This post has been updated since it was originally published on 2/6/22
You know that saying, “too much of a good thing is a bad thing?” We reached out to nutritionists and health experts Josh Schlottman, CSCS; Jeanette Kimszal, RDN; Briana Butler MCN, RDN, LD; and Amy Lippert, NTP; and Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD to ask for the drinks they believe anyone trying to lose weight should avoid in the morning.
Their answers might surprise you, as these traditional breakfast beverages have many health benefits, but they also have several notable drawbacks (including high sugar content) that can make losing weight much more difficult—and can even contribute to weight gain if consumed in excess. It turns out that orange juice and ingredient-loaded coffee are two drinks you may want to cut out of your diet.
Sugary Orange Juice
As undeniably delicious and refreshing as a cup of o.j. in the morning can be, health experts explain that its high amounts of sugar won't do you any favors if you drink it often and are trying to lose weight.
"One drink that might want to be avoided in the morning is orange juice," says Kimszal. She explains that an 8 ounce glass of orange juice has about 21 grams of sugar. "There is less than 1 gram of fiber so you are basically consuming a glass of sugar," she adds.
"A single glass of orange juice can contain 24 grams of sugar in the form of fructose," Schlottman explains. "Drinking all this sugar first thing in the morning can set your blood sugar and insulin levels on a roller coaster ride for the rest of the day."
He notes that some may argue that the fructose sugar in orange juice is a "natural" sugar. "It's still sugar," he says, "and it will cause a blood sugar spike and an insulin release especially first thing in the morning. Since juice lacks fiber from the fruit, there will be nothing to slow its absorption."
Lippert adds that in terms of weight gain, ingesting a large amount of sugar, like in orange juice, rapidly gets absorbed into our bloodstream, causing a spike in our glucose levels. This then causes our bodies to release insulin to store that glucose into our adipose tissue (fat cells) until our bodies can safely process the sugar without causing a large spike.
"The glucose that is stored in our adipose tissue stays there until our bodies need the energy from it," Lippert says. "This can contribute to weight gain due to us eating again before the glucose is released to be used."
Coffee (Especially With Sugar)
If you drink a cup of coffee each morning, you're certainly not alone. Who doesn't enjoy a bit of caffeine to kickstart the day? However, if you're trying to lose weight, experts say it may be best to cut this ritual out of your routine—or at least make some changes to your coffee habits.
For starters, loading this beverage up with sugar, milk, artificial sweeteners, and creamers is a serious no-go for anyone looking to shed a few pounds. While these ingredients can certainly make this bitter drink taste more delicious than ever, consuming too much of them can lead to serious health consequences, similar to the way orange juice can.
"Consuming sugar is one of the worst things you can do if you're trying to lose weight," Schlottman warns. He says that starting your day with sugar can trigger an insulin response and put your body into "fat storing mode." And once you run into a sugar crash, you'll only crave—you guessed it!—more sugar and carbs. "This can set you off on a roller coaster blood sugar ride the rest of the day."
"Consuming coffee with a ton of added sweeteners and high-calorie creamers will basically turn it into a calorie bomb," Hunnes agrees, noting that the inflammatory, processed sugars can be detrimental to your weight loss goals and overall health.
"You're much better off drinking your coffee black or with a little dollop of creamer," Schlottman suggests. However, if you do opt for black coffee, there are a few other factors to keep in mind.
Even if you don't add all those unhealthy ingredients, drinking a lot of coffee on an empty stomach is a bad idea, partly because this popular beverage can also suppress your appetite. While this sounds like a good thing for weight loss, Butler warns that this isn't necessarily true. "This can lead to someone consuming too little food and stagnating metabolism," she says, warning that this will "increase chance of early body composition plateau."
For this reason, Butler says you should enjoy your coffee with a meal or right after eating a meal. So, remember: skip the sugar, and have some food on hand.
What to Try Instead with Breakfast
Cutting out orange juice and sweetened coffee might be hard since they're such tasty, classic breakfast beverages, but there are healthier (sugarless) options out there that can better support your weight loss goals.
As far as coffee goes, you already know the drill: take it black or cut back on the sugar as much as possible. You may also opt for caffeinated, naturally sweet teas as an alternative.
Lippert suggests three possible options to replace your o.j. that can still satisfy any sweet or fruity cravings you might have. She firstly recommends eating whole fruit. "Eating a whole piece of fruit includes the fiber with the juice, slowing down the rate at which the sugar in the fruit is absorbed," says Lippert.
Your next choice is a whole fruit smoothie. "Adding protein and good fats to a fruit smoothie will help to slow sugar absorption and give you a more balanced meal," she says. This will not only sustain you longer but will also support healthy blood sugars.
Your third possible replacement is green juice, and Lippert says to look for ones that do not contain a lot of fruit (to avoid sugar), "but if a glass of juice is what you’re looking for, a great green juice with lots of low sugar veggies is a great option."
Overall, you don't have to give up orange juice and coffee forever to lose weight healthily— nutritionists and health experts just stress the importance of knowing how much sugar you're consuming, and how it might be setting back your weight loss goals.
