Cravings :(

[Mph1213]

I was diagnosed with celiac disease 3 weeks ago, since going gluten free..I have already purposely injested gluten twice just out of sheer cravings honestly..I'm 88 lbs it doesn't even look like I crave water but I crave fast food all day everyday and will even get myself so upset that I cry about not being able to have it anymore..it's like an addiction and I feel crazy that food has this hold on me..for the last 2 years in an effort to gain weight, I have eaten out probably 95% of my meals ...I know I should replace those foods with something that tastes good AND is gluten free and there are a lot of options but I can't hardly kick the cravings and I feel out of control..I am a very picky eater and people keep saying "you're going to have to just eat different food" but how many people can just force themselves to eat food they don't like? And it's not just for a week or a month but the rest of my life !! it's so bad that I've contemplated whether it's worth getting healthy (ridiculous I know)! And of course, there are gluten free foods that I do enjoy but to NEVER be able to eat the meals I love again..is actually depressing..I have had 0 guidance--my doctors emailed me to let me know that I have celiac disease and to research it on Mayo Clinic website..and that was it..but I still have a million questions..I'm just really discouraged and disappointed with myself..I want to get my health back. Any advice or encouragement is welcome thanks for listening 

[RebekahLynn]

I'm sorry you're going through this without support. It can be very overwhelming in the beginning when all there is seems to be suffering and going without. Can you call and request a nutritionist and counseling referral?

Gluten messes with my head and my "relationship" to food. So getting gluten out of your system you may actually find you lose the cravings with time and your taste for things may expand. Gluten can make you crave more gluten, personally my cravings almost entirely go away once I am gluten free for a while. In fact I've known I had gluten before because of an intense craving for certain gluten items.  I'm telling you this for encouragement, but I would still request a nutritionist and a counselor. This is a big life change.

I'd start by planning the things you are up for eating that are gluten free. Because of adrenal fatigue, I have to plan my meals and snacks and I premake most of my food one day a week and then simply reheat. Otherwise it's too overwhelming and while I don't eat gluten I will end up very hungry or eat a ton of chocolate or something. Planning can help you avoid cheating. Don't try a ton of new things/things you don't like. Just try one new thing every week. Eat to live and then keep busy. You're used to eating out, it's your routine- so this is a double change because your routine will change at the same time. 

Try to keep in mind that learning a new way to live, the work of getting well and adjusting/mourning will be time consuming at first: but that doesn't mean it will always be this way. It can get better.

Best wishes to you. 

[Ennis-TX]

Eating out, constantly exposes yourself to gluten, cross contamination is a huge issue in any non 100% dedicated gluten free restaurant. Fast food is a HUGE NO, there are many alternatives and I will provide you a comprehensive list.  NOW you should try eating whole foods only at first nothing processed if you can. Celiac disease causes damage to your intestines so your not going to absorb the nutrients you need from food...guess what the more you eat out the more you get glutened the worse it will get and it can eventually kill you. There are options for everything you used to eat, yeah I get crazy cravings too, but thank god for my sources of extracts, seasonings and my ability to cook anything to taste like generally anything and my god given chef talents. I have many more limitations then you due to my damage causing other food allergies to crop up and intolerance issues so consider yourself blessed.

What are you favorite foods me and others can tell you how to make them gluten free or find a good alternative. If you need help putting on weight...I am a self taught master at that lol. I am actually in the process of body building.

Cravings are insane, and I have gotten some crazy ones....like burnt toast craving (this is a craving for carbon, yes it is a nutrient), cravings for chocolate covered dirt (This is a craving for iron, magnesium, and trace minerals), and insane cravings for almonds and coconut (cravings for fats, and various vitamins) and sometimes cravings greens or seeds. Most cravings are a sign of a deficiency do some research to find what your body is actually craving, and supplement it or find a good gluten free source for these.

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/117090-gluten-free-food-alternatives-list/

 

[TexasJen]

I'm sorry you are having a hard time.  I did too!  There are definitely things about my pre-celiac life that I am still mourning the loss of. It gets better but it doesn't go away.  

I gave myself a bit of leeway at the beginning.  When I messed up or ate the wrong food, I didn't freak out. They say it takes about 6 months to really get it right, so I just kept learning about where I made mistakes.  It takes a long time to break habits so give yourself a break.  You'll eventually get it right.  Start slow. Find some gluten free foods that you like. Every morning plan your day. Take your favorite snacks with you when you leave to make sure that you will have something to eat when you feel the cravings and try to eat those first before indulging in the nearest fast food place.  Take meals with you.  For the most part, you will know your plans and if you will be out of the house at meal time, make sure to plan those meals.

My doctor did the same thing to me. Quick phone call, go to this website, blah, blah, blah.  I called him back and got a referral to a nutritionist and she was awful.  I looked for another and she was not much better. Finally, I went to a celiac center and met with their nutritionist and finally felt like I was getting some reasonable, evidenced based answers. 

This website is great as well. Some of the other Facebook pages and support groups don't give nearly as good advice as this one...... You can search in the archives for answers to questions you have. A lot of people have already asked the same questions you will. But, look closely at the dates of the posts. If they are more than a couple of years old, a lot of the info has changed or is irrelevant. 

Good luck!

[Jmg]

13 hours ago, Mph1213 said:

Any advice or encouragement is welcome thanks for listening

Fast food is addictive, not simply due to taste but due to the way in which our bodies digest it.

There is also some interesting evidence that suggests celiac/ncgs sufferers Open Original Shared Link relationship to gluten foods. I don't think this is proven, but it does fit with my own experience and that of others on here.

One way to tackle fast food cravings is to recognise what's happening when you eat it. These foods are very quickly broken down and then converted into energy, which spikes your blood sugar. You get an initial rush and then a crash, at which point the cravings start again.

You need to break this cycle!

You can do this by swopping out the Open Original Shared Link(processed foods) for low GI ones. This is something diabetics do, but its amazing how many people with a gluten issue also have blood sugar issues, so this could well be something you would benefit from in any case. 

The more low GI foods and less high GI foods you eat the longer they will take to break down, the less hunger pangs you'll experience and spike/crash cycle will be broken. You'll be able to stop 'grazing' between meals and once you break the cycle the fast foods will no longer seem as overwhelmingly appealing as they do right now.

I started out by changing my breakfasts to an omelette with veggies. It kept me full till lunch and it was full of protein and amino acids. 

It's a lifestyle change, but its one that will pay off for you if you can follow it through. There will be a rough few days at the outset, but you should start to feel better within just a few days. 

Good luck!