Weight In The Middle

[Mindy35]

Hello everyone,

I am newly diagnosed with celiac disease. I have been on the gluten free diet for two months now and I have made mistakes along the way. I guess that is normal until I get used to the diet. The reason I am writing is I have always had a large waistline, I wondered if this has anything to do with celiac disease? or am I just doomed to gain weight in the middle?

Thanks for your replies.

[nettiebeads]

Part of it is genetic - look at your parents and your grandmas. Where did they gain the weight? And after childbirth, I swear I'll never have a flat tummy again. And I was cleaning out my mother's apt and found pics of my in my h.s. days. Was I really that thin? Focus first on getting the gluten out and after your intestines have healed sufficiently, then see where you're at with your waistline.

Annette

[arc]

An "apple shape" is a very telling sign of insulin resistance.

[Carriefaith]

You may notice some weight loss after being 100% gluten free for a while (probably about 3-4 months). I know people that have just went gluten free to lose weight and they succeed!

[kabowman]

I gained weight after going gluten-free because I was eating foods that didn't make me sick and, while most of my food still goes right through me, it isn't as bad as it used to be. Of course, I compensated for the lack of bread with potatoes (and still do). Also, since I really enjoy my food, the food I can eat, I tend to over-do which I am trying to fix.

[Guest Robbin]

I have this weird shape as well--strangely thin in arms, hands, neck, calves & ankles--then wow this big waist and flat rear--ugh. I was very thin in h.s., but my mom and grandma were both chubby in the middle too--and both diabetic type II--I was dx with metabolic syndrome x--pre-diabetic with hypoglycemia, so I think that middle weight gain is a sign of it. I have noticed, that unless I accidently eat gluten or dairy, I don't have quite a huge bloated tummy. As soon as things calm down with the diet and bowels, I am going to cut the calories way down, maybe we can support each other?

[Heather22]

Before you start cutting calories, I would strongly recommend the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Check out the never ending SCD thread. It can be dangerous to cut calories too low because your body will go into starvation mode and as soon as you return to a comfortable calorie range, your body will hold onto (and store) everything that goes into your mouth.

The SCD is very restrictive, but almost everyone who has tried it, has had positive results. No food tastes as good as feeling good feels!

Good luck!

[anerissara]

after a year and 3 months gluten-free I've noticed that my stomach has finally gotten flatter. I guess it might also be because I've gone 3 1/2 years w/out being pregnate, which is a 10-year record for me LOL. However, i really think that now that I"m not bloating all the time my stomach has finally started to look better and it doesn't puff up as bad even if I get glutened. Also, I lost about 10 to 15 pounds since going gluten-free ) I think a lot was water weight, plus I finally feel like excersizing again. Yea!

[lpellegr]

I read on some website ages ago that some doctors had noticed that many children with celiac disease had large abdomens and flat rears (like me). I was hoping this diet would reduce the large belly (it's not from fat - I think I'm just put together like that, like my mom), but I think I'm just stuck this way. I did notice after a year of gluten-free eating that I was putting on a few pounds and having a very hard time getting it off, so lately I gave up all the gluten-free substitutes and went on a South Beach-like diet - no breakfast cereal, muffins, rice, potatoes, bread, tortillas - and it seems to help keep the weight down. But the belly still bulges even without the 5 pounds of fat so I think it's just my permanent shape. It wasn't always this bad, but birthin' two babies didn't help. And maybe all those years (45 before diagnosis) of eating gluten caused my intestines to enlarge to compensate for all the non-absorbed nutrients. Darn. Just try finding pants to fit this shape.....

[grannynanny]

I read on some website ages ago that some doctors had noticed that many children with celiac disease had large abdomens and flat rears (like me). I was hoping this diet would reduce the large belly (it's not from fat - I think I'm just put together like that, like my mom), but I think I'm just stuck this way. I did notice after a year of gluten-free eating that I was putting on a few pounds and having a very hard time getting it off, so lately I gave up all the gluten-free substitutes and went on a South Beach-like diet - no breakfast cereal, muffins, rice, potatoes, bread, tortillas - and it seems to help keep the weight down. But the belly still bulges even without the 5 pounds of fat so I think it's just my permanent shape. It wasn't always this bad, but birthin' two babies didn't help. And maybe all those years (45 before diagnosis) of eating gluten caused my intestines to enlarge to compensate for all the non-absorbed nutrients. Darn. Just try finding pants to fit this shape.....

Recently, I've been thinking that my huge midriff (from the waist to just under the boobs!) is maybe caused by malnutrition. Remember pictures you've seen of starving children in Africa? That's just what I look like except that I'm 30 to 40 lbs. overweight. My mother has been comparably overweight in her older years, but her shape is totally different than mine.

Have any of the experts ever addressed this issue, or is no one affected the same way? And if it is a result of malnutrition, will it ever go away? Will I ever look normal again? Will I ever be able to buy clothes without an elastic waist? Can anyone help?????

[zip2play]

then wow this big waist and flat rear--ugh

ME too! It stinks! I also have a good 15 stubborn pounds I need to lose! Just diagnosed with thyroid issues too! I am hoping once they get it all figured out, I can lose this 15 pounds!

Monica

[chrissy]

don't be too hard on yourselves-------some of the shifing in weight is just part of the normal process of aging. as we get older our weight shifts to different places. i am also really bothered by the bigger belly and flatter rear end----but ifyou look around you, you will probably see that ALOT of people over 40 are leaning toward this type of weight shift. i would sure like to figure out how to firm up those areas and lose the extra tummy fat i have had since having my last baby at 40 years old. (i do have extra fat---like a handful or 2 on my belly) so, i am having the same weight problems as the rest of you, and i don't have celiac.