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Overweight Before I Was Diagnosed. Has Anyone Lost Weight Since Going Gluten Free?

jacklyn1981

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Jpmat Newbie
Jpmat
Posted

My son and I both have Celiac Disease. It affected us oppositely. I lost weight before being diagnosed and gained weight after I started the celiac disease diet. My son lost around 100 pounds within the 8 months, after starting the Celiac Diet. We could never understand why he always was over weight as a child, as he didn't eat enough to be the weight he was. Celiac Disease was the answer! Unfortunately I was in my early 40's when they figured out I had it and he was in his early twenties.

Hope this helps

Jpmat

I have been overweight all my life and have recently been diagnosed....I keep reading about people gaining weight on a gluten free diet. I understand why but then again...for someone like me...gluten accounts for the majority of foods i eat (until now)...Has anyone lost weight since they went gluten free?
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  • Replies 51
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dragonmom Apprentice
dragonmom
Posted
I am in the minority here...I was overweight prior to diagnosis and have been gluten-free for 8 months. I do not cheat and am quite diligent. I keep putting weight on - I've put on over 15 pounds. :angry: I seem to have finally plateaued, but it's frustrating. I even started Weight Watchers two months ago and I would go down 2 pounds one week and up 3 pounds the next week and that cycle didn't stop - I'm actually up 3 pounds since I started. I also have a vast knowledge of food - I was in culinary school for a while and have read labels most of my life due to being a T1 diabetic. I eat as low on the glycemic index (GI) as I can as well. I do allow myself some of the gluten-free treats from time to time - but a loaf of bread will last 6 months. I don't eat them all that much because they are quite high on the GI. So I feel like I'm doing everything right and getting no where. I will mention that they've just discovered that I have a hyperthyroid - but doesn't that mean I'd be more prone to losing weight?

Hopefully you're not in my boat - I certainly hope you start to lose once going gluten-free, but I wanted you to know that it isn't always the case.

Good Luck!

Peace

Ehrin

I have been overweight my entire life...losing 60 pounds in less than 4 months without trying is what brought me to gluten-free living. Since diagnosis I have gained all that back and have tried and tried to at first to just keep it off now- lose it all again. Nothing seems to work. :)

Bromo Newbie
Bromo
Posted
I am in the minority here...I was overweight prior to diagnosis and have been gluten-free for 8 months. I do not cheat and am quite diligent. I keep putting weight on - I've put on over 15 pounds. :angry: I seem to have finally plateaued, but it's frustrating. I even started Weight Watchers two months ago and I would go down 2 pounds one week and up 3 pounds the next week and that cycle didn't stop - I'm actually up 3 pounds since I started. I also have a vast knowledge of food - I was in culinary school for a while and have read labels most of my life due to being a T1 diabetic. I eat as low on the glycemic index (GI) as I can as well. I do allow myself some of the gluten-free treats from time to time - but a loaf of bread will last 6 months. I don't eat them all that much because they are quite high on the GI. So I feel like I'm doing everything right and getting no where. I will mention that they've just discovered that I have a hyperthyroid - but doesn't that mean I'd be more prone to losing weight?

Hopefully you're not in my boat - I certainly hope you start to lose once going gluten-free, but I wanted you to know that it isn't always the case.

Good Luck!

Peace

Ehrin

I have been overweight my entire life...losing 60 pounds in less than 4 months without trying is what brought me to gluten-free living. Since diagnosis I have gained all that back and have tried and tried to at first to just keep it off now- lose it all again. Nothing seems to work. :)
Bromo Newbie
Bromo
Posted
I have been overweight all my life and have recently been diagnosed....I keep reading about people gaining weight on a gluten free diet. I understand why but then again...for someone like me...gluten accounts for the majority of foods i eat (until now)...Has anyone lost weight since they went gluten free?
luvs2eat Collaborator
luvs2eat
Posted

I GAINED more than 30 lbs. after going gluten-free, but I blame myself only. I OD'd on foods I was allowed to have to make up for all I felt I was losing... like rice (risotto is my fav!!) and potatoes. Now I'm on a diet and have lost almost 20 lbs... only 30 more to go!!

chgomom Enthusiast
chgomom
Posted

I kept gaining before I was diagnosed.

