How to use coconut oil for weight loss, why it’s appetite suppressing effects are so powerful, and how much to take per day for best results.
One key to successful and lasting weight loss is to ensure steady blood sugar so that any extreme ups and downs are avoided. Insulin spikes and crashes cause you to fall off the wagon and make a beeline for the junk food aisle at the supermarket or the jumbo bag of chips in your pantry.
How Coconut Oil Supports Weight Loss
How to best steady the blood sugar over long periods of time and between meals? The answer is regular consumption of healthy, satiating nourishing fats of course! Coconut oil for weight loss is the optimal fat to choose for this purpose. The best of the best in this category is organic virgin coconut oil.
The reasons coconut oil is so effective for losing weight, as well as ongoing weight maintenance, are many. First, the plethora of healthy medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCT oils) boosts metabolism for immediate energy. Lauric acid is the most notable of these.
Some research suggests that it supports thyroid function as well. A strong thyroid is essential for achieving a healthy weight.
MCTs Don’t Store as Body Fat
As a bonus, the MCTs in coconut oil don’t end up as stored body fat like longer chain monounsaturated fatty acids sometimes can. Hence, beware of scams that promote industrialized oils like the CLA safflower oil diet for weight loss. More on that below.
Finally, coconut oil is highly anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral which discourages pathogens in the gut from usurping roles ideally performed by probiotics. Research has demonstrated that thin people tend to have a more diverse and beneficial intestinal microbiome than overweight and obese individuals. Hence, using coconut oil can help change that microbial balance for the better over the long term.
Countries that consume high amounts of coconut and coconut oil in their diets such as the Philippines, India, and the Pacific Islands have significantly fewer cases of heart disease and obesity. This strong anthropological evidence clearly disproves any agenda-driven smear campaign against this marvelously healthy oil! Sorry American Heart Association. You’ve totally missed the mark when it comes to coconut oil!
Supermodels are already onto the coconut oil for weight loss secret. Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr has been using coconut oil for years to maintain her enviable figure and won’t go anywhere without it!
Why Coconut Oil Helps You Shed Pounds BETTER than Olive Oil
Olive oil, in particular, should be limited or avoided entirely by those wishing to lose weight!
This is surprising to many people as olive oil is typically the first “healthy oil” that they think of due to the heavy promotion of this Mediterranean oil by conventional doctors and nutritionists.
In fact, a 1994 study published in The Lancet noted that the fatty acid most predominantly found in body fat was monounsaturated fat like that found in high amounts in olive oil!
Could this be why those in Mediterranean countries so often gain weight at middle age?
When choosing a fat to speed up weight loss then, it is best to limit the use of olive oil and other predominantly monounsaturated (omega-9) fats. Popular examples include peanut oil and avocado oil. Be sure to avoid canola oil too, which is usually GMO in addition to weight gain promoting.
Coconut oil for weight loss is the far better choice!
How to Use Coconut Oil to Drop Pounds Fast
Coconut oil naturally solidifies at 76 F/ 24 C so it is best to liquefy it in hot water before consuming as a weight loss aid. It is not to be confused with unrefined cocoa butter, another healthy fat that looks similar and is also solid at room temperature.
Twenty minutes before mealtime is the best time to take your coconut oil as it will significantly reduce appetite and help you to feel full more quickly and be satisfied with smaller portions.
To liquefy, mix 1-2 TBL of coconut oil in a mug and add hot water, bone broth or herbal tea (NOT bulletproof coffee!). Stir to melt and drink. Use the following guidelines to determine how much oil to consume before each meal:
- 90-130 lbs, use 1 TBL coconut oil before each meal for a total of 3 TBL per day.
- 131-180 lbs, use 1.5 TBL coconut oil before each meal for a total of 4.5 TBL per day.
- Over 180 lbs, use 2 TBL coconut oil before each meal for a total of 6 TBL per day.
Alternatively, you can simply eat the coconut oil and let it liquify in your mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. If you are interested in taking coconut oil capsules instead of off the spoon oil for weight loss, the linked article details how many to take and how effective this approach is.
*If you find that the coconut oil makes you a bit queasy at first, try using herbal bitters (this brand is excellent) as an inexpensive remedy to help your liver and gall bladder adjust.
Gamma-Linolenic Acid Supercharges Effects
Be aware that gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is another critical fat necessary for optimal and sustained weight loss. Be sure to include it along with your coconut oil weight loss efforts!
