Coconut oil for weight loss?

Jessieqaz

Has anyone tried increasing coconut oil intake with success in weight loss?

camtosh

I have been putting it in my coffee every morning since I began LCHF -- upping saturated fats in general will help with weight loss if you cut carbs. But had to up it gradually to avoid gastic distress. #youhavebeenwarned

MelRC117

Like I posted in response from your post in the main forums, eating large amounts of coconut oil won't make you lose weight. Adding it to your existing diet without taking something out will only make you gain weight. Each tablespoon has 120 calories so adding 5 tablespoons or more is really packing in the calories.
I also have a tablespoon in my coffee in the morning, and maybe a tablespoon later in the day to use while cooking dinner. I would caution you like camtosh stated, work your way up gradually. Too much can cause stomach problems.

BansheeCat

I've recently started increasing to two Tbl daily because I hear it's great for people who have hypothyroidism and I've had no weight loss since LCHF. I started a month ago.

I too make bullet proof coffee, 1TBL of coconut oil, 1TBL of butter, 1TBL of heavy cream, 1tsp of cocoa mix for flavor.

I'd take MelRC advice on upping slowly. I didn't and have an achy belly :-(

freshstart

I put coconut oil in my tea if I need more fat to get to my fat goal for the day.

mommabeer1

I'm new to this, and I want to do this right, but for too many years I've had low fat no fat drilled into my head by health professionals and family members. So its hard to really shake this loose. Can you give me some idea about adding healthy fat? how much? how often ? and is there such a thing as too much?

deansdad101

mommabeer1 wrote: »

I'm new to this, and I want to do this right, but for too many years I've had low fat no fat drilled into my head by health professionals and family members. So its hard to really shake this loose. Can you give me some idea about adding healthy fat? how much? how often ? and is there such a thing as too much?

Momma;

Ain't it the truth? - We ALL have!

On adding healthy fat.....
Start by adjusting your macros (% of carbs, fat, protein) in your food diary.
Something close to 10-15% carbs, 60-65% fat, 25% protein usually works for most in the 1200-1800 kcal/day range.

Start with whatever level of total kcals/day you are using now and give the new plan AT LEAST a few weeks before making any changes. You will likely experience weight fluctuations day to day (maybe large in the beginning), track it, but DO NOT obsess - loss of cellular "water weight" is normal and happens quickly (usually), but body weight and fat loss simply don't happen on a day to day basis - it takes TIME.

There are more accurate "rules of thumb" regarding specific numbers for carbs and proteins but these are close enough to start.

That will provide you the guidance to answer the "how much" question.

"How often" is EVERY DAY (as best you can)

For the "is there such a thing as too much?" - I suppose there is but it's pretty much impossible to ever get there (unless you ate only one or two foods and they were 100% of one item).

It IS, however, possible to get NOT ENOUGH (especially for fat and to a lesser degree protein).

Fat will become your primary source of energy so restricting carbs and NOT increasing fat is a recipe for disaster.

In the beginning it will be tough hitting those targets (especially trying to hit all 4, every day), but as time goes on you will get a "feel" for what foods and in what combinations, work.

It will also, especially in the beginning, be more expensive (not a deal breaker and it will get better but at the start it does raise your weekly food bill).

Work toward eliminating sugars (in all forms), grains, processed foods in general, and probably most important, HFCS and "refined" flours.

Yes, it means giving up the sweets and pasta.
" But, I'll never be able to give up pizza and pasta"

Probably 99% of LC "newbies" have said it (myself included) and maybe not 99% but an amazingly high percentage of those, after a few weeks say, "I never would have believed I could but I really don't miss them that much" - so there IS light at the end of the tunnel.

Focus as much as possible on "real" food (the stuff NOT in the middle aisles of the market).

Look to the food diaries of those who have opened their's for ideas and "menus" of what they are consuming daily to meet their goals.

I'm not a big fan of many of the "magic" potions but if they work for you (or anyone else) to get you close to your targets, that's fine. Adding items like butter, heavy cream, olive oil, selecting "full fat" meats and dairy, can go a long way to meeting your daily fat numbers. (AND 75/25 hamburger meat is not only cheaper than 95/5 but it actually TASTES like the hamburgers you remember from your youth - juicy, tasty, delicious). Add bacon, hamburger, sausage, to your omelettes and ENJOY the eggs without guilt.

Dietary fat DOES NOT make you fat,
Dietary cholesterol DOES NOT raise blood cholesterol levels, and,
"more protein" (above MDR levels) is NOT "better" (let alone "necessary"), and,
If the box says "diet", "lo-fat", "heart healthy", "low cholesterol", "2%", or any of the other marketing buzzwords - it's most likely NOT (healthy), leave it on the shelf.

As to that which you (and all of us) have been told over the years by the "experts" I try to keep two things in mind:
1) - almost EVERY SINGLE ONE of them are flat out wrong (and there is now ample, scientific evidence to prove that they are wrong), and,
2) - if one doesn't believe that #1 is true, how do they explain the fact that since the high carb/low fat regimen was imposed (now over 40 years ago) the levels of obesity and rates of diabetes have skyrocketed?