One Cup a Day Keeps the Fat Away: 4 Reasons Why Coffee Can Be a Powerful Weight Loss Elixir (If You Drink it Right)

Most people think coffee is bad for you.

After all, anything that’s addictive can’t possibly be good for you, right?

Not so fast…

Just because caffeine is addictive doesn’t mean that coffee is bad for you.

In fact, there are lots of ways coffee can support a healthy lifestyle, including to help you lose weight. And after reviewing the evidence, we think coffee might just be the most powerful weight loss elixir on the planet!

But only if you drink it the right way. More on that in a moment…

First, let’s review the 4 reasons why coffee is the bee’s knees for shedding pounds.

Reason #1: Coffee stimulates “good” fat

When you hear “good” fat, you might think of butter or coconut oil.

That’s not what I’m talking about.

Instead, I’m referring to brown fat — one of the two types of fat found in humans. Unlike white fat, which comes from storing excess calories, brown fat actually helps you BURN fat.

It does this by burning calories to generate body heat.

And studies have shown that lean people have more brown fat, while obese people have less brown fat. 

Which makes sense, right?

It’s one of the reasons scientists suspect some people can easily stay lean while others can’t help but gain weight no matter what they do.

Well, in a recent study at the University of Nottingham, researchers found one cup of coffee was enough to stimulate the body’s brown fat reserves, leading to more calories burned! 

As you’ll see, this is just one of the ways coffee can help you expend more energy.

Reason #2: Coffee boosts your metabolism

Coffee can also help increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is a measure of how many calories your body burns at rest.

But that’s not the only way coffee can boost metabolism, either…

Coffee also directly increases your fat oxidation, meaning it forces your body to break down and metabolize more stored fat for fuel.

One study of men and women over 70 found that drinking one cup of coffee before an hour-long cycling workout led to a major increase fat oxidation.

So, if you’re looking to squeeze a little more out of your workouts, carve out some time to have a cup of Joe before you head out.

Reason #3: Coffee gives you more endurance

Because caffeine is a stimulant, it comes as no surprise that coffee also gives you more endurance.

That means you can push yourself harder and for longer when you exercise.

And the best part?

This added endurance seems to kick in no matter what type of exercise you do! It’s been observed in clinical studies with test subjects performing aerobic exercise (like jogging), anaerobic exercise (like high intensity intervals, or H.I.I.T) and even strength training.

Bottom line is, coffee can help you get the most out of your workouts in more ways than one.

Reason #4: Coffee can increase testosterone

The most surprising benefit of drinking coffee?

It can increase your testosterone levels by up to 12%!

And whether you’re a man or a woman, testosterone is important for burning fat and maintaining muscle mass. Especially as you age.

So there you have it…

4 reasons why coffee might just be the most effective weight loss elixir on the planet.

But not all coffee is made equal.

And if you’re drinking coffee the WRONG way, you’re missing out on all of its fat-burning benefits.

So let’s talk about…

The Right Way to Drink Coffee for Weight Loss

Take a look around at your local coffee shop, and you’ll see all kinds of fancy coffee drinks.

The only problem?

Most of them are loaded with so much fat and sugar that they’re more like a milkshake than a coffee!

Take a look at the Starbucks menu, for example, and you’ll see some options, like the Cinnamon Dolce and Cocoa Cloud Macchiato, have almost 50 grams of carbs in them:

That’s like having two pieces of buttered toast — except in liquid form!

So, are these drinks tasty?

You bet.

But none of the benefits listed above apply to drinks like these. The sheer amount of fat and sugar in them will quickly override any of coffee’s natural weight loss benefits.

So, here’s the trick:

In order to take advantage of coffee’s full fat-burning power…

Avoid adding milk, sugar, or cream to your coffee.

Instead, take it black with a calorie-free sweetener. 

It may take a little while to get used to it, but once you do, you can rest easy knowing that cup of Joe is actively helping you keep the weight off. 

Plus, you might find you can enjoy a steaming hot cup of coffee even more once you can actually taste the blend!

One last tip…

Buy organic coffee whenever possible This ensures you avoid any GMOs and pesticides, which is always a good idea when it comes to optimizing your health.

Now, we want to know where YOU stand.

Will you keep taking your coffee with milk and sugar? Or did this article change your mind?

Comment below and let us know what you think!

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References

1. Mapping of human brown adipose tissue in lean and obese young men https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5559032/

2. Could coffee be the secret to fighting obesity? https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190624111622.htm

3. Caffeine: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of its thermogenic, metabolic, and cardiovascular effects in healthy volunteers. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2333832

4. Metabolic Effects Of Caffeine Ingestion And Physical Work In 75-year Old Citizens. A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Cross-over Study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16886964

5. Caffeine https://examine.com/supplements/caffeine/
6. Caffeinated Chewing Gum Increases Repeated Sprint Performance And Augments Increases In Testosterone In Competitive Cyclists. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20737165