Can Drinking Coffee Help You Lose Weight?

latte in a pink cup

Can Drinking Coffee Help You Lose Weight?

‘But first, coffee.’ Many of turn to a cup of coffee to kickstart our day, but if you’re trying to lose weight, is it a help or a hindrance? There has been research suggesting that caffeine can be beneficial to weight loss, but on the other hand, some types of coffee could seriously hamper your fat loss efforts. So can coffee help you lose weight? Read our guide to some of the questions we’re most commonly asked around coffee and weight loss.

SHOULD YOU DRINK COFFEE TO LOSE WEIGHT?

Firstly, it’s important to remember that there is a big difference between high quality black coffee, and sugar and calorie laden coffee shop coffees. Of course, the type of coffee you consume will impact how it affects your weight. The effects of coffee can also vary among individuals, so it is important to consider your state of health and your own personal response to coffee. In this article we’ll explore how coffee can impact weight loss and health.

Working with a qualified nutritionist can help you establish a comprehensive approach to losing weight and maintaining your ideal weight. Arrange your complimentary call with our team today to find out how we can help you to overcome your weight challenges, achieve your desired weight and maintain it long term. 

IS THERE ANY RESEARCH INTO THE IMPACT OF CAFFEINE ON WEIGHT LOSS?

Research indicates that consuming caffeine, found in coffee, may have a positive impact on weight loss. Studies suggest that caffeine can promote a reduction in weight, BMI, and body fat, potentially aiding in managing weight and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Caffeine intake is associated with thermogenesis and fat oxidation, contributing to weight loss. Caffeine’s stimulant properties have been shown to enhance physical endurance which can help boost your exercise performance, promoting muscle growth and calorie burning.

CAN COFFEE BE GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH?

Research has shown that coffee consumption can help reduce the risk of certain diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and certain cancers. As mentioned earlier, drinking coffee before a workout can help you put more effort into your training and is a well known pre workout supplement. Consistent commitment to physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your health and longevity. A new study examined the association between daily sitting time, coffee consumption, and mortality risk among US adults. It found that prolonged sitting increased mortality risk, while coffee consumption reduced it, especially among sedentary individuals.

WHEN SHOULD YOU DRINK COFFEE IF YOU’RE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT?

Timing wise, drinking coffee earlier in the day is a good idea. Consuming it too late in the day means that the caffeine can negatively impact on your sleep. Both sleep quality and quantity is a key factor in successful weight loss. Too little quality sleep can negatively impact the hormones that regulate your appetite and satiety, causing you to feel hungrier and less satisfied from the food you do eat. So make sure that your coffee consumption isn’t negatively affecting your sleep and driving up your hunger levels. Read our guide to sleep and weight loss here.

ARE TAKEAWAY COFFEES BAD FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

The answer to this question depends very much on what you’re ordering. Takeaway coffees are a popular treat, but people often underestimate the calories and sugar content of what they’re drinking. Many sweetened takeaway coffees contain as much sugar as a dessert, so they should be saved as a rare treat rather than as part of your everyday routine. As an example, a regular cup of black coffee contains around five calories and no sugar. A Starbucks Toffee Nut Latte with oat milk typically contains 415 to 433 calories per serving, along with the equivalent of several teaspoons of sugar. Regularly consuming high calorie, high sugar takeaway coffees has the potential to hamper your weight loss progress and are best avoided.

IS DRINKING TOO MUCH COFFEE BAD FOR YOU?

The extent to which caffeine impacts your health can vary from one person to the next. For example, if somebody is experiencing chronic stress and has elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, caffeine will push cortisol up further and exacerbate the issue. Caffeine can worsen anxiety and negatively impact sleep. Having too much coffee can cause unpleasant side effects like digestive issues and increased heart rate. The key is to notice how caffeine affects you personally.

If you’re curious to explore the extent to which coffee might negatively impacting your sleep or anxiety, try taking a few days away from all caffeinated beverages and observing the difference it makes.

IS IT HARD TO GIVE UP COFFEE?

Some people can experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms if they’ve been drinking a lot prior to quitting. Symptoms can include headaches, tiredness, reduced energy and alertness, difficulty concentrating and irritability. If you’re experiencing withdrawal symptoms it’s a sign you’ve been consuming too much and have become dependent on it. Caffeine is a drug after all. If you have been over consuming caffeine then coming off it for a while, or at least cutting down, is a good idea. If you’re trying to cut out caffeine you can consider good quality herbal teas or hot water with a slice of lemon and / or ginger. 

WORK WITH US

We are a team of qualified nutritionists who specialise in weight loss. If you’re ready to overcome your weight challenges, achieve your goal weight and maintain it long term, we can help. You can use this link to book in for a complimentary call. This is an opportunity to talk through your challenges with a member of our team and decide together whether one of our Intelligent Weight Loss programmes is right for you. Or contact us to request a copy of our brochure and we will get back to you soon.

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LINDA ROBINSON

Linda is our Practice Coordinator, helping to keep the clinic running smoothly.

 

Originally from Texas, Linda completed her MBA at SDA Bocconi in Milan. Linda has worked as a Strategy Consultant across multiple industries globally in cities including Kyoto, Paris, Chicago and San Francisco. She developed an interest in nutrition whilst volunteering for an organisation that provides cooking and nutrition education to children and families.

Linda is now settled in London with her husband, two children, and her very bouncy, sociable dog.

SARAH LAW

Sarah has worked with hundreds of clients over the past decade to help them live in a healthy body that they feel confident in.


Sarah spent a large part of her teens and 20’s as a professional dancer battling with orthorexia and an unhealthy relationship with food and her body. This created a desire to understand the human body more so she could finally cut through the confusion and end the cycle of yoyo dieting. This fuelled her passion to help other women do the same.

 

Sarah specialises in supporting women who are struggling to lose weight due to underlying health issues. She’s helped many women manage their weight during and after the menopause, as well as clients with thyroid disease and immune system dysfunction. Sarah loves food and sharing healthy recipes with her clients. Her aim is to ensure that clients don’t feel deprived and instead, achieve their weight loss and health goals in a positive and sustainable way.

 

To enquire about working with Sarah, please contact us.

AILSA HICHENS

 

Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

To enquire about working with Ailsa, please contact us.

Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team and heading up the day-to-day running of our clinic.

 

Coming from a background in town planning, Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, continually ensuring we are delivering the very best service to our clients.


A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 where she lives with her husband, two children, and her rescue dog Skyy.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

To enquire about working with Stéphanie, please contact us.

INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

To enquire about working with Inna, please contact us.

ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

To enquire about working with Ania, please contact us.

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