The FastDay Forum

So I have been doing pretty well on 5:2 (About 1.8 to 2lbs lost a week) - Doing it about a month now and finding myself tweaking things here and there. I have been pairing it up with eating clean on feed days (most of the time), which is mainly cutting bad carbs. Recently been reading alot about the benefits of #coconutoil and good fats, and came across info on "Bulletproof Coffee", which is popular in the Paleo circles. Tons of info on the net. It is basicially a very pure special no mold coffee, MCT Oil(Which is in Coconut and Palm Oil) and organic grass fed butter.

What it is is basically a super drink to replace breakfast that is supposed to give you a dose of high good fat(MCT) that is used by the body right away like Carbs even though it is saturated fat, and does not get stored in your fat cells. The evidence is pretty strong that even though it is saturated fat, it is a good fat. It is supposed to satisfy you and also give you clarity and energy, and kick up your metabolism greatly, while getting you into Ketosis due to the high amount of fat with no carbs. I did not buy the special ingredients for the original recipe because its costly, but made my own from what I had easily accessible. The challenge is it is still some calories, but is supposed to increase your metabolism quite a bit (Read about the benefits of MCT in Coconut Oil).

So I thought I would try this on Feed days as I don't want to add the 400 or so calories from the concoction on Fasting days. So this morning I was completing 36 hours of my fast from yesterday, and instead of a normal breakfast made some Bulletproof Coffee to see if I could extend my fast a bit more but feel good. I immediately felt energized, and actually then went another 6 hours before eating a late lunch, so completed about 42 hours. I could have easily made it thorugh to Dinnertime but because of my schedule, chose to eat at lunch.

Although there is some hype around bulletproof coffee, it does seems to have some merit, at least from an energy standpoint - Not sure about the increase in metabolism but many users say they expereience the thermal effect (Getting hotter and more energy).

just curious if anybody else had experience with Coconut Oil/MCR, and Bulletproof Coffee.

I posted this in the Lab as I didn't want to post something like this in the general forum and get people to do try it without checking on the scientific evidence regarding Cocunt Oil/MCT and High Fat diets.

Thanks for posting this. I'll be checking this out. One question for you that I expect won't be answered in research -- does the coffee concoction have a distinctive "coconut" flavor? I really dislike the smell of coconut, so wonder if it's discernible.

thanks!
mikita

MCT oil doesn't smell of anything much, good quality coconut oil does smell of coconut. Cheap coconut oil tends not to smell as it's been processed somewhat.

Thanks PhilT!

MCT oil doesn't smell of anything much, good quality coconut oil does smell of coconut. Cheap coconut oil tends not to smell as it's been processed somewhat.

Phil's right. If you use the MCT oil, it is flavorless and more potent than the coconut oil. I used the coconut oil but love the flavor. I will probably be picking up some MCT oil on amazon at some point.

The biggest challenge is finding the mold-free coffee beans, which I have not been able to source yet, so I am using regular organic ones.

mmmmmmmm, coconut oil and coffee.... LUSH

Yeah its good from the energy bump and making it easier to fast but I am worrying about the extra calorie load. I have not given it much time, but it seems my weight loss slowed a bit this week. The problem is I also blew it a few small times last week so not sure if it was the added fat or other things I ate. I think I will tread lightly, as I want to say around losing 2 lbs per week if I can,and that was done by eating in deficit by about 500 cals on feed days and doing 2 - 3 fast days. There is just not much room for the extra calories from the fat if its not going to speed up my metabolism too along wit hthe extra energy.

I dabbled with this last summer when I started intermittent fasting and ended up with a pretty full on coconut allergy. Apparently, although not as common as tree nut allergies, (coconut is actually a fruit) coconut allergy is a more common problem among people who already have a latex allergy, which I have. I don't mean to be a party pooper but the EAT MORE COCONUTS enthusiasts seem to recommend excessive coconut oil consumption, and latex allergy is on the rise, particularly among health workers and in the general population. It's too late at night for me to find all my sources for this information (I'm off to bed), but all I am saying is go cautiously, particularly if you know you have or think you might have a sensitivity to latex.

Most agree you want to start slowly with only about a teaspoon in the morning but can increase over time. I have not had any problems and up to about 1 tablespoon at this point with no plans to go higher at this point because of the calories.

I skip the coffee, its too acidic for my stomoac. But I make a treat out of organic coconut oil and grass fed unsalted butter and eat a few daily. I flavor them with Pecans and fresh Dates, a little vanilla extract and unrefined grey sea salt. I start with raw pecans, that I soak over night in the salt, then dry in a low oven for a few hours.

In a food processor mix pecans and dates and salt till combined into a grain like texture. I use about 1/2 cup pecans and 10 dates and 1 tsp salt.
Using a hand mixer, blend equal amounts of softened butter and coconut oil (8oz each). Add pecan mixture and whip up some more for a few minutes.
Spoon into balls onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate for an hour or so. Using a spatula, remove from pan and store balls in a covered bowl in fridge.

Its like a little piece of candy treat, and a tasty way to get your good fats daily.

Just came across this blog entry via this Daily Mail article...

This fascinates me so much but I'm still hesitant to try it, mainly because I can't get out of the mindset that eating fat is bad and that this is possibly just another fad that will soon go the way of the goji berry or whatever. Also thinking about the obesity epidemic in Samoa, don't they eat loads of coconut oil or have I remembered that wrong?

http://www.diet.com/g/pacific-islander-diet

Supposedly a traditional Samoan diet doesn't lead to obesity even though it's high in fat from coconut. It's the modern Western diet that they are adopting that causes the problem.

I've taken to adding a little coconut oil to my morning coffee. Not the recommended tablespoon. Too much fat tends to upset my stomach. I stick to maybe a .5-1 teaspoon. Tastes good enough to replace the sugar and flavored creamers I used to love. And moisturizes my lips! LOL

Can someone tell me if the coffee tastes similar to coffee with milk or cream? I only ever drink coffee black so I'm a bit iffy about trying this. I've only ever been able to manage coffee with cream if its well sweetened and that wouldn't do much for a low carb diet!

If you use a blender and mix the coconut oil and butter with coffee it turns into a very delicious latte!
last year I had this for breakfast regularly - but stopped since my body didn't like it in the long run...I got shaky and dizzy after a few hours - similiar to a fast drop of blood sugar. I've heard a few low carb eating friends report the same.