[arsilva]

i don't see how this happens. i see people saying it alot. i'm a pretty serious weightlifter, and after i went off gluten, i just ate other foods. i'm just curious. thanks

[woolwhippet]

I have lost 4 pounds in the last eight weeks. I think I have lost this weight for 2 reasons. The first is that while I was so sick I think my body thought it was starving and held on to every spare calorie. Now it's not starving and the excess is coming off. The second reason is that I feel well enough to excercise and have energy for all kinds of things (like taking my kids skating etc) that I just couldn't do before. I am not dieting at all. In fact, I am really enjoying food knowing that I won't be sick after I eat!

[kbtoyssni]

I would guess there's several reasons for this:
1. Going gluten-free cuts out a lot of foods people used to eat. This can result in eating much fewer calories until you get the diet figured out.
2. You might be more in-tune with your body and what makes it feel good. This means you're probably eating more natural, non-processed foods which tend to be lower in calories (and salt which will decrease water retention) than processed foods.
3. Your body is healing and working more efficiently. For those with malabsorption, metabolism will increase gradually because your body is finally absorbing enough calories to get it out of starvation mode.
4. For people who have joint pain and fatigue as a symptom, going gluten-free allows them to be more active and burn more calories.

Of course, there's plenty of reasons people can gain, too:
1. gluten-free substitutes are often higher in calories than gluten versions.
2. You're absorbing more food so depending on where you were in the malabsorbtion-starvation mode-metabolism spectrum, this could result in weight gain.
3. You feel better so you can eat without getting sick.

I feel like after going gluten-free, the body is healthy enough to gravitate towards whatever equilibrium it needs to - for some that's gaining weight, for some that's losing.

[blueeyedmanda]

I lost a lot before finding out about celiac and in the beginning when eating was a challenge I may have lost a little more or kept the same weight...I forget now.
I have gained it all back, I found some foods that I really like now and I have gained it all back....and then some

[larry mac]

arsilva, on Dec 10 2007, 06:50 PM, said:

i don't see how this happens. i see people saying it alot...... i'm just curious. thanks

I thought it was usually just the opposite.

My story is, I was losing weight for a year or so before diagnosis. Started gaining it back immediately after going gluten-free. Weight loss probably due to chronic diahrea and malabsorption. Weight gain probably due to villi healing.

best regards, lm

[tiffjake]

I lost 8 pounds in the first 2 weeks of going gluten free. I think I was holding so much fluid from being so bloated that it just poured right off. When someone looks at pictures of me from 3 years ago they ask how much weight I have lost because it made a drastic difference in my face. I just looked swollen before.

[arsilva]

oh ok, so the majority of weight loss is a good thing (i.e. loss of excess fluid/bloating, etc). i was under the impression that people lost weight because they weren't eating as much, and that the weight loss was a negative thing. thanks for clearing that up.

[kbabe1968]

I am not sure the validity of this but...I thought/think it happens because your body, when it doesn't know what to do with something strores the excess in your fat cells (calories or toxins or what have you). AND when you start going gluten free, your body heals and starts to really absorb nutrients again so there is less "waste" and such.

I'm sure there's scientivic reasoning.

I know for myself, I've lost 20 lbs this year without even trying...only going gluten free. That's it.

It does help that most, for sure, gluten free foods are also healthier!

I would almost bet alot of it is cutting out all the processed foods from the American Diet!!!

[Theresa2407]

kbabe1968, on Dec 13 2007, 05:36 PM, said:

I am not sure the validity of this but...I thought/think it happens because your body, when it doesn't know what to do with something strores the excess in your fat cells (calories or toxins or what have you). AND when you start going gluten free, your body heals and starts to really absorb nutrients again so there is less "waste" and such.

I'm sure there's scientivic reasoning.

I know for myself, I've lost 20 lbs this year without even trying...only going gluten free. That's it.

It does help that most, for sure, gluten free foods are also healthier!

