Caffeine and Weight Loss

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.

Goal weight

starting _{^{weight 108kgs 28.02.06}}

1 year on TF 28.02.07 weight 69.7
maintenance program 1.09 07 = 70
restart 10.02.08 NO more bloody excuses tour weight = 81.5
2 years ..... lost 300 = 79.1

I have not suffered from caffeine withdrawls, and actually found it quite helpfulto eb restricted to 3 cups per day, it has helped me keep track of how much I dirnk!

Since I started TF i have noticed i used to drink more than 5 cups on some days.. yikes! no wonder my body seems to love drinking all this water - i used to be constantly dehydrated!

Good luck kicking the caffeine habit everyone!

Jette

________________

I'm a loser.. and proud of it!

End of week 2:

I've given up Coffee & Tea a few months back due to anxiety. I've been drinking Hot Chocolate instead - is light hot chocolate with a splash of skim milk allowed? I only have 1 a day.



I'm stronger than I think, prettier than I feel and better than those who judge me. Anella, 2007

I'm Anella. I like punk music, making people laugh and designing cute jewellery made from random things like lego & scrabble pieces...

Do you know if we are technically allowed to have soy milk? Just curious. In a cup of tea I'm not drinking much of it. But was wondering if they would allow it instead of water in the shake or one part soy milk the rest water? Just curious on the rules. Or what people have experienced? Not everything is covered in the book.

Ultimate Goal

Waist Goal





				 
					
				
				

I'm Anella. I like punk music, making people laugh and designing cute jewellery made from random things like lego & scrabble pieces...

I am missing my tea more than the food

I am a big tea drinker - usually average 10/15 in summer and 20+ in winter.

At night i can make cup after cup. I drink so much my mother bought me an urn for xmas 2 yrs ago cos i was complaining about having to wait for the kettle to boil

So i have gotten down to 3 cups a day - i have had two days where i had 1 extra cup. I am also using decaf tea and it's ok but i think tht little bit of caffine has a hold on me.

Still, down to 3 (4) isnt too bad i spose

before tf,  i had two or three normal coffee's a day which had three sugars in each!  now before bed each night i have one decaf coffee with some 'hermestas gold' sugar replacement.  i still get the feel of having a coffee but without the caffeine and now i am only having one.

i also have green tea if i feel like a hot drink, no sugar subs and no milk.  its also meant to be good for your kidneys, as my 7 yo drinks it for a congenital kidney problem she has and when she drinks it regularly she has no uti's, so...................

so if you don't like the taste of other sugar subs on the market like sugarine(i hate the acidic taste it has) hermestas gold is great, and when in your decaf tastes just like the real thing.

but going onto decaf has only one bad side affect, headaches.........

ok these are my weights first up my ultimate goal............

my mini goal..........i'm nearly there!!!!

my new mini goal for my eldest daughters birthday 7th april.........