GLA facilitates the process of flushing fat by speeding metabolism like coconut oil. But, it does this in a very different way. GLA stimulates internal “brown fat”. This is the type of fat that is usually dormant in overweight people. Brown fat is also more prevalent in young people and women. As body mass index (BMI) decreases, metabolically active brown fat levels increase. Use your brown fat to your advantage ladies!
GLA is primarily found in organ meats. As a result, unless you eat liver or heart regularly, it is best to supplement with it. The good news is that you only need small amounts. Combined with daily doses of coconut oil, you will achieve the most effective weight loss results.
The best quality GLA supplement is black currant oil capsules. Black currant oil contains sufficient GLA levels. It is also better tolerated than borage oil and is not estrogenic like evening primrose oil. Finally, it has the best overall fatty acid profile of all GLA supplements.
Another idea for helping the weight loss along is to consider combining your coconut oil protocol with a bone broth fast a couple of days a week.
Best Coconut Oil to Get Leaner
Be aware that not all coconut oil is created equal for weight loss purposes!
While coconut oil is very resistant to heat damage, solvents are frequently used to extract it, so sourcing high-quality oil from a reputable company is of paramount importance to avoid any chemical residues.
Using only organic virgin coconut oil therapeutically for your weight loss efforts is a good idea as all the delicate micronutrients in the oil will be preserved and no chemicals will have been used in processing.
To check out coconut oil sources I trust and that have been vetted for quality, be sure to check out my healthy shopping list.
References
Eat Fat, Lose Fat
The Effect of Coconut Oil on Serum Cholesterol Levels and HDLs, by Dr. Mary Enig
More Information
The Harcombe Diet: Can Real Food Take Off Real Weight?
The Keto Diet
How to Implement High Fat Low Carb for Weight Loss
Dukan Diet
When Coconut Oil May Not Be Right for You
MCT Oil Warning
Coconut Oil at Costco
I have a question about the amounts of coconut oil per weight groups, as you lose weight I asume you lower the amounts you take to correspond with that weight range? Thank you.
Yes, good point!
odd. I eat 2 avocados a day usually…and I am quite slender…
Why is that odd?
“If you find that the coconut oil makes you a bit queasy at first, try using herbal bitters as an inexpensive remedy to help your liver and gall bladder adjust.” – Except that coconut oil, because it is a MCFA does not require bile in order to be digested. Which makes it great for people who don’t have gallbladders. I don’t have one, so this oil is like a Godsend to me.
That’s exactly what I was trying to find out. I don’t have a gallbladder either, so I was concerned about whether or not I could consume these large amounts of coconut oil. I’m glad someone brought it up! 🙂
Sarah,
Would taking the coconut oil in pill form be as effective for weight loss?
Thanks.
-Brittany
You would have to take so many to get a decent dose not sure it would be worth it! So much easier to just take off the spoon or mix into some herbal tea. A 750 mg capsule for example, you would need at least 15 capsules to get a single tablespoon.
I have been adding it to my shakes at home trying to help me gain healthy weight… I guess I should use olive oil then instead of coconut? we don’t all want to loose weight 😉 in fact many people with gut issues are underweight and concerned about maintaining or even trying to gain a little
We in Sri Lanka knew it all along…..:)
Happy with my weight at the moment, but I tend to add 5 to 8 pounds over the winter holidays….this should help!
OK,
I am over 180 lbs and need to take 6 tablespoons a day ?
That is an extra 720 calories a day ! A 4 mile run will burn about 400 calories. How do you compensate for the extra calories in your diet ?
720 is a lot to cut in other areas and burning an extra 720 a day is also tough. How do you account for the extra calories going in ?
Stop worrying about calories as not all calories are created equal from a weight perspective. Just do it and note how the fat starts melting off 🙂
Dirk – You are absolutely correct. 6 tablespoons is ridiculous. Coconut Oil is not a magic bullet. It is great to add to your diet, but eating excessive amounts will not “melt the fat off”. 2 tablespoons (30 grams) per day is the recommended amount.
A good measure is 1 Tbsp per 50 lbs body weight per day. One of the blessed things it does is increase bowel elimination, which is a big issue for most ppl, esp if you’re overweight.
I weigh 230 lbs so how much should I take a day?
I take 6 tablespoons a day I am not overweight, feel wonderful lots energy eat lots greens eggs lean meats, never gain any weight did lose about 4 lbs but did not need to lose, love coconut oil