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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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    • knitty kitty
      Accuracy of testing concerns

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @McKinleyWY, For a genetic test, you don't have to eat gluten, but this will only show if you have the genes necessary for the development of Celiac disease.  It will not show if you have active Celiac disease.   Eating gluten stimulates the production of antibodies against gluten which mistakenly attack our own bodies.  The antibodies are produced in the small intestines.  Three grams of gluten are enough to make you feel sick and ramp up anti-gluten antibody production and inflammation for two years afterwards.  However, TEN grams of gluten or more per day for two weeks is required to stimulate anti-gluten antibodies' production enough so that the anti-gluten antibodies move out of the intestines and into the bloodstream where they can be measured in blood tests.  This level of anti-gluten antibodies also causes measurable damage to the lining of the intestines as seen on biopsy samples taken during an endoscopy (the "gold standard" of Celiac diagnosis).   Since you have been experimenting with whole wheat bread in the past year or so, possibly getting cross contaminated in a mixed household, and your immune system is still so sensitized to gluten consumption, you may want to go ahead with the gluten challenge.   It can take two years absolutely gluten free for the immune system to quit reacting to gluten exposure.   Avoiding gluten most if the time, but then experimenting with whole wheat bread is a great way to keep your body in a state of inflammation and illness.  A diagnosis would help you stop playing Russian roulette with your and your children's health.      
    • trents
      Accuracy of testing concerns

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @McKinleyWY! There currently is no testing for celiac disease that does not require you to have been consuming generous amounts of gluten (at least 10g daily, about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for at least two weeks and, to be certain of accurate testing, longer than that. This applies to both phases of testing, the blood antibody tests and the endoscopy with biopsy.  There is the option of genetic testing to see if you have one or both of the two genes known to provide the potential to develop celiac disease. It is not really a diagnostic measure, however, as 30-40% of the general population has one or both of these genes whereas only about 1% of the general population actually develops celiac disease. But genetic testing is valuable as a rule out measure. If you don't have either of the genes, it is highly unlikely that you can have celiac disease. Having said all that, even if you don't have celiac disease you can have NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity) which shares many of the same symptoms as celiac disease but does not involve and autoimmune reaction that damages the lining of the small bowel as does celiac disease. Both conditions call for the complete elimination of gluten from the diet. I hope this brings some clarity to your questions.
    • McKinleyWY
      Accuracy of testing concerns

      By McKinleyWY · Posted

      Hello all, I was diagnosed at the age of 2 as being allergic to yeast.  All my life I have avoided bread and most products containing enriched flour as they  contain yeast (when making the man made vitamins to add back in to the flour).  Within the last year or so, we discovered that even whole wheat products bother me but strangely enough I can eat gluten free bread with yeast and have no reactions.  Obviously, we have come to believe the issue is gluten not yeast.  Times continues to reinforce this as we are transitioning to a gluten free home and family.  I become quite ill when I consume even the smallest amount of gluten. How will my not having consumed breads/yeast/gluten for the better part of decades impact a biopsy or blood work?  I would love to know if it is a gluten intolerance or a genetic issue for family members but unsure of the results given my history of limited gluten intake.   I appreciate the input from those who have gone before me in experience and knowledge. Thank you all!
    • trents
      A little about me and my celiac disease

      By trents · Posted

      I know what you mean. When I get glutened I have severe gut cramps and throw up for 2-3 hr. and then have diarrhea for another several hours. Avoid eating out if at all possible. It is the number one source of gluten contamination for us celiacs. When you are forced to eat out at a new restaurant that you are not sure is safe, try to order things that you can be sure will not get cross contaminated like a boiled egg, baked potatos, steamed vegies, fresh fruit. Yes, I know that doesn't sound as appetizing as pizza or a burger and fries but your health is at stake. I also realize that as a 14 year old you don't have a lot of control over where you eat out because you are tagging along with others or adults are paying for it. Do you have support from your parents concerning your need to eat gluten free? Do you believe they have a good understanding of the many places gluten can show up in the food supply?
    • Peace lily
      Gluten Free Coffee

      By Peace lily · Posted

      Okay went online to check green mountain k cups .It was said that the regular coffees are fine but they couldn’t guarantee cross contamination.with the flavors. im trying to figure out since I eliminated the suyrup so far so good. I’m hoping. thanks it feels good to listen to other people there views.
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