The plan, based on the 2017 book The Coffee Lover’s Diet by medical doctor Bob Arnot, involves drinking a minimum of three cups of light roast coffee daily, due to its higher polyphenol antioxidant content. (Coffee polyphenols are linked to a reduced risk of a number of diseases, including type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.) In fact, you can have as much coffee as you’d like, either decaf or regular, as long as you hit the three-cup minimum.

Dr. Arnot includes a good deal of research in the book about coffee’s ability to curb appetite, reduce fat absorption, boost metabolism, improve circulation, and burn fat. (Some of the benefits Dr. Arnot promotes are linked to caffeine, while others are true for regular or decaf coffee.) He advises skipping the sugar, cream, and milk, however, especially since the latter reduces polyphenol absorption.

He’s also particular about the beans, which are technically seeds inside coffeeberries, the whole fruit of the coffee plant. He recommends coffee selections from high altitude regions with rich, volcanic soil close to the equator, which produce the most antioxidants. Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, and Brazil rank at the top.

Apart from the three daily cups, the remainder of the plan is similar to other weight loss regimens. It involves avoiding refined carbs and processed foods while following many principles of the Mediterranean diet, with a calorie intake of around 1,500 per day. The book also includes recipes, much like a traditional diet book.