Does caffeine help or hinder weight loss?

I have been drinking diet coke to replace the coke I used to drink and was wondering about the effects of caffeine on weight loss.
Can anybody offer some insight?
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Replies

  • ptjolsen
    ptjolsen Posts: 365 Member
    Caffeine can aid in keeping your metabolism high. But you might want to consider where you are getting your caffeine from. I wouldn't recommend soda. Look at a supplement shop for caffeine powder. I use it before workouts and whenever I need a pick-me-up. and I also use less than the recommended dosage.
  • cjc166
    cjc166 Posts: 222
    Caffeine is an appetite stimulant, so it may lead to more unnecessary eating and cravings. Also, withdrawal symptoms from caffeine can be mistaken for hunger.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    The effect of caffeine, green tea and tyrosine on thermogenesis and energy intake. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2009)

    http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v63/n1/abs/1602901a.html

    thermogenesis.gif
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    Inb4apertamewillkillyou
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    It's a balanced part of your ECA stack. >__>
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Caffeine helps me stay awake. Sleeping all day doesn't burn very many calories.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    You talked about caffiene, without talking about diet coke. Diet Coke is the devil. You will lose ten lbs just by stopping that filthy habit. Effects of diet coke have been published a lot. Just Google it.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    Caffeine is an appetite stimulant, so it may lead to more unnecessary eating and cravings. Also, withdrawal symptoms from caffeine can be mistaken for hunger.

    Caffeine is a stimulant. Stimulants are usually appetite suppressants. Black coffee or pretty much any unsweetened caffeinated beverage is a great appetite suppressant. Sweet-tasting ones seem to increase cravings (at least for me), but unsweetened ones do not. Your mileage may vary, but caffeine and other stimulants are used very frequently in diet pills to suppress appetite.

    Withdrawal symptoms from caffeine can be mistaken for many things, including a horde of zombies eating your brains out with a dull spoon (the withdrawal headaches can be HORRIBLE!), but "hunger" is not generally one of them.
  • MSimm62385
    MSimm62385 Posts: 227
    Black coffee is fantastic.
  • Musikelektronik
    Musikelektronik Posts: 739 Member
    You talked about caffiene, without talking about diet coke. Diet Coke is the devil. You will lose ten lbs just by stopping that filthy habit. Effects of diet coke have been published a lot. Just Google it.

    This again? Really?

    RollingEyesGIF.gif
  • docktorfokse
    docktorfokse Posts: 473 Member
    caffeine = stimulant = temporarily causes a slight metabolism increase
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    You talked about caffiene, without talking about diet coke. Diet Coke is the devil. You will lose ten lbs just by stopping that filthy habit. Effects of diet coke have been published a lot. Just Google it.

    This again? Really?

    RollingEyesGIF.gif

    I'm with you!

    Caffeine is the main ingredient in most fat burners, because as Acg posted up there, caffeine is GOOOOD.

    Some people object to diet coke, but I just object to their objections.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
    I drink about 4 cups of strong coffee a day and it hasn't stopped me losing weight! I think a lot of diet pills have caffeine in them, so I guess it must do something.

    I don't have sugar in coffee, and I have milk in it which has protein in it, so it's not a bad thing!
  • petechiae
    petechiae Posts: 147 Member
    Diet soda will not sabotage your weight-loss efforts. At least, not this habit alone. This good and clear article demystifies the question : http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/food-weight-loss/ask-diet-doctor-can-diet-soda-make-you-fat

    Also, as mentioned earlier, caffeine helps to boost your metabolism. I honestly wouldn't worry about this consumption, as long as it does not exceed the prescribed amount. :drinker:
  • aimeemusic
    aimeemusic Posts: 73 Member
    one of things I have noticed is that its an appetite suppresent for me (I only drink tea, with 1% milk and one tablespoon of sugar)

    It gives a little pick me up as well.

    I am not sure about metabolism but it does walk me up a bit and it allowa me to go 3-4 hours without eating again w/o snacking.

    Also I typically only drink one cup ONCE a day.
  • jcriscuolo
    jcriscuolo Posts: 319 Member
    You talked about caffiene, without talking about diet coke. Diet Coke is the devil. You will lose ten lbs just by stopping that filthy habit. Effects of diet coke have been published a lot. Just Google it.

    When I put diet coke in my food log, it's all zeros - calories, carbs, etc. The only thing I am getting is caffeine. I would agree with you about regular coke and dropping ten pounds but why would diet coke prevent weight loss? From the responses here, it might aid weight loss slightly.
  • Musikelektronik
    Musikelektronik Posts: 739 Member
    You talked about caffiene, without talking about diet coke. Diet Coke is the devil. You will lose ten lbs just by stopping that filthy habit. Effects of diet coke have been published a lot. Just Google it.

    This again? Really?

    RollingEyesGIF.gif

    I'm with you!

    Caffeine is the main ingredient in most fat burners, because as Acg posted up there, caffeine is GOOOOD.

