I am sure losing weight would definitely be on your top priority list. So are you counting calories, working out , or looking for a short cut??

Anyone looking for a shortcut to weight loss might be tempted to try one of many supplements that claim to burn fat and boost metabolism.

I have seen many fitness instructors insisting on their clients to have a shot of black coffee several times during the day. The common not so exotic ingredient in all of these is Caffeine.

Caffeine has a strong reputation as a weight loss aid. But what does actually caffeine do to your system and is there is any supporting , well-designed studies showing caffeine to be any sort of silver bullet against flab?

Although research about the connection between caffeine and weight isn't definitive, there are several theories about how caffeine might affect weight, including:

• Caffeine act as a diuretic , which means people taking large doses might shed some weight through water loss, which is quite temporary and certainly not the kind of weight loss most users are looking for.

• Calorie burning. Caffeine may stimulate thermogenesis — one way your body generates heat and energy from digesting food. But this probably isn't enough to produce significant weight loss.

• Appetite suppression. Caffeine may reduce your desire to eat for a brief time, and actually makes you hog and develop cravings in the later stages of the weight loss program. Without making other changes to your diet and lifestyle caffeine is unlikely to make a significant difference to your weight. Certainly its not going to be as effective as a 30 min of exercise.

Use this guide for the amounts of caffeine in products:

• One mug of instant coffee: 100mg

• One mug of filter coffee: 140mg

• One mug of tea: 75mg

• One can of cola: 40mg

• One can of energy drink: 80mg

• One 50g bar of plain (dark) chocolate: around 50mg

• One 50g bar of milk chocolate: around 25mg

Caffeine is found in many beverages, including coffee, tea, energy drinks and colas; in products containing cocoa or chocolate; and in a variety of medications and dietary supplements, including supplements aimed at weight loss.

Also too much caffeine could cause jitteriness, anxiety, spikes in blood pressure and rapid

heartbeats in some people. So restrict yourself to not more than one cup of coffee a day!