How To Overcome The "wants" + Anxiety

[bburmeister0407]

So besides having a full time day job, I also carry a part time job at the local Pizza Hut....wow is that hard. Being a newbie, I've tried my hardest...ok well maybe not my hardest, but I've tried. The other night I caved and had some cinnastix. I thought I was going to die later that night. The gas, migraine, bloating, and the panic attack that followed shortly thereafter. How do you avoid eating those things you are just dying for!?

 

 

Also, have any of you noticed a correlation between panic disorder and celiac? Just curious

[GF Lover]

Think of it this way.  These foods you are dying for are actually foods you are slowly dying FROM.  You are diagnosed Celiac and you damage your body every time you eat gluten.  Many people have noted that some of their mental health issues lessened or completely resolved. 

 

Colleen

[flowerqueen]

I agree with GLUTEN FREE Lover, if you are celiac, these foods can actually kill you if you continue to eat them! I know which I would rather be without! There's lots of things I've had to give up, but I don't think it's worth the risk, even a small amount of gluten damages your gut.

Your health will most probably improve when you've been gluten free for a while

[NoGlutenCooties]

From what I've read, the cravings go away after you've been gluten-free for awhile.  I never liked bread, so didn't have any cravings - so no first-hand experience.  Maybe you should consider finding a different part-time job?  Like at a clothing store or something where there's no food.

A Celiac working at Pizza Hut sounds a bit like an alcoholic working as a bartender to me... 

[bburmeister0407]

From what I've read, the cravings go away after you've been gluten-free for awhile.  I never liked bread, so didn't have any cravings - so no first-hand experience.  Maybe you should consider finding a different part-time job?  Like at a clothing store or something where there's no food.

A Celiac working at Pizza Hut sounds a bit like an alcoholic working as a bartender to me... 

 

LMAO! You just made my day! I spent a lot of money on college *cough* $94,000 *cough* and need to make those $800 a month payments....pizza hut was the only one hiring in the area. It's tempting..but I try to remember the feeling that I get when I do eat gluten. Luckily, I am a waitress, so I don't actually come in contact with the pizza. I use clean instruments to touch everything, however I do make sure to wash my hands before even thinking about putting them near my face.

[KCG91]

Maybe find a substitute snack/treat?

When it comes down to a battle of wills, my mum suggested I tell myself 'I don't want to eat that' instead of 'I can't/shouldn't eat that'. It helped her lose weight and although I haven't really struggled with willpower for gluten food I find it helps me curb my chocolate intake

Also, the way I understand it (I'm a newbie too) is that each time you eat gluten, it triggers the release of antibodies for days/weeks (is that right old timers?!) and so the five minutes you spend scoffing something leads to your immune system spending weeks undoing your good gluten-free work. 

[mamaw]

You can make a version of almost any wheat food but it sounds like you don't have time to be in the kitchen. When you get the urge try thinking Rat Poison, if I eat this then I may die... sounds harsh but it works.... temptations are always around us whether it be food or another addicting thing. We need to be able to control our desires in all aspects of life... We never want anything or anyone to control our beings....

[bburmeister0407]

I have been trying to spend Sunday evening creating one large meal that I break up into containers for the week. That way when I don't have time, I already have it figured out. It only gets tricky when I am a waitress and am allowed to snack on Pizza Hut's food during my shift but I never actually get a break to eat. I should probably ask if I can bring in my own snack. I actually had a friend recommend keeping a bag of chocolate chips in the fridge for a quick sweet tooth fix.

 

As far as the anxiety goes, My roommate and I have noticed that whenever I eat gluten, I will have a horrible night with multiple panic attacks.

[bartfull]

If you keep a bag of chocolate chips in the fridge at work I can guarantee some of your co-workers will sneak a few. That would be bad enough for any person, but for a celiac, that means their gluteny hands will contaminate the whole bag. It would be better to have individually wrapped chocolate snacks. Or you could get some Lara Bars. They're small but filling, and they're really good. Come in all kinds of flavors.

[bburmeister0407]

Haha..didn't think of that until now... I am the only employee so it helps that my boss doesn't eat chocolate.....ever.

[BelleVie]

Yes, gluten can cause anxiety. After diagnosis and going 100% gluten free, my "depression" and anxiety that I'd suffered with for years disappeared. 

