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Weight Gain


Guest gfinnebraska

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LqrMan Newbie

When I was diagnosed with celiac 6 yrs ago, I was 17 and 5'10'' tall, but weighed a measely 121 lbs (that was my lowest). Throughout my life, I was always thin and had the most difficult time gaining weight. It was amazing that I actually grew so tall as now I am 6'2'' (everyone keeps saying I look taller every time I see them) and weigh around 180-185lbs now. I have also tried to work out for a while with very slow results, but lately it seems like my body is developing decent muscle. It really is amazing what can happen when you start absorbing the food you take in! By the way, I eat roughly 4,000 calories a day just to maintain my weight...haha! :P

  • 1 year later...

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ErinB Newbie

:angry:

I can totally understand your frustration. I was diagnosed with Celiac in Sept and still have not figured out what I can and cannot eat. I look like I am 4 months pregnant and that is no exaggeration. Pretty much everyday!! I am growing very depressed over this and no doctor seems to be able to help me. The only time I feel good about myself is if I don't eat, then my stomach is down somewhat - and that has to be for a day or so! I hate all the gluten free food that I have tried, it is gross. I try to just do without rather than eat something I don't like. So I never eat breakfast, and I eat far too much red meat - what other options do I have. I eat chips and candy alot - its a quick fix! Does anyone have any suggestions, perhaps I should not eat out? I really am trying but its just really getting to me. :(

  • 11 months later...
keppierce Newbie
Yeah...I have weight gain problems, but probably not for the reasons one might expect. I can and have gained weight on the gluten-free diet, but it's difficult for me to gain more in part because I get sick so often (resulting in a 2-5 pound drop) and also, my doctor is telling me to avoid fat! :lol: Lol...how do you gain weight without fat? I really crave all the fatty foods, too, but I have been slowly gaining and my primary concern is with my symptoms right now.

I had issues with getting sick too. It is common for celiacs to have candida yeast overgrowth because the disease takes a toll on your immune system. I took FIVELAC to get rid of candida and I stopped getting sick. You can get some detox symptoms in the beginning, but it is worth it. Here is a good site to get more info on candida: Open Original Shared Link They are very helpful. They even give you good tips on dealing with the detox symptoms.

I hope this helps you.

keppierce Newbie
I definately don't understand why I am gaining weight. It seems like simple mathmatics to me.... don't take in many calories and have your body burn more than what you take in and you lose weight. That has been the most disappointing and frustrating part for me. I am the healthiest eater and don't eat more than 1200 calores daily, but can't get weight off!!!!!!!!!! To top it all off, I am a college basketball player at a division 2 school, so definately getting enough exercise!!

See my post about Candida Yeast. This could be your weight gain problem. It is common for Celiacs to have overgrowth.

  • 1 year later...
saltuscanfoster Newbie
Just a question... Are there very many of you out there that are like me in that you gain weight when eating gluten? I can instantly swell 10 lbs. over night after eating something with gluten. It is NOT a fun thing!! :o I read a lot of weight loss issues, but wonder how many are like me... weight gain issues! I only lose when I am totally gluten free ~ which takes a while. :( Just curious!! Thanks for the feedback.

NOt sure if I am doing this correctly or not but .. here is my first post in response to the above guery. I also find I lose weight when not eating breads, pastas etc.. I retain alot of fluid and do not feel well physically or emotionally.. not as well as when I do when I eat meats, veg. , fruits, fish, and dairy etc... I seem to retain much more fluid when eating those foods with gluten. Also it could be that many gluten foods.. normal breads and pastas have alot of sodium now too. Good to know I am not alone and am just starting in thinking and working to avoid gluten.. I think for sure I do have sensitivities to it.

  • 2 weeks later...
Chuck8268 Rookie
When I get glutened I don't think I actually gain weight but I look like I do, I get so bloated up I look like I'm pregnant, its awful.

As far as gaining weight because you don't like the food you can eat, you should try more gluten-free stuff at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or off the internet. I've found replacements for almost everything I thought I couldn't have.

