Help! New Celiac Gaining Weight, Depressed!

[melie]

Hi Everyone,

I have been pretty much lurking on this site since I've been diagnosed in June. I am impressed with what a supportive comminity I've found! I've been doing ok, or so I thought, with coping, but recently have been getting depressed as the reality (ie, this is for life) sets in. Struggling with the diet somewhat, as I'm making my meals and my family's meals, which are different (they are vegetarian, which I was until I started eating meat because I didn't really have anything else to eat! I hate legumes! And veggie dogs/burgers and other veggie substitutes have gluten for the most part.)

Anyway, that part is going 'ok' but I have gained weight since I started this diet. I was at normal weight before, which I thought was good since I'm hypothyroid. I'm eating normally, have even cut back a bit but still am gaining weight. I assume this is because more nutrients are getting through? Has anyone else experienced this weight gain and does it keep on and on and do I have to keep eating less and less? I do karate 3-4x a week which is a tough workout and I walk my dog every day. I feel that I am doing a lot of activity physically and I am very busy during the day and never sit down...what gives??? So I'm double depressed about the diet and then the weight gain on top of all the difficulties of following the diet.

Help!

Melie

[Nancym]

Are you getting any supplemental thyroid hormone? Weight control is about impossible without proper thyroid functioning. I speak from experience!

Also, is this fat-gain? Are the clothes getting tighter? There's a possibility here that it might be muscle gain. Especially if your protein intake has recently increased.

[melie]

I've been on throid meds for 9 yrs, levels are stable.

Interesting thought re muscle vs. fat gain...my clothes are getting tighter, so that means fat gain, right?

[Turtle]

You're not alone...there are many of us who have gained weight since gluten-free. You'll find several threads about weight gain and exercise on the boards. Check them out when you have time.

I have gained about 12 pounds. That might not sound like a lot to some people, but for a short girl where it all settles in the waist & belly it's a BIG problem not to mention uncomfortable. I'm happy that my body is abosorbing nutrients but i'm miserable w/ this weight gain.

Many people have suggested trying to stick to eating just meats and fresh veggies and cut out as many carbs as you can if not cut them out altogether. I haven't gotten this strict with my diet yet but I think I need to. I have cut back quite a bit on rice and potato intake. As well as gluten-free bread. Problem is I love all those things SOOOO much! So I guess I need someone in my kitchen to slap my hand. HAHA!

Good luck! PM me anytime to vent or to share any good helpful hints!

[jesscarmel]

Hi Melie

I have had the same experienced and too have been depressed it. not only can i not eat out or eat teh foods i used to love, i gained weight. hardly seems fair! i thought forsure i would lose weight and look fab when i started this diet. i try to remind myself that my body is healing and absorbing nutrients it never could before and that being healthy is more important than gaining a few pounds.

i know how you feel though!

Jess

[Mayflowers]

I think I've figured it out. My weight went up too. Now since I've checked my diet, I've lost 5 pounds so far. I noticed my weight went up when I ate rice and chicken. I'd eat it and the next day or two my weight would go up a pound. As soon as I remove the food from my diet, my weight would start dropping. I believe the people who are gaining and eating healthy, and not eating a lot of junk, are eating more of other foods that caused an intolerance and don't realize it. Keep careful track of what you eat. Weigh every day. If your weight starts going up, then see what you're eating, and do an elimination program. It's tedious but worth it.

For instance, I usually ate eggs every morning. I had mild nausea that would come and go and I couldn't figure out what was causing it. I had the Enterolab test done and it showed I was intolerant to eggs (and the rest of the chicken I found out) So I had stopped eating eggs. I didn't realize that I hadn't been getting the nausea. I decided to try eggs again and see how I felt, since I missed eating them. I ate them in the morining and I'd feel nauseous in the afternoon and then it hit me that I hadn't been nauseous at all while I wasn't eating eggs...I found out what was causing my nausea.

So if you could control your weight before going gluten free, and now you can't, I bet dollars to donuts (sorry) that it's because you started eating more of something else you're also intolerant too.

