Unable To Gain Weight!

[LolaB]

I have been on a strick gluten free for almost a year now.  After close to 30 years of being sick I was willing to do anything to get my life back..My 1 year scope is this September and I am looking forward to hearing I am healing and on the right track.....(fingers crossed) but I am having a difficult time gaining weight.  I am 5'4" and 112 - I can go down a few pounds or up but rarely up.  Does anyone else have this problem?  I would really like to put some weight on, and I have read that you should start after going gluten free but it seems that I cant!  It does worry me a little ............... can anyone help or share?

[ravenwoodglass]

Well your not alone. I am also 5'4" and would be happy if I could get back to 112lb. I seem to stuck at 105. I was up to almost 115 but then had a job that was not a good fit for me and lost 10lbs. Putting it back is hard.

One thing I have done in the past that worked for me (don't know how healthy it was) was eating Wylde pretzels. They are gluten and soy free and each bag had 900 or so calories, if I remember correctly. I would eat my regular meals but would open a bag in the morning and munch constantly on them over the whole day. With the extra almost 1000 calories a day I did gain a bit.

At this point I am trying to gain with more healthy alternatives. I got some chocolate hemp protein powder and try to make at least one shake a day with whole milk and 1/2 banana.  I make muffins with Pamela's mix, fruit and nuts and snack on those between meals. I try to make each meal as high calorie as I can by using lots of butter, whole milk, sauces etc.

I also try to exercise more to try and gain muscle. There are some places I would rather not see more fat on. LOL

Gaining weight can be very difficult for some people. I wish I had some more advice other than just the obvious get more calories.

[LolaB]

Well your not alone. I am also 5'4" and would be happy if I could get back to 112lb. I seem to stuck at 105. I was up to almost 115 but then had a job that was not a good fit for me and lost 10lbs. Putting it back is hard.

One thing I have done in the past that worked for me (don't know how healthy it was) was eating Wylde pretzels. They are gluten and soy free and each bag had 900 or so calories, if I remember correctly. I would eat my regular meals but would open a bag in the morning and munch constantly on them over the whole day. With the extra almost 1000 calories a day I did gain a bit.

At this point I am trying to gain with more healthy alternatives. I got some chocolate hemp protein powder and try to make at least one shake a day with whole milk and 1/2 banana.  I make muffins with Pamela's mix, fruit and nuts and snack on those between meals. I try to make each meal as high calorie as I can by using lots of butter, whole milk, sauces etc.

I also try to exercise more to try and gain muscle. There are some places I would rather not see more fat on. LOL

Gaining weight can be very difficult for some people. I wish I had some more advice other than just the obvious get more calories.

Thanks Ravenwood glass, I did read recently to try Ensure plus calories, I looked it up and it is gluten free.  I may give that a shot in between meals.  Especially if I am out and a bar just wont cut it.  I have ate enough bars!  I am glad I am not alone.   I read your story and I am so sorry you suffered for so long.  How did they know your mom had celiac related  cancer? if you dont mind me asking........

[Barbarara]

Hello LolaB,

Having celiac means we also have malabsoption and malnutrition.  Because our gut is so messed up we are likely to also have other food allergies such as corn, dairy, etc.  I eat a TON of nuts because they have so many minerals that we're missing. 

 

In addition to gluten I react to corn, dairy, eggs, sulfites, MSG really bad, flouride, chlorine, smoke of any kind, perfumes and chemical smells, red and green food dyes, and probably a couple more that I can't remember just now.

 

I'm working with a chiropractor who is also a clinical nutritionist and does applied kineselogy to see which vitamins and supplements my body wants.  It's a different approach. 

 

Let me know what you think about this. 

[KristinIrwin]

Try Ensure Plus once or twice a day! It has worked incredibly well for me

[Mari]

............... can anyone help or shareI

I'm about your height and I weighed about 100 lbs 7 years ago when I found out I needed to avoid gluten. I managed to get up to about 110 lbs but every time I started to gain a little weight I'd have some intestinal problems and lose it again. Last year I moved from the country to a small city about 100 miles away. For three month I lived in a motel and cooked with the microwave - mostly eggs, veges, potatoes and gluten-free bread & cookies. I also began drinking lots of carrot juice . In this different environment I began to have less problems. A local Dr alerted me to very low levels of Vit D3 and B12 and I found some supplements I could tolerate. Now, a year later I weigh more than 124 lbs and may have to start limiting my calories. Hope you can find something that works for you.

