95 replies to this topic

[kabowman]

That is great news...I lost a WHOLE bunch of weight several years ago and then gave up all milk products and was able to put weight back on, however, I have gotten re-married and cooking and the ALL the weight went back on and am now 25 pounds overweight. Now that I am gluten-free, LF, PF, CF, and SF the weight is slowly dropping again.

-Kate

[bigapplekathleen]

Wow - I cannot imagine what you eat on all those "free" diets!!!! Just kidding...you probably have the healthiest diet imaginable. My only problem with losing all this weight is that is costing me a fortune in clothing. I have spent over $5000 in the past year already. It's totally worth it, though!

kat

[Nadtorious]

After being on a gluten-free diet for two years and only kind of feeling better (and hungry all the time no matter what I ate), I swtiched to a modified paleo diet and that has helped me SOOOOOOO much! I am finally maintaining my weight (dropped a couple pounds too), I'm no longer bloated and tired all the time, and my joints don't swell anymore. I don't know if it's just the processing or what, but every now and then I'll have a piece of gluten-free bread or cookies and react terribly to it. Any ideas?

Nadia

[bigapplekathleen]

Hi Nadtorius,

I also follow a modified paleo diet. I, like you, find that I often react to gluten-free goodies. Certain manufacturers seem to provoke more of a response than others, so my thought is that it has something to do with their ingredient suppliers or the cleanliness of their factory (cross-contamination). I do best when I eat NO grains at all. I do okay with lentil pasta and rice pasta (specifically, NOTTA PASTA brand) but only very occasionally.

My doctor, who is a major celiac specialist, seemed to feel that there was something else WRONG with me if i am still reacting to gluten-free grains and wanted to run a lot more tests. My attitude is 'enough already!' I know what makes me feel unwell, so why not just avoid those things and live a happy, healthy life? Besides, Paleo Diet is the healthiest diet out there.

By the way, I have been making some really delicious paleo recipes lately. Have you done any gourmet Paleo meals?

kathleen

[Nadtorious]

Kathleen-
My modified version does include rice (lundberg brown or jasmine) and a few potatoes every now and then. I drink lactose free milk too, but past that, I stay far away from anything processed. I finally linked it all together this summer-I race mountain bikes, and would cook meals from scratch during the weeks when I was at home and would feel great, but I brought pretzals and cookies and other gluten-free foods to races and would feel like crap all weekend! So much for that! (We have a camping stove that I take with now and make meals from scratch).

Anyways, cooking gourmet gluten-free meals for myself has been a bit of a pain! I'm intolerent to soy as well, but sometimes will sneak some Bragg's liquid aminos into a stir fry for more flavor. I've modified quite a few stew recipes (but they all end up tasting pretty similar). Two of my favorites have been garlic mashed potatoes (microwave a couple spuds, add LF milk, garlic, olive oil or unsalted butter, a bit of salt, and lots of pepper, simmer until it's thick), and short grain brown rice that I boil the night before, then add a little milk, a chopped up red apple, and some honey and cinnamon-good for breakfast. I eat a lot of red meat and fish, just because they're higher in nutrition and flavor. And I munch on fruit. Pretty basic, but this is the best I've felt in five years-3 years undiagnosed and 2 years eating expensive crap that made me feel even crappier!
Do you have any recipes???????
Good luck!
Nadia

[mrsfiles]

HELP PLEASE!! I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease by biopsy in April 2002~ a month to the day after my wedding ~God Bless my husband... I have since gone from a size 6 to a 16!!! My stomach feels better since going on the gluten-free diet but I am extremely uncomfortable with my weight gain. I admit in the beginning I ate a lot of rice and potatoes because those were safe, but soon learned how to adjust to gluten-free ways and eat very little of them, as well as bread (I'm a bit lazy when it comes to making it. I can't handle the store's gluten-free selection-I find it to be gross).
My GI Doctor has been no help as he just says I look healthy now. Easy for him to say, I'M the one with no waist now and weigh what I did when I was 8 months pregnant with my son 21 years ago!! I also exercise at a gym 3 days a week, for 1 1/2 hours a day, and have been for the past 2 years. I continue to GAIN not LOSE. I am so frustrated that I am ready to go back to eating gluten and deal with the consequences! I am so overtired all the time and have no energy. I had more before I was diagnosed. What can I do??? I need to lose weight. I had a physical recently for work and the Dr. told me according to my BMI, I am overweight and on the edge of obesity. My Dr. has checked my thyroid, glucose, hormones, etc. Can't find anything. Why is my watching what I eat (I've cut down on sugar and carbs) and exercising regualrly doing exactly the opposite of what it should be doing? Does anyone else have this problem?

[granddaughtergrace]

I was diagnosed 6/03. Weight gain was explained to me the villi are growing back and saying "Oh yum, vitamins and minerals and sucking them all in." I have no answers but I do understand our bodys are in need of vitamins and minerals. I am going to make a New Years resolution to drink more water and ride my bike. We'll see what happens.

Good luck.

