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Across the world, millions of people start off their mornings everyday with coffee. Not only does it taste delicious, but it also offers a much needed boost of caffeine and energy to fuel the day, and has actually been proven to promote weight loss in certain instances. However, while some preparations of coffee can provide a variety of benefits to your morning, other types of coffee may be inadvertently causing weight gain and making your metabolism worse, exacerbating health issues you may be currently struggling with. As you work to improve your diet for a well rounded approach to eating, there’s one coffee variation that should not be consumed on a daily basis to ensure your healthiest morning.
Sugary coffee drinks loaded with artificial sweetener and creamer are some of the worst for your body, and whether you’re purchasing them out or making them at home, they may be stalling your weight loss progress and even impacting your metabolism when consumed every morning.
“Coffee may lead to weight gain primarily due to the ingredients you use to sweeten your coffee. By adding high calorie and fat sweeteners or creamers you are increasing the likelihood of your regular coffee beverage causing weight gain due to excess calories,” notes registered dietitian Trista Best. You may not be accustomed or inclined to drink black coffee, but starting off your morning with an influx of sugar is an easy way to make cravings worse and promote overeating throughout the duration of the day.
On its own, coffee is actually a wonderful addition to your diet for weight loss with black coffee being a source of energy to start off your day and stoke your metabolism for increased fat burn. However, when overtaken by high calories sweeteners, any and all health benefits of your morning cup of joe are quickly negated.
“Unfortunately, the quality of our coffee matters greatly and this is often overlooked. We generally see our coffee as a treat and forget to consider the nutrient quality, or lack thereof, will either help or hinder our weight loss efforts,” explains Best. While you can still enjoy coffee as a treat and don’t have to deprive yourself of sugary Starbucks latte’s for the rest of your life, keeping them to a minimum will ultimately allow you to reach your health goals much more quickly and preserve a balanced diet.
Sugary coffee drinks should also be avoided first thing in the morning as the more sugar you consume, the more you will crave throughout the day. This will make it more difficult to stick to a healthy eating plan in the coming hours and can over time negate the calorie deficit you need to create for weight loss. “When we consume a lot of sugar in the morning our glucose will spike causing an insulin response and ultimately a crash. This cycle can lead to overeating, irritability, and fatigue; all of which can lead to weight gain directly or indirectly,” explains Best.
Not only this, but eating sugar regularly can make your cravings last long after eating. “The body requires at least two or three weeks without sugar to lose these cravings. Therefore, if you drink sugary coffee first thing in the morning you will continue wanting sugar throughout the day which will ultimately stall and even reverse your weight loss effort,” says Best.
Starting out your morning with a mug of coffee is still a valuable addition to your diet, but it’s important to be aware of the additives being included in your beverage. Whether you make your coffee at home and add ample creamer, or you have a propensity for ordering out, keeping sugar to a minimum is vital for healthy weight loss and the maintenance of a quick and effective metabolism for fat burn.
You can still enjoy the occasional sweet coffee as a treat, but if you’re relying on sugary lattes each morning to kickstart your day, this may be the culprit for stalled weight loss or any weight gain you’ve noticed in the body. Try to wean off sugar by using a natural sweetener in your morning coffee, and soon you’ll become accustomed to a healthier beverage closer to its natural form which will promote weight loss and offer ample energy throughout the day.
