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Coffee while dieting

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Can you drink coffee while on a diet? The question is ambiguous, because coffee can affect different people differently. However, what should those who feel broken and inadequate do if another morning begins without a cup of their favorite drink? Should they give up the diet?

We are sure that this is not necessary, as many people still manage to successfully combine coffee and a weight loss diet.

Is it possible to drink coffee when on a diet?

Coffee is sometimes almost the only taste pleasure during a diet. The unique taste and aroma of this drink fascinates and refreshes the brain. Coffee beans are a true storehouse of useful elements and amino acids, but caffeine plays a reasonable role among all the components of coffee. This substance increases both physical and intellectual performance, speeds up reaction and increases attention.

Why is it important to drink coffee when on a diet? As a rule, with a decrease in daily caloric intake, those losing weight often suffer from drowsiness, fatigue, apathy. Caffeine will help eliminate all of these symptoms: just one cup is enough to feel a surge of energy and improve your mood.

Coffee activates blood flow, improves metabolic processes (including at the cellular level), stimulates the heart. Thanks to this, motor activity increases, which in itself leads to a natural loss of energy and burning of calories.

Coffee is often used as a calorie burner in various diets. In addition to stimulating energy expenditure, this drink perfectly suppresses appetite, and also helps remove excess fluid from tissues.

Can you drink coffee while on a diet? Yes, you can and even should, unless, of course, you have any contraindications to drinking this drink, which we will discuss below. Nutritionists are positive about the use of caffeine in diets, as it increases the level of physical activity, thereby increasing energy expenditure. For this purpose, it is useful to use not only coffee, but also green teas, which also contain a sufficient amount of caffeine.

Instant coffee when on a diet

Users often ask questions about which coffee is better to drink – brewed or instant? Of course, making instant coffee is much faster and easier: just boil the kettle and pour boiling water over the brown powder. What could be more convenient, especially at work?

Indeed, in our time, when there is never enough time for everything, speed of preparation is very important. However, think about how important your own health is to you?

The fact is that instant coffee often consists of only 15% real coffee beans. The remaining 85% are special additives that give the product certain qualities and at the same time reduce the cost of the drink. Among such additives, the leaders are:

  • coffee bean husks;
  • synthetic caffeine;
  • stabilizers, flavors, preservatives, colorants, fluffing agents.

Also, additives can be added that allow the powder to dissolve evenly in water, or special substances that create an appetizing thick “foam” in the prepared coffee.

Moreover, some manufacturers add starch to coffee powder, which does not contribute to the weight loss process.

Whether to drink instant coffee while dieting is up to you. But remember that our health begins with eating healthy foods.

Is coffee allowed on the Dukan diet?

The Dukan diet is divided into four stages: the attack period, alternation, consolidation and stabilization. Experts claim that it is quite possible to lose 5-6 kg in the first 7 days of the diet. This is quite possible, since a large emphasis of this diet is directed at eating protein foods. What happens in the body during protein nutrition?

Firstly, there is an active removal of fluid from the tissues. For this reason, we can confidently say that the Dukan diet is suitable only for healthy people. If there are diseases or disorders of the urinary system, liver or cardiac activity, then it is better to avoid such a diet.

However, even a healthy person should be careful with a protein diet. Excessive consumption of protein can affect carbohydrate metabolism. This can lead to the development of ketoacidosis - poisoning of the body with ketones. Such poisoning is characterized by loss of appetite and irritability. Exclusively protein nutrition can disrupt the acid-base balance in the body, which sooner or later will lead to excessive oxidation of cellular structures. Protein breakdown products - urates and oxalates - increase the load on the kidneys and liver, and signs of intoxication occur.

To avoid all these terrible consequences, first of all, you need to remember an important rule: when following the Dukan diet, or any other protein diet, you need to drink a lot of liquid. From 2 to 3 liters per day is the standard rate of liquid consumption on such a diet. What can you drink? Tea (black, green, herbal), skim milk, coffee without sugar (possibly with skim milk), clean drinking water.

Can you drink coffee on the Dukan diet? Yes, you can, if you have no other contraindications.

Coffee with buckwheat diet

The buckwheat diet is one of the most common choices for those losing weight. One week - and a few extra pounds are gone! What is the essence of the diet: steam a glass of buckwheat in a thermos overnight. The next day, eat only this steamed buckwheat, which can be washed down with only 1% kefir. Naturally, without salt and fat. Many are confused by the statement that with such a diet you can only have these products - buckwheat and kefir, and nothing else. But can you drink coffee with the buckwheat diet?

If you can't imagine waking up in the morning without a cup of coffee, then you can definitely enjoy this pleasure. The only caveat: the coffee should be brewed natural and without sugar or other sweeteners. Try adding a little cinnamon and lemon zest to the drink: this way it will be easier to get used to drinking coffee without adding sugar.

When on a buckwheat diet, you can drink both coffee and tea (preferably green). However, in all other respects, you must follow the dietary instructions.

Of course, you shouldn't attribute a direct "weight loss" effect to coffee during a diet, but its effect on motor activity and food management allows you to actively use this drink during most weight loss diets. Pleasant and invigorating coffee dulls the feeling of hunger. Caffeine activates metabolism, including the release of glucose from glycogen, and there is no desire to eat for some period of time. Therefore, do not be afraid to drink 1-2 cups of coffee during a diet: this will only speed up the process of desired weight loss.

Why can't you drink coffee while on a diet?

There are quite a few reasons why some people can't drink coffee while on a diet.

This drink should not be consumed by those who have a tendency to high blood pressure, high intraocular pressure, who have heart and kidney problems, who have been diagnosed with atherosclerotic changes in blood vessels. It is not recommended to consume caffeine for people suffering from sleep disorders (especially you should not drink coffee in the afternoon, although coffee does not affect everyone in this way).

Coffee should be consumed with caution if you have urinary system diseases, as the drink has diuretic properties and can increase the load on the kidneys.

Too strong coffee can cause an increase in blood cholesterol.

Coffee is also not recommended for those with digestive system diseases. Regular consumption of coffee on an empty stomach (especially instant and strong) can provoke the development of gastritis.

In all other cases, you can drink coffee even if you are on a diet. The only thing is that you will have to drink it without adding sugar, otherwise the entire effect of the diet will go down the drain. Respect yourself: drink only high-quality and properly prepared coffee. The best option is to buy coffee beans and grind them yourself. As a last resort, buy natural ground coffee, but not instant coffee, which is the worst for any diet.

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