I was 318 this March, and now I am 249.

And I continue to lose, without excecise.

The weeks I actually do, which is only walking I lose more. but its not intentional, its just the nature of the diet. Mostly fruits, vegetables, and lean meat/fish. No preservatives and no junk.

However, part of that too my doc said is the malabsorption.

Kaycee Collaborator
Kaycee
Posted

I still have not lost any weight! Gained about a lb over winter, but it seems to have gone again. But I am still the same weight as I was when I first started this diet. I'm not complaining.

But, the big but is my husband has lost about a stone since my diagnosis whereas before he was putting it on slowly. So now unfortunately he weighs lighter than me.

I tell you, it is not fair, my diet is working better for him than me, and he is not even gluten free!

Catherine

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Robina Contributor
Robina
Posted
I am in the minority here...I was overweight prior to diagnosis and have been gluten-free for 8 months. I do not cheat and am quite diligent. I keep putting weight on - I've put on over 15 pounds. :angry: I seem to have finally plateaued, but it's frustrating. I even started Weight Watchers two months ago and I would go down 2 pounds one week and up 3 pounds the next week and that cycle didn't stop - I'm actually up 3 pounds since I started. I also have a vast knowledge of food - I was in culinary school for a while and have read labels most of my life due to being a T1 diabetic. I eat as low on the glycemic index (GI) as I can as well. I do allow myself some of the gluten-free treats from time to time - but a loaf of bread will last 6 months. I don't eat them all that much because they are quite high on the GI. So I feel like I'm doing everything right and getting no where. I will mention that they've just discovered that I have a hyperthyroid - but doesn't that mean I'd be more prone to losing weight?

Hopefully you're not in my boat - I certainly hope you start to lose once going gluten-free, but I wanted you to know that it isn't always the case.

Good Luck!

Peace

Ehrin

Ehrin I provide my personal training clients with a fat burning nutritional plan (given to me by a licensed nutritionist) that seems to work very well... I live by the system myself and the fat just melts right off... of course you should have some sort of exercise program to go with it if you don't already... and I'm talking resistance as well as cardio... but... the diet itself is meant to burn fat... an exercise regimen will only enhance your fat burning efforts... Anyway... I'll post the nutritional info here to help you or anyone else in the boat you're in:

BASIC NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES

Food is fuel for the body… not enough food… your body runs on empty and loses efficiency… too much food and the excess is converted to fat.

Eating “mini” meals approximately 5-6 times per day (every 2-3 hours) will keep your blood sugar levels and metabolism functioning evenly and consistently.

Including both a healthy protein and a fibrous carbohydrate in each of your “feedings” will help keep glucose stores in your muscle tissues and liver where they will be needed when you exercise or perform any strenuous physical activity.

An ideal mini meal including both of these nutrients can be as simple as an apple (fibrous carb) and some peanut butter (protein), or a salad (fibrous carb) and some chicken breast (protein). The key is to PLAN AHEAD. Also... even though fruit is a fibrous carb... they do contain simple sugars... so... you should keep your fruit intake down to twice per day and have the rest of your fibrous carb intake be vegetables (exclusing corn and potato which are considered starchy carbs).

Read your labels carefully and avoid overly processed foods, as well as those foods that are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (most yogurts contain this cheap sweetener except for Stonyfield Farms). Also you will want to minimize your intake of saturated fats as well as hydrogenated fats (e.g. potato chips).

Treat yourself now and then… we have taste buds for a reason… the key is moderation.

Some Examples of Fibrous Carbs

 Green Leafy Salads

 All vegetables except corn and potato

 Fruits… apples, oranges, banana, strawberries, etc.

