95 replies to this topic

[mbw110375]

I'm so happy to find this thread .... I was diagnosed with celiac disease in Sept. 2003. I've always struggled with weight but since starting gluten-free my weight has gone up considerably. I was diagnosed after a severe reaction (paralyzed stomach, daily vomiting, diarrhea, etc). I attributed my initial weight gain to just being able to keep food in me after two months of not being able to. But, the weight gain hasn't stopped. I'm looking for a good solution.

When I spoke to my GI in February about my concern about my weight, she told me it's hard enough keeping gluten-free and I shouldn't worry about trying to diet on top of it - just to eat gluten-free grains in moderation. I tried and my weight still shot up.

I tried Atkin's, figuring it was a good gluten-free solution. Initially I lost weight, but before the first two-weeks I hit a plateau. Worse than that, my boughts of diarrhea came back. I was pretty careful about avoiding gluten, so I was confident that gluten wasn't the culprit. I searched my Atkin's books and the Atkin's website and couldn't find references to Atkin's induced diarrhea. I finally gave up on Atkin's and gained back the weight I lost plus some.

My next plan of attack is to find a nutritionist . . . but I'm not sure how to go about finding one that is knowledgeable about celiac disease. I'm finding that I tend to educate my doctor's about celiac disease more than they're educating me. Any suggestions on finding a celiac disease-knowledgeable nutritionist? Or, any other suggestions?

Melissa

[bigapplekathleen]

Melissa,
A nutritionist is a GREAT iDEA. I go to one regularly. It has helped a lot. At first, she recommended lots of gluten-free grains. I gained 10 pounds in one month! Then I started eating the PALEO diet (caveman/paleolitchic diet) and dropped all that weight, plus much more. I am now down 30 pounds total from last August.

I have found that i don't feel well when I eat any grains. I can eat just a little bit each day (a small serving of lentil pasta or small serving of brown/wild rice) and eat the rest of my foods from fruits, veggies and meats. It has made a huge difference in my quality of life.

Have you tried eliminating all grains for a while? My nutritionist told me she wants me to eat 40-50% of my calories from protein until my gut is totally healed. I find this number to be impossibly high, but frequently hit 35-40% protein.

When I went PALEO in January, I took out all processed foods, dairy, legumes and grains for FIVE WEEKS. It was wonderful.

Kathleen

[wwebby]

I basically just went on a diet. I had my metabolism measured at the gym (Bally Fitness) and they told me my basal metabolic rate after measuring it with this device that you breathe into for 10 minutes. They then recommened how many calories I could eat a day based on my metabolism.

I also got a heart rate monitor that measures how many calories I burn when I exercise. I keep track of what I eat and how much I burn in exercise in a software program called FitDay. If you burn 500 more calories per day than you take in, you will lose a pound a week.

It's a pain to keep track of your eating if you're not used to it, but it's such a part of my day now that I like to do it. I use the FitDay software to also keep track of what percentage is protein, carbs, and fat and I do best on a balanced diet, like maybe 40-50 percent carbs, 30 percent fat, 30 percent protein. I'm not so hungry when I eat that way. The software is fun too because you can print out all these cool graphs and stuff. The heart rate monitor I got comes with software too so you can download your workout and see a graph of your heart rate during your workout and how many calories you burned.

Some people also have success with Weight Watchers. I've done it. It's a great program and you can totally adapt it to gluten-free eating. I think, in general, gluten-free products are higher in carbs and calories than their glutened counterparts so you may need to start keeping track of your intake.

You can email me at wwebby@yahoo.com if you want to talk more.

Good luck,

Laura in CT

[wind_decor]

Hi, I am just new to this forum. I have been going on a roller coaster ride since I was diagnosised a couple of yrs ago. First it was getting the diagnosis. Inially I was 5'2 and close to 180 lbs this was a short time after I had my 3rd child. Than I got very sick and had lots of diarrea and went down to 110 lbs before they finally figured what it was. I was in the hospital about a month off and on because I was so sick.