[NateJ]

5' 9" 122 lbs. still looking for the weight gain magic solution. haven't found one yet.

I have noticed after keeping a food diary the past few days that I don't take in nearly enough calories to match what I should be to even maintain weight let alone gain.

have you tried keeping track of that?

[LolaB]

5' 9" 122 lbs. still looking for the weight gain magic solution. haven't found one yet.

I have noticed after keeping a food diary the past few days that I don't take in nearly enough calories to match what I should be to even maintain weight let alone gain.

have you tried keeping track of that?

You are probobly right about the calories!  I just sometimes find it a pain eating on the go or when I am out for the day....I have started Ensure plus calories.  You sound like you are having the same struggles like myself!

[notme]

i tried 'boost plus' yesterday - too much soy, i think, for me.  i am down to 110 because i was on vacation and not eating properly, i'm sure!  i am going to try it again on a day that i didn't get all crazy eating cherries (one is good, one hundred not so good!)

[LolaB]

i tried 'boost plus' yesterday - too much soy, i think, for me.  i am down to 110 because i was on vacation and not eating properly, i'm sure!  i am going to try it again on a day that i didn't get all crazy eating cherries (one is good, one hundred not so good!)

No....lots of cherries can equal bathroom time    I have done that before!   Sometimes if I drink it I do bloat, even sometimes after water I bloat! what a world!!!

[answerseeker]

Same here. I'm 5' 4" and am down to 105, I started at 109 but have lost weight. I've never weighed over 110 except of course during pregnancy. I don't like it, I always feel people think I have an eating disorder :-/

[w8in4dave]

Gosh darn I am 5'7 and started out at almost 200 lbs. I am now 170 .. Wow I just realized I have been telling e1 I lost 25 lbs and I lost 30 lbs , I used to be skinny my whole life! then started slowly gaining and gaining!! It was a struggle to stay under 200 lbs. Until I went Gluten free, within 3 weeks my kids were saying how my face was not as puffy. I'm 5 weeks in to being Gluten free...and 30 lbs lighter. I am hoping I don't get too far down. Go from one struggle to another , that bites! 

[NateJ]

You are probobly right about the calories!  I just sometimes find it a pain eating on the go or when I am out for the day....I have started Ensure plus calories.  You sound like you are having the same struggles like myself!

it seems to be helping so far and I'm tolerating it as well as I tolerate anything now days. It helps to fill in those gaps.

I'm simply just not ever really hungry. My constant nausea and pain in my stomach overrides my need to eat.

I've tried explaining this to Drs. but they just don't seem to get it, they always say 'just eat more'.

If I could live off of a 'food pill' I would. Food really doesn't hold much interest for me. I told a friend that I want someone to invent a food pill or a paste like they eat in the matrix movie.

Something that has everything your body needs without fillers, or preservatives, or junk added. I could just eat that everyday and not have to worry about food.

sounds hokey I know...

[eers03]

I downloaded an app for my iPhone called "MyFitnessPal" which is a calorie counter and food tracker.  I entered in my height and weight.  I also entered in my target weight goal.  To gain weight, it put me on a 2,600 calorie per day diet.  I stuck to it religiously.  Sometimes I went over but never went under.  I had to eat "unhealthy" by most standards to get healthy again.  I am 5'11 and weighed 137 pounds.  It was bad.  It's been about 8 months and I now weigh roughly 170.

 

I did NOT eat gluten.  Everything else was fair game though.  Red meat, chicken, pork, gluten free pizzas, milk shakes with peanut butter-banana-chocolate syrup-vanilla ice cream, eggs, bacon, coffee with creamer, tacos with sour cream and extra cheese.  Basically everything that the average person is not supposed to do, I did, to get my weight up.  The average person doesn't have celiac disease and I do--so its justified.  Now that I'm at 170, I'm pulling back a bit and reincorporating some semblance of a workout program.  Just couldnt do it before. 

