I've gained more than 5 lbs since being diagnosed last summer, and at that time I was already at least 10 lbs over my ideal weight.

Starting today I need to cut the "crap." Eat whole, fresh, healthy foods and not substitute gluten-free junk food for what I have been missing (gluten-y junk food).

So this is a thread for myself to keep me accountable. My goal is 115-120. I am 5'2". I am planning to eat something like this:

Breakfast: string cheese before work, then yogurt and gluten-free granola on my morning break and a piece of fruit

Lunch: leftover dinner from the night before

Snack: TJ's portion-controlled packet of trail mix

Dinner: meat/poultry/fish, vegetables (2 kinds), maybe a small portion of starch, 1 glass of wine. Fruit for dessert.

No snacking after dinner.

Tennis 2x a week, pilates once a week, yoga once a week, power-walking 2x a week. Do my physical therapy exercises faithfully.

It's a new leaf -- turn it over. On your mark, get set, GO!

This might be helpful:

http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/index.php?showtopic=35803

You can do it! We're all rooting for you. I'm trying to drop some weight, too.

Food for thought. Granola can be high in fat and calories. Same thing with trail mix. Yogurt can be loaded with sugar. So be careful with those. One ounce of cheese in the morning should be enough and try to find 2% or low fat cheese. Portion control is vital! Eat the foods you like, just don't eat too much. Snacking after dinner is okay - it keeps your metabolism going. Don't be afriad of starch. It provides energy.

Count me in for a support group. I'm struggling too. I've done Weight Watchers for a long time , I'm a life time member. My problem is I'm skin/touching deprived and eating is a way to comfort myself. I go to the gym 3 x a week, yoga 1x a week, track all my food with the WW point system, weigh 2x a week. I'm really working on improving my gluten-free meals. Any ideas about how to deal with my issue? Susan

Hi Harpy!

I didn't start losing weight until I decided I was eating too many gluten-free substitutes, which usually contain a lot of rice, which quickly turns to sugar. Like Hummimngbird says.....no gluten free junk food. And I eat very little in the bread department. I also cut way back on pasta and rice dishes. When I need to snack.....I choose more healthy options. I love pea pods and sweet potatoes. I have made my own healthy treat covering a pecan with natural peanut butter and then rolling in coconut........I know you love peanut peanut butter!

I used to be a big comfort eater, before gluten-free, and breads, cookies, etc. were often my comfort of choice. This change in my eating habits did not happen overnight. It was a step-by-step process, and now my perception of my need for certain foods has changed drastically.

Unfortunately, a lot of my new favorite foods are no-nos because of my need to eat a candida diet. Now it's no bread, no rice, no pasta, no peanut butter, pea pods or sweet potatoes. So these days it's mostly meat, fish and certain veggies. Snacking is difficult. When I went gluten-free I developed a fondness for tortilla chips, and I'm having trouble giving them up. I think it's more habit than anything, as I don't really feel the need for comfort foods anymore. I think getting rid of addictive foods....especially gluten and sugar....have helped a lot in that regard.

Lisa

I'm a low-carb fan. It doesn't suit everyone's personal tastes, but it CAN work for everyone. I'm a fan of low-carbing because diabetes runs rampant in my family. I've lost of a lot of weight doing this and totally took charge of my health.

That being said, even if you don't count carbs, I think if you avoid the higher-carb foods and gluten-free substitutes (like curlyfries said) you'll lose weight and your blood sugar will be more stable. Fill the majority of your plate with vegetables--I think all of us can agree on that! Stick with proteins that you like. Don't be afraid of "natural" foods in their natural state. I actually disagree with sbj--I would choose full-fat dairy products over low-fat. Why? Usually starches/fillers/sugars must be added to recreate a full-fat texture, structure or flavor. If you eat something higher-carb (like fruits, starchy veg, etc.) eat it with some fat and some protein. If you like apples, eat some apple slices with peanut butter. If you're a yogurt fan, try Greek yogurt--not only is it SUPER rich and tasty, the good stuff is probiotic. Again, I'd buy the full-fat version--you'll be able to eat less of it but feel more satisfied.

I'm with you guys, overweight and not lovin' it. I recently decided that the extra grains were mostly out too. I'm sticking with some corn but laying off the rest. My weight was slowly creeping down in the beginning but when I started adding the alternate grains and cooking those foods a lot...you know.

My daughter is graduating college in May and I know I will be disapointed if I look so tubby in the pictures. Would like to lose a little by then. I'm not going to stress myself out, I've enough stress with the economy. But a little weight loss will put a smile on my face, for sure.

Hey, how about DD's friend winning Miss America? She's so proud of her and the publicity for University of Indianapolis is crazy!!