Gluten Free Abnormal Weight Gain

[calvert1]

Help!! I have been gluten free (100%) since Nov. 2005. When I went gluten-free I weighed 140lbs. I now weight 175! I know my body is freaking out but I don't know how to stop it!! Anyone else out there have this problem?? I look like a cow! I am 5'6 and this is just too much for me to handle. I have never ever had a weight problem. I have love handles and look like a bloated whale!! Any ideas??

[penguin]

It might be that your eating habits didn't change, and since you can absorb more nutrients, you might be gaining weight because of that. Other than that, I don't know!

I'm 5'6" also and my "normal" weight is 175, and I had to go back on gluten for a biopsy, and I've gained 25 lbs in 2 months, the first 20 the first month, so I'm with you there. So if you think you look like a cow, yeah. Weight watchers, here I come!!!!

[Turtle]

EVERYDAY!!!

In fact in another thread about exercise we were also discussing this....it's very frustrating I know!!

Portion control, exercise, WATER, etc....

Some people are doing Weight Watchers, some others are doing South Beach Diet, others are seeing a nutritionist....you just have to find what works for you.

Good luck and feel free to post anytime so we can all support and encourage each other!

[Guest schmenge]

When I was diagnosed my doctor warned me to expect a weight gain as I would now be getting everything from the food, rather than having a lot of it just pass through me. I was always a bit of a junk food junky and suffered no ill effects (gluten aside) from a weight standpoint. Didn't take me long to figure out that I either had to change that habit or I would gain wieght.

When all is said and done you have to decrease calories, increase exercise, or both. In my case, curbing the snacking (and it helps to get enough protein, although it still takes a lot of discipline) worked for me.

[lovegrov]

I never weighed more than 155 (5'10") despite eating whatever I wanted and within 2 years of going gluten-free I was almost 210. I dropped back into the 170s but have added some back on.

You can no longer eat like you used to and it's going to take more exercise, as well. What you used to eat without gaining weight will now add weight. And if you're eating gluten-free goodies, they're loaded with calories.

richard

[daffadilly]

Calvert 1, You have my sympathy. Some of the responses have given you some good suggestions for some steps to take.

You can also go to SparkPeople.com & register for free & there is a place for you to list your weight goals but more importantly you can list all the foods you eat each day & see how you are not only doing calorie wise but on carbs, calcium, iron etc. There is a list of things that you can select. Someone posted about Spark People a few weeks ago on the celiac list serv.

If you are eating replacement gluten-free foods for breads & stuff as a main part of your diet, I suggest you cut them out of your diet & use them only for treats. Also, get rid of saturated fat and junk food. Those white corn tortillas are a good replacement bread food, without adding a lot of calories. Once you get over the initial trauma of giving up those foods, you will not miss them. Your body will crave the fruits, vegetables, nuts and meats that make you feel better & give you a lot of nutrition for the calories.

This is about how I eat:

Breakfast: One or more of the following; fruit, nuts, meat wrapped in a tortilla, peanut butter & jam on Lundberg Rice chips, meat and cheese roll up.

Lunch: left overs from the night before, or homemade salad with lots of the healthy greens (chard, kale, bok choy, spinach, baby lettuces) veggies, meat, cheese, nuts, or a fruit plate with a protein.

Dinner: meat or fish, veggies, salad etc. or I might have a fruit plate if I had a large lunch.

Snacks are: fruit, nuts, dried fruit, cheese, peanut butter on celery, etc.

I eat a lot of fruit, today I had blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, banana, small apple, pineapple

With all the fluten free goodies these days it is hard for new people to change their eating habits, a lot of them do not, they just buy the packaged gluten free stuff as replacements and at the same time add in lots of chips, ice cream & candy !!!! Also, if you are eating a lot of the replacement stuff you could still be getting some gluten in the cross contamination that is in almost all that stuff.

Also, I take a B12 everyday. I think a lot of people with celiac disease take B12

[gfp]

I never weighed more than 155 (5'10") despite eating whatever I wanted and within 2 years of going gluten-free I was almost 210. I dropped back into the 170s but have added some back on.

