Can You Lose Weight By Drinking Coffee On An Empty Stomach?

Many people (especially women) are constantly on the go. They are always running from one appointment to meeting to something or the other. 

Many people are so busy; they barely have time to eat. And when they do find the time to eat, they often eat something quick and easy like a candy bar, a cookie, or a soft drink.

The problem with this kind of behaviour is that it causes you to gain weight and robs you of your energy. And the lack of energy will eventually catch up to you, and you’ll find yourself feeling exhausted, worn-out, and sluggish. It will then lead to more bad eating habits and more weight gain.

In this article, I will show you how drinking coffee on an empty stomach can help you lose weight, even if you are genetically predisposed to put on weight. It will work even if you are on a weight-loss diet, have a sedentary job, or have a sluggish metabolism.

If you want to start losing weight now, then read on…

Should You Drink Coffee on an Empty Stomach?

Coffee is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world.  It has about 100 active compounds, out of which caffeine is the most common. Caffeine is also found in tea, chocolate, soda, and painkillers.

People take caffeine to increase energy levels and to promote alertness after a hard day's work. Caffeine is also suitable for preventing headaches and for treating depression or irritability.

However, some people are coffee drinkers because it makes them feel more alert. They want the stimulatory effects of caffeine without the jitters. 

People who take caffeine to improve physical performance usually take it in smaller doses, while people who take it to lose weight tend to take more. Besides, it also decreases heart disease, cardiovascular disease and increases brain function. 

Does it cause digestive issues?

Research has shown that coffee’s bitter taste stimulates the production of gastric juices, which help break down foods for digestion. 

Many people think that drinking too much coffee makes them feel bad and worsens their gastrointestinal diseases like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Heartburn, ulcers, Nausea, etc.

Few of them suggest drinking a cup of joe on an empty stomach is harmful because there’s no other food present to prevent the acid from damaging your stomach lining.

Yet, these people tend to drink way too much coffee in the first place, thereby making them feel worse than when they were drinking less or nothing at all. Moreover, it is essential to pay attention to how your body reacts to coffee. 

If you notice that drinking it on an empty stomach makes you feel worse, know that your body is trying to tell you something.

Does it raise stress hormone levels?

A common counter argument says that having caffeine on an empty stomach may cause increased stress hormone cortisol levels.

Cortisol is a stress hormone released by the adrenal gland and is responsible for breaking down sugar and fat to release energy. On the other hand, cortisol is also known for breaking down muscles. 

For this reason, cortisol can make you feel tired and weak if it’s too high. But, on the other hand, it also causes weight gain if it remains high over time.

People are concerned about cortisol levels becoming "too low." Low levels mean you are more prone to stress, anxiety, and feeling fatigued. In addition, low levels cause you to gain weight because you don't have the energy required for daily activities.

When Is the Best Time to Drink Coffee?

Ideally, you should drink coffee about an hour after eating a meal. Drink it when your body is most receptive to it.

And when your body does not have anything in the stomach yet, it will increase your chances of gaining weight by making you feel hungry sooner than usual. 

Besides, you can also drink coffee at bedtime. Research shows that drinking coffee at bedtime may help with insomnia and lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Research has shown that carb-cycling for breakfast is a great way to lose weight. Carb cycling for breakfast involves eating a low-carb diet for five days and then switching to a high-carb diet for two days. 

It will help prevent your body from adapting to the low-carb diet as your blood sugar levels will be higher than usual.

When might this hurt your body?

Research has shown that coffee can make you lose weight if consumed at the right time.

The idea is simple. If you drink coffee early in the day, it will make you feel full for a more extended period, thus consuming fewer calories throughout the day. 

Besides, when you drink coffee early in the day, your cortisol levels are typically lower. 

Therefore, there is less fat burning happening throughout the body since food will need to be digested for energy before you use it. When you drink coffee at bedtime, it will help you fall asleep faster and give you better sleep quality.

6 Coffee Habits That Help With Weight Loss

Here are six coffee habits that will help you lose weight.

Skip the table sugar

A lot of coffee drinkers believe that drinking coffee with sugar will help them lose weight. But the truth is, it’s not.

Instead of drinking your coffee with sugar, drink it black instead. This way, you are reducing your calorie intake without even realising it.

Drink your coffee black

The truth is, you don’t have to drink the coffee black. Instead, you can add other ingredients to it, like creamer or honey. Add a scoop of collagen peptides to your coffee.

Collagen peptides are a great way to increase your metabolism. It is because they contain amino acids that the body quickly absorbs into its system. 

In addition to helping you lose weight, they will also help you gain muscle mass, improve your skin quality and give you a healthy glow.

Don’t use coffee as a meal replacement.

You might be thinking: “If I drink coffee, I won’t have to eat anything at all.” But this is untrue.

When you drink coffee as a meal replacement, you will likely start feeling hungry after two hours. Besides, it can also give you "hangry" feelings later on in the day, which can cause you to snack.