Trader Joe's sells something they call umm french bread muffins or something, they look like a thick english muffin. you can have a big thick hamburger on that. I actually stick one in my purse and then at my local hamburger haven I order the thick hamburger with no bun. When it comes I whip out my own bun and eat my burger that way.

I'm having problems with eating out too.... its hard without a doubt. And as I've said before I come from a family that puts food above a whole lot of things, every thing we do is food centered (and no one is overweight, fyi). I have 2 restaurant critics in the family! I use to eat out at least 4 times a week. Now since October when I found out I have to be gluten-free I've not gone out too often... I have a few places I can go. But that's what I miss by far the most about all this... my family and friends go out and I can't or don't. I want more places to eat out (Santa are you listening?)

Susan

Ive personaly found out FAMILY is th worst discriminators!!!!!!!!

Chuck

  • 6 months later...
cabluvsmkm Newbie

Does anyone have a problem gaining weight? Initally I lost about 25 pounds and seem unable to gain weight. I am 5'7" and only weight 115 pounds. I can't seem to put the weight on. I think it may be due in part to not really liking the food I can eat. I also feel that I don't have the energy to make the foods I can have. I really miss being able to just go out and eat something, like a big juicy hamburger. Any thoughts you may have would be appreciated.

I actually lose weight as well the most i have lost at a time was 10 pounds in 3 to 4 days! lol but hey you can have a hambuger just can't have the bread try a hardees low carb burger! lol just watch the condements!


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  • 6 months later...
rsupergirl Newbie

I found out I have Celiac Disease about a month and a half ago. I thought i had an ulcer. for the past year and a half i have been having major issues with being constipated and gaining a ton of LBS. I am the heaviest i have ever been. I was not able to loose anything before and i am hoping that as soon as my intestins heal i will be able to loose some LBS. Does anyone know how long it takes for your intestines to heal. What to expect and all of that?

Coolclimates Collaborator

I've gained about 7 pounds (more or less) since going gluten free 4 months ago. I worry that I will continue to gain weight. I try to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, but they just don't fill me up like carbs do. I also have constant cravings for carbs and sweets. I'm not sure if I'm gaining weight because I'm getting glutened, so far I haven't noticed any symptoms if I accidentally eat gluten. But I'm worried that I'll keep gaining weight.