Than I seemed to get better and we moved to another state where there were no docters familiar with celiac. I was told that as long as I did not show classic smyptoms it would hurt if occational I had gluten. I have quit eating bread, pasta, gravies, modified food starch. But there is so many other hidden sources out there that it is hard to know until afterwards. Especially going out to eat. I now am up to 200 lbs and have much edema and have DH as well as hypo thyroid which I am currently not on medication since the docters go by the old lab references and not new ones.

I believe my husband also has celiac/ milk intolerance or both. We have 3 children 2 with autism, seizures, DDs and my third short stature/ very under weight, unusual skin pigmentation on his neck, DDs , Anxiety disorder, and connective tissue disorder. Diabetes, seizures, schzophrenia, ADHD, heart disease all run in our family as well as asthma and allergies.

My husband was diagnosised last yr with a type of lymphoma/luekemia and I am interested in the lymphoma connection.

I am currently trying to make our whole household gluten free/ casein free and just got some catologs from the gluten pantry. I will also look for recipies that don't need special ingrediants as well. Need help especially with hidden sources and exposure to substances with gluten since I break out if I touch it. Like the liquid on hams they package it with and turkeys, shampoos, glues, ect.

Diana at wind_decor@yahoo.com

[kalo]

Hi Diana. Welcome to the group. I'm sure you will get some replies from the more knowlegable. Just wanted to say I'm glad you found this. Hugs, Carol B

[cynicaltomorrow]

I just started a gluten-free diet a few days ago and I was wondering if I should expect a drastic change in weight, either gain or lose. I read where the underweight people have typically gained weight, but I'm actually kind of chubby. If a gain is to be expected, what should I be doing to help prevent it? Thanks!

[plantime]

Hi, Diana, welcome to the board! I have read on another forum that chikpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour) can be substituted for wheat flour in regular recipes. I tried it in pancakes, and it worked pretty good! Of course, it tasted a little bland, but when I changed the sugar to honey, it tasted good again! With the chickpea flour, xanthun gum and guar gum were not needed.

Hi, CynicalTomorrow, welcome to the board! I was quite chubby when I started the gluten-free diet, too. As long as I limit my intake of gluten-free breads and pastas to one serving per meal, I am able to lose weight. I have been losing slowly, as gluten-free flours have more calories than wheat flours. Since I am losing because of diet modifications, I am hoping that the weight will stay off permanently! My doctor did tell me that my reaction to gluten is probably why I gained so much weight to begin with, since I wasn't eating enough to have gained it otherwise. Those who were underweight and started gaining did so because their bodies were severely malnourished from all of the illness. When they quit eating gluten, their bodies began to heal and put muscle back where it was before they became sick.

Both of you please come back with any questions, and keep us posted on how you are doing!

[cybergran10]

Isn't it amazing, when you think of celiac disease you think of someone extremely underweight. I never fit the mold, my doctor is not happy aboutmy low carb diet, but it is the only thing that works for me. Weight Watchers was a joke, and counting calories never worked for me because I make a very bad hungry person. So for me I alternate between Atkins and Protein Power and it seems to work pretty good. Thinking of going over to Carbohydrate Addicts Diet when I get to maintenance as I'm missing my gluten-free GOOdies. I forgot to introduce myself. I go by cybergran10 because I'm addicted to the computer and have 10 grandchildren. The 2 babies also are celiac so that wasn't such a positive thing to inherit from grandma but what do you do. I'm glad I'm not the only celiac with a weight problem. If we don't have asupport group we should form one. ((BLESSINGS) Cybergran10

[khyricat]

one note- I have a friend who has some major health issues (not celiacs) but when she had the flesh eating bacteria and lost her leg and part of her thigh, they told her to eat large quantities of protien while int eh ehaling process- she did so and has lost over a hundred pounds... she has a hundred or so to go still, but! and didn't remove other things, just made the proprotions different. she eats mostly protien and small servings of the other things on her plate. She was told this also greatly speeds up the healing process, which for someone with a degenerative bone and tissue disorder who has also gone through what she has is an important thing!

