[munchkinette]

I've been gluten-free for a little over 6 months now. I've put on a lot of weight both because I'm absorbing and because my eating habits are crazy. I was eating too many nuts, but I've stopped that. I know I need to work on the food now that I've figured out the gluten-free part (I think), but that's only half the equation.

So the real problem for me is the exercise. I used to exercise a lot until about 3 years ago, when I started feeling tired. That's how I discovered I was anemic. My iron levels are up, but still in the low end of normal. I'm still always tired. How long will this last? Could there be something else making me tired? I keep trying to exercise but I just can't go very long. I don't seem to build up any endurance. I've tried switching machines, trying more yoga, etc. I know healing can take a while, but I can't stand sitting around getting fatter. I worked really hard to lose the weight 10 years ago.

[Nantzie]

It almost sounds like you may be getting some gluten (if you don't have other issues you haven't figured out of course...) Have you gone gluten-free with your haircare, cosmetics, lotions, etc.?

Nancy

[munchkinette]

Nantzie, on Aug 29 2006, 01:01 AM, said:

It almost sounds like you may be getting some gluten (if you don't have other issues you haven't figured out of course...) Have you gone gluten-free with your haircare, cosmetics, lotions, etc.?

Nancy

I've gotten rid of most of those other products. I've checked most of them. I don't know how sensitive I am though. I've only been able to figure out that I've been glutened about 2 times. I don't have immediate reactions like a lot of people. I end up sleeping all day long for a day or two and I get really bloated for 3-4 days. I kept finding little things that I was doing wrong in the beginning, but I think I'm doing better with that now.

It's not just like I'm sleepy though. I feel totally run down a lot but that's not the only problem. My muscles themselves feel totally spent, like I lifted weights the day before. I used to feel that way when I was exercising too much. Now I feel that way after 10-15 minutes of exercise. I used to be able to gradually work up to longer times, but I can't seem to do it.

[Ruth52]

I think you need to be patient. Your body needs to build up its stamina and that can take up to twelve months. You probably have also lost lean muscle and that also takes time to rebuild. I know it is very frustrating but I am sure it will improve.

Try keeping a food diary and keep note of the quality of the food you are eating. You may be eating to many carbs and not enough protein.

It took me over a year to recover the stamina and muscle I had lost when I was first diagnosed with Graves Disease.

[Nantzie]

Ouch! I really feel like I'm lucky with being glutened. I typically react within 20-30 minutes, so it's really easy for me to pinpoint what might be causing a problem. Not having that immediate reaction has to make it much more difficult and frustrating.

Maybe try not using any personal care product not specifically verified gluten-free for a week? It might give you an idea if that's something that's causing a problem. I ended up feeling awful for a couple of weeks there because I went back to my old conditioner, which the manufacturer had no idea if it was gluten-free because the labeling laws are different than for food, so I decided to risk it. Exhausted, bloated, in pain. It just happened to be the only thing I had introduced into my life during that time so I knew that was it. I kept trying not to touch my hair (I never realized what a freaking girl I was until then, forever messing with my hair). I tried remembering to wash my hands before I ate, that didn't work. Then someone mentioned that the rinse water in the shower gets on your face and on your lips, and to really pay attention to that and notice if that happens to you. I thought that there was NO WAY. I really HATE having water on my face, especially in the shower, so I knew, knew, KNEW 100% that that wasn't what was happening. But, I'll be darned, when I paid attention, water, all over my face and lips. Not much, but more than I ever would have thought.

I was never able to successfully remain gluten-free when I risked it with personal care products. And even though I had two gluten-covered, non-gluten-free kids climbing all over me all day covered in goldfish cracker crumbs and breaded chicken, I never had a problem with that. I was careful, but not overly so. All I ever did to protect myself from their gluten was to wash my hands before I ate or touched my food. I never ONCE got glutened by them not being gluten-free.

Nancy

[plantime]

Chocolate does that to me. Maybe you have other intolerances that are doing it to you. I highly recommend a complete food diary.

[kbtoyssni]

It took me a long time to build up my strength after going gluten-free. I was pretty much bedridden for six months. I started off taking five minute walks everyday. I'd walk as far as I could everyday. Sometimes I'd have to sit down and rest halfway. If I tried to push myself too hard, I would get worn out and not be able to do anything the next day. So I learned not to overdo it, to do only as much as I could handle. It took me 2-3 months to build up to walking a half hour and then everything fell into place - my body healing from being gluten-free, my endurance level and I could do pretty much everything I wanted at that point.

