in energy levels and alertness. Several studies have also shown that caffeine has the ability to increase the body metabolism, break down fat cells and control appetite by reducing hunger pangs. All these effects of caffeine contribute to its reputation as a weight loss agent.
Ginger Tea: ginger tea may not be very popular but that doesn’t negate its effect in weight loss. When the roots of ginger plant is steeped in hot water or when ginger powder is dissolved in hot water, the resultant solution is ginger tea. This flavorful tea has proven to be effective in shedding extra pounds as it helps reduce appetite and burns fat faster. Ginger Tea is rich in vitamins and minerals which helps boost the immune system, aids digestion and increases calorie consumption. Studies show that drinking at least 2 grams of ginger tea with breakfast reduces the amount of food you’ll eat, this reduction in appetite promotes weight loss.
Black Tea: just like the beverages discussed above, black tea contains compounds that stimulate the breakdown of fat, curb appetite and promote weight lose. The compound responsible for these effects of black tea is called polyphenols. The polyphenols are flavonoids and studies have shown that high intake of flavonoids are effective for burning belly fat by promoting the growth of some rather harmless gut bacteria. They also facilitate the breakdown of fat which results in a decrease in body weight. Black tea is very rich in these fat burning flavonoids and drinking at least two cups a day can significantly reduce your belly and body fat.
Apple Cider Vinegar: another exotic drink that promotes weight loss is ACV. This acidic beverage is an effective weight loss agent due to its ability to decrease insulin levels. This is because it contains acetic acid. Research shows that acetic acid aids weight loss by increasing metabolism, decreasing insulin levels, reducing appetite and burning fat. An apple cider vinegar drink can be made by adding one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to an 8 ounce cup of water.
Protein drinks: drinks rich in protein are known to reduces appetite, curb hunger pangs and make you feel full for a long time. This feeling of fullness and lack of hunger pangs helps you go without food or the urge to binge on snacks for long hours, this triggers weight loss.. This effect of proteins is due to its ability to reduce the level of ghrelin, a hormone that drives appetite and at the same time it increases GLP-1, a hunger reducing hormone. To make a high protein drinks only requires that you add a tablespoon of protein powder to one of your favorite drinks and you have a high protein beverage.
