Coconut Oil and Weight Loss

Options
24

Replies

  • Brwnsugar_80
    Brwnsugar_80 Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    .... My calorie count daily is way down compared to two years ago and since I started with the coconut oil, I was wondering if that was why i struggle to eat at least 1200 calories a day.

    If your diary for the last five days is accurate, you aren't anywhere near 1200 - you didn't go above 850! and one day was only 575. NO ONE on here is going to advocate this type of low calorie consumption because it is very dangerous to your health. That being said, in those days I glanced at in your diary, I didn't see any coconut oil logged. So, either you are consuming more than you think or you just didn't use any coconut oil on those days. Whatever the case, you need to eat much more than you are currently eating. Seriously!

    I know I'm trying to force myself to eat more and I do cook with coconut oil, just not logging it. I'm not endorsing anyone to eat as low as I am for the past few days which is the reason why I'm trying to get opinions. I'm not sick just don't have an appetite lately. Maybe it'll go away but I was trying to see if others experienced this as well when switching over to coconut oil. Trust me if I could, I would eat more!
  • CLM1227
    CLM1227 Posts: 61 Member
    Options
    Well - healthy fats do increase satisfaction and decrease appetite... so there is that.
  • blaccoffee
    blaccoffee Posts: 26 Member
    Options
    Coconut oil contains MCT's. The benefits of MCT's are what make coconut oil so great.

    http://authoritynutrition.com/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/
  • BigLifter10
    BigLifter10 Posts: 1,151 Member
    Options
    I use refined coconut oil by Spectrum brand. My favorite use for it is in the morning to put in the pan for eggs. Doesn't matter whether I scramble or fry them, the oil makes the eggs have a better texture - they seem more "full-bodied" if that makes sense. I only use less than a teaspoon for the pan. I have also used it in place of butter on multi-grain toast (not the same day as eggs though) and several other food items.

    I also use it on my skin if it is feeling dry. It is great to take a little and mix it with a regular body lotion....gives the lotion extra kick and staying power.

    I also love unrefined coconut oil for certain baked goods.

    As far as losing weight with it: I think it helps with my own satiety levels. Since I started using it, it seems like my hunger just seems more moderate compared to prior.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,732 Member
    Options
    Here's a nice guide to cooking oils. The type of oil you use will depend on the temperature you're planning to heat it to. Some are not suitable for frying or sauteeing or even baking at higher temps.

    http://myowndirtroad.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/spectrums-kitchen-guide-to-uses-types-and-smoke-points.jpg
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,967 Member
    Options
    It's just fat with a tropical taste.....if you like it, fine, but it doesn't come with unicorns or rainbows.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
    Options
    neanderthin wrote: »
    It's just fat with a tropical taste.....if you like it, fine, but it doesn't come with unicorns or rainbows.

    Thankful you are wrong because it is more than "just fat". :)

    neanderthin you really need to learn what is in coconut oil.

  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    Options
    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    It's just fat with a tropical taste.....if you like it, fine, but it doesn't come with unicorns or rainbows.

    Thankful you are wrong because it is more than "just fat". :)

    neanderthin you really need to learn what is in coconut oil.

    What is it, then? Please enlighten.

  • mike_ny
    mike_ny Posts: 351 Member
    Options
    Coconut oil is great stuff. I use it all the time for frying eggs and making popcorn. The popcorn with coconut oil tastes just like the old time popcorn that movie theaters had before the demonizing of fats in general and specifically saturated ones.

    Use it in place of other calories and not too much in addition to them.
    Medium Chain Triglycerides are burned up quickly like carbs, but without the insulin spikes that carbs can have. They're actually one of the very few fatty acids that can cross the blood brain barrier to be used as fuel for the brain, so you can definitely use it to replace some of the carbs in your diet. Longer chains are too big so the brain normally is limited to glucose and keytones for energy.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    Options
    Coconut oil has nothing to do with your abdominal belly fat.

    Coconut oil (14g): 117 calories, 14 g fat. Olive oil (14g): 119 calories, 14 g fat.

    Of that fat, coconut oil is high in saturated fat (bad). Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat (good). This is a vast oversimplification.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
    Options
    OdesAngel wrote: »
    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    It's just fat with a tropical taste.....if you like it, fine, but it doesn't come with unicorns or rainbows.

    Thankful you are wrong because it is more than "just fat". :)

    neanderthin you really need to learn what is in coconut oil.

    What is it, then? Please enlighten.

    https://www.google.com/#q=what+is+in+coconut+oil

    OdesAngel what mike_ny posted is very good. If you want other thoughts open the google link above .
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    Options
    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    OdesAngel wrote: »
    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    It's just fat with a tropical taste.....if you like it, fine, but it doesn't come with unicorns or rainbows.

    Thankful you are wrong because it is more than "just fat". :)

    neanderthin you really need to learn what is in coconut oil.

    What is it, then? Please enlighten.

    https://www.google.com/#q=what+is+in+coconut+oil

    OdesAngel what mike_ny posted is very good. If you want other thoughts open the google link above .

