Just Diagnosed In April. Need Some Advice Please!

[MichelleG121]

I was having symptoms for 15 years before I got diagnosed with Celiacs. I am happy to have a diagnosis however I feel lost. I can deal with the lifestyle change. I lost 50 pounds through diet and exercise in the past year and a half.  Over the winter I gained 18 pounds back   I have been back on track since my diagnosis.  I walk 5 miles everyday and count all my calories using the myfitnesspal app.  I am not able to lose any weight! I know your body is now absorbing the nutrients differently.  I do have hypothyroidism and I take meds for it. When I am healing does that effect my thyroid numbers? Should I have them checked?  Am I going to gain even more weight? UGH! Sorry for all the questions I just feel lost!

[GottaSki]

Welcome Michelle!

 

I know it is tough...but for now step away from the scale.  Your body is healing and will not necessarily react exactly how expected during these initial months.

 

Adding Hypothyroid issues further confuses matters and yes...you should get your numbers checked if you are haven't since gluten removal -- your meds may need adjusting.

 

Keep eating good healthful meals...making sure you are getting enough calories a day is imperative.  The walking five miles a day is perfect as long as you are not fatigued at the end.  Fatigue means your body isn't quite ready for something and should be listened to during these early days.  Hopefully you feel great after these walks...so keep them up, eat well, schedule a doctor's appt for your thyroid check and the scale will react more normally in time.

 

Hang in there

[michellec26]

Hello Michelle: I'm another Michelle, new to the forum, but not new to Celiac disease. When I was first diagnosed, back in 2000, I was 150 pounds overweight. I lost 75 pounds rather quickly as soon as I stopped eating gluten. I also started to exercise and lost another 5, then gained back 12. I think I was just so happy and finally feeling good, that I was overeating. It took a while, but I eventually lost 125 more pounds and have the kept the weight off for over 10 years now. I exercise vigorously 3-4 times a week, plus walking everyday. As long as I am gluten-free, my metabolism works very well. But if I get the smallest amount of cross contamination, my metabolism slows to a crawl and no matter how much I exercise, I won't lose weight, and sometimes I'll gain weight, despite the fact that I'm usually not eating very much when that happens. In the early stages after my diagnosis, gluten wasn't the only thing that bothered me, other things act as triggers and that also contributed to the problem. My advice is to stick with your daily walks and be patient. Healing takes time. I would also schedule a thyroid check as well. 

[NatureChick]

MichelleG121,

I'm having similar issues, though plantar fasciitis from too much exercise currently has me out of my athletic shoes.

I can gain weight easily, but no matter how much I exercise or watch my calories, I can't seem to lose. Even with walking an average of five miles a day, I was only able to lose one pound per month when my calorie intake and burn should have had me losing at least two to three times as much.

Though I'm happy to no longer lose weight inexplicably which was my life before going gluten-free, I know that something isn't working properly in the way my metabolism is working now that I am. I suspect that it may be related to liver function which could be lessened by vitamin deficiencies. When I increased my exercise levels, I didn't lose weight, but instead started having problems with low blood sugar, meaning my body wasn't turning to fat stores for more energy, but making me exhausted instead. My worst symptom was when I started waking up in the middle of the night with my heart pounding out of my chest, a symptom that sometimes occurs in those who have low body fat but aren't consuming enough calories to make up for their work outs. When blood sugar levels get too low, the body puts out an adrenaline rush to keep the heart pumping instead. 

Taking some multivitamins did help with the pounding heart and energy levels, but I didn't get enough of a chance to investigate further before my foot injuries took me out of the game. I also still have some deficiencies left over from the days of malabsorption because the side effects of supplements make me loath to take my B12, iron, and D supplements and I started with levels that were rather low and didn't discover them until long after going gluten-free. Plus vitamin D supplements barely help at all so getting some sun is best.

Big picture, I'd prioritize health over weight, at least early on. Even though I was watching my calorie counts, I kept my minimums around the level of my basal metabolic rate in order to make sure I wasn't eating too little. I'd look into the vitamins that exercise drains from your body and see if you can't increase your intake through food sources. I'd also get tested for deficiencies before you start taking supplements and only supplement those you know you need. Even then, I'd research them before choosing what dosage to buy. Many are fine in the right quantity, but even the amounts found in multivitamins can do more harm than good.

And making sure to stay hydrated also helps to keep everything functioning properly.

I don't suspect that accidental glutenings have anything to do with it because I cook most of my own food from scratch and only eat premade foods that are labeled as being gluten free sparingly. But I am overdue to have my hormone levels checked. My thyroid issue before going gluten-free was hyper so I was never medicated, but I'm overdue to have my levels checked ... one of many things on a long to-do list.

If you come up with any other hypotheses, drop me a note to let me know. I'd love to get this figured out.