 

If you are having really strong cravings to fatty or sweet things, it is likely that your body is lacking some nutrients. Do you like green smoothies? Try eating as many greens as possible, every day. I can almost guarantee you that it will help to get rid of your cravings. Also, drink lots and lots of water. I haven't had a sugar craving or bread craving in years, and I believe that it's because I try to eat plenty of greens and fresh veggies. I have found that after a while, your body just doesn't want the other things anymore. 

 

Working in a Pizza Hut is probably quite awful for you, as far as cross contamination goes. Even if you aren't eating things prepared there, just being in an environment with flour floating around could contaminate you. I know that a lot of members here don't even go into bakeries or pizza parlors, due to the flour in the air. You might look into finding another job someplace else, maybe not right away, but whenever something becomes available? 

 

Good luck! 

[BelleVie]

Oh, also, I just read the greatest thing by W8in4dave. She said that she tells naysayers that eating gluten is like eating poison ivy. That image certainly resonated with me. Maybe it will with you as well, and will help you to say no to your cravings. I think it has to be mind over matter, and if gluten makes you ill enough, you will come to a day where you'll just say "enough is enough," and make the choice not to touch it again. 

[bburmeister0407]

Pizza Hut isn't a forever job. Im just trying to get these loans paid off. I didn't even consider the thought that Even bringing in my own food could be CCed just simply by the flour in the air. I will admit that we don't actually make our own dough..its premade and frozen so I am not sure how much flour there actually is, but even so.

[BelleVie]

Oh, thanks for educating me on that. I assumed that because it was a pizza place that there'd be flour floating around everywhere! 

[NoGlutenCooties]

So I had to stop by the mall this morning and being that I live in Northern New Jersey where it is waaay over-populated (I absolutely HATE this state) if I go to the mall I get there before the stores actually open so that I can actually get a parking spot that isn't two counties away.  Anyhow... usually I would spend the extra time stopping for a cup of coffee and a bagel.  Can't do *that* anymore.  So I brought a little bag of mixed nuts with me to go with my coffee.

 

As I'm sitting there, I noticed all the people munching on their Cinnabons.  I noticed that every single one of them was quite overweight and very unhealthy looking and it occurred to me... that will NEVER be me.

 

Best cure for the occasional "want" - at least for me.

[bburmeister0407]

NoGlutenCooties--you rock. I have always kinda struggled with weight..I'm hoping that celiac is the cure (weird to think that) but at least everything I am eating is super healthy now. We will live longer without all that gunk in our intestines 

[Pegleg84]

I was working at a pizza place when things got nasty and I decided to go gluten free. I still joke that that's what set it off (which, you never know, could be true. I was eating a lot of pizza/pasta there for a while... and loosing 10lb when I should have gained it). I only worked there for a month after going gluten-free, so can't say how much it affected me just working there since I was still healing. I definitely would have gotten glutened working there longterm even if I didn't eat the food.

If the Pizza Hut your at has frozen dough and stays as clean as it can, you might be ok, but even then you probably want to have a chat with your boss to say that you absolutely have to avoid gluten and be extremely careful. If you bring your own food, label it GLUTEN FREE! I bet no one will touch it. Either way, keeping an eye out for non-food related jobs would not be a bad idea.

 

Anxiety and depression can definitely be symptoms of Celiac disease. I know anxiety attacks were one of my worst symtoms, which have mostly gone away since gluten free. I went from freaking out every couple weeks to a couple times a year, as direct result of glutening (or, these days, soy-ing). The longer you are 100% gluten free, the better you'll feel and you'll want to stick to the diet cause you feel great! It's a bumpy road at first, but sticking to it is worth it. Your physical and mental health is worth it.

 

Welcome to the Forum! We're all here to help

You can do it!!

[NoGlutenCooties]

NoGlutenCooties--you rock. I have always kinda struggled with weight..I'm hoping that celiac is the cure (weird to think that) but at least everything I am eating is super healthy now. We will live longer without all that gunk in our intestines 

 

   Good luck staring down the pizza, and the donuts, and the bagels....  And all the other "crap" that's out there waiting to get you!

[bburmeister0407]

Oh man...Thanksgiving was rough but surprisingly (at least I am surprised) that I made it without being glutened or giving in!! That stuffing and green bean casserole really really made it tempting but I did everything in my power to stay away. 

My family even bought Schar's Ciabatta rolls so that I could have some bread...let me tell you, G.R.O.S.S. Gluten free food isn't anything compared to the glutenfull food, but I don't mind Not feeling horrible after every meal. :-)