    Some people object to diet coke, but I just object to their objections.

    Me too. I wish the Diet Coke objectors would just be honest with us and say, "Look, I ahbor anything that's made of phony, processed ingredients, and I wish that the stuff had never been invented. If it were up to me, all diet soft drinks would be illegal." But don't try to advance your agenda with some B.S. about how drinking a non-caloric beverage will make you gain weight. I mean, seriously. :laugh:
  • smhammons
    smhammons Posts: 115 Member
    I love my Coffee:drinker:
  • redhousecat
    redhousecat Posts: 584 Member
    there are studies that show it increases cortisol levels. The study I found on a quick google search was a double blind (good) but only a sample size of 48.

    http://1.usa.gov/SdXCli

    The way I look at it, if one is exercising, then small elevations of cortisol shouldn't matter.

    I am a proponent of caffeine.
  • msstuard
    msstuard Posts: 131 Member
    You talked about caffiene, without talking about diet coke. Diet Coke is the devil. You will lose ten lbs just by stopping that filthy habit. Effects of diet coke have been published a lot. Just Google it.

    This again? Really?

    RollingEyesGIF.gif

    I'm with you guys, I lost a bit of weight and used caffein to get me through it.

    I'm with you!

    Caffeine is the main ingredient in most fat burners, because as Acg posted up there, caffeine is GOOOOD.

    Some people object to diet coke, but I just object to their objections.

    Me too. I wish the Diet Coke objectors would just be honest with us and say, "Look, I ahbor anything that's made of phony, processed ingredients, and I wish that the stuff had never been invented. If it were up to me, all diet soft drinks would be illegal." But don't try to advance your agenda with some B.S. about how drinking a non-caloric beverage will make you gain weight. I mean, seriously. :laugh:
  • I like to get iced skinny vanilla lattes (110 In a venti size) and unsweetened green tea lemonade (90 calories in a TRENTA) from Starbucks. I actually credit those with a lot of my success so far.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    I have been drinking diet coke to replace the coke I used to drink and was wondering about the effects of caffeine on weight loss.
    Can anybody offer some insight?

    A moderate amount of caffeine can boost metabolism and mental sharpness. I think the latter is relevant to weight loss because it's easier to resist temptations when you're alert and have energy.

    My Registered Dietitian told me to try to cut down on Diet Coke. I think she disliked the artificial sweetener. If you need caffeine in a cold drink, try iced tea, coffee, or one of those new Starbucks drinks made from unroasted coffee beans that don't taste like coffee.
  • coffee is a stimulant..you go up..then go down..sometimes...it has NO sugar or carbs unless you add any..well...I sip my coffee and never get an effect..I quit being addicted over 2 yrs ago..everything in moderation helps one live a nice moderate life ;-)
  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522 Member
    Coffee makes me poop, so I'm going to go with yes.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    caffeine itself helps, if you add a bunch of cream and sugar to coffee well... not so much. (Speaking from experience ;) )
  • DesignGuy
    DesignGuy Posts: 457 Member
    Not an expert but I drink a lot of coffee/tea (never soda) and I've lost 56 pounds, so if it's hindering, it's not doing a great job.
  • You talked about caffiene, without talking about diet coke. Diet Coke is the devil. You will lose ten lbs just by stopping that filthy habit. Effects of diet coke have been published a lot. Just Google it.
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    Caffeine is an appetite stimulant, so it may lead to more unnecessary eating and cravings. Also, withdrawal symptoms from caffeine can be mistaken for hunger.

    I don't think this is actually true.

    Caffeine can give you heart burn, which in my experience is an appetite suppressant :P

    Seriously though... it does effect the proton pumps in your stomach, making your stomach a bit more acidic, which can lead to heart burn in some people.
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    You talked about caffiene, without talking about diet coke. Diet Coke is the devil. You will lose ten lbs just by stopping that filthy habit. Effects of diet coke have been published a lot. Just Google it.

    If you think diet coke is bad google phenylalanine a substance in about everything from diet soda to most yogurts.

    And phenylalanine is in just about anything made out of protein too. It is, *gasp*, an amino acid.

    Seriously.

    I'm not lying. It's a building block for thousands of different proteins and is harmless to most people, except those who lack the enzymes to break phenylalanine down.

    Read this if you're worried: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/phenylalanine/AN01552/
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    You talked about caffiene, without talking about diet coke. Diet Coke is the devil. You will lose ten lbs just by stopping that filthy habit. Effects of diet coke have been published a lot. Just Google it.

    If you think diet coke is bad google phenylalanine a substance in about everything from diet soda to most yogurts.

    And phenylalanine is in just about anything made out of protein too. It is, *gasp*, an amino acid.

    Seriously.

    I'm not lying. It's a building block for thousands of different proteins and is harmless to most people, except those who lack the enzymes to break phenylalanine down.

    Read this if you're worried: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/phenylalanine/AN01552/

    This is wrong. There is no room for science and logic here. Anything I can't pronounce is bad. The end.