Coconut Oil - Weight loss or gain?

[tweety]

Okay so last night i went to a local raw food potluck in my local community and i asked one of the organizers/chefs about weight loss.

She said to eat as gourmet as possible like i'm not dieting (i dont treat raw foods as a starvation diet anyway) and she also said to add more coconut oil and i would drop 20lbs in a month..

Ive been searching on the forums and found conflicting info on coconut oil.
some on here say it helps with weight loss and others say for gain.

i have problems that make it a challenge for me to work out which is wny i cant get much physical activity. the summer is around the corner and i dont want to blow my cash on new clothes for to suit the weather. ive got to fit in my old clothes!!! so my reasons for weight loss are not all in the name of vanity :p

my average daily food consumption includes the following types:

Kombucha
Water
Fresh fruits
green salads
occasional green smoothies
small amounts of nuts
olive oil
celtic sea salt (just switched to this)
lots of fresh veggies
avocadoes (approx 3-4 per week)

Non raw
meat 1-2 xs a week (im not 100%)
occasional bread/crackers
miso soup




so which is it? any testimonies?
i dont want to load up on something and blow up like a balloon :rolleyes:

[punkspirit]

;) My first suggestion would be to give up the meat!!
And then the cracker/bread stuff...

Maybe some tofu/substitute instead for the meat if you feel the need for it...

No idea about coconut oil... I mean its FAT:rolleyes:

[tweety]

Hi,
I am well aware of that.
i quite coffee 2 months ago and just quit smoking 2 weeks ago. a big feat.
i am not yet ready to give up meat.
I will give up the meat eventually, but I dont think 1-2 xs a week has a huge bearing on weight gain. its all a matter of making more nutloafs and replacements to satisfy cravings.

I am not asking for things i shouldnt give up. I am asking about what i should ADD granted with the rest of my diet in perspective but also knowing that i am gradually moving towards a raw food lifestyle.
With time the reductions of the bad stuff will come. 100% may be right for YOU but its not something that is right for me at this moment. While I can appreciate and admire others for the whole concept of being 100%, but its also important to respect that others on this board may be at a different place in their own raw journey. Being told to give up things our parents raised us on and stuff we have eaten all our lives is not easy!!! Some on here have been vegetarian all their lives and have absolutley no idea what its like on the other side.

some folks on here have said coconut oil helped? ive seen conflicting info and thats what im asking about.

thanks

[Solace]

YES YES YES TO COCONUT OIL FOR SOOOOOO MANY REASONS !!!!http://www.piccadillybooks.com/coconut-oil-audio.htm

[Solace]

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=23967

[dreamrawalwz]

SOO many people come to my HFS for cocnut oil and apple cider vinegar. For what reason you may ask? Weightloss.

[SmilingRawDancer]

Not to be a nay-sayer, but I started adding coconut oil to my smoothies once a day (1 tablespoon), and on the days I didn't I'd eat a young coconut.

I gained weight. Now I can't get it off.

Just saying :)

[rawbeliever]

me too, gained a little weight since adding coconut oil.

[Sunshine9]

I don't know if coconut oil is a gain or loss food. In most people, I think it's loss. Try it and see how it works in your body.

I totally respect your method of going raw. The more good raw stuff you add, the rest will fall away naturally. rock on

[hypnocmt]

If you MUSt eat meat, please be sure it is organic and free range. Other commercial meats are beyond toxic, and will mess up your hormonal balance like you wouldn't believe. Nothing ruins weight reduction efforts like hormonal imbalance, so if you are not already eating organic, your will be happy with the benefits of switching.

Coconut oil did NOT help my weight loss efforts, nor did it cause me to gain. I have a vat of it left over, and will use it to moisturize my elbows and heels. lol.

Can you sub a low-sodium miso or no-sodium broth for your regular miso? Excess sodium can slow down weight reduction considerably.

