There seems to be some debate online about whether or not coffee can cause weight gain, cause weight loss, or simply have no overall net effect on weight. The good news is that you’re unlikely gain weight from a cup of coffee with minimal additives. The bad news is that you may need to cap your daily intake at 2 to 3 cups.
Plain coffee contains close to zero calories, so on its own, it doesn’t cause weight gain. However, coffee add-ons such as sugar and creamer, as well as popular coffee pairings like donuts and croissants, are behind coffee-related weight gain.
Being meticulous about how much coffee you put into your body and the timing of doses are effective ways to enjoy that Jitter Juice without the risk of gaining weight or compromising your health.
Does Coffee Make You Gain Weight?

Over-consuming foods that are high in calories is generally what causes weight gain, and sometimes even low-caloric foods can cause weight gain if consumed in large quantities. A plain cup of coffee contains close to zero calories. In that regard, it’s impossible to gain weight from coffee alone.
The truth is that coffee in itself isn’t fattening. Instead, coffee add-ons like sugar and milk and pairings like sandwiches and pastries are the main culprits in causing weight gain. Since most people rarely have their morning Joe plain, the calories accumulate.
On the contrary, studies show coffee can actually have weight-loss properties. It boosts the metabolism and is an appetite suppressant. Caffeine and theobromine are some of the elements behind coffee’s weight-shedding properties.
That’s not to say that drinking coffee religiously will automatically help you shed weight. You still need to have a reasonably balanced and healthy lifestyle.
Depending on your daily habits, coffee can be a friend or a foe. In moderate amounts, it promotes weight loss by boosting your metabolism, acting as an appetite suppressant, and super-charging your energy levels. However, overdoing it with add-ons raises blood sugar and cortisol levels, leading to more weight gain in the long haul.
Does Coffee Boost Your Metabolism?
According to numerous studies, coffee contains several active stimulants that boost metabolism directly or indirectly. Here are a few of them:
- Chlorogenic Acid: Chlorogenic acid is a major component of coffee beans. It’s a medical all-rounder because it provides a wealth of benefits, i.e., anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. But, commercially, it’s mostly popular for its calorie-burning properties.
- Theobromine: Theobromine is a natural compound found in several plants, most notably cacao beans and coffee beans. Like chlorogenic acid, theobromine is known for its wide range of health benefits. Most importantly, though, it’s known for its thermogenic effects. Thermogenic activity refers to a process that expends energy to burn significant amounts of calories.
- Caffeine: Caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline, a hormone that sends signals to fat tissues to decompose fat cells.
- Theophylline: Theophylline is another stimulant found in trace amounts in both coffee beans and tea leaves. It promotes weight loss by super-charging several internal processes related to metabolism.
All these elements work hand in hand to create an internal environment ideal for rapid weight loss. But, first, your body needs to convert consumed foods into energy. The rate at which this conversion occurs is known as your metabolism.
It can further be classified into the basal metabolic rate and resting metabolic rate. The former is the required amount of energy needed to perform everyday functions, while the other refers to energy expansion when your body is at rest.
What Factors Can Cause Weight Gain?
When consumed black, coffee doesn’t cause weight gain but adding ingredients like sugar, milk, and coffee, as well as pairings like sandwiches and croissants, largely increases the likelihood of weight gain.
Sugar
A single cup of plain black coffee has close to zero calories. However, the average person prefers adding two teaspoons of sugar to their morning Joe. A single teaspoon carries around 16 calories, so two of them add up to 32 calories.
Milk
Milk generally contains between 43 and 75 calories, depending on whether it’s full cream or low fat. That said, adding cream to your coffee boosts its caloric content by another 40 or so calories.
Creamer
Creamer is a high-caloric item, even the one designed specifically for weight loss, such as plant-based creamer, still contains a decent amount of calories.
Adding cream to coffee isn’t a must. Most can do without it. The reason creamer is a bad idea for anyone looking to shed weight or cut back on caloric consumption is that it’s filled with unhealthy fats and artificial sugars.
Croissants
Coffee and Croissants go so well together that most people don’t think twice before pairing their coffee with a croissant or two. However, since croissants are so light on the stomach, people underestimate how many calories they carry. One single small croissant of about 42 mg offers a whopping 171 calories.
How Caffeine Affects Our Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is the stress hormone and is often associated with fear and motivation. However, that’s only the tip of the iceberg compared to what it’s useful for. In a nutshell, cortisol is the body’s monitory hormone; incorrect levels of cortisol can affect the following:
- Blood sugar levels
- Sleep pattern
- Blood pressure
- Management of proteins, fats, and carbs
- Inability to handle stress
The Hypothalamus, a gland in the brain, is responsible for secreting cortisol. Caffeine affects the activity of this gland, leading to accelerated cortisol secretion. The presence of cortisol is necessary for the body, but excess of it can have detrimental effects on your health.
Moreover, most people like to have their coffee first thing in the morning, hence the name “Morning Joe.” Cortisol levels usually peak in the morning and decline throughout the day.
That said, drinking coffee when your cortisol levels are already high creates higher than normal levels of it in your bloodstream. The side effects of abnormal cortisol can be unpleasant if necessary actions aren’t taken to manage it.
Stress is directly linked to cortisol, and as discussed above, cortisol occurs naturally in our bodies, but drinking coffee can artificially inflate it. Therefore, anyone looking to reduce belly fat and overall weight should manage their cortisol levels. That can mean being careful when drinking coffee or cutting it out altogether.
How to Prevent Weight Gain From Coffee

Coffee isn’t like high-caloric foods and beverages out there. Only a small degree of discipline and diligence is required to avoid coffee-related weight gain. The following tips are a good starting point:
Avoid Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners like sugar, maple syrup, and processed honey may be tasty, but they’re filled with empty calories. Basically, they’re not filling in any way, and in most cases, they cause your sugar cravings to spike. So instead, try a low-kilojoule sugar alternative (from Amazon).
Limit Add-ons
The caloric content of a regular cup of coffee with sugar, creamer, and maybe syrup averages about 150 calories. It may not seem like much, but it accumulates as you consume more coffee.
Cap Your Coffee Intake
Keeping cortisol levels down is essential in preventing stress-induced weight gain and belly fat. One way to avoid high cortisol levels is to not inflate it with excessive amounts of coffee, especially in the morning. A great coffee alternative with less caffeine is green tea (from Amazon).
Opt for Healthier Pairings
Nothing quite completes that hot flavor-packed Joe like a delicious croissant, a toasted sandwich, or even a freshly-baked bagel. But, unfortunately, for the sake of managing weight, those are all no-gos.
Conclusion
Regularly sipping on coffee has its benefits and drawbacks. But, in most cases, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Exercising discipline and familiarizing yourself with your body’s needs and limitations are full-proof ways to ensure you’re always steering clear of caffeine-related pitfalls.