On the other hand, if you consume a balanced breakfast and lunch throughout the day, this combination will help prevent your body from storing fat.

Instead of consuming coffee as a meal replacement, drink it as a snack instead.

Opt for half-caff or caffeine-free coffee in the afternoon

It is why you should opt for half-caff or caffeine-free coffee in the afternoon.

The problem with this kind of coffee is that it gives you a stimulant feeling which can make you feel agitated and jittery.

In addition, it can be bad for your health since it will affect your cognitive performance the following day, especially if you are trying to lose weight.

Get enough sleep

If you want to lose weight, most people will tell you to get enough sleep.

Sleeping helps the body recover from the stress it experiences during the day and is even necessary for your body to function.

For your body to function optimally, you need 4-6 hours of sleep each night. If you put in many hours during the day, then this might be a challenge for you.

If this is the case, you should consider using a sleep tracker to help you fall asleep and wake up at the right time every day.

What Happens To Your Body When You Drink Coffee?

It might make you live longer.

A study conducted on over 100,000 individuals who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study showed that women who consumed three or more cups of coffee per day were 40% less likely to die over 40 years than those who drank no coffee.

Caffeine is an ingredient in most weight loss supplements. A lot of people believe that drinking caffeine will speed up their metabolism and make it work better. But the truth is, it doesn't affect your BMR (basal metabolic rate) at all.

This study was conducted on male and female mice, and the researchers found that caffeine prevented the mice from losing weight.

It is excellent news for those who want to lose weight, and it is explained by the fact that caffeine increases the production of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in your tissues.

It can give you a better vision.

Those who drink coffee are less likely to develop eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration. It is because coffee contains anti-inflammatory agents which prevent the development of these diseases.

Attention, men! Coffee perks you up

Caffeine is a stimulant used in most weight loss supplements because it boosts your metabolism and energy levels.

Caffeine works by affecting the production of Adenosine which helps to promote sleep. When you drink coffee, the caffeine eliminates Adenosine from your system, thus preventing you from feeling sleepy throughout the day. In addition to this, coffee stimulates the production of L-DOPA in your system.

Coffee can exacerbate heartburn.

When you suffer from heartburn, it is essential to know that coffee can worsen this condition. Drinking caffeine can cause spasms in your oesophagus, which might result in heartburn.

Furthermore, caffeine might interfere with the production of stomach acid, which makes it difficult for your body to break down food properly.

Too much coffee could cause you to store more fat.

Caffeine is a diuretic, and it can encourage the production of cortisol. When your body releases cortisol, you might experience muscle loss because it breaks down muscle tissues to use as energy.

Coffee can reduce anxiety.

Caffeine is a stimulant that has the effect of reducing anxiety. It means that if you are someone who feels anxious, drinking coffee can make you less stressed.

It will speed up your metabolism.

According to studies, women who drink coffee might have a higher metabolism than those who don’t. It can be because caffeine can increase your BMR (basal metabolic rate), and it takes longer to digest the calories ingested during this process.

A little coffee may slow your heart rate.

A study has shown that consuming caffeine can slow your heart rate by 5 to 10 beats per minute. It is because it helps your body release other stimulants like adrenaline.

It can also reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Studies have shown that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing many types of cancer, even liver cancer.

It might be because the antioxidants in coffee prevent cell mutation and protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals.

It can improve your brain function.

People who don’t drink coffee may have difficulty concentrating because the lack of caffeine in their system can cause them to become very tired.

Studies have shown that people who don't use caffeine may experience slower thinking and cognitive decline. 

However, caffeine has also been found to increase alertness which protects against age-related memory loss.

It affects blood pressure.

Drinking coffee can help lower your blood pressure since it is known to increase your heart rate by 20 to 30 beats per minute. 

However, if you have high blood pressure, drinking coffee can make it even worse by causing your heart rate to increase.

It contains a chemical that slows the growth of tumours

Coffee is a potent antioxidant that can also slow the growth of many kinds of tumours. Research has shown that drinking coffee can slow the development of these types of tumours in your body.

The Final Verdict on Coffee: Is it Healthy?

As we have seen, coffee is full of antioxidants that can help improve your health. Besides, some studies claim that drinking coffee can help you lose weight and prevent liver and colon cancer.

But there is also much evidence showing that coffee and caffeine consumption can negatively affect your health if consumed in excess.

The truth is, your body needs to get rid of the toxins that you consume every day. But, unfortunately, it includes coffee and other stimulants such as nicotine and alcohol, leading to serious health problems.

As a result, the best solution is to eliminate those sources from your diet entirely and replace them with healthy foods that can help you lose weight.

In this case, the best thing would be to implement a healthy lifestyle instead of incorporating a diet on top of your current one. If you do this, you will begin to notice changes in your weight and health within a short period.

Conclusion: 

No! But, yes. Sort of. It depends. If you drink too much coffee and eat too many don’t-know-what’s, it can add pounds.

But, if you drink enough coffee to wake up and jump-start your metabolism, then, maybe... just maybe... it will help you lose a few extra.