You already know coffee boosts your energy—but could it also help you lose weight?
It turns out, when you drink your coffee may matter almost as much as what’s in your cup—and if you time your caffeine fix right, it could help support your weight loss goals.
Coffee (and the compounds in coffee) may contribute to weight loss or maintenance by:
- Reducing total body fat: Drinking a moderate amount of coffee (1-7 cups per week) may help reduce total body fat, trunk fat, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT), a particularly harmful type of deep belly fat.
- Curbing appetite: Coffee may help some people maintain a lower body weight and less body fat, possibly due to its effect on appetite. Specifically, consuming coffee before meals may help reduce appetite.
- Increasing calorie burn: Coffee may also help you burn more calories by slightly increasing your resting metabolic rate, which is the calories you burn while at rest. Caffeine can also boost fat oxidation (the breakdown of fat in the body).
However, coffee alone isn’t enough to help you reach weight loss goals. Eating a nutritious diet, high in vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber, and reducing your overall calorie intake are much more important for weight loss and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Not directly—but some research suggests that the timing of your caffeine may help influence other body processes or decisions that can support weight loss or management.
- Drink coffee before a workout: Consuming caffeine—including coffee—around 60 minutes before a workout can improve performance and energy levels. This could help make your workouts more productive (and more enjoyable), supporting weight management.
- Avoid caffeine in the evening: Drinking coffee too close to bedtime could disrupt sleep, even in the short term, which may impact metabolism and make it harder to burn calories and lose weight.
If you’re using coffee as part of weight loss or management goals, timing may be less important than what you put in your cup.
On its own, coffee is a low-calorie beverage, with no fat or carbs and a negligible amount of protein. But when you start adding sweeteners, you may lose coffee’s weight loss benefits: A 2024 study found that while coffee intake is generally associated with weight loss, regularly adding even just a teaspoon of sugar to coffee is linked to weight gain.
Instead, experts recommend adding warm, flavorful spices like cinnamon, non-dairy creamer, or even traditional milk to coffee if you don’t enjoy it black.
Coffee isn’t a magic bullet for weight loss, but when timed right and combined with good sleep, movement, and a balanced diet, it may give your energy levels and metabolism a slight boost.
