Ive Been Cheating On My Diet..please Help

[Speedy]

I was diagnosed when i was about 15 months old and for the past few months ive been cheating on my diet, mainly because i got kicked out of the house and cant really afford gluten free foods, but now lately ive just been feeling awful. I got cronic headaches, stomach feels like im about to throw up all the time, and i dont know just some other random things. I feel like i should go to the doctor, but im terrified of them (just cause of early traumatize from when i was first diagnosed) does any one know of any symtons of when i know im getting REALLY sick cause i think thats when ill go. Even though i know its a dumb idea and what not...i dont know what to do

[Nancym]

The doctor is just going to say "Stck to the diet", they can't make the illness go away, only you can.

You don't need to eat expensive gluten free replacements. Beans and rice make a complete protein. Throw in some meat that is discounted (because it needs to get sold -- go buy it early in the morning) get some veggies. That's some pretty healthy eating.

[tarnalberry]

Yep, the doctor's not going to be able to do much for you - those symptoms are quite likely coming from not sticking to the diet, so the only way to get better is to stick to it. Keep reading around for suggestions on how to eat gluten-free inexpensively. (The first thing to cut out is any expensive specialty items, and then get a food budget that you can work with.)

[RiceGuy]

I agree with the others. Stick to basic home-cooked meals from scratch. That's easy to make gluten-free and healthy. It's the pre-packaged stuff which is pricey. I can't afford those either.

[Speedy]

Well ive been trying to stick to the diet but its REALLY hard, but yeah ill try different things...hopefully i havent done too much damage..like thats the thing i am most worried about is the damage ive done, all my friends especially my bf is worried about me cause im always in so much pain, and i have to leave work early because i cant do anything because im too weak and wel the obvious reason cause im in pain..but i dont really know if its my celiac or if its my heart problems making my body feel like that

[blueeyedmanda]

There are alot of gluten free foods like fruits and veggies which are not too expensive, Thai Kitchen noodle carts, similar to Ramen Noodles are pretty cheap.

I would try to get back on the diet. If you are worried about the money for the gluten free food, just think about the money in hospital bills if something really happens because of the cheating. I would rather go back on the diet than worry about that. I have health insurance through my employer but they contