Overeating On Gluten-Free Foods

[FloB]

I over-eat sometimes, which is a lot different from the starving I used to do. Anyway, having a major freak-out moment in my head about all the "damage" i've just redone to my intestines. Am I just tripping??? Someone please let me know cause I'm going to be even more bumming tomorrow.

[Gemini]

Why would you think that you are doing damage to yourself if the food you are eating is gluten-free?  If you feel good after the food you eat, and are recovering well, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

I tend to stick to certified gluten-free foods but that does not mean there is gluten in non-certified gluten-free foods.  Some companies do a great job of segregating their products from cc and others don't.

That is something you will learn over time.  If you feel bad after eating something, then don't eat it again but you can feel sick from other reasons besides gluten.  It can be hard to distinguish sometimes.

 

I am very sensitive to small amounts of gluten but on occasion, I overeat gluten-free foods also.  I tend to do that when I work out because I am hungry afterwards. I stick with the ones that work for me.  It's OK to do so once in a while! 

[nvsmom]

I agree with Gemini. If it's gluten-free, and you are not splurging too often, I wouldn't worry about it. Last night I had 6 udi's snickerdoodles... I'm pmsing and my inlaws are coming for a week, and l had more inlaws over for dinner yesterday.... I deserved it. 

 

I overate gluten-free in my first few months too, and oddly enough, I lost weight doing it.  You'll slowly settle into the new diet. Give yourself some time to make it a lifestyle. 

[MissyBB]

I found I did this in the beginning when I discovered that gluten bothered me and then suddenly, all those things I loved the most - bread, baked goods- were off limits. So I gorged on gluten-free foods because, for me, at least, I felt I had some control back because I wasn't "allowed" to eat the non-gluten-free foods, and, well, I don't like not being "allowed".   In short, it was a personal problem, all made up in my own head.   But once I realized this is a for-life type thing I got over it and went back to eating normal amounts of gluten-free foods like I would have when I used to eat "normal" wheat-based goodies.

[FloB]

Thanks guys!!!!

[Gemini]

I found I did this in the beginning when I discovered that gluten bothered me and then suddenly, all those things I loved the most - bread, baked goods- were off limits. So I gorged on gluten-free foods because, for me, at least, I felt I had some control back because I wasn't "allowed" to eat the non-gluten-free foods, and, well, I don't like not being "allowed".   In short, it was a personal problem, all made up in my own head.   But once I realized this is a for-life type thing I got over it and went back to eating normal amounts of gluten-free foods like I would have when I used to eat "normal" wheat-based goodies.

This is one of the best analogies on behavior I have seen in a long time.     I think this is the norm for most poeple who really have to avoid gluten but this was beautifully stated!

[Gemini]

I agree with Gemini. If it's gluten-free, and you are not splurging too often, I wouldn't worry about it. Last night I had 6 udi's snickerdoodles... I'm pmsing and my inlaws are coming for a week, and l had more inlaws over for dinner yesterday.... I deserved it. 

 

I overate gluten-free in my first few months too, and oddly enough, I lost weight doing it.  You'll slowly settle into the new diet. Give yourself some time to make it a lifestyle. 

Hah!  I have discovered the Glutino Oreo's.  Oh my, they are good! 

[notme]

(schar chocolate sandwich cremes)(packaged 2 at a time, so i don't overdo the soy) 

[julissa]

when I first went gluten free I replaced many of the items with gluten-free forms like bread, pasta, snacks, etc. now, I don't have any of those, I just feel better eating cleaner. I know they are there if I want them which is nice, but I am happier without them oddly.

[Gemini]

(schar chocolate sandwich cremes)(packaged 2 at a time, so i don't overdo the soy) 

Those are awesome!  You cannot go wrong with either Schar or Glutino!  I am such a cookie monster......I like cookies better than anything else.

[nvsmom]

I'm having cookie cravings now!!Lol

[w8in4dave]

I questioned my self at 1st about pre packaged foods, if I should "go there" with the Gluten free diet. I have , I made some awful noodles I couldn't eat, and ate some crackers that tore my mouth apart! But darn it I could have them because they were gluten free, but then I realized I didn't eat much of that stuff before I went Gluten free, So all I have is the stuff my friends buy me. I did buy cookies Hahaha don't even know what kind they are but I bought some lol ...

[MissyBB]

I questioned my self at 1st about pre packaged foods, if I should "go there" with the Gluten free diet. I have , I made some awful noodles I couldn't eat, and ate some crackers that tore my mouth apart! But darn it I could have them because they were gluten free, but then I realized I didn't eat much of that stuff before I went Gluten free, So all I have is the stuff my friends buy me. I did buy cookies Hahaha don't even know what kind they are but I bought some lol ...

 

I struggled with this too when I first started eating gluten-free. We have pretty much always eaten organic, and whole foods. Our bread was grainy, close to whole foods as possible. We didn't eat any "fake" foods so going to a gluten-free bread that had all this other stuff in it bothered me mentally for a long time. What really turned around my thinking was that I realized, one day, that we just ASSUME wheat to be a "real" food, and something like tapioca or potato starch to be a "fake" or "lousy" food source. We have been trapped into the misguided notion that wheat is the gold standard for real, whole foods. It took me a while to get past that train of thought. It is so ingrained (no pun intended!  ) into us that wheat is THE grain, the GOOD grain, the GOOD starch, that we forget that at the end of the day it's just a lowly processed carb. 

 

But, yes, I also eat mostly whole foods like meats, fruits and veg and try to stay away from processed breads, cookies etc. But processed, whether with wheat or tapioca starch etc is still processed. 

[Nikki2777]

I, too, would splurge on gluten-free treats when I was first diagnosed.  It lasted a few months, and I still struggle with it.  I think I was so afraid that i wouldn't be able to find 'safe' foods at my next meal, so I'd better binge now so I won't be hungry.  Well, I realize now that there's plenty out there for me, and I want to start eating healthier, so I definitely restrict those but it's taken a while.

[AlwaysLearning]

I'm with you on the initial splurge - using the premade gluten-free foods to help avoid feeling deprived. But I have returned to eating the way I did before, just gluten free. I'd say it took about four months to settle into a normal routine. And I didn't gain any weight during that time despite some binging at first.

For me, one of the biggest challenges was finding snack foods that fulfilled my cravings. Popcorn and apples ended up as favorites though black olives made an appearance for a while.

 

But I also got tested for some vitamin deficiencies and addressing those has been much more effective in reducing cravings. I was deficient in D, iron, and B12 though I bet that if I were tested for more, they would turn up as well so I throw in a standard multivitamin here and there as well. And though I abhor popping any sort of pill, the vitamins have made a huge difference for me.