[fraggle]

Hi. I'm new to the forum and have been reading many postings about folks suffering with diarrhea and having difficulty gaining weight. My case is actually the opposite. I have spent many years trying to maintain my weight. I have had terrible constipation that I've been hospitalized for, this was usually followed by weeks of diarrhea. I have recently been diagnosed with Celiacs and am slowly trying to learn about the disease and eat gluten free. Are there any of you out there who are overweight and constipated instead of underweight w/diarrhea?

I am very concerned about how to change my lifestyle to fit in gluten-free eating. It seems like a full time job. I live in a rural area, commute 1 hour each way to work at a fast paced law firm, eat lunch on the run, go to graduate school at night, am a newlywed of 6 months and am 3 months pregnant. How do you all find the time to shop for these special foods online or at health food stores, make bread from scratch, eat gluten-free lunches, dinners, etc.??? Obviously I want to be completely gluten-free as soon as possibly to help grown a healthy, happy baby in my belly. Help....

Jules

I have struggled with my weight my whole life and am gluten intolerant and lactose intolerant. I have so much diarrhea and am overweight. Before going gluten free I constantly had diarrhea after eating. You would think that i would be underweight. Wierd ah?

Anyways I have decided to follow my gluten free program strictly and do the weight watchers program at home since it fits in with gluten free foods and I ordered the slim and six videos and am starting Monday. I'll let you know how it goes. Goin to be tough. I just want to tone up and feel sexier.

Somethin about diarrhea just makes ya feel unsexy.

Tamara

[bigapplekathleen]

HI everyone,
Just a quick update:
I have lost 35 pounds now since last August (over 20 pounds since the end of January!). I have finally made it to size 8/10. My husband is shocked. We have only been married for 2 and half years and he has only known me in my heavier self and my 'ill all the time' self. I haven't been this weight in about 15 years. What a great feeling...

I still have medical issues to deal with and dealing with celiac on a daily basis is not always easy (especially when traveling), but at least I feel stronger, lighter and happier.

best wishes,
kathleen

[cybergran10]

Congratulations Kathleen. Good for you, 35 pounds is no mean feat. I'm sorry you still have medical problems to deal with that makes your success harder to enjoy. Hubby will get used to the new you, sometimes partners get a little insecure when we change ourselves, but with a little time and patience we can show them that we still are basically the same, just a smaller version. If you are happier, then ultimately that will be better for your relationship with him. Just an insight that has taken me a 27 year relationship to figure out. ((BLESSINGS)) Cybergran10

[Sara Lydia]

For all the overwieght Celiacs like myself...thought I would share.
I pinned this in another forum menu as well. But you migh also consider that undiagnosed celiac disease can bring on hypo thyroid disease (slow metabolism) and many gluten-free meals are higher in fat as well! Even though I was gluten-free for a year, my symptoms persisted and i was sooooooo tired all the time.

I finally tried this:
http://www.breakingt...iouscycle.info/

It is a specific carbohydrate diet that eliminates ALOT of carbs and gluten-free replacements from your already frustrating menus... but believe me I've never felt better, been symptom free, and A NORMAL WEIGHT . I lost 20 lbs in the first 3 weeks. It's difficult, very difficult. But there is JUST AS MUCH food to make and choose from as gluten free.

hope some of you try it and get back to me! [buy a yogurt maker!]

http://www.scdiet.org/

http://www.scdiet.or...pes/indexa.html

http://www.scdrecipe.com/recipes.html

[bigapplekathleen]

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to touch-base and share my weight loss success. I have lost about 42 pounds now (since August 1 of last year). I am doing so well on this gluten-free diet. My other medical issues have disappeared (like my horrendous allergies). My breast lump biopsy was benign, too. whew. I have gone from a size 14 to an 8 in the year. I am thrilled.

Hope y'all are doing well.

kat