The best time to drink coffee for weight loss

You already know that coffee increases your energy, but could it also help you lose weight?

It turns out that when you drink your coffee can be almost as important as what’s in your cup — and if you time your caffeine fix correctly, it could help you reach your weight loss goals.

Coffee (and the compounds contained in coffee) may contribute to weight loss or maintenance by:

• Reduce total body fat: Drinking a moderate amount of coffee (1 to 7 cups per week) can help reduce total body fat, trunk fat, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT), a particularly harmful type of deep abdominal fat.
• Cut the appetite: Coffee may help some people maintain lower body weight and less body fat, possibly due to its effect on appetite. Specifically, consuming coffee before meals can help reduce appetite.
• Increased calorie expenditure: Coffee may also help you burn more calories by slightly increasing your resting metabolic rate, which is the calories you burn while resting. Caffeine can also stimulate fat oxidation (the breakdown of fats in the body).

However, coffee alone is not enough to help you achieve your weight loss goals. Eating a nutritious diet, rich in vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber, and reducing your overall calorie intake are much more important for losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight.

Not directly, but some research suggests that the timing of caffeine consumption may help influence other bodily processes or decisions that may promote weight loss or management.

• Drink Coffee Before a Workout: Consuming caffeine, including coffee, about 60 minutes before a workout can improve performance and energy levels. This could help make your workouts more productive (and more enjoyable), thereby promoting weight management.
• Avoid caffeine in the evening: Drinking coffee too close to bedtime could disrupt sleep, even in the short term, which could impact metabolism and make it more difficult to burn calories and lose weight.

If you’re consuming coffee for 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 carbohydrates and a negligible amount of protein. But when you start adding sweeteners, you risk losing the weight-loss benefits of coffee: A 2024 study found that while coffee consumption is generally associated with weight loss, regularly adding 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 paired with good sleep, exercise, and a balanced diet, it can provide a slight boost to your energy levels and metabolism.