I cannot imagine what must have gone through your mind after you read the title of this article. Coconut oil for weight loss? I know you are aware of the many benefits of using coconut oil on the hair and the skin.
So you are probably thinking that the idea of using coconut oil for weight loss is going too far. Well, make no mistake about it; coconut oil can indeed be used for weight loss.
So if you are looking at how to improve your diet for weight loss, adding coconut oil to your diet would be a healthy choice. Coconut oil is not only filling but also boosts your metabolism to burn more calories for weight loss.
You also have a better chance of losing stubborn belly fat when you add coconut oil to your diet.
In this article, I have explained seven unusual ways to lose weight with coconut oil. I have also told how it is possible to lose weight with coconut oil.
Read on to find out what makes coconut oil a useful tool for weight loss and the seven ways you can use coconut oil for weight loss.
How Coconut Oil Aids Weight Loss
Unlike most fat foods that contain long-chain fatty acids, coconut oil consists mainly of Medium Chain Fatty Acids. And these medium-chain fatty acids are broken down differently in the body as compared to the long-chain fats.
During the breakdown process or metabolism of these medium-chain fatty acids, the liver receives them directly from the digestive tract. It converts them immediately into ketone bodies or energy sources.
This means that by adding coconut oil to your diet, your body will produce more ketone bodies. More ketone bodies is an advantage for you since you are looking to lose weight.
More ketone bodies mean that you do not have to eat a lot of carbs (which prevent you from losing weight) to have readily available energy.
The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are quickly converted to energy so that you can do work and burn more calories, even with little carbs in your diet.
This beneficial effect that medium-chain fats have on metabolism also means that you will have little or no fat residue after consuming coconut oil.
It is broken down quickly, so there is no fear of weight gain with the addition of fat (coconut oil) but instead promises of weight loss. Coconut oil is thermogenic.
This means that you tend to expend more energy, that is, burn fats as your body tries to break down coconut oil. Not all foods and macronutrients pass through the same metabolic pathways on the body.
While some are slow in producing energy, others are fast. Coconut oil belongs to the latter category; you burn more calories as your body metabolizes coconut oil. This is one right way that coconut oil aids in weight loss.
Benefits Of Using Coconut Oil For Weight Loss
Adding coconut oil to your diet can help curb your appetite for a long time, such that you consume fewer calories per day. Remember, we mentioned in option “a” that the liver quickly produces ketone bodies during the breakdown of coconut oil.
These ketone bodies have a filling effect and reduce your appetite. It then follows that with coconut oil in your diet, you will consume fewer calories daily due to reduced appetite. And you know that with fewer calorie intake is satisfactory weight loss.
So coconut oil does not only help you burn more calories as we saw earlier, but you will also end up eating fewer calories. And you do not even have to go through the stress of measuring your calorie content for every meal. You include coconut oil in your diet.
Coconut oil can help you lose weight by improving your sleep, and having a tablespoon of coconut oil before bedtime will help you sleep more soundly.
Quality sleep is linked to weight loss because when you sleep enough, you reduce the number of hours you feel hungry, and as such, you will not eat when your body does not need food.
Struggling with insomnia? Instead of falling into the trap of binge eating, take a teaspoon of coconut oil and sleep better.
Studies have shown that including coconut oil in your diet leads to healthy cholesterol levels and a significant reduction of belly fat.
What does that tell you? It means that replacing your cooking oil with coconut oil will result in a healthier heart.
It also means a reduced risk of diabetes, inflammation, and other chronic diseases. The most beautiful thing about adding coconut oil to your diet is that it leads to long-term weight loss.
So long as you combine it with other healthy food choices like proteins and low carbs, you are sure to remain happy as you watch the figure of the weighing scale reduce, and your waist side grows slimmer.
7 Unusual Ways To Use Coconut Oil For Weight Loss
Now that we have understood how coconut oil helps with weight loss, we shall now look at seven unique ways that you can use coconut oil for weight loss. They are:
1. Eat One Tablespoon of Coconut Oil Daily
One of the ways you can include coconut oil in your diet to lose weight is by taking one spoonful of coconut oil daily.
It may sound like a tablespoon of coconut is too small because you want to lose weight fast, but remember that coconut oil has its calories as fat food.
Taking too much of coconut can jeopardize your weight loss goals. If you choose this method of including coconut oil in your diet, stick to one tablespoon daily or two tablespoons at most.
If you do not like the thought of drinking coconut oil just like that, there are six other ways listed below that you can try.
2. Make Your Tea With Coconut Oil
Another way you can use coconut oil for weight loss is by adding it to your tea.