    From one of the more well respected sources from that link, Web MD...
    Coconut oil, according to recent reports, is the latest food cure-all. Claims abound that coconut oil is a health food that can cure everything from poor immune function, thyroid disease, and heart disease, to obesity, cancer, and HIV.

    So should you stock up on coconut oil? Not so fast.

    The evidence that coconut oil is super-healthful is not convincing and these claims appear to be more testimonials than clinical evidence.

    There is very limited evidence on disease outcomes, says Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, of Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health. "All that has been studied well is the impact of coconut oil on cholesterol levels and the findings are intriguing but we still don't know if it is harmful or beneficial," Mozaffarian says.

    Neither the American Heart Association (AHA) nor the U.S. government's 2010 Dietary Guidelines suggest that coconut oil is any better or preferable over other saturated fats. Coconut oil, like all saturated fats, should be limited to 7%-10% of calories because it can increase risk for heart disease, according to the AHA and 2010 Dietary Guidelines.
    Is Coconut Oil Better Than Other Fats and Oils?

    "Coconut oil is better than butter and trans fats but not as good as liquid vegetable oils," says Penn State University cardiovascular nutrition researcher Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD.

    Mozaffarian agrees that coconut oil is better than partially hydrogenated trans fats and possibly animal fats.

    "But even though coconut oil is cholesterol-free, it is still a saturated fat that needs to be limited in the diet and if you are looking for real health benefits, switch from saturated fats to unsaturated fats by using vegetable oils like soybean, canola, corn, or olive oil," says Kris-Etherton, a member of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines advisory committee and Institute of Medicine's panel on dietary reference intakes for macronutrients (which include fats).

    Not saying it's bad...I love the stuff...but what neanderthin said is basically correct...it's just fat. It's not a magical potion...but go on ahead and believe Dr. Oz if you wish.

    For the record, I also don't believe that saturated fats need to be limited either...but WebMD was the most reputible source on that google link...I really don't care what wikipedia or mamwellness's blog or whatever have to say about such things....

  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
    Options
    OdesAngel wrote: »
    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    neanderthin wrote: »
    It's just fat with a tropical taste.....if you like it, fine, but it doesn't come with unicorns or rainbows.

    Thankful you are wrong because it is more than "just fat". :)

    neanderthin you really need to learn what is in coconut oil.

    What is it, then? Please enlighten.


    Yes please. And let's stick to sources that aren't selling the stuff KTHXBYE
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
    Options
    neanderthin wrote: »
    It's just fat with a tropical taste.....if you like it, fine, but it doesn't come with unicorns or rainbows.

    ^This...

    I use and love coconut oil. Nothing special as far as a fat burner though. If only...

  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
    Options
    http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/100713p56.shtml

    For these looking for what makes coconut oil fats better than say vegetable oil in a technical sense in a real world where losing fat can be hard. Chase down the references at the bottom of the article. Some of you may understand how wrong you are to not intelligently approach the subject.

    Coconut oil is not magic but the human body can treat a calorie from coconut oil different from most other types of fats.
  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
    Options
    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/100713p56.shtml

    For these looking for what makes coconut oil fats better than say vegetable oil in a technical sense in a real world where losing fat can be hard. Chase down the references at the bottom of the article. Some of you may understand how wrong you are to not intelligently approach the subject.

    Coconut oil is not magic but the human body can treat a calorie from coconut oil different from most other types of fats.

    Holy crappy study Batman.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874190/

    Self-reported data, no standard diets (calories were matched but nothing else was controlled for), and the coconut oil group weighed on average 2kg more than the control. The difference in weight loss between the groups barely reached statistical significance. Plugging the baseline stats into the Harris-Benedict equation closely predicts the difference in weight loss between the groups.

    The rest of the references were tiny studies in low-impact journals. Not even worth studying.

    The fact that the author of the linked article is studying to be a naturopath hardly inspired confidence either.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
    Options
    GaleHawkins wrote: »
    Coconut oil is not magic but the human body can treat a calorie from coconut oil different from most other types of fats.

    I like coconut oil but sadly, no it does not...

  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 874 Member
    Options
    After this discussion my understanding is,
    • coconut oil may or may not help weight loss
    • If it does help weight loss, it is an extremely small contribution compared to overall calorie control
    • If your daily fats intake is within the suggested limits, you are doing great
    • Use coconut oil if you like
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
    Options
    ukaryote the daily fats intake suggested is 80% with protein at 15% and the rest good to the best types of carbs.

    I get fat from eating too many carbs not overdoing protein and fat. I do not have to eat any carbs to be health. Since for humans carbs are optional and they are the main cause of my weight gain it is not rocket science that is what I would cut down on or stop eating to lose weight.

    Coconut oil is my choice of fat since it is 62% MCT or Medium Chain Triglycerides and gets processed directly by the liver into ketone bodies for the muscles and the brain to burn for energy.

Categories