 

At first, all the calories were tough because quite honestly, your body isn't used to it and doesn't "think" it has room for it.  Over time, it will start to catch up.

 

Drink lots of water with it as well.  The water is instrumental in carrying the nutrients into your body that your intestines otherwise may not be allowing through.

 

Also worth noting...  At 2600 calories per day, thats a goal that was created for someone of normal health.  I actually probably needed more than that due to my malabsoption issue.

 

Good luck.

[AlwaysLearning]

What about fruit smoothies to add calories?

They'd be high in sugars, but the fiber should help balance out any sugar spikes during digestion and adding some protein powder could help even it out more ... if you can find one that doesn't aggravate allergies as well. And the blending process should help make them a little easier to digest, no?

Plus, you can use a whole myriad of fruits for some variety in nutrients so better than empty calories from baked goods.

The other things that come to mind for healthy calories are olives and avocados.
 

[Wellmanwife]

I understand. I am 5’3” and 97 lbs. I feel like eating is a job! I get sick of having to eat so much! I even eat tons of gluten-free cupcakes, cakes and high calorie gluten-free Mexican food weekly! The weight loss has triggered severe headaches too which my neurologist worries about since I have had previous strokes. He says a severe headache or migraine can actually trigger another stroke. So he has me seeing the nutritionist weekly which has finally helped me maintain rather than the steady losing.

The nutritionist has me using  Benecalorie in my food. For people with malabsorption issues it is directly absorbed past the part of our damaged intestines where the celiac has caused us to have malabsorption issues. You can purchase it online. Just sprinkle it on your food. It comes in a completely tasteless powder form, or you can get liquid cups to just take on their own. Since starting the benecalorie i have at least pretty much stayed between 96-100 lb and have stopped losing  as I previously was. It’s better to at least maintain than continue losing I suppose! Now I am starting to seriously pig out and hopefully I will actually put a little on!  

[Ennis-TX]

16 hours ago, Wellmanwife said:

I understand. I am 5’3” and 97 lbs. I feel like eating is a job! I get sick of having to eat so much! I even eat tons of gluten-free cupcakes, cakes and high calorie gluten-free Mexican food weekly! The weight loss has triggered severe headaches too which my neurologist worries about since I have had previous strokes. He says a severe headache or migraine can actually trigger another stroke. So he has me seeing the nutritionist weekly which has finally helped me maintain rather than the steady losing.

The nutritionist has me using  Benecalorie in my food. For people with malabsorption issues it is directly absorbed past the part of our damaged intestines where the celiac has caused us to have malabsorption issues. You can purchase it online. Just sprinkle it on your food. It comes in a completely tasteless powder form, or you can get liquid cups to sun butter take on their own. Since starting the benecalorie i have at least pretty much stayed between 96-100 lb and have stopped losing  as I previously was. It’s better to at least maintain than continue losing I suppose! Now I am starting to seriously pig out and hopefully I will actually put a little on!  

5

Avoid the standard gluten-free cakes etc. Starches/sugars/carbs will do nothing for healing, and putting on healthy muscles. Look to real food full calories of stuff your body needs.

Fats, Go for nut-based baked goods (look up keto baked goods/bread recipes on ketosummit, or brands like mikey's,  Julian bakery or flour foods pizza crust, even Know foods) and healthy fats for baked goods,  Look to almond butter, sunbutter, avocados, macadamia nuts, coconut, almond flour, eggs, whole meats, and fish. Even using stuff like Primal Kitchen mayo and their condiments dressing, Fats are one of the primary fuel for the body, and without the sugar/carb triggers your body will not store it. 

Protein, like soft slow cooked/stewed meats,  collagen powders, bone broth powder, eggs/egg whites, vegan protein powder blends, can be added in along with creatine, and some BCAAs with meals. Easy to digest proteins your body needs to rebuild damage and build, remember protein is the building blocks of our body.

Taking digestive enzymes with your meals, in ratios for what you eat like the ones from RealZymes for your diet so you break down the foods and get more nutrients from them. Option options include EnzymePedia, and SilverFern. or even the bases with pancreas enzymes by Jarrow.  But remember it takes certain amounts of each one in your body to break down the ratios of food you eat. 

