The Worst Coffee Habits for a Flat Belly, Say Experts — Eat This Not That

No Comments

Photo of author

By Ghuman

Introduction

If you’re looking for ways to get a flat belly, you may want to start by looking at your coffee habits. According to experts, there are certain coffee habits that can actually be detrimental to your health and waistline. In this article, we’ll discuss the worst coffee habits for a flat belly and what you can do to make sure you’re getting the most out of your coffee. We’ll also provide some tips on how to make healthier coffee choices that will help you get the flat belly you desire. So, if you’re looking to make some changes to your coffee routine, read on to learn more about the worst coffee habits for a flat belly and how to make healthier choices.

The Worst Coffee Habits for a Flat Belly, Say Experts — Eat This Not That

If you’re looking to get a flat belly, you may want to rethink your coffee habits. According to experts, there are certain coffee habits that can actually be detrimental to your health and waistline. Here are the worst coffee habits for a flat belly, and what you should be eating instead.

1. Adding Too Much Sugar

Adding too much sugar to your coffee can be a major contributor to weight gain. Not only does it add extra calories to your daily intake, but it can also cause your blood sugar levels to spike and crash, leading to cravings and overeating. Instead of adding sugar, try adding a natural sweetener like honey or stevia.

2. Drinking Too Much Caffeine

Drinking too much caffeine can lead to dehydration, which can cause bloating and water retention. It can also cause your body to produce more cortisol, the stress hormone, which can lead to weight gain. Try to limit your caffeine intake to no more than two cups of coffee per day.

3. Skipping Breakfast

Skipping breakfast is one of the worst habits for a flat belly. Eating a healthy breakfast helps to kickstart your metabolism and gives you energy for the day. Try to include a source of protein, like eggs or Greek yogurt, and some healthy fats, like nuts or avocado, in your breakfast to keep you feeling full and energized.

4. Drinking Too Much Cream and Milk

Adding cream and milk to your coffee can add extra calories and fat to your daily intake. Instead, try using almond milk or coconut milk, which are both lower in calories and fat. You can also try adding a splash of unsweetened almond or coconut milk to your coffee for a creamy texture without the extra calories.

5. Not Eating Enough Fiber

Fiber is essential for a flat belly, as it helps to keep you feeling full and can help to reduce bloating. Try to include a source of fiber in your breakfast, like oatmeal or whole grain toast, to help keep you feeling full throughout the day.

By avoiding these worst coffee habits for a flat belly, you can help to keep your waistline trim and your energy levels high. Remember to include a source of protein and fiber in your breakfast, and limit your caffeine and sugar intake to keep your body healthy and your belly flat.

Coffee has a way of filtering itself into a person’s morning routine until it becomes a habit. And, for many, “habit” may not even be a bold enough word. Call it what you will—ritual, dependency, obsession—a borderline-caffeine-addiction is widely considered manageable, if not beneficial. Several studies (perhaps conducted by hopeful coffee lovers) point to ways in which java can be healthy. As we’ve reported in the past, coffee may help you live longer, give you better vision, even boost your metabolism.

“Caffeine can improve weight loss efforts,” says Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD. “Coffee can be beneficial by providing the body with antioxidants, acting as a diuretic, and improving bowel movements in those with digestive issues. It can also help increase energy which is a necessary factor in exercise, which can lead to weight loss.”

But those potential health perks hinge entirely on how you take your cup of Joe.

We’re not here to wax poetic about right and wrong ways to consume coffee; if you have an affinity for indulging in funnel-cake-flavored frappuccinos, who are we to stop you? However, if you’re looking to coffee for weight loss benefits, you may want to be mindful of how you take it. We spoke with a couple of our favorite dietitians and found out the worst coffee habits to avoid when making coffee for a flat stomach.

RELATED: Eating Habits to Lose Abdominal Fat As You Age, Say Dietitians

Coffee with sugar
Shutterstock

Coffee itself is naturally antioxidant-rich and anti-inflammatory, but adding sugar negates those inherent positives. An over-sugared coffee becomes inflammatory, and the nutritional deficits of the added sweetness quickly outweigh any of the benefits the caffeine may offer. Plus, as Clara Lawson, RDN, explains, the amount of coffee many Americans drink in a day would easily result in maxing out recommended sugar intakes, if that coffee is too sweet.

“Women should stick to 6 teaspoons of sugar and men should stick to 9 teaspoons in a day to maintain a healthy body weight and prevent diseases,” says Lawson. “So if you are drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee along with artificial sweeteners, you are ruining your body to a great extent.”

The solution here? If you don’t want to sacrifice adding sugar to your coffee, just be mindful of your sugar intake beyond the java habit.

latte to go
Shutterstock

If you’re committed to the frap life (say, for example, the aforementioned funnel cake Allstar is calling your name) that’s okay, but you cannot depend on your cup of coffee to lead you to a flat stomach.

“Fancy forms of coffee such as lattes and mochas have a very high sugar content that can exceed your daily required calorie count,” explains Lawson. “The fancy ingredients that are worst for your belly include high sugar, whipped cream, and chocolate syrups.”

Luckily, though, Lawson has an easy fix.

“For a leaner stomach, it is advised to make your coffee at home so that you can avoid all these fancy ingredients that are eventually going to accumulate and increase your waistline,” she says.

You can also try making healthier versions of your favorites at home with these 12 Tastiest Homemade Coffee Drinks From a Nutritionist.

Shutterstock

Coffee, the way we currently consume it, is so inextricable from cream and sugar that one is rarely offered without the other. But in the same way sugar can mess with your ever-emerging abs, creamers will likely do the same.

“By adding high calorie and fat creamers you are increasing the likelihood of your regular coffee beverage causing weight gain,” said Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD.

Beyond just packing on the calories, many popular creamers use questionable ingredients, which takes a fairly natural beverage—coffee—and turns it into a more artificial, and therefore less healthy, drink.

To wean yourself off of creamer, you could start by substituting it for milk.

“Taking coffee with skim or whole milk only adds up to around 30 to 40 calories, whereas taking it with creamer gives you around 120 calories,” says Lawson.

Or you could even swap it out with one of these 12 Healthy New Coffee Creamers on Shelves.

drinking coffee
Shutterstock

The more you drink sweetened and flavored coffee, the more that sugary and dimensional flavor profile will become a part of your morning habit. As Best explains, “the worst coffee habit for weight loss and obtaining a flat belly is relying on sweet and flavored coffee.”

If you can’t drink coffee without flavor or sugar, you may be at extra risk of undoing your other hard work in the kitchen and the gym.

“These extra ingredients are only serving to increase calories and fat,” says Best. “It is best to opt for black coffee or naturally sweetened varieties.”

One natural sweetener that we’re particularly fond of, which may also help flatten your stomach even further, is cinnamon. Give it a try next time you brew a pot.

coffee cake
Shutterstock

This popular after-dinner duo is fairly iconic, but unfortunately not that healthy. In the same way relying on coffee with cream and sugar forms poor habits, allowing your brain to associate coffee with sugary snacks could be detrimental to your pursuit of a flat stomach.

“While pairing your coffee with some pastry or other dessert doesn’t harm your flat belly if you do it occasionally, if it is something that you do frequently, it’s one of the worst things you can do to your belly,” says Lawson.

The most failsafe way to avoid these weight-gain risks, of course, is to make the switch to black coffee and to drink it alongside other nutritional foods.

Not a fan of straight-up java yet? Check out our piece, When It Comes to Coffee, This Is the Only Way You Should Make It, for tips on how to make black coffee more palatable. Then, be sure to sign up for our newsletter for even more healthy tips!

Leave a Reply