How are you incorporating coconut oil into your diet/macros.

Jen800
Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
Hey everyone!

I have a huge jar of coconut oil that I use for pretty much... everything. BUT I have yet to cook or consume it. I know that the fats in coconut oil differ from that of other foods and are composed differently, but I'm not sure whether or not to take the plunge and go over my macro for fat simply because it is processed differently than other fats. Do you do this? It would be impossible to stay under fat and still eat coconut oil for me.

So, if you eat it, do you count it as an "exception" ?
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Replies

  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Fat is fat, and you log it as such. Coconut oil doesn't have magical properties that somehow make it a freebie for dietary purposes.
  • Jen800
    Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
    Fat is fat, and you log it as such. Coconut oil doesn't have magical properties that somehow make it a freebie for dietary purposes.

    true. But it does have differences in makeup that change the way it is digested, which is why I asked.
  • LeanneGoingThin
    LeanneGoingThin Posts: 215 Member
    I only use it for cooking. It's one of the better fats to use for cooking. I wouldn't eat it though, but mainly because it doesn't taste THAT great.
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
    I only use it for cooking
  • zaftiggirl
    zaftiggirl Posts: 82 Member
    Coconut oil is my favorite! I will sometimes coat pieces of chicken breast in coconut flour with a little salt and garlic, and then fry in just a bit of coconut oil... seriously amazing. I really like coconut though. I also will use that instead of butter on non-gmo popcorn.
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
    I use coconut oil (bought from Costco) in my baking and cooking, also use olive oil in baking. Tend to stay away from corn oil and most definitely canola and any oil that have soy in.

    I love the flavour of the end product, especially in baking that comes from the coconut oil.
  • Jen800
    Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
    Thanks guys :) Do any of you notice any specific health benefits that come with switching to coconut oil for cooking? A lot of people say it made a major impact on their lives.
  • genchan
    genchan Posts: 28
    If you eat oatmeal, add one or two teaspoon of it.
  • trudsean
    trudsean Posts: 5
    I have it on toast sooooo nice...i eat it as is as good as if not better than olive oil and speeds up metabolism and burns fat faster ...is antibacterial and anti fungal ....i use instead of butter i even pop in rice and quinoa and my daughter uses as a prewash conditioner for her hair :)
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    I have it on toast sooooo nice...i eat it as is as good as if not better than olive oil and speeds up metabolism and burns fat faster ...is antibacterial and anti fungal ....
    I'm afraid there is no evidence for any of those claims. It's not magical it's just a fat
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I use it to moisturize my dog's dry skin - works perfectly! I do have a cake recipe I'm gonna try it in, but I haven't gotten around to it. Of course I would count it if I ate it. It's not exactly a celery stick, ya know. :laugh:
  • Alwayssohungry
    Alwayssohungry Posts: 369 Member
    I try to use it whenever possible when baking. I replace the butter in the recipe with equal parts coconut oil. My mother turned me onto it. My dad had a stroke and their nutritionist, Maggie Davis (she's written some books), suggested incorporating coconut oil into their diet and his memory and brain function massively improved after adding this to their diet.
  • mollymorgan27
    mollymorgan27 Posts: 1 Member
    I use it in my coffee with a little rice milk, instead of creamer. I love it! I do count it as a fat, but I am ok with that as I know it is a good for me fat.
  • Fat is fat, and you log it as such. Coconut oil doesn't have magical properties that somehow make it a freebie for dietary purposes.
    Whoa... not even close. Try getting all your fats from trans fats and take a look at your body composition. It won't be good.

    Also.. coconut oil doesn't have Omega 3s, so get plenty of coconut oil (it's awesome), but be sure and get some omega 3s mixed in with your fat intake too. Saturated fats are good too. They boost testosterone.

    And I wouldn't ever worry about going over my macros on healthy fats by 10 or 20. Your body needs fat to burn fat.
  • norahwynn
    norahwynn Posts: 862 Member
    I put a couple teaspoons in my coffee in the morning, I use it to pop popcorn, my oatmeal and I've used it in a few saute's. I use it as a part of my weekly deep conditioning for my hair. I also put a little bit on the ends of my hair after each wash and before I blow dry. It has also replaced my lotion and face moisturizer (which has saved me a lot of money, as my face moisturizer was $30 alone). You just need to make sure that you put it on your skin/hair right after you get out of the shower, as it's not a moisturizer, but it locks in moisture.