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    • knitty kitty
      Hello, @NanceK, I'm glad you're willing to give Benfotiamine with B Complex another go!  I'm certain you'll feel much better.   Yes, supplementation is a good idea even if you're healing and gluten free.  The gluten free diet can be low in B vitamins and other nutrients. A nutritionist can help guide you to a nutrient dense diet, but food sensitivities and food preferences can limit choices.  I can't consume fish and shellfish due to the sulfa hypersensitivity and iodine content, and dairy is out as well.  I react to casein, the protein in dairy, as well as the iodine in dairy.  My Dermatitis Herpetiformis is aggravated by iodine.   Blood tests for B vitamin levels are notoriously inaccurate.  You can have deficiency symptoms before blood levels change to show a deficiency.  I had subclinical vitamin deficiencies for years which affected my health, leading to a slow downward spiral.  Because the B vitamins are water soluble, they are easily excreted in urine if not needed.  It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.   Wheat and other gluten containing grain products have vitamins and minerals added to them to replace those nutrients lost in processing.  Manufacturers add cheap vitamins that our bodies don't absorb or utilize well.  Even normal people can suffer from vitamin deficiencies.  The rise in obesity can be caused by High Calorie Malnutrition, where people eat more carbohydrate calories but don't get sufficient thiamine and B vitamins to turn the calories into energy.  The calories are stored as fat in an effort to ration out diminishing thiamine  stores.    It's time to buy your own vitamins in forms like Benfotiamine that our bodies can use well.   Not sleeping well and fatigue are symptoms of Thiamine deficiency.   I'm certain Benfotiamine with a B Complex will help you immensely.  Just don't take them at night since B vitamins provide lots of energy, you can become too energetic to sleep.  Better to take them earlier in your day.   Do keep me posted on your progress!
    • NanceK
      Oh wow! Thanks for this information! I’m going to try the Benfotiamine again and will also add a B-complex to my supplements. Presently, I just take sublingual B12 (methylcobalomin). Is supplementation for celiacs always necessary even though you remain gluten-free and you’re healing as shown on endoscopy? I also take D3, mag glycinate, and try to get calcium through diet. I am trying to bump up my energy level because I don’t sleep very well and feel fatigued quite often. I’m now hopeful that adding the Benfotiamine and B-complex will help. I really appreciate your explanation and advice! Thanks again Knitty Kitty!
    • knitty kitty
      @Hmart, The reason why your intestinal damage was so severe, yet your tTg IgA was so minimal can be due to cutting back on gluten (and food in general) due to worsening symptoms.  The tTg IgA antibodies are made in the intestines.  While three grams of gluten per day for several weeks are enough to cause gastrointestinal symptoms, ten grams of gluten per day for for several weeks are required to provoke sufficient antibody production so that the antibodies move out of the intestines and into the blood stream where they can be measured in blood tests.  Since you reduced your gluten consumption before testing, the antibody production went down and did not leave the intestines, hence lower than expected tTg IgA.   Still having abdominal pain and other symptoms this far out is indicative of nutritional deficiencies.  With such a severely damaged small intestine, you are not absorbing sufficient nutrients, especially Thiamine Vitamin B 1, so your body us burning stored fat and even breaking down muscle to fuel your body.   Yes, it is a very good idea to supplement with vitamins and minerals during healing.  The eight essential B vitamins are water soluble and easily lost with diarrhea.  The B vitamins all work together interconnectedly, and should be supplemented together.  Taking vitamin supplements provides your body with greater opportunity to absorb them.  Thiamine and the other B vitamins cannot be stored for long, so they must be replenished every day.  Thiamine tends to become depleted first which leads to Gastrointestinal Beriberi, a condition that doctors frequently fail to recognize.  Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi are abdominal pain and nausea, but neuropathy can also occur, as well as body and joint pain, headaches and more.  Heart rhythm disruptions including tachycardia are classic symptoms of thiamine deficiency.  Heart attack patients are routinely administered thiamine now.   Blood tests for vitamins are notoriously inaccurate.  You can have "normal" blood levels, while tissues and organs are depleted.  Such is the case with Gastrointestinal Beriberi, a thiamine deficiency in the digestive tract.  Eating a diet high in carbohydrates, like rice, starches, and sugar, can further deplete thiamine.  The more carbohydrates one eats, the more thiamine is required per calorie to turn carbs into energy.  Burning stored fats require less thiamine, so in times of thiamine shortage, the body burns fat and muscles instead.  Muscle wasting is a classic symptoms of thiamine deficiency.  A high carbohydrate diet may also promote SIBO and/or Candida infection which can also add to symptoms.  Thiamine is required to keep SIBO and Candida in check.   Thiamine works with Pyridoxine B 6, so if Thiamine is low and can't interact with Pyridoxine, the unused B 6 accumulates and shows up as high.   Look into the Autoimmune Protocol diet.  Dr. Sarah Ballantyne is a Celiac herself.  Her book "The Paleo Approach" has been most helpful to me.  Following the AIP diet made a huge improvement in my symptoms.  Between the AIP diet and correcting nutritional deficiencies, I felt much better after a long struggle with not feeling well.   Do talk to your doctor about Gastrointestinal Beriberi.  Share the article linked below. Thiamine, gastrointestinal beriberi and acetylcholine signaling https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12014454/ Keep us posted on your progress!
    • Trish G
      Thanks, that's a great addition that I hadn't thought of. 
    • trents
      Other diseases, medical conditions, medications and even (for some people) some non-gluten foods can cause villous atrophy. There is also something called refractory celiac disease but it is pretty uncommon.
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