[skeenan]

I understand what you are going through, I have been on the diet for 19 months and have gained about 25lbs now, I was depressed when clothes started to get snug, I went from a skinny size 6 to a size 10. I try to stay active and walk alot. I stick to the diet and never cheat, if I am unsure of something, I just don't eat it. It is worth the extra few pounds to feel better. Good Luck.

[Guest Robbin]

I am with you all too. I guess it is because we are absorbing more, plus, I was eating sugar more since it is in so many gluten free foods. I learned not to do that anymore. Also, potatoes, wow, can they make you gain (at least for me) I really, really have to watch that one. It is a struggle, but we will overcome it, right?!!!

[Mayflowers]

All those gluten free foods and snacks are full of calories and sugar. I also start gaining weight from nuts, which go down so easy. I was eating corn tortillas yesterday and today and I felt lethargic today.

[Guest Robbin]

Yeah, too much corn can do it for me too. I think any kind of starch does it to me, and I noticed others seem to have a corn problem too. btw-I love your kitty!! What is it's name?

[cricketw]

I'm a new member and newly diagnosed (with in the last 3 months). I still don't have the Celiac "under control" which is very frustrating in itself. I started out overweight, lost 30 lbs (with 20 more to go) then I was diagnosed and gained back 10. I'm now working really really hard to lose that 10 and the other 20. And I find it very depressing that when I do tell someone I was diagnosed with celiac they tell me that I should "lose a ton of weight on that diet" and I'm not losing anything!!!!! I've had people even tell me I can't have Celiac because I didn't lose alot of weight before I was diagnosed. I think my biggest problem right now is I'm compensating with potatoes and corn chips. I'm on weight watchers now so we will see how that goes.

My question is how long do you have to be on the gluten diet before the celiac is under control? I'm thinking of finding a new dr because it doesn't seem to be getting better.

BTW I really enjoy this site and everyone's comments.

Newbie

[Turtle]

Hey cricketw:

WELCOME to the boards!

Just wanted you to know that I too have had the same experience with people saying to me:

"oh wow, you should lose a ton of weight now".

I just want to scream when I get this response. It is so frustrating! Especially when you're one of the ones with celiac that has GAINED weight since going gluten-free and you're working so hard to shed the pounds. *sigh*

Anyhow, good luck to you with Weight Watchers. How long have you been doing WW? I tried that a few months ago but I don't think my body was ready yet if that makes sense. I am thinking about starting WW again and see if I have better luck this time around. I'd love to hear your thoughts. PM or e-mail me anytime!

[jenvan]

Hi Everyone,

I have been pretty much lurking on this site since I've been diagnosed in June. I am impressed with what a supportive comminity I've found! I've been doing ok, or so I thought, with coping, but recently have been getting depressed as the reality (ie, this is for life) sets in. Struggling with the diet somewhat, as I'm making my meals and my family's meals, which are different (they are vegetarian, which I was until I started eating meat because I didn't really have anything else to eat! I hate legumes! And veggie dogs/burgers and other veggie substitutes have gluten for the most part.)

Anyway, that part is going 'ok' but I have gained weight since I started this diet. I was at normal weight before, which I thought was good since I'm hypothyroid. I'm eating normally, have even cut back a bit but still am gaining weight. I assume this is because more nutrients are getting through? Has anyone else experienced this weight gain and does it keep on and on and do I have to keep eating less and less? I do karate 3-4x a week which is a tough workout and I walk my dog every day. I feel that I am doing a lot of activity physically and I am very busy during the day and never sit down...what gives??? So I'm double depressed about the diet and then the weight gain on top of all the difficulties of following the diet.

Help!

Melie

This weight gain is pretty common--yes, your body is absorbing more nutrients, fat etc now as you are healing. I was also at a healthy weight pre-diagnosis, so gaining weight was not in my plan I did gain a bit, but have pretty much lost what I put on. Partly, I went a little too crazy with the gluten-free carbs in the beginning, trying everything. It helped me to limit those carbs and I've tried to pare down some portion sizes too.