You can no longer eat like you used to and it's going to take more exercise, as well. What you used to eat without gaining weight will now add weight. And if you're eating gluten-free goodies, they're loaded with calories.

richard

This is a big trap and one easy to fall into because physcologically you feel like you should be able to have them, they're gluten-free after all.

The main change is not to eat junk food, even if its gluten-free and never between meals.

Obviously exersize is alsways good .. even if you are your ideal weight. Your weight gain was very much like mine (68kg to 97kg) when I went gluten-free and Im 5'10" and male but the ratio is about the same.

I started off by cutting all junk food, one thing I bought was a meat grinder for instance and making my own turkey or chicken burgers and saussages because I had been eating lots of burgers (Living in N. Africa BBQ's were pretty much a year round thing) so this was to change for ME.... You will probably be able to identify things for you and this example was for me because that was one huge area I coulkd cut calories ....

Next for inbetween meal snacks prepare yourself crudites like carrot sticks and celery and get used to snacking on it without a dressing. Don't buy junk food .... if its in the cupboard it gets eaten in my experience so just don't buy them.

Reduce portion size, on another thread someone suggested adding some sald to your plate before serving ... things like this a great because you don't feel like your missing out so much.

So say your 55lbs more than you want to be your weight loss will probably be like a bell curve.... first the hard part .. you break the cycle of gaining weight ... this can be depressing because it seems like nothing is happening ... it is you just can't see it .. as you add more exersize this accelerates and as your tolerance for exersize continues to grow so does your ability to loose lots of weight.

I started off with running ... as best I could at that weight then added a gym class and step machine, I don't know what I dropped to exactly but probably 1/3 of the goal ...and at this point I moved to England

Then: A friend dragged me into doing

Open Original Shared Link

This really gave me incentive ... I joined a gym 10 miles from my house in the next town and started off by cycling to it and doing some weights and 3x3 minutes on the rowing machine (specically for the raft race)

After 3 mins I was whacked....!

Within 4-5 weeks I was running to the gym and doing 3 hours on the rowing machine (I needed special permission from the gym since there was a 30 min max) but when I talked to the guy in charge he gave me quiet times I could go and let me hog the machine. On a few occiasions I had a joke... someone would start racing me for 15 minutes then stop exhausted ... but the secret is just to add what is almost possible each week. I only really say this top show how adaptive the human body is. The first time 1 hit 1 hour I puked my guts out .... by the race I could breeze through 1 hr and at the end of 3 hours used to warm down on the step machine. How quickly you do this depends to a large extent on how fit you have been before... both psychologically and physcially. Phychologically because you know YOU can do it and also you know how hard you can push yourself before passing out... if you have never exersized to compete at top level in a sport then this might seem impossible... IT'S NOT... olympic track atheletes and pro-cyclists do it every year.

You might never win an olympic gold but the big difference is they realise what the human body CAN do. It helps they have personal trainers... but the main thing is being able to exersize 110% ... past what you think you can do each time. It doesn't matter if you are only able to walk 6 miles at a forced pace ... make sure each 3 days you knock 3 minutes off .. force yourself because YOU CAN do it.

The extra 10% is what makes the biggest difference. Its what makes you get fitter and fitter and the fitter you are the more calories you burn .. the more you do energetically so it becomes self feeding.

Get a training partner but someone who will push you.... this is a huge motivation. Realise the hardest part is the first step... and the first 1-2 weeks both physically and mentally.

Also you have to turn the body around and retrain it into loosing not gaining weight. Often a more severe diet will help (not starvation but 1200 calories a day for instance) but once you start loosing weight you can increase this slowly as you're burning more and more calories the fitter you get.

In the end you might be eating a similar amount to now but without junk.

By the race I dropped down to a couple of kilo's over my pre-diagnosis weight which was good enough for me and I got a new job and cut down significantly on exersize regimes but instead cycled to work (50 miles) and did active weekends. I still went to the gym but just 3x a week

Meanwhile cut out using the car .... make everything you do a exersize... you can even make a shower burn a few calories if you towel down vigerously. Walk to do groceries .. don't drive. Take stair instead of elevators.. if you need to get a bus for instance because of time get off a mile from home....

