Coconut oil in my coffee- making me RAVENOUS

Sailorwind

I've been hearing and reading a lot about coconut oil lately, both for health and beauty. Since I seem to be at a plateau, I decided to try adding a tablespoon of coconut oil to my coffee in the morning to see if the MCTs would have any success in speeding up my metabolism. As I generally don't have a problem eating below my 1400 calories alotted a day, I didn't think I'd have a problem using 120 of them for the coconut oil.

While I am certainly feeling some of the advertised side effects of the coconut oil, mainly the energy and heat flashes, the claim I seem to NOT be finding true for me is that the CO will keep me fuller longer. In fact, I'm finding the opposite - I am ravenous all the time. With the exception of "that time of the month" occasionally, I haven't had cravings like this since I started eating healthy.

Has anyone else had this happen to them where the CO made them much more hungry? I've only been doing this experiment for about a week so I wanted to give it a few weeks, but I'm worried I'm going to balloon, not because of the CO itself but because it's causing me to eat so much more than I normally do without it. I try to still eat healthy for the cravings, but my strength of will seems to be nill on the coconut oil and it really triggers my sweet/carby tooth.

lauren3101

I used to use coconut oil a lot but it never had that effect on me. Coconut oil in coffee doesn't sound particularly appealing lol.

umachanxo

I wouldn't put coconut oil in coffee - but maybe try just using very small amounts in cooking etc.?

Sailorwind

I don't cook or bake with oil consistently. The only thing I do consistently every day (apart from down a tablespoon of chia seeds, but that method didn't seem appealing with CO) is drink a cup of coffee. From various blogs and boards, this is actually an extremely common way of taking daily CO. I use refined CO since I really can't stand the taste of coconut so my coffee doesn't taste any different or have any sort of different texture, it still just tastes like coffee.

Honestly, the method of taking CO daily was not my concern. I want to know if anyone else has had this effect from the CO and basically if it goes away when my body gets used to it or if it will continue causing me to blimp back up.

ilovedeadlifts

When I was using coconut oil in my coffee, it was keeping me satisfied so I could wait 2 hours before eating. Worked well for me.

haven't heard of it giving the opposite effect, weird.

Sailorwind

The chia seeds have that effect for me, but the CO seems to be counteracting the chia seeds. I hope this means it's speeding up my metabolism, but I'm not sure it's in a good way since it's leaving me so hungry.

AbbsyBabbsy

If it's making you ravenous, stop putting it in your coffee. Problem solved. I have the exact same problem after any coffee, an insanely strong urge to eat eat eat about 30 minutes after drinking it. So I stopped drinking it.

JasonDetwiler

I have not had that effect. Though if I did, I would use it right before I hit the buffet so I could get the most for my money.

cmriverside

I put one TEAspoon of CO in my coffee. I've been doing it for about a year, and it does the opposite for me. It takes the edge off the hunger. Are you using any protein in the coffee, too? I use a half cup of milk and a teaspoon of mixed cinnamon and sugar...I doubt the sugar makes a difference but the milk might.

rachelhohenbrink

I have been using coconut oil for the last 2 years and I don't have this probelm, but I usually put it in my smoothies which usually have banana, coconut milk, hemp seeds and various things depending on the day. Are you eating breakfast or just the coffee and CO? If your not eating breakfat then you should start. Coconut oil is an amazing food and does have so many benefits.

ncahill77

I'm no scientist but it is possible that it is speeding up metabolism, when I start lifing again after doing a couple of months of just cardio I am ravenous, it usually fades after a couple of weeks. How long have you been using the CO?

dym123

I've been putting coconut oil in my hair and haven't noticed a difference. So you're saying I should be cooking with it. Oh.:blushing:

rubyautumn4

I glanced at your diary for today and perhaps you need additional protein in the morning - maybe an egg or something else?

Sailorwind

I suppose it would have been smarter to start with a teaspoon and not a tablespoon... I'll try cutting my amount.