Sheila

[Agee]

Whoa, Mrs Files you are posting all over the place about this!
Obviously, you are in a panic! I don't blame you. While I am new to eating gluten-free I am in no way new to the battle of the bulge, but I can tell you some things I've observed.
First, gluten-free baked goods have tons more calories and a lot less fiber than whole wheat bread or other baked goods. When I first started eacting gluten-free (about 2 months ago) I was going a little nuts on the gluten-free baked goods (the wholefoods gluten free bakery is right up the road...mmmm...lemon-cranberry scones) and every night I would try a new gluten-free treat. In about 2 weeks gained back the 5 lbs. I'd just lost from running 20 mi./week for the 5 weeks previous. This ALARMED me. I have a really tough time losing weight - and those 20 mi./week were tough to do - so I decided I needed to lay off the baked goods. After about two weeks (and not being on a diet) I'd pretty much dropped the scone weight.
I thought back to the diets that worked for me before. The only one that worked for me physically and psychologically has been the Carbohydrate Addicts' Diet. You eat 2 lowcarb meals and 1 moderate-carb meal a day. This is very simple to do eating gluten-free and does give me the feeling of deprivation that Atkins or WW has in the past (like most overweight 30-something women I am no stranger to dieting). Now, I've only been back on CAD for a week and a half but I really think I'll make it this time - 1)I have my head on straight and 2)I think that when I've cheated/binged in the past is probably had something to do with gluten consumption. Since starting the whole gluten-free thing I've felt so much better. It's been incredible.
And to follow up on the person last April (!) who said they got diarrhea on Atkins, in the book Protein Power it's explained by your body having to produce more of its meat-digesting enzymes if you've suddenly switched your focus from eating less carbs/more meat.
So - what I'm saying is I think you should really lay off the baked goods, eat more vegetables, and look into controlled carbohydrate eating. The low carb friends message boards are a great support system. It sounds to me, especially since you say you have no energy, that you may really need to think about your blood sugar and how you are responding to any simple carbs you're eating.
Agee

[mscriber]

Sharon,

While my dughter has not yet been diasgnosed as having Celiac's we have been told 2x they think she has it, despite 2 neg. biopsies. We are waitng now for more results. You can see more info about what she's gone through on the Pre-Diagnosis thing or the one on Drs in Dallas area.

I am days away from passing my Personal Trainer's Certification. I was delayed because my daughter has been in and out of hospital and husband had surgery yesterday....just to really complicate my life!

1 1/2 yrs ago my husband blood pressure was high, he weighed 256 and his cholesterol was 400+. He had to do something. We totally chnaged his diet...something I had triend to get him to do, but....you know how it is I am sure!

We had great success. He's 6' 2 1/2" and now keeps his weight around 190 lbs. He's still like to be less but look fine to me. Let me know if you'd like a few pointers!

Merrie'
Austin, TX
Mom of 15 yr old possible Celiac

[anerissara]

Oh, I am so glad I found this post! I am not overweight technically....I am 138 and 5'7....but I am a good 10 pounds over the weight I "fit" in, if that makes sense. My weight fluctuates like crazy, too...I can gain 5 pounds after eating *nothing* for a couple of days, or can lose 5 pounds after eating *everything*! It makes no sense. I have always had what I thought was IBS (since I was 16, anyway) but it's gotten so much worse in the last 3 years. I actually got better with my 3 pregnancies, but got worse after I quit nursing each time. I also get awful rashes which look like the blister-type Dh rashes.

My doctor told me I couldn't have celiac disease because I havent' ever "lost 15 pounds for no reason". This sounded wrong to me because I have just about every other symptom! And, I think I probably *was* malnourished because I was dizzy, short of breath, and just exhausted all the time. After 1 month on a gluten-free diet I feel so much better...it's like a dark cloud has been lifted and the world looks bright again! I was so tired and depressed and grouchy, that's what I've noticed the most is feeling "awake" again!

I have actually lost a little weight since going on the diet, but once I discovered some gluten-free snack foods and started eating the gluten-free bread I started gaining back a little I think that I will try and return to the carrot sticks and apples sort of snacks and maybe I'll do better.

It is so good to read that I'm not alone! And, now I have evidence to take to my crummy MD as proof that it *can* happen!

Do you guys think maybe part of the weight problem is that our bodies had been "starving" from malabsorbtion for so long that they just pack away every calorie that comes their way? Because I really think I eat *less* than most people, plus I do excersize and still I just can't seem to lose more than five pounds...which quickly returns the next time I even *think* about eating a regular meal!

[grannynanny]

I agree about the weight challenges. I can go on the most extreme diet in the world, and not lose a pound! I play tennis 4 or 5 times a week, eat healthy and still remain 30 or so pounds overweight. I think I've actually dropped a pound or two since trying to go gluten-free (7 months ago). I figured I would have lost a lot more than that since my sweet tooth can no longer be fed with the cookies and cakes that used to rule my world. Sure wish somebody could explain to me how you can be malnourished and overweight at the same time!!!!!!!!!!!!

[haysn]

Hi, I am over weight also. Need to lose a lot of weight. I did lose 17 pounds when I first went off gluten this past year, ( this was water lose, I was very bloated) . but have started gaining some of that back. I always had the runs, and believe me it made me run. I couldn't understand why when I was always in the bathroom, I never lost weight. It has been hard for me now to lose weight. I need to start excerising more. Maybe that will help. I have been so sick for so long am looking forward to the day when I get my health back. I found out that I not only am allergic to gluten, but to food colorings and preservatives also. Do black olives have gluten? Can't eat them also. This makes eating a challenge, but I am getting there. Trying to find as much stuff on celiac diease as I can. Doctor not real helpful.

Nancy