Caloric Defecit vs. Health

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  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    I was not aware that coconut oil promotes fat loss.... I always thought it had to do with a calorie deficit and exercise?
  • marniesworld
    marniesworld Posts: 74 Member
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    LOL, the coconut oil was just an example!!!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    In summary, I guess my overall question was, is it better to always try to stick with as low calories as possible, even if it means cutting something that's "good for you" or do the potential health benefits of an extra or different ingredient outweigh that. I think I got my answer, and that is, that it depends on what my more important goal is - losing weight more quickly, or overall health.

    Since I don't have too terribly much to lose (I'm 5'1, around 137 lbs.), my bigger concern in the immediate is overall health, so I think I'll leave it in. ;-)

    Thanks!

    You should stick with the proper number of calories.
  • marniesworld
    marniesworld Posts: 74 Member
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    I was not aware that coconut oil promotes fat loss.... I always thought it had to do with a calorie deficit and exercise?

    Well that seems a bit unnecessarily snarky! Of COURSE fat loss has to do with a calorie deficit and exercise. That doesn't mean that something else might not promote fat loss as well. I was just mentioning something I'd read in passing, to help explain why I used coconut oil as a hypothetical example. Many of you seemed to immediately jump to the idea that I'm a terrible planner who got myself into a situation at the end of the night where I was going to cry if I couldn't use a tablespoon of coconut oil. That's not what the case. :-)

    Hopefully my second post explained my point, and what I was asking, a little better.
  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
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    I mean, I think it depends on what your overall calorie goal and deficits are. If you're trying to eat 1200 calories every day and you're restricting healthy fats in order to meet that goal...eat the healthy thing, because your deficit is large enough to allow for it.

    If your goal deficit is already a small percentage off your TDEE, you don't have as much room for added things, and you might need to subtract elsewhere.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    That doesn't mean that something else might not promote fat loss as well.
    Yes it does mean that. I am not trying to be snarky, but the context of your statement is "outside of exercise and restricting calories" and no magic fat burning food has ever been proven to work.
  • pamelak5
    pamelak5 Posts: 327 Member
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    False dilemma. Another perfectly valid option is to forego something that is less nutritious.
  • Whiskybelly
    Whiskybelly Posts: 197 Member
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    I saw this as asking "Do what makes you happy and healthy, or sad and sick."

    It's a lifestyle change, not something that you should suffer through. I'd find a way of having it, even if that means going over my allowance by a little bit.
  • marniesworld
    marniesworld Posts: 74 Member
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    That doesn't mean that something else might not promote fat loss as well.
    Yes it does mean that. I am not trying to be snarky, but the context of your statement is "outside of exercise and restricting calories" and no magic fat burning food has ever been proven to work.

    My statement said I used coconut oil as an example because I read somewhere that it promoted fat loss (meaning it might combat the extra calories a bit more than something like peanut butter, which is also "good for you" but is NOT known to promote fat loss). Just a comment made in passing, trying to make my example clearer, not as an end all-be all statement on exactly what coconut oil does. Not sure how that implied that it was outside of exercising and restricting calories. I think it's clear from my first post that I AM restricting calories. I do work out, although in fairness you had no way of knowing that. I tried to explain myself better the second time around, but I guess that didn't work either.

    So, for my cooking with butter/coconut oil example - Coconut oil is higher in calories but "better" for you. Which would you choose, personally? That is essentially exactly what I was asking. Probably should've given that example to begin with.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    That doesn't mean that something else might not promote fat loss as well.
    Yes it does mean that. I am not trying to be snarky, but the context of your statement is "outside of exercise and restricting calories" and no magic fat burning food has ever been proven to work.

    My statement said I used coconut oil as an example because I read somewhere that it promoted fat loss (meaning it might combat the extra calories a bit more than something like peanut butter, which is also "good for you" but is NOT known to promote fat loss). Just a comment made in passing, trying to make my example clearer, not as an end all-be all statement on exactly what coconut oil does. Not sure how that implied that it was outside of exercising and restricting calories. I think it's clear from my first post that I AM restricting calories. I do work out, although in fairness you had no way of knowing that. I tried to explain myself better the second time around, but I guess that didn't work either.

    So, for my cooking with butter/coconut oil example - Coconut oil is higher in calories but "better" for you. Which would you choose, personally? That is essentially exactly what I was asking. Probably should've given that example to begin with.
    The reason it implied outside of calories restriction and exercise is because you mentioned those in the previous sentence, so I inferred that "something else" meant something else. Anyway, I did not meant to pick on you about semantic differences. My point is that IMO there is not a food that is healthy enough to justify going over your calorie goal to eat it.

    ETA - If butter would fit in the calorie goal and coconut oil would not, I would choose butter.
  • marniesworld
    marniesworld Posts: 74 Member
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    My point is that IMO there is not a food that is healthy enough to justify going over your calorie goal to eat it.

    ETA - If butter would fit in the calorie goal and coconut oil would not, I would choose butter.

    That answers my question perfectly. Thank you.
  • Rachelphobia
    Rachelphobia Posts: 60
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    For something that small you can always go for a short walk and burn it off. If it was going to put me more than 200 calories over I probably would not do it.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
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    Put it in and then drop and go for a nice little run/body weight workout.
    Or maybe go out dancing.
    Or play some Kinect games.
    Or just figure that the 150 cals I was under my goal yesterday cancels out my overage today.

    I try not to focus on my daily number as much as I do my 7 day average. Most days I am under, and that 10-200 less each day for 5 out of 7 means I have a little moral wiggle room when I want a beer or 2 at the end of the day, as I still wind up under my rolling weekly goal.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,835 Member
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    So, for my cooking with butter/coconut oil example - Coconut oil is higher in calories but "better" for you. Which would you choose, personally? That is essentially exactly what I was asking. Probably should've given that example to begin with.

    coconut oil as I like the taste better. I would make either fit into my daily goals though. The theory behind coconut oil increases fat burning is that because a portion of it is a medium chain tryglyceride as opposed to long chain like most fats it can be broken down quicker and less likely to be stored. I'm unaware of any studies that have proven this though.
  • volume77
    volume77 Posts: 670 Member
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    put down the coconut oil and have an oreo.

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