When you're dieting to for weight loss, what you drink can have a significant effect on the success of your efforts. Calorie-laden beverages like full-fat milkshakes, sweetened latte drinks made with milk or soy, or sugared soda and pop increase your daily calorie intake. When your intake is equal or greater than your daily calorie burn, you are unlikely to lose weight. Black coffee is a virtually fat-free and calorie-free beverage which can play a part in weight loss efforts. Consult your doctor before making any significant changes to your diet.
Caffeine as Appetite Suppressant
According to an article by nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky, writing for the MayoClinic.com website,some studies indicate that the caffeine in black coffee may act as a temporary appetite suppressant, reducing your desire to eat food. However, any appetite-suppressing effect is short-lived, and for some people caffeine may have the opposite effect, working to stimulate your appetite.
Metabolism and Calories
Caffeine is believed to give a temporary boost to your metabolism, according to Zeratsky. In this case, your body will digest food to produce energy and heat a little faster than usual. This process is known as thermogenesis. Caffeine may also stimulate physical activity, which burns additional calories. If you find that caffeine makes you feel more awake and lively, you may burn extra calories through both thermogenesis and increased physical movement. However, the impact of caffeine on thermogenesis differs from person to person, and has not yet been proven in clinical trials with human subjects.
Diuretic Effect
For some individuals, the caffeine present in black coffee acts as a diuretic. This means that the caffeine provokes a greater excretion of water from your body, in the form of urine. Therefore, black coffee could prompt weight loss through the loss of water from your body. However, this type of weight loss is not typically permanent, as you have not lost any body fat. Additionally, you may be left feeling dehydrated.
Considerations
Decaffeinated black coffee will not have the same potential weight-loss effects as black coffee with caffeine. Decaffeinated coffee will not typically stimulate thermogenesis or suppress appetite. However, all kinds of black coffee can fulfill a useful function when you are dieting for weight loss -- they fill up your stomach without contributing any significant number of calories or other nutrients to your daily total. By substituting black coffee for one or more calorie-laden beverages daily, you could significantly lower your overall calorie intake.
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