Since then I have had a constant battle.... whenever work takes over my life I eat worse, do little or no exersize etc. and I have to drop a few pounds again. I just lost close to 10 lbs (I guess) carrying backpacks in Italy everyday in 100+ heat and only eating a single real meal a day. The other being just some fruit or raw vegetables or a green salad. Sonething like this is a really good kick start because it gets you out of your routine ... now Im back Im determined to keep up more exersize and so far its working

[beaglemania]

Eat more fruits and vegetables. Although I'm a hypocrite telling you this advice b/c I've gained a lot of weight from Celiac too.

[kendra]

I'm so glad to have found this thread. It has taken me a while to figure out the nutritional values of the gluton free foods my daughter now must consume. We thankfully have mostly been a meat and potato eating family. After her diabetes diagnosis we made minor adjustments to her diet, then when we had to change to gluton free products it caused her blood sugars to go way high. I realize that just because it says gluton free and I happen to buy it from the health food store does not make it a healthy choice. When you are measuring insulin to cover the carbs on the box and it is still effecting your BGL's, that's scarey. Example: a piece of gluton free bread makes her blood sugar levels go very high while a piece of wheat bread did not. Through this board did I find out this happened to other Diabetic/Celiac people. I only mention it because maybe it will help others who watch their carb intake (South Beachers). Also, I realized I was feeding her more "processed foods" when I usually homemade most things.

Kendra

[Rikki Tikki]

Boy, do I agree with all of you! I have put about 10 pounds on in the last six months, also quit smoking, but I am walking every day. I needed to gain a little weight but I was asked if I was pregnant!

I don't know what is going on with this body of mine but it's looking really bad!

Hi Kendra: Nice to meet you

[Guest Robbin]

Hi Kendra-yes, anything with rice will cause a rapid rise in blood sugars. Potato starch as well. I found this to be true with my son who is type 1 diabetic as well. As for me, I am struggling with weight problems too and have hypoglycemia. I noticed an increase in the hypo episodes and extreme cravings when I switched to gluten free foods. Most anything with tapioca, corn, potato, or rice starch causes the cravings and blood sugar swings with me. Brown rice doesn't seem to cause as much of a problem with me, maybe this experimentation will help someone else with the same problem.

gfp-Thank you for the information-your posts are always well-thought out and full of great info. Take care everyone.

[kendra]

Hi to all of you too. I'm new but been reading this forum for several months. I'm so thankful for the advice and comments. I can't imagine how people dealt with these things prior to internet and support groups such as this. Professionals mean well but nothing can replace being connected with others who are living it every day.

God Bless,

Kendra

[schuyler]

Welcome Kendra!! Good luck with everything

[carolinagirl]

I also gained weight since becoming gluten-free. I have managed to now lose some of it. One thing htat helped me was I was having a lot of reflux. I am on Nexium & I think it is helping with the constant feeling of burning hunger. The main thing is making your calories count, don't eat empty ones & read labels. A lot of the gluten-free breads for instance are so full of fat & calores despite their smaller size compared to "normal" bread. I also write down what I am eating on a daily basis, not only for weight loss, but to monitor possible gluten/ wheat. Before I had this whole gluten issue, I lost 62 pounds from 182 to 120 and kept it off over 7 years. For some reason, gluten-free messed me up! Almost back down now----

[calvert1]

THANK YOU THANK YOU to all that posted on this topic of weight gain. I have never posted anything on a web thread before and was surprised at the response. I have now started eating better...working out and watching the junk food. I just wanted to know if I was the only one that went from looking ok to looking like I should be on a beach waiting for them to come haul me off and skin me. I'll post more. I have actually lost 5 lbs so thats a good thing. Hang in there everyone...together we can live a happy live GLUTEN FREE!

Matt Calvert calvert1@gmail.com

[Mayflowers]

I think I know the reason for the weight gain. Dr. Schwarzbein is Suzanne Somer's endocrinologist. I have her books The Program, etc. She advocates a low carb eating plan especially for us menopausal ladies who have a harder time with the harmone fluctuations.