 Beans and Legumes (also high in protein)

Some Examples of Proteins

 Skinless chicken breast (broiled or grilled)

 Eggs

 Fish

 Tuna

 Peanut Butter (Natural and/or Lowfat)

 Nuts such as Almonds or Walnuts

 Seeds such as Pumpkin or Sunflower

 Beans and Legumes (also fibrous)

 Dairy Products such as Milk, Cheese, Yogurt

Mini Meals / Portion Control

Mini meals are just as the name implies… small. So when feeding… keep your portions small… about the size of a closed fist.

Hope this helps... also... if anyone wants a free training program... go to Open Original Shared Link and sign up for a free membership... then input your data... choose your goals... and they will provide you not only with a weekly workout plan but will show you how to do the exercise by clicking on it... this is what I used to use for myself prior to becoming a trainer... some really good programs...

Shawn Apprentice
Shawn
Posted

Hi - I've been on the gluten-free diet for over a month and am losing weight, and am less bloated - without starving myself. I do try to eat unprocessed foods (instead of the gluten-free bread and pastries) and that seems to be the key.

I also seem to be uninterested in sweets - for the first time in my life. Not sure if this is normal, but I really, really like it! So the bottom line - this gluten-free diet has really balanced me in a way that no other diet has (and I've been on all of them).

MistressIsis Apprentice
MistressIsis
Posted

Initially I lost 10lbs in a week or 2, that was mostly the bloat. I lost another 10 about 6 mths into it but I think that was more because I had a huge life-changing event & just couldn't eat. I put 8 back on & now I fluctuate a few lbs back & forth. Although I seem to be gaining again. Not alot but some pants are a little snuger than they were. I'm chalking that up to the fact that I eat alot of red meat & potatos for meals, I do eat fruits & veggies but very little junk food and I was the Junk Food Queen most of my life. I find I just don't crave junk the way I used to.

I never weigh myself because I can usually tell by how my clothes fit...

Shawn Apprentice
Shawn
Posted

MistrisIsis you sound just like me. I was a junk food queen all of my life and now the only junky things I eat are chips. I was a sweet tooth and it just "went away" with the gluten free diet. I don't get it! I'm not complaining, though.

super-sally888 Contributor
super-sally888
Posted

Hi -

I have been gluten free (well nearly, I think I accidentally got some traces).. for one week. This week my weight has dropped by 5 lbs! And I have been eating! That NEVER happens to me (I am also hypothyroid and PCOS)... I hope it is not just water... let's see.. I am not obese, but can easily stand to lose 20 - 30 lbs.

Fingers Crossed:

Sally

manyyears Newbie
manyyears
Posted

I've been gluten free for 15 years. I went from 92 pounds to 140. Yes, I was too thin then, but now I sport a belly. The intestine absorbs the food now. It can be very discouraging. I can't lose the weight at all no matter the approach.

Mayflowers Contributor
Mayflowers
Posted
I've been gluten free for 15 years. I went from 92 pounds to 140. Yes, I was too thin then, but now I sport a belly. The intestine absorbs the food now. It can be very discouraging. I can't lose the weight at all no matter the approach.

140 is my ideal weight. I'm 5' 7". I was so careful to buy cream of mushroom soup without wheat for the green bean casserole at Thanksgiving and I used the French's fried onions that have wheat flour it them! :angry: I didn't even realize it until the next day. I didn't even have a biscuit or dinner roll! I didn't think the onions would have flour in them and I didn't even check the stupid can...

super-sally888 Contributor
super-sally888
Posted

Three weeks into gluten free (though not completely apparently... am itching today - and don't know what caused it)... and 7 lbs down! Happy! :) Only 10 or so more to go. This is the first time in years I have actually managed to lose weight!

Sally

blueeyedmanda Community Regular
blueeyedmanda
Posted

I had lost a lot of weight before I knew I had celiac, I looked real sick and I had no energy. I have been gluten free for 2 years now and I have gained more weight. I weight in now more than I ever had in my life. I am not overweight, according to the lady doing the health assessments the other day at work. I just feel sloppier, and I have a bit of a gut now. I guess that is what happens when you find really good pasta and baked items. :)

Kibbie Contributor
Kibbie
Posted
I kept gaining before I was diagnosed.

I was 318 this March, and now I am 249.

And I continue to lose, without excecise.

The weeks I actually do, which is only walking I lose more. but its not intentional, its just the nature of the diet. Mostly fruits, vegetables, and lean meat/fish. No preservatives and no junk.

However, part of that too my doc said is the malabsorption.

My mom's doctor just passed along an article that said that women who are going through menopause or who are in the early stages of menopause (30+ years old) find it harder to loose weight (okay we all know this to be true) but in the article it mentioned that severely cutting gluten out of your diet can drastically increase your chances of loosing the weight!. I can't remember what it does but they suggested ALL women (even those with out a gluten sensitivity) should drastically cut back the gluten or go completely gluten free if they wanted to loose weight!

I'll have to ask her to send me the article so I can post it here!

Mayflowers Contributor
Mayflowers
Posted

I found it harder to lose weight since I stopped eating gluten. My absorption is better and I'm absorbing calories a lot easier than before. I beg to differ with that doctor. :angry:

  • 3 weeks later...
Shawn Apprentice
Shawn
Posted

Well, I lost weight when first going gluten-free in October. Now I'm gaining again. I'm not eating refined anything, no sugar, lots of fiber, no meat, low fat. :angry: My only vice is a nonfat Starbucks mocha in the morning. That's it! I exercise (I teach yoga) six days a week, do cardio, etc. And I now have a jiggly belly, not very flattering at all. It appears my small intestine is finally doing its job, but I'm POed about it.

Grrrrr

jaten Enthusiast
jaten
Posted

I was about 60 lbs overweight. Then went into severe malabsorption about a year ago and dropped 40 lbs in 2 mos before finally being diagnosed. I have gained about 13 lbs back <_<

Shawn Apprentice
Shawn
Posted

What diet are you on?

It's weird, my weight has settled in a gut above my waist - as though my intestines are absorbing, and the fat is just sitting there. Not attractive at all. :huh:

I don't like diets- we're already on a wheat deprivation diets. How many more things can we deprive ourselves of?

manyyears Newbie
manyyears
Posted
I found it harder to lose weight since I stopped eating gluten. My absorption is better and I'm absorbing calories a lot easier than before. I beg to differ with that doctor. :angry:

I agree with you 100%!

manyyears Newbie
manyyears
Posted
Well, I lost weight when first going gluten-free in October. Now I'm gaining again. I'm not eating refined anything, no sugar, lots of fiber, no meat, low fat. :angry: My only vice is a nonfat Starbucks mocha in the morning. That's it! I exercise (I teach yoga) six days a week, do cardio, etc. And I now have a jiggly belly, not very flattering at all. It appears my small intestine is finally doing its job, but I'm POed about it.

Grrrrr

I went gluten free and my scale never looked back--just up and up.

ptkds Community Regular
ptkds
Posted

Since going gluten-free at the beginning of Dec, I have lost 9 lbs without trying. My mom has been gluten-free for a little longer than me, and she has lost 20 lbs. Neither one of us has been exercising, and i have been eating all kinds of christmas candy! I am excited and I hope I keep losing!!

ptkds

2boysmama Apprentice
2boysmama
Posted

I've been gluten-free, dairy/casein free, egg free, soy free for coming up on 3 months now (though I will admit I do occasionally cheat with some gluten-free chocolate). I've lost 14 lbs. without even trying - I eat the gluten-free treats, but mostly I eat healthy foods. My hypoglycemia has almost completely resolved, I'm not retaining fluid or feeling bloated. DH is losing weight too - he's lost about 20 lbs. so far.

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