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Weight Loss Going gluten-free?

gointribal

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gointribal Enthusiast
gointribal
Posted

So I've found as soon as I eat gluten I lose my figure...no joke... maybe its cause I get bloated but I've also found that I put on weight a lot faster then I did before. I am new to celiac disease, in fact, I'm not totally sure I have it, I go in for my biopsy on Feb, 16th. However, I read somewhere that being on gluten can cause weight gain because your body is not getting what it needs to stay healthy? Does anyone else have this problem or heard this before?

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CMCM Rising Star
CMCM
Posted

I'd like to know what the science is behind eating gluten & weight gain, too. Even before my diagnosis, I definitely knew that eating wheat was bloating. I was on a major exercise program (Body for Life) and no matter how carefully I ate, or how much I exercise, I didn't drop a pound. It was beyond frustrating. I used to joke that if I ate nothing at all I would probably gain weight.

Also, after not eating much wheat for awhile, if I went back to eating even moderate or small amounts, I could put back on 5 lbs. overnight....bloating, I suppose. One meal with wheat could bloat me so much I couldn't button my pants.

I wouldn't be surprised if it has something to do with insulin...perhaps eating wheat makes the system all off kilter, skyrockets the insulin response, and sends virtually everything to fat storage.

My mother had malabsorption and her villi were gone, so she lost massive amounts of weight. I, on the other hand, apparently don't have intestinal damage yet so I don't lose weight. Most of my life I was very slim, but not thin. I neither gained nor lost weight, and I was a real sugar junkie. When I look at photos of myself from earlier years, I now realize how slim I was. But not skinny. It's only the last few years that this extra 10-20 lbs. has been an unmovable problem.

Now that I'm firmly gluten/dairy/soy free (just a couple of days so far) we'll see if the weight drops off. Certainly the bloating is way down already. But I want to eliminate that extra fat around my middle.

If anyone has seen an explanation for the weight gain, please let us know or give us a link!!

Carole

tiffjake Enthusiast
tiffjake
Posted
So I've found as soon as I eat gluten I lose my figure...no joke... maybe its cause I get bloated but I've also found that I put on weight a lot faster then I did before. I am new to celiac disease, in fact, I'm not totally sure I have it, I go in for my biopsy on Feb, 16th. However, I read somewhere that being on gluten can cause weight gain because your body is not getting what it needs to stay healthy? Does anyone else have this problem or heard this before?

I totally hear you. I can gain 6 pounds over night if I have a hamburger. I bloat up. I was a vegetarian for a while and can't believe the weight I gained. I have put on a nother 20 pounds in the last two years. I just went gluten free a couple of months ago, and I still struggle with hidden gluten here and there, but over all I have lost about 10 pounds in about 60 days. Mind you, that is with eating a lot of chocolate (depression over cutting out bread...LOL). But I have a direct corelation between gluten and weight gain with my body. I swell up really bad.

  • 2 weeks later...
Janine Newbie
Janine
Posted

Hi-

I suspect strongly that I have celiac. I did go gluten free for 7 months with an improved intestinal situation.

I did lose weight rather quickly off gluten, but I was also not eating as much because I was still working out what to eat! :rolleyes:

I also gained weight when I went back on gluten, but I must admit to going a little bread crazy after not having it for so long. So who knows if that is why I gained. But my father swears if he eats any bread, he will bloat up 5 lbs over night. I do know that bread products do usually have a lot more sodium than people generally think, so that might contribute.

In any case, I think I tested too soon after being off gluten so long (I had only gone off the gluten-free diet for a month before testing). I have been back on gluten now for about a year (and my intestines are back to being a pain) (and have gained more weight) and just had the celiac blood panel done again today.

I have heard people say that it took them a year to feel better after going gluten free, so maybe 7 months wasn't long enough to get rid of my migraines, restless legs, fatique, IBS, ec etc!

Not sure if this adds much to the conversation or not!

Be well, Janine

Guest cassidy
Guest cassidy
Posted

I have been gluten free for over a month and I lost 3 pounds that I didn't have to lose. I am having surgery on Friday and I've been trying to gain weight. I usually eat healthy but for the last two weeks I have been eating bags of chips, tons of chocolate and all sorts of fattening things. I haven't gained one pound. I currently wear a size zero and I'm concerned what I will look like after surgery. I wonder why that is?

Rusla Enthusiast
Rusla
Posted

A very slight accidental glutening makes me gain 5 lbs instantly.

slpinsd Contributor
slpinsd
Posted

cassidy,

i totally empathize with your situation. i have been gluten-free for 3 weeks or so, and i've lost atleast 5 lbs, that i could not afford to lose. i also just had surgery, 5 days after i went gluten-free. the thing is, i feel fairly healthy even though i'm a waif. i went to my pre-op today, and he said that i was the tiniest thing, almost anorexic looking. i told him that i may have Celiac, and he said, oh my daughter has that, too. so then i felt better and he understood that i'm not trying to starve myself. i know i am eating a lot less fat, and a lot less overall since i'm still trying to figure out what to eat, too. hang in there. i'm praying the weight will come on soon for us.

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sasha1234 Newbie
sasha1234
Posted

I just posted a similar question in another thread. I had my biopsies done yesterday and had to go back on a gluten diet for the past 6 weeks during which time I went from 120lbs to 145lbs. It's nice to know I'm not alone in this.

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