Dr. Schwarzbein said once you get off the things that cause the body to have ill health, in our case gluten, she also mentioned, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, junk.... the body goes through a "healing" process which will cause it to temporarily gain weight while it heals. Now we don't know how long we each take to heal because each of us has different damage done to the body from gluten.

I just ordered the egg, soy and yeast test. I'm not enthusiastic about passing it, since I'm gluten intolerant, and milk intolerant as well. I can see by the way things are going, and my weight is up to 180 and I'm 5'7", I'll need to follow a pretty low carb plan. I can't even eat cheese as a snack anymore... and if I'm soy intolerant, there goes soy cheese. Things are looking bleak variety wise...but having my energy back and a better attitude is worth it...also weighing less is worth it.

The only grains that celiacs can eat are rice and corn...millet? I'm new at this, pardon me. Corn and rice are the highest carb grains there are Dr. Atkins said they especially cause weight gain. So fellow celiacs, we will just have to save the corn spaghetti and the gluten free lasangnes for the holidays...

[PJKR]

I started to gain weight back and was happy! I'm sm/med boned and 5'9".I went from 120-140.Then 150. Then 155 headed for 160!!!! NOOOOOO! No more bragging about how I "could eat anything". LOL! I kicked all the snacks etc...out of the kitchen and went lighter on the gluten-free Chocolate cake! I exercize regularly(life long habit) and now I'm back at 145. I don't like watching my weight but it bets being sick all the d*mn time with a stick! PJ

[Gluten Slayer]

How long did it take for you to start gaining weight after going gluten-free? I have been gluten-free for two weeks now and have lost another 5lbs. I do feel bad for you guys who have gained unwanted weight and don't mean to be disrespectful. I really need to put back on 10-15lbs. so my clothes aren't falling off. How long can I expect it to take and what can I eat to help. Thanks

[PJKR]

No big(or dissrespect). It's scary to not be able to keep weight on! From what I've experienced and read here it seems to take a while for the villi to regenerate after the gluten is removed. I started putting on weight a little bit at a time at first. It pretty much started about a month after. At 6 months I was feeling good! Then I started putting on extra weight.

The advice I've always heard to people who are having low weight issues was to get checked out to see if there are other issues that haven't been covered. Meanwhile, eat everything you that you can tolerate and try to put some weight on or at least try no to lose any. If you get dangerously underweight they have alternative medical ways to help you. It's better to put it on naturally if you can tho.PJ

[Mayflowers]

"Gluten Slayer" HA! HA! HA! cute..

I'm medium boned and I look best at 140. I could get down to 137 but every time I tried to get down to 130-135, my weight always crept back up to 140 and basically stayed there. I hate being this heavy. I'm really uncomfortable, but when you get to be 50 weight loss is much more difficult.

I'm starting to feel better actually mentally. I have a happier attitude that's improving every day. I just wish the stupid cravings would stop. Funny thing I noticed is my IBS was under control with a lot of fiber. I used (didn't know at the time) wheat bran to control it from in my twenties. Now my IBS is flaring up so I'm trying Fiberchoice Weight management, which is gluten free. It works pretty good, and it curbs my appetite. I didn't know that I'd have really physical gluten and milk withdrawal reactions (I want cheese)...for a few months...this rots. I'm sure glad I found this web site, or I'd be really suffering not knowing.

Girls, if you want to gain weight, eat a lot of corn and rice products, the gluten free processed stuff. You'll gain weight, trust me. Corn fattens people up pretty quick.

[Gluten Slayer]

"Gluten Slayer" HA! HA! HA! cute..

Girls, if you want to gain weight, eat a lot of corn and rice products, the gluten free processed stuff. You'll gain weight, trust me. Corn fattens people up pretty quick.

Thanks for the reply, but there are some guys here too and I'm one of them! Does corn and rice still fatten us up too?!

[Mayflowers]

Sorry Gluten Slayer!

Corn will fatten up a male or female! Atkins always said corn and rice were the worst to keep from gaining weight.