If your gut is still iffy using stuff like Celiac Support Comprehensive Clear Meal from Pioneer labs can help. it is a nutrient shake for those with celiac and damaged guts include stuff to soothe the intestines and get you nutrients.

AND THIS is counter-intuitive but FASTING helps. I was against this for years thinking I had to eat every 4 hours at least a scoop of protein powder. BUT I was wrong, the body will burn energy and focus on digesting first, and not repairing and building the body with this method. A small fast of 12-16 hours eating NO calories at all but just unsweet tea and coffee will lead to your body focusing on healing damage and building muscles. 12-hour window stop eating at like 7pm and do not eat till 7 am next morning slowly expand on this til you reach your sweet spot. For me, this is 16 hours window, but I have some friends that body build with a 20 hour fast daily.

 

[Oceans]

3 years gluten free/celiac. I, too, couldn't figure out how to regain my lost weight due to celiac. Until, if course, the latter part of the 2nd year. I was working a desk job for 10 years and needed more flexibility with my day. So I gave up my desk job for a job at local utility company. And this job required lots of outdoor work. After about 2 months working in the fresh air an Sun i noticed an increase in my body weight of approximately 5lbs! Thought nothing of it and then came the winter months. Typically holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas would pack an easy 20 lbs but not that winter. Spring next year arrived and i spent more time in the Sun, again. It was then a light went off. I was Vitamin D deficient but with Sun exposure something triggered my system to store weight! For last 3 years ive been doing light therapy (sun tanning with UVB lamps) 3mins x3 a week. And ever since Ive maintained my original pre-celiac weight! To test, i had stopped tanning for 3 weeks and it was then i stated to lose weight AGAIN! Something with the body's natural production of Vitamin D,  thru UVB rays, that has restored my energy and weight! Once your body becomes deficient in Vitamin D it cant somehow utilized energy from foods eaten so then it attacks fat stores! Vitamin supplements did NOT work. So, light therapy ( tanning) has been amazing for me! Give this a try!

P.s. approximately 1 week it took to kick start my energy and weight gain. Make sure that the machine is UVB, or even better, natural sunlight( make sure tho that body is 75% exposed). I also had tingling in lower legs and feet, but disappeared with therapy.

Edited March 24, 2020 by Oceans

[MisterSeth]

i was eating 100g of protein a day before i gained mass, and the messed up thing is i look skinnier now

[diana10]

So sorry for you, I hope now you're better. I had a similar problem, but my problem was I couldn't lose weight. I had tried a lot of diets and didn't eat products with gluten, I've tried everything but nothing helped me. I think it was because sometimes I allowed myself to eat fat and fried food. So I found another way to make my dream come true. I started to eat only healthy food and accidentally discovered macha that helped a lot. I love coffee and matcha was the best way to lose weight and drink something delicious.

[Lboisvert]

On 7/11/2013 at 6:42 PM, ravenwoodglass said:

Well your not alone. I am also 5'4" and would be happy if I could get back to 112lb. I seem to stuck at 105. I was up to almost 115 but then had a job that was not a good fit for me and lost 10lbs. Putting it back is hard.

One thing I have done in the past that worked for me (don't know how healthy it was) was eating Wylde pretzels. They are gluten and soy free and each bag had 900 or so calories, if I remember correctly. I would eat my regular meals but would open a bag in the morning and munch constantly on them over the whole day. With the extra almost 1000 calories a day I did gain a bit.

At this point I am trying to gain with more healthy alternatives. I got some chocolate hemp protein powder and try to make at least one shake a day with whole milk and 1/2 banana.  I make muffins with Pamela's mix, fruit and nuts and snack on those between meals. I try to make each meal as high calorie as I can by using lots of butter, whole milk, sauces etc.

I also try to exercise more to try and gain muscle. There are some places I would rather not see more fat on. LOL

Gaining weight can be very difficult for some people. I wish I had some more advice other than just the obvious get more calories.

I think I am the only one who isn't losing weight as a celiac