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L.A.

By L.A.
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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L.A. Contributor
L.A.
Posted

Why can't I seem to put on weight? And, does anyone have a problem with their hair not being as full as it use to be?

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eKatherine Apprentice
eKatherine
Posted

Being malnourished can cause your hair to fall out. Hopefully if you can get your diet under control and put on weight, it will grow back, mostly. I've heard former anorexics say their hair fell out and hardly got thicker again after their recoveries.

L.A. Contributor
L.A.
Posted
  • Author
Why can't I seem to put on weight? And, does anyone have a problem with their hair not being as full as it use to be?

Thanks for the reply. I have been gluten-free for 5 years now and can't put on weight--weigh 102lbs and am 5'2". I am such a freak about my diet i bring my own dinner to my Mom's. I have noticed lately that my hair seems to be thinning. The Dr said i was anemic and put me on iron and vitamin supplements--that was 6 months ago i don't see any improvement.

eKatherine Apprentice
eKatherine
Posted

Maybe somebody else can help you. I'm one of those people who is solidly built. Some people just happen to have their normal weight a lot lower than other people, and it's as hard for you to gain as it is for me to lose.

It could be natural hair thinning, which just happens, though a doctor might be able to prescribe something.

DingoGirl Enthusiast
DingoGirl
Posted

My hair changed DRAMATICALLY in the last year, when I was extremely anemic and had a very advanced case of Celiac and didn't know it. I am almost four months gluten free and my hair just stopped falling out, and I have been taking iron and other supplements for months. Are you quite sure all of your supplements are gluten-free? I also was very underweight and couldn't keep weight on as food slid right through me....but gained 15 pounds immediately upon giving up gluten. Have you checked your thyroid? What does your diet mostly consist of?

Keep us posted....there are so many informed people here, keep checking back!

Blessings -

gabrielle Contributor
gabrielle
Posted
Thanks for the reply. I have been gluten-free for 5 years now and can't put on weight--weigh 102lbs and am 5'2". I am such a freak about my diet i bring my own dinner to my Mom's. I have noticed lately that my hair seems to be thinning. The Dr said i was anemic and put me on iron and vitamin supplements--that was 6 months ago i don't see any improvement.

I am the same size as you 5'2" and roughly 102, it fluctuates between 102-105. The good thing is that we are not UNDER weight. There are girls that are like 5'8" and only 115-120 pounds. I am very unhappy, however, with my weight- I was always on the thicker size- before being diagnosed I was 20 pounds heavier and then dramatically lost it all. I don't feel myself, but I know that I do not get 2000 calories a day, and that is a big reason I am not putting on weight. I really feel that it is hard to put on weight with this diet- I don't think iron/vitamins will help put on weight- you just need to really eat, I guess. I started taking Ensure, so I will let you know how that goes- but I think most people on this site do have problems putting back on weight.

CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted

Eating more calories should help with the weight. What prompted me to write was the comment that you don't eat 2000 calories a day. I maintain 130, I'm 5'8". I eat waaayyy more than 2000 calories in a day! I went out to lunch today with my husband, ordered what my 15 year old son normally eats and gets full on, and you know how they eat, then ordered another plate of the same thing. I thought the waitress was going to faint! Within an hour, I was hungry again. I eat as much or more than my 195 pound husband; double what my 18 year old daughter who weighs 137 eats.

After dinner last night, I ate a box of kettle corn that I got from Wild Oats. The box had 500 calories, this was after dinner! For another snack in between meals, I ate a bag of roasted almonds that had almost 500 calories. So I had 1000 calories just in snacks, and that's not counting my latte! I look for stuff that has concentrated calories so that I don't have to eat as much as far as quantity.

So, it may take a lot more food than you think to be able to gain weight, or even maintain once you do gain. I think eating has become my hobby :o;)

Can't answer for the hair ... mine has always been thick, but it isn't falling out as much as it used to.

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lorka150 Collaborator
lorka150
Posted

LA... I understand how you feel. Try not to get frustrated!

Sidenote: Brookin is a gorgeous town!

L.A. Contributor
L.A.
Posted
  • Author
My hair changed DRAMATICALLY in the last year, when I was extremely anemic and had a very advanced case of Celiac and didn't know it. I am almost four months gluten free and my hair just stopped falling out, and I have been taking iron and other supplements for months. Are you quite sure all of your supplements are gluten-free? I also was very underweight and couldn't keep weight on as food slid right through me....but gained 15 pounds immediately upon giving up gluten. Have you checked your thyroid? What does your diet mostly consist of?

Keep us posted....there are so many informed people here, keep checking back!

Blessings -

Thanks for your reply--all my vitamins etc are gluten-free. I think I need to have the Doc recheck my iron as he cut the original dosage as it was causing me tummy pains --maybe I'm not getting enough. I take a multi vitamin as well. What other supplements are you taking?

aorona Rookie
aorona
Posted

It just may take time for you to gain weight. When I was diagnosed with celiac, I started on the gluten free diet and within 2 weeks, I had lost 5 pounds. I am 5'3" and at the beginnnig of the diet I weighed 106. Within a few months, I had gained back the 5 pounds. I have been on the diet for 10 months now and have only gained 2 pounds. I do look healthier though, and my color looks better. It just make take time. You also might want to add more carbs to your meals. Good luck.

OH, I forgot about the hair thing. My hair was very thin and was always falling out and would never grow before I was diagnosed. My hair would only grow about 1 inch over a year. After being gluten free for about 7 months, my hair actually started to grow and became fuller. Now my hair grows 1/2 inch a month. It's great!!! I have cut out all gluten out of my hair products, with the exception of hair color. I just can't live without it!! I started going gray at 24!!!

TEW Newbie
TEW
Posted
It just may take time for you to gain weight. When I was diagnosed with celiac, I started on the gluten free diet and within 2 weeks, I had lost 5 pounds. I am 5'3" and at the beginnnig of the diet I weighed 106. Within a few months, I had gained back the 5 pounds. I have been on the diet for 10 months now and have only gained 2 pounds. I do look healthier though, and my color looks better. It just make take time. You also might want to add more carbs to your meals. Good luck.

OH, I forgot about the hair thing. My hair was very thin and was always falling out and would never grow before I was diagnosed. My hair would only grow about 1 inch over a year. After being gluten free for about 7 months, my hair actually started to grow and became fuller. Now my hair grows 1/2 inch a month. It's great!!! I have cut out all gluten out of my hair products, with the exception of hair color. I just can't live without it!! I started going gray at 24!!!

blueeyedmanda Community Regular
blueeyedmanda
Posted

Before I knew I had celiac my hair was literally falling out in handfuls in the shower and while I brushed it. I kept thinking I was tying it up on my head too tight. Well after always leaving it down and it still happened I began to worry. My sister who has long hair too said don't worry Long hair always falls out...After a few months of gluten free eating my hair grew back and now I falls out at the rate anyone elses does.

jerseyangel Proficient
jerseyangel
Posted
Before I knew I had celiac my hair was literally falling out in handfuls in the shower and while I brushed it. I kept thinking I was tying it up on my head too tight. Well after always leaving it down and it still happened I began to worry. My sister who has long hair too said don't worry Long hair always falls out...After a few months of gluten free eating my hair grew back and now I falls out at the rate anyone elses does.

Mine did this, too. I was also severly anemic (hemiglobin-8). After 4-6 months on the gluten-free diet, my hair stopped falling out and at 6 months my hemi. rose to 14.5. Now, after a year, my hair has completely filled back in and is very healthy looking.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Make certain also that your shampoos and soaps are gluten-free. I lost a great deal of hair but it has grown back. The hairloss didn't stop though until I became as rigid about my toiletries as my diet. I also take a gluten-free vitamin that is specific for hair and skin with a lot of the B vitamins. It takes a long time it seems to grow but hopefully you will have your nice full head of hair again.

num1habsfan Rising Star
num1habsfan
Posted

I have the weight problem, too. At first I lost 44 lbs when switching over to gluten-free, somehow managed to gain some back (maybe because for a while I wasnt sticking to the diet??)..I'm now somewhere around 130 lbs, I'm about 5'7" so I'm just about right for my height..

A couple years ago, tho, my dietician seriously suggested I eat extra fat--like using extra butter on everything, etc.

The extra fat is about the only thing that is holding my weight. Since I've been sick again I've been fluctuating between 128-135 lbs, but sometimes its just bloating that adds to me.

Its kinda annoying, but at the same time its kinda cool that I could chow down on bacon and fatty foods while everyone else is trying to avoid them :P

~lisa~

shai76 Explorer
shai76
Posted

Try eating lots of good fats, like olives and salmon and different oils. I don't know what to tell you about the hair. I didn't start losing weight until about amonth before going gluten free, now I am having trouble shedding the rest of my weight. But I did have a problem with my hair falling out. Instead of getting bald spots it would just grow back curlier then ever. It's hard to manage. :/

Maybe, if it's not too expensive, you could see a nutritionist who specializes in weight gain.

mart Contributor
mart
Posted

Try making milk shakes with coconut milk. Just 2 oz. has 12 grams of fat! Also, it doesn't really taste like anything, so it should be easy to mix in with ice-cream and a little condensed milk. I'm going through the same thing with my son. You didn't mention how old you are. When I was in my early 20's I had a lot of trouble gaining weight! Sadly, that's not the case anymore.

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