I would almost bet alot of it is cutting out all the processed foods from the American Diet!!!

You are very fortunate; most people gain between 20-35 pounds after going gluten free because of all the carbs in the pastas and breads and flours. What is your secret?
Theresa2407

[tiffjake]

Who is "most people"? Because most of the people I know lost weight when they went gluten free because it was like going on atkins. They either didnt like or couldn't afford gluten free breads and pastas, so they just cut those foods out.

[Harobed]

I agree with you. It has been 3 months for me and I have lost 15 pounds.
I can't stand the taste of gluten-free breads and other products.

I spent the first month trying to substitute gluten-free products for my old wheat products and didn't like any or them.
So my diet changed completely. I began eating only fruits, veggies and protiens...no dairy, very little starches. After a month or so, I tried more recipes, but my body just does not handle "bread" or sweets well, gluten-free or not. (I was told that over time this might change as my body heals)

I also found out that when I was eating Gluten I was craving foods in order to get more nutrition.
Now that I am gluten-free, I eat a few bites and don't want any more. My body can use the nutrition better so it needs less.
Since I am not sick as often (still having a few problems) I can move around and exercise more. My joints hurt less and I have more energy, so I am sure I am burning more calories.

So the combination of all those things (many mentioned above) have created a weight loss situation, at least for me.

One more example. Went to a Christmas party and watched what everyone else was eating.
I ended up with raw veggies, slices of apple, a little cheese and a couple slices of turkey.
The other people had plates filled with little sandwiches, quiches, cookies and cakes, rolls etc.
They had to have eaten 3 times as many calories as I did...and their food was greasier, sweeter, and filled with fat products like mayo.
I used to eat that stuff...no wonder I am losing weight. lol

[The One]

Harobed if you don't like the gluten free breads that come already cooked [which i also HATE] you MUST try Glutino's gluten free French Bread mix, it can also be used to make pizza, i have made only bread with it and it tastes sooo good, it is better to use a bread machine but you can also make it by hand. Here's a link to the one I'm talking about http://www.vitacost....Bread-Pizza-Mix you can buy it online, here in Texas we find it at HEB but i dont know where to find it in your state.

[DebbieAnne]

I have gained some weight since I was learned I had celiac disease in March. I had joined weight watchers and was doing great lost over 25 pounds and was looking forward to losing more, but then found out I had celiac disease and with working full time it was hard to figure out what I coud eat and watch weight watchers points so I think I went back into so me old habits, maybe thinking I was deprived or something and I went back to some eat 2nds on food. I can't seem to get back into the way of thinking I was pre celiac disease. Any ideas and help out there?

[flourgirl]

I lost the weight before diagnosis. One of my "sypmtoms" was rapid loss. In a matter of months I dropped from size 8 pants, to 6, to 4, and then the 4's were falling off and I couldn't find anything decent in a smaller size. Not that I looked all that hard.....I had no energy to shop anyway.

I took a few months on the diet for my body to heal enough to gain weight and to stabilize. The only good part about not absorbing any fat is that my cholesterol levels are wonderful. I did go through a period of weight bouncing around.....my body was in starvation mode still and thought that it had to keep everything.....just in case I tried to starve it again . I guess we all have our own individual patterns with this condition.

[frec]

I keep losing weight, especially since I stopped eating soy. I lost so many of the easy low prep foods when I figured out I didn't tolerate soy--yogurt, Tofutti cream cheese, soy cheese, lots of gluten-free crackers and cookies. If work isn't too busy and I have time to shop (celiac shopping is takes longer) and cook I'm fine. If I get busy, or if I have too many evenings out pretending to eat at restaurants or potlucks or parties, or if I travel, I lose weight.

I have also noticed that, now that I am on good supplements, my appetite for sugary junk is much reduced. I used to eat tons of candy before I got celiac. I've read that some celiacs are overweight because they overeat unconsciously trying to get the nutrients they are missing.