[njbeachbum]

hey guys.... quick background on me... 30 years old, misdiagnosed with crohn's disease for 14 years, just recently tested for celiac via blood test. i've been on the gluten free diet for just about three weeks.

ok, so i've always been active. during the time i was misdiagnosed/ "sick" i've played competitive volleyball... most of my adult life really. indoor in college, and beach at the pro level and indoor club ball ever since college. over the past three years i've been actively weight lifting, probably about 2-3x a week on average. i used to be very skinny, then with working out i got very lean and toned. but i reached a point where i felt like my muscles wouldn't get any bigger... no matter how much i ate and how many protein shakes i took. now i understand why, b/c of the diagnosis.

so i've been on the gluten free diet, and have had more energy for working out. i've been at the gym 4x a week, feeling stronger while lifting, and i have noticed that my muscles are being more "responsive" to the workouts. does this make any sense or is it all in my head? it's only been a short time, but i feel like my arms and chest are really responding well. this is like a miracle. i've even put on a few good pounds and feel a little tighter/leaner (and less bloated!)

so yeah that's my first question! and my second is this... i want to start adding a protein powder supplement into my daily routine, but i know that they can be kinda harsh on the tummy. i see that now sports makes a gluten free whey protein powder. i can mix that into my cream of rice cereal in the morning or with almond milk and a banana at night after my workouts. does anyone have a suggestion for how long i should wait to start using such a supplement? my tummy symptoms haven't really improved a whole lot yet, as i have many years of damage to undo in there. i'm being patient and i want to do everything i can to be gentle on my digestive system, since i've been kicking it's ass for 14 years.

ok that's all. thanks for listening and thanks in advance for any helpful suggestions!

-joe

[zkat]

I find that all of my sports are improving with the gluten free diet and they suffer terribly when I get glutened! I run, lift and play soccer. You are probably getting better nutrient absoprtion now, so your muscles are responding better. Not to mention the increased energy!

As far as the protien supplement, I personally would not add it back until your GI symptoms subside. You may find that the whey protien is very difficult for a healing celiac to tolerate. I have been gluten free for almost a year and I use Hammer Nutrition products. They seem be the easiest on my digestive system.

Kat.

[abdab]

It took about 2 months of strict gluten free eating before I started to feel good.
The bodyweight and strength started to return from then on.