    I've started all this about 3 months ago, and though i don't notice any internal health benefits, i feel better using this rather than butter or margarine. As far as using it on my face and hair...my skin is much more smoother, and tiny lines have literally disappeared from my face. For my hair, I have far less breakage on my ends.
  • Dr_Waffles
    Dr_Waffles Posts: 141 Member
    I just wonder if coconut oil is the most awesome placebo effect ever. So don't knock it if it works for some people.
  • cujina
    cujina Posts: 7
    It's really nice on rice... :)

    Also love it to saute veggies in...

    As far as the flavor, I think it's light and slightly buttery... I enjoy it. It's also a lot more durable than olive oil at different temperatures. It doesn't break down as easily.

    There's been a lot of doctors that rave about it. I wouldn't start drinking it by the cup full though... But, if you enjoy it - it definitely can't hurt.
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
    I use it for everything, from cooking eggs, to baking muffins, to soothing my chapped lips. I also pop my popcorn with it, and use it for sauteing just about everything because it has a very high smoke point. It's a good source of Omega 6, and you can use 1/4 less than you would use for butter in your recipes. So for instance if something for some ungodly reason were to call for a cup of butter, you could use 3/4 of a cup of coconut oil instead.
  • Bettyeditor
    Bettyeditor Posts: 327 Member
    Hey everyone!

    I have a huge jar of coconut oil that I use for pretty much... everything. BUT I have yet to cook or consume it. I know that the fats in coconut oil differ from that of other foods and are composed differently, but I'm not sure whether or not to take the plunge and go over my macro for fat simply because it is processed differently than other fats. Do you do this? It would be impossible to stay under fat and still eat coconut oil for me.

    So, if you eat it, do you count it as an "exception" ?

    First of all, I'm curious what you are doing with your coconut oil if you use it for "everything" but you don't cook with it or eat it! :noway:

    Anyhoo, I had the same problem as you: I was afraid to go over on fats even though they were good fats. My cholesterol was slightly elevated so I spent months being RELIGIOUS about keeping my sat fat in the single digits and staying under my fat goal in MFP. And my cholesterol only got worse. :cry: Then I FINALLY started listening to my doctor and nutritionist who both kept telling me to NOT LIMIT MY FAT CONSUMPTION but to just focus on eating LOTS of GOOD fats. I had such a hangup about it that I had to HIDE my fat and sat fat columns in MFP, haha. I replaced them with potassium and sodium columns. And guess what? After about 8 weeks of eating wild-caught salmon and tuna at least 4-8 times a week and eating avocados every week and lots of seeds and nuts and ground flax seeds and chia seeds every day and walnuts and peanut butter and lots and LOTS of extra virgin olive oil all over my foods (and yes I use coconut oil every time I use my frying pan and I drink coconut milk too), I FINALLY saw my cholesterol numbers improve and stay normal! With NO medication! Yay!

    So yes, take the plunge. Remember, if you stay under a calorie goal, what will happen when you eat more good fats is that it will change your macro ratios. I used to eat about 50% carbs and about 20% protein, 30% fat. Now (without tracking, just looking back at the end of the week) I usually end up at 35% fats and only 45% carbs, yay! And eating more fats has led to more protein too so sometimes I'm also up to almost 25% protein and my carbs have gotten down to almost 40%! Yay!

    These changes have improved my health so much, and helped my blood sugar too (I have reversed my diabetes too with diet). :flowerforyou:
  • Bettyeditor
    Bettyeditor Posts: 327 Member
    Hey everyone!

    I have a huge jar of coconut oil that I use for pretty much... everything. BUT I have yet to cook or consume it. I know that the fats in coconut oil differ from that of other foods and are composed differently, but I'm not sure whether or not to take the plunge and go over my macro for fat simply because it is processed differently than other fats. Do you do this? It would be impossible to stay under fat and still eat coconut oil for me.

    So, if you eat it, do you count it as an "exception" ?

    By the way, if you are using the MFP defaults for your macros... well they are retarded. Most people end up changing them. You can change your goals (pick Custom instead of automatic). A lot of people change their goals to 40/30/30 carbs/fat/protein. Personally, I set mine to 45/35/20 carbs/fats/protein. I also set my potassium goal higher, my sodium goal lower, and my fiber goal MUCH higher. (I sometime hit 60+ grams fiber a day, which is a good thing so why go red? LOL)