[Mayflowers]

Thanks! My cat's name is Storm. As you can see by my list, I don't have much left to eat. I lost 5 pounds and put back on 2 from eating chicken. Before that I started gaining it back from eating all the "gluten free" items.... I get a rash from most beans...I think I can tolerate lentils and kidney beans, and fish. I guess my ancestors ate mostly fish, vegetables, fruit and a few nuts. I cracked tonight and got a double whopper.... Of course I didn't eat the bun. I'm intolerant, not sprue..lucky for me...

It's a long fight with a short stick...

[jacobsmom44]

Hi Everyone,

I have been pretty much lurking on this site since I've been diagnosed in June. I am impressed with what a supportive comminity I've found! I've been doing ok, or so I thought, with coping, but recently have been getting depressed as the reality (ie, this is for life) sets in. Struggling with the diet somewhat, as I'm making my meals and my family's meals, which are different (they are vegetarian, which I was until I started eating meat because I didn't really have anything else to eat! I hate legumes! And veggie dogs/burgers and other veggie substitutes have gluten for the most part.)

Anyway, that part is going 'ok' but I have gained weight since I started this diet. I was at normal weight before, which I thought was good since I'm hypothyroid. I'm eating normally, have even cut back a bit but still am gaining weight. I assume this is because more nutrients are getting through? Has anyone else experienced this weight gain and does it keep on and on and do I have to keep eating less and less? I do karate 3-4x a week which is a tough workout and I walk my dog every day. I feel that I am doing a lot of activity physically and I am very busy during the day and never sit down...what gives??? So I'm double depressed about the diet and then the weight gain on top of all the difficulties of following the diet.

Help!

Melie

I am new to this site and new to message boards. Can anyone help me with posting and such?

[jerseyangel]

I am new to this site and new to message boards. Can anyone help me with posting and such?

Hi and welcome to the board!

It looks like you just did a "quote" successfully! If you just want to add a comment to a thread, go all the way to the end of that thread and hit "reply".

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If there's anything else you need to know--don't hesitate to ask. There's a wealth of great information here and lots of caring, knowledgeable people who will be happy to help!

[Mandy F.]

just last night someone said the "at least you're on that diet now and don't have to worry about gaining weight" comment... and she said it right in front of the super athletic guy that I have a major crush on . I responded with "Well, actually, I've gained 15 lbs since going on the diet" She was shocked and the look on athlete boy's face was about the same... Hmmm... that made me a little depressed... Oh well, athlete boy has a gluten-free anyway and I'm totally the opposite of athletic myself... It would never work...

[mylady4]

I am with all of you as well. I went totally gluten free in March of 2006 (started earlier but had to eat gluten again for the biopsy). I also had some hip problems so I had to stop working out. In a period of about 2-3 months I gained 13 pounds and I was so so depressed. I used to weight 255 pounds and had managed through diet and exercise to get down to 180 (went to 185 over holidays and then went up to 198). I was looking good and feeling good then all this happened. I was running every other day and lifting some pretty heavy weights. Now none of my pants fit and I had to go buy bigger ones. I walked and rode bike for about an hour a day this summer, eating right and still the weight would not budge. I have been trying the candida elimination diet and this week I lost 4 pounds. It is a bit scarry to have lost so much wieght that quickly but it is working. I am going to give it another week then head back to the gym to start lifting again. I stopped doing that to concentrate on cardio but now I am worried I might lose muscle now. I tried for two years to lose the last 20 pounds and nothing I did worked. This eating plan was my last try and boy I hope it works.

If you are doing everything right, check into the candida elimination plan. It is not easy to do and I am still learning how to eat on this plan, so we will see.

Nicole

[melie]

Thank you everybody. I've gotten some good ideas for where to look in my diet, starches and all the gluten-free substitutes are likely suspects. I don't know why I waste my time with 1/2 of the gluten-free stuff, it really isn't that good or satisfying! I think I need to up my protein and am thinking of going towards the Paleo (caveman) Diet approach, which is just meat, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, no grains of any sort or dairy. But, my main question is...did cavemen eat chocolate!!!????