Want your coconut oil weight loss questions answered? I’m dishing up the “why” and the “how-to” so you can get started right away.
One thing is for sure: fact and fiction are hard to sort through when it comes to how to lose weight with coconut oil – or really, with any kind of weight loss tips.
Fad diets spring to life and disappear all in the same season.
So the question is this: is coconut oil weight loss a real thing or just another diet fad?
Experts like Dr. Bruce Fife and Dr. Mary Enig speak volumes about the merits of coconut oil–quite literally.
Fife wrote an excellent book called The Coconut Oil Miracle, and Enig was a co-writer of another great book, Eat Fat, Lose Fat which also emphasizes the benefits of coconut oil.
Both agree that it’s possible – even easy – to lose weight with coconut oil.
But it doesn’t have to be complicated, and you don’t need to read a library to get the benefits of coconut oil or to learn how to use coconut oil for weight loss.
(This is my favorite coconut oil to use.)
Does coconut oil burn fat?
The truth is, it’s all in the fat. Seriously. The specific types of fatty acids in coconut oil are exactly what influences your metabolism and fat-burning ability. (I go into more detail later.)
PS: Before we go any further, can I just say one great way to get your coconut oil is in my coconut oil fudge? You’re welcome. 😉
Is coconut oil weight loss just a fad?
Coconut oil didn’t spring to life in the last few years, although it may seem that way.
And even though trying to lose weight with coconut oil may seem like a new fad, consumption of coconut oil actually used to be very popular and it wasn’t just for people trying to shed a few pounds.
The truth is that coconut has been a healing superfood for many centuries in tropical cultures. And traditional cultures value coconut for its tremendous medicinal power and they have been remarkably healthy as a result.
Check some of the known health benefits of coconut oil in the short video below:
Even in Western society, coconut oil was pretty popular all the way up until the middle of the 20th century.
That’s when fat became a dietary evil, and people started turning from traditional foods to fake substitutes (margarine, anyone?).
So I’m thankful there have been a few health pioneers willing to reconsider the scoop on coconut oil. Now we know this oil has its place in a healthy diet!
Even better, the coconut oil weight loss connection might even make it easier for you to maintain a healthy weight.
How to Use Coconut Oil for Weight Loss
There are three main biological processes that help you lose weight with coconut oil. Here’s how they work:
#1 Coconut Oil Metabolism
There are healthy ways to boost your metabolic rate (so leave those dangerous diet pills alone!!).
One huge coconut oil weight loss secret? It revs up your metabolism!
The secret to healthy metabolism and a wealth of energy is no fad stimulant: it’s pure extra virgin coconut oil.
Coconut oil is one of nature’s most abundant sources of medium-chain fatty acids (mainly lauric acid and caprylic acid), and these nifty little triglycerides can work wonders for a sluggish metabolism.
If your metabolism has been damaged by dieting or stress, a daily dose of coconut oil is the key to getting it back on the right track.
Long-chain fatty acids, like those in polyunsaturated oils, are more difficult for the body to break down and use for energy. Instead, long-chain fatty acids are usually stored as body fat. 
Coconut oil actually helps you oxidize (or burn) more fat! One study showed that eating medium-chain fatty acids increases metabolism and helps burn off stored fat. (source)
This study found that people who ate coconut oil naturally lost body fat and dropped waist size.
This is just from eating coconut oil! The participants weren’t trying to diet or cut calories. This is really important to me because I don’t recommend dieting or slashing calories.
You can also read more about this in The Coconut Oil Miracle. Dr. Fife covers tons of studies done on the benefits of coconut oil, and not just for weight loss.
#2 Balance Your Blood Sugar
When you’re learning how to use coconut oil for weight loss, it’s important to recognize the role blood sugar levels play in losing weight.
When our blood sugar levels swing up and down, we tend to be moody, irritable, and tired, plus we tend to crave sugary foods! This can contribute to weight gain or difficulty losing weight.
Coconut oil can also help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels. This may have to do with the fact that the medium-chain fatty acid in coconut oil can be easily burned for energy, but without causing insulin to shoot sky-high the way a bunch of sugar would.
Including coconut oil before or during a meal also lowers the glycemic impact of what you’re eating, which prevents those dreaded blood sugar highs and lows.
This is because fats digest more slowly than carbs, so if you combine the two, the fat helps slow down the digestion of carbohydrates.
That way your meals don’t negatively impact your blood sugar as much, and your levels remain steadier throughout the day and after your meals. (This is also why I always recommend eating fats, proteins, and carbohydrates together.)
#3 Balance Candida and Yeast Overgrowth
The beneficial fatty acids in coconut oil do more than speed up a lagging metabolism.
Lauric acid and caprylic acid in coconut oil also protect against one of the top hidden causes behind weight gain: candida and yeast. When an overgrowth of candida is present, weight loss can be almost impossible.
Candida causes symptoms like fatigue, poor concentration, recurring infections related to yeast, excessive sinus infections, and much more. But the side effect that really hinders weight loss is cravings for sugar and carbohydrates.
This is because yeast feeds off sugar (carbohydrates break down into sugar once in the body), so candida causes cravings in order to support its own growth.
Taking coconut oil to counteract yeast overgrowth is highly effective, but it should be done with care. Coconut oil is such a powerful remedy for candida that it can cause strong side effects of headaches, chills, and foggy thinking as the yeast dies off.
** This can be reduced by slowly incorporating coconut oil into your diet, starting with as little as one teaspoon daily (read more about that below).
Read my post about how to do a detox coconut oil cleanse.
How to Lose Weight with Coconut Oil
Taking coconut oil for weight loss is as easy as a short count to 2:
- Simply replace some of the fats you use every day with coconut oil. You can use it in place of butter or vegetable oils for cooking and baking.
- Add a spoonful to warm coffee or tea to get an extra boost of energy.
(This is my favorite coconut oil to use.)
How Much Coconut Oil for Weight loss?
You can eat up to about 3 tablespoons per day to reap the benefits. You can
IMPORTANT: Don’t forget to work up slowly if you haven’t been eating much coconut oil! Start with just one teaspoon per day, and increase by a teaspoon per week until you reach about three tablespoons a day. (There are three teaspoons per tablespoon.)
If you trying to do the coconut oil weight loss theory by adding a bunch to your diet all at once. I promise you will feel sick and want to quit! Do your stomach a favor and start slowly. 🙂
Where do I buy coconut oil?
Today quality coconut oil can be found almost anywhere. Even my local Wal-Mart carries a few varieties (though not always quality brands — plus I prefer to give my dollars to companies that emphasize quality over quantity).
You’ll find the best deals online, especially if you’re willing to buy in bulk. Many online health food and supplement companies carry several brands of coconut oil for weight loss to choose from.
Again, the bigger you buy, the more you’ll save. And because I recommend that you lose weight with coconut oil as a long-term strategy and not a crash diet.
It’s totally worth it to invest in a larger amount so it will last you a long time.
More of our best posts:
- Refined vs. Unrefined Coconut Oil
- Learn How to Detox with a Coconut Oil Cleanse
- Why You Need to Try Oil Pulling
- 40+ Coconut Oil Skincare Recipes
- How to Make Homemade Potato Chips with Coconut Oil
- Craving Peanut Butter? Here’s Why
Elizabeth is the founder of The Nourished Life and has been writing about natural living for 12 years. Her work has been featured at Shape, Bustle, and Mother Earth Living. Her mission is to help you lower your stress levels and find fun ways to become happier and healthier. Read more about Elizabeth here.