It's a frustrating process. I was very active before - doing an hour of elliptical a few times a week, lifting weights three times a week, spinning, racquetball, pilates. I spent at least an hour in the gym everyday so not being able to make it around the block was torturous. You just have to give it time. I don't know how long you've been gluten-free, but you may not make any major progress in the endurance area until your body has done some major healing.

[munchkinette]

Frustrating is right. I just went up 4 flights of stairs at my friend's place. I took a nap this afternoon instead of going to the gym, so I figured I should take the stairs. My thighs are still burning 2 hours later. I'm exhausted. My thighs are like jello!

[Mayflowers]

I agree. It could be something else. You look young but are you nearing menopause? I look younger than 50 (as told to me by my coworkers). I'm in menopause and fatigue is a major symptom. It could be thyroid, or anemia (iron or B12). I've felt much better since I went gluten free.

[CarlaB]

I'm reading a book called Tired of Being Tired by Jesse Lynn Hanley, M.D. It's very enlightening and addresses all the symptoms you describe. Do a search on adrenal fatigue or adrenal burnout. It's common for those of us who battled with constant inflammation from ongoing gluten intolerance. I can't recommend the book to you highly enough! I feel the same as you ... I had gotten to the point where I couldn't get out of bed. Now I can walk around the block, but not much more than that ... but at least I'm finally on the upswing!

Basically, Dr. Hanley says you can't work out right now or address the weight problem. But if you address the adrenal problem, you won't have a weight problem and you'll be able to start working out again.

[Mayflowers]

CarlaB, on Sep 10 2006, 12:46 PM, said:

I'm reading a book called Tired of Being Tired by Jesse Lynn Hanley, M.D. It's very enlightening and addresses all the symptoms you describe. Do a search on adrenal fatigue or adrenal burnout. It's common for those of us who battled with constant inflammation from ongoing gluten intolerance. I can't recommend the book to you highly enough! I feel the same as you ... I had gotten to the point where I couldn't get out of bed. Now I can walk around the block, but not much more than that ... but at least I'm finally on the upswing!

Basically, Dr. Hanley says you can't work out right now or address the weight problem. But if you address the adrenal problem, you won't have a weight problem and you'll be able to start working out again.

Dr. Schwarzbein, (Suzanne Somers endocrinologist) says that to heal burned out adrenals you have to give up all stimulants, and alcohol and follow a lower carb diet. Is that what Dr. Hanley says too?

[Adelle]

I would say first, check to make SURE ur not being glutened.
But also, check for other problems. I have sleep apnea as well, the test (a sleep study) is uncomfortable, but if u have a sleep problem, you could be not getting enough good sleep which makes u exhausted and more sleepy. Sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke etc not to mention years of exhaustion. So if u know ur not being glutened, it might be worth it to check it out.

[Mayflowers]

I think I might have that too. People who are severely obese usually have it, and when they lose the weight, it goes away.

[eleep]

I would second the "try to be patient" thing. I don't know whether I can claim adrenal fatigue or not, but my body body pretty worn down and that made it difficult to build up to working out for me as well. I just tried to keep my hand in for a while -- I'd go for short walks outside and do some gentle yoga.

Sometimes the hardest thing is to learn not to push myself the way I used to.

I've actually gone in for acupuncture recently (and I know Carla's doing this for the adrenal thing) and it's slowly starting to make me feel much stronger and more grounded -- so I've been able to start running again. I've been waiting until the end of the treatment to post on how well it's worked for me (because I'm still seeing improvement from week to week), but I can definitely recommend it for helping speed up the de-stressing process.

eleep

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I like the idea of accupuncture! That's definitely worth a look.

Other ideas: have you had your thyroid checked lately? (Sorry if I missed that.) And--what are you eating? I get very tired if I have a lot of carbs, especially the gluten-free breads and cookies. If your blood sugar is zooming up and down, that could be very tiring. Are you getting enough iron and protein in your diet? And if you were used to whole grains before going off gluten, it's a good idea to put a lot of lettuce and fresh vegies into your diet for "roughage."

Can you start small for exercise? A walk around the block might be a bit more realistic for starters than 4 flights of stairs! It takes weeks to build up endurance. And if you're outside in the sun (even if it's cloudy), that will do you good, too.