Usually, coconut oil is in solid form, but when you add it to your hot tea, it will melt as you stir the tea. If you prefer, you can also add the spoon of coconut oil into a cup of warm water and drink.
The same rule applies here. One tablespoon is enough for one day. If you are used to having your hot tea twice a day, then you can work with two tablespoons. That is one tablespoon of coconut for each cup of tea.
Also, you can use a tablespoon of coconut oil for your coffee in place of cream. This will help boost your metabolism and kick off the fat burning process from the earlier hours of your day.
If you are preparing this recipe yourself, I suggest you blend in the coconut oil into the hot coffee using a handheld blender rather than just stirring it in. It will prevent the formation of a stomach-hardening oil film on your coffee top.
3. Cook With Coconut Oil
Everybody needs oil for cooking. And I am sure that you prepare most of your meals with oil. One right way to include coconut oil in your diet to lose weight is to replace your cooking oil with coconut oil.
That way, you get to enjoy all the benefits of coconut oil as you devour your delicious meals. Plus, you will not have to experience the raw taste of the coconut oil as you would for options 1 and 2.
Coconut oil will also make an excellent ingredient for your baking. You can replace one large egg with a tablespoon of coconut oil for your regular baking and cupcake frostings.
So, you get to enjoy the benefits of coconut oil the next time you bite into that desert you prepared with coconut oil.
You can also use coconut oil to prepare a snack you can munch on while at work. Remember kale chips? I hope you do. If you crave potato chips a lot and now you are looking to shed some weight, you can replace potato chips with kale chips.
This is how to make kale chips using coconut oil:
- Cut out the stems of kale and tear the leaves into small sizes
- Then apply coconut oil on your palms and use it to coat the kale leaves
- Next, you spread the leaves on a baking sheet and sprinkle on salt.
- You can then bake it at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. You can flip the leaves while they are cooking to prevent burning.
- Your snack is ready when it is slightly brown.
- Package your kale chips in your snack box.
Having these coconut oil made kale chips will provide you with an energy boost when you are feeling sluggish during your day.
4. Take Coconut Oil About 20 Minutes Before Meals
Remember we established earlier in this article that coconut oil reduces your appetite, and as such, you reduce your calorie intake by default.
So taking a spoon of coconut oil about 20 minutes before your meal will help suppress your appetite and make you feel full faster. That way, you will not eat much when you eventually eat. And this is a significant approach to weight loss.
5. Add Coconut Oil To Your Salads
Apart from using it as cooking oil, another way to include coconut oil in your diet is by adding it to your salads and other meal dressings that require oil.
In addition to facilitating weight loss, this method of using coconut oil will also stimulate digestion and aid in the assimilation of nutrients.
6. Add Coconut Oil To Your Pot Of Boiling Rice
Did you know that you can reduce the calorie content of your rice with coconut oil? By adding a tablespoon of coconut oil into your pot of boiling rice, you can reduce the calorie content of the rice by 60%.
This is one way to enjoy your rice (a high carb diet) without being afraid of weight gain. Once you have added the coconut oil, leave it to simmer with the rice for about 30 minutes, then refrigerate it for 12 hours before consumption.
7. Massage Your Body With Coconut Oil
For the last way to use coconut oil for weight loss on our list, we have body massage with coconut oil. Now, massaging your body with coconut oil may not have a direct impact on your weight, but it will help you to get rid of cellulite.
Cellulite is a condition of the skin characterized by a dimpled lumpy appearance due to fat deposits that pushed through connective tissues beneath the skin.
You can either dry-brush with coconut oil or use a coconut oil coffee scrub to get rid of cellulite. By dry-brushing with coconut oil, your circulation improves, and toxins are removed from your body.
Apply the coconut oil on the affected area, then gently brush the skin using a vegetable-based brush. As you brush the skin, make the strokes toward your heart.
If you choose to use a coconut oil coffee scrub, then get the follow ingredients and mix them:
- Coconut oil – ¼ cup
- Coffee grounds – ¼ cup
- Sugar – ¼ cup
Now go ahead and massage the affected area with the scrub. Leave it for 10 minutes before you rinse it off. You can store the remaining scrub for later.
Conclusion
Guess you are now sufficiently motivated to use coconut oil for weight loss! You can go ahead and try these seven ways of losing weight with coconut oil.
While you are it, remember that you have a better chance of losing weight when you combine coconut oil with other healthy foods rather than using coconut oil alone.
Bear in mind also that moderation is vital. Simply because coconut oil proves to be a driver of weight loss does not mean that you should consume large portions of coconut oil every day.
A maximum of two tablespoons of coconut oil is recommended for daily consumption. I would like to know the first meal you prepared with coconut oil after reading this article. Let us hear all about it in the comments section.