I'm not a huge breakfast person. I don't usually get hungry until about 3-4 hours after I get up, before that the thought of food kind of makes me naseaus, so I just drink a cup of coffee until I'm hungry. Currently, my coffee is made with a little bit of truvia and a little less than a tablespoon of Coffee-mate Natural Bliss. I'm slowly trying to wean myself to black coffee like I did with tea. I do put raw cacao powder, cinnamon and cloves in my grounds, but the cacao seems to be gumming up my drip filter, so I'll try mixing it in straight with the coffee after I use these grounds this week. It's not a large amount of those ingredients, probably about 1/8-1/4 tsp/cup.

When I finally get hungry, I'm at work, so I normally just make some instant oatmeal or eat an apple for breakfast as I don't have a kitchen at work. Also, I'm not the hugest fan of eggs as a dish. I usually take my tablespoon of chia seeds as soon as I get to work which is about an hour before I eat breakfast.

I've only been doing the coconout oil for about a week, and it didn't start making me ravenous until a few days ago. This morning, as is evidenced by my diary, I scarfed down an offered cookie as soon as I walked in the office and a half hour later ate a whole package of Kar's Sweet'n'Salty. I usually can't eat more than half a package in a sitting. The protein in the nuts does not seem to be helping. On Sunday I ate about 800 calories worth of sashimi (almost twice the size of the order I usually can eat), which is a TON of protein, and I was still feeling ravenous an hour later. So I'm going to go out on a limb and say the protein is not helping with this.

cmriverside

Have you adjusted your caloire intake lately? You may just need to be eating more in general. With this in mind, reset your goals:

If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.


As you lose weight, you have to adjust. You may need to eat more than you were when you first started. You can go to Groups and read the "Eat More to Weigh Less" sticky threads, too. It sounds like you need more food, maybe try a protein shake in the morning, or some cheese. Can you add milk to your coffee? I know that makes a big difference to me.

cmriverside

I just took a peak at your diary. With as few pounds as you are trying to lose, you need way more than 1400 calories a day as your base. You are young and you have a job, I'd guess you would be better off at something like 1700-1900 a day to lose.

Here's the Group link, read the top ten threads or so.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

Sailorwind

I just took a peak at your diary. With as few pounds as you are trying to lose, you need way more than 1400 calories a day as your base. You are young and you have a job, I'd guess you would be better off at something like 1700-1900 a day to lose.

Here's the Group link, read the top ten threads or so.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

My BMR is only like 1417 because I'm short. My TDEE was around 1900-2000 last I checked, but that was when I was walking two miles a day 5 days a week. Since then my podiatrist has told me to stop because putting weight on my foot makes it worse and I haven't been good about developing an exercise routine I can do without a gym that does not put weight on my foot. It's not because I can't, it's because I have just been lazy. I'll admit it. When I was walking, I was eating around 1800 calories a day to eat back my workout calories and that averaged to maybe a little less than one pound a week loss. Either way, to lose 1 pound a week now, I need it to be around 1400 as I have become EXTREMELY sedentary due to foot pain. MFP keeps trying to auto change it to 1200 but that's ridiculous.

TaterTotz777

If it's making you ravenous, stop putting it in your coffee. Problem solved.

HA! This ^^

wildfirediva

It may be the type of coconut oil you are using. Louana Coconut oil is super refined and won't have the same benefits as a good quality virgin unrefined that you can find in most health food sections of grocery stores or health food stores.

Yikes...they sell that stuff next to Crisco in the grocery store. The refining process alters the fatty acid profile not giving you the full benefit of Coconut Oil.

If you have to or are willing to give it another try you can also get it in capsule form too. I love the flavor and richness so much I just eat the spoon full straight.

Also after taking a peak at your diary, your daily protein intake appears a bit low. Increasing the amount of protein you get at each meal will help you from getting hungry.

secretlobster

I'm no scientist but

I stopped reading here. I refuse to listen to non-scientists. I don't even know how you registered for this site.

ilovedeadlifts

I have not had that effect. Though if I did, I would use it right before I hit the buffet so I could get the most for my money.

this man. is. a. genius.