Spirulina has always been a reliable friend whenever I need to drop weight. It fills me up, satisfies my protein cravings and really gives me a nice steady energy. I really really seems to satisfy me to the point of almost suppressing appetite. If I have it in a morning smoothie, I can go from 8am until 3 pm without any desire to eat anything else. This is amazing considering days like today. I did a 3 hour hypno regression session and then a 3 hour deep tissue massage, back to back. Should have been exhausting. All I had for fuel was a spirulina/strawberry/hemp milk smoothie, about 5 grapes and 2-3 almonds (from 8am-noon, then work straight thru for 6 hours!)

Adding thermogenic spices like cumin, cayenne, turmeric, and hot peppers to your meals helps. In my case I notice that drinking 2-3 glasses of lemon water each day really helps too.

Yoga with lotsa twists to wring out the digestive system works wonders.

[eatyourbroccoli]

coconut oil isnt stored as fat. its digested in a completely different manner, and provides you with close to the "instant fuel" that carbs do.

plus, its incredibly healing.

do it do it do it :D



Since coconut oil contains mostly 8,10,and 12 carbon chain triglycerides (medium chain triglycerides), instead of being digested and traveling in the blood stream as explained above, these medium chain fatty acids are absorbed into the portal vein and transported directly into the liver without requiring lipase or bile salts for digestion. In the liver, these medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) support the immune system and help to cleanse the body of pathogens, toxins, etc. These supportive actions continue as the MCTs travel through the lymphatic system to the rest of the body.

Since the medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil do not travel in the blood stream they have never been shown to contribute to heart disease, provided the oil has not been hydrogenated. People without gall bladders or who cannot digest food well, especially people who cannot digest fats (such as people with cystic fibrosis) can and will thrive on coconut oil. Doctors doing research have known for a long time that the elderly, invalids and the very young thrive on formulas that contain coconut oil. Products like baby formula and Ensure use to be made with coconut oil. Sadly, even these items have fallen victim to the propaganda we have received over the last 50 years.
As the medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil travel throughout the body they are actually anti microbial compounds. For example, Lauric acid, which makes up 48-57% of coconut oil, becomes 2 mono-lauren in the gut. 2-mono-lauren dissolves the lipid envelope that protects most pathogenic bacteria and viruses. It also attacks pathogenic yeast and parasites. Lauric acid contained in a human mother's breast milk is one of the major reasons nursing infants have a high resistance to getting sick. Lauric acid in the diet will have the same effect, regardless of age. Its anti microbial properties have been helping people for thousands of years.
Coconut oil, because it is smaller than the standard storage unit, is burned for energy rather than stored. This tends to increase the bodies metabolism. People with under-active thyroid glands often discover their basal temperature becomes normal from coconut oil use, especially when combined with a health diet and life-style.http://www.regaininghealthnaturally.com/Coconut_Information/Health_Benefits_of_Coconut_Oil.shtml

[Solace]

thank-you Eatyourbroccoli, I Do Feel Like Its Helping Me Feel Both Satisfied And Helping Lose Weight.;)

[Tinacampy]

To be honest, I lost all my weight on SAD including meat - mostly organic, but not all. Every body is different, but to say you can't lose weight when you're eating meat is nonsense. I dont' eat meat now b/c for me, it was time to let it go, but you can lose weight eating meat. It's about losing it slowly and teh right way...

Anyway, when I did my program (I won't mention it by name just in case) to lose weight, there were a few things that really helped me.

1. eat often and keep satisfaction level constant -never stuffed, never starving

2. make sure you eat ENOUGH for your body weight. Every time you lose 25 lbs, cut a few calories out of your diet. At first I wasnt' eating enough - and I wasn't losing. once I added a little more food to my diet, I started losing 1-2 lbs per week. i know, it sounds counterintuitive... Your daily food list seems really low-calorie to me - how many calories are you consuming daily?

3. don't let food control you - bad vs good, cheating vs. eating, etc... try to stay positive and think of food as just food...

4. try not to obsess w/ the scale. weigh only ONLY ONLY once a week. :) no exceptions...

5. drink your water.

I really hope this helps. Good luck!
Tina

[Missrawdiva]

A good book to read is:

The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife.
I got mine from Amazon.com

[tweety]

thanks for all the great support in here. i have a few recipes to include coconut oil and even milk or just shavings.

it sounds like everyone's body reacts differently... boo hoo!
i may just try the risk but that would also include going more high raw.
now i think of it... i dont think im getting enough fats or oils. but hmm that is coming also in the form of nuts.

still workin through this plantar faciitis and back pain. im gonna start doing more yoga this week.

at least my puffy fatty deposits on my upper cheeks under my eyes are going away! LOL! so i am noticing some measurable differences... with detox as well.

now exuse me while i go snack on blueberries and blackberries YUM!

[rawstrawberry]

I know for me weight gain but mmm the coconut butter is so good!


thanks for all the great support in here. i have a few recipes to include coconut oil and even milk or just shavings.

it sounds like everyone's body reacts differently... boo hoo!
i may just try the risk but that would also include going more high raw.
now i think of it... i dont think im getting enough fats or oils. but hmm that is coming also in the form of nuts.

still workin through this plantar faciitis and back pain. im gonna start doing more yoga this week.

at least my puffy fatty deposits on my upper cheeks under my eyes are going away! LOL! so i am noticing some measurable differences... with detox as well.

now exuse me while i go snack on blueberries and blackberries YUM!

[hypnocmt]

Tweety,

Back pain coupled with plantar fasciitis is classic kidney stuff (all run along he bladder and kidney meridiens.)

You may find it helpful to grab a rubber ball or tennis ball and roll in along the "seam" of your calf muscles, the muscles in your low back, just to the side of the spine, the center of each hamstring...Start at the low back and work going downward, muscle group by muscle group. End by roling the ball among the underside of your foot.

really do it with good, firm, but comfortable pressure until you actually feel that the muscles have "let go" noticeably.

In my bodywork practice, loosening the hamstrings and calves is priority number one in treating Plantar facsciitis, b/c the plantar fascia is kind of like an extension of the calf muscles and achilles tendon.

good luck with your fitness goals!

[belinda]

I talked to someone who has been raw for 30 years and he said to have coconut everyday for my eczema. As in eating coconuts, drinking coconut mylk, having coconut oil. As long as you are getting a good coconut oil and not just from the supermarket, which may not be really raw.

I did lose 20 pounds in about a month and a half when I went raw 3 months ago. I'm a average build, didn't have to lose that much anyway.

I always liked what victoria boutenko said,to just follow your instincts on what you want. your body knows what it wants and needs.

[vitavegan]

maybe just try starting out with a small amount of coconut oil daily like a table spoon or something.

I just started EATING coconut oil (i use it as a skin moisturizer instead) and i think the fat content makes me a little ill (gives me a head ache) BUT it is delicious and I think I might be eating too much.

Here's a yummy coconut oil recipe:

thee table spoons coconut oil
a tablespoon raw agave nectar
raw carob to taste

mix it up in a bowl, put it in the freezer or fridge until nice and cold....ENJOY! mm so good it's almost sinful. :D

[Rawzula]

I oil pull with coconut oil. Rarely do I eat it.

[So Delightedly Raw]

In order to stop losing weight, I substituted the many bananas in my diet with coconut oil and shredded coconut plus nut butter or one avocado each day. It worked -- I stopped losing weight.

I was, however, quite satisfied and energetic with the bananas. (I eat mostly green smoothies with the above.) :)

I do work out a lot also.

[VeggieMel]

Coconut oil makes the back of my throat itch. I love hearing about the health benefits of it, but I'm not sure if I should be consuming it or not.

Rhazula, what do you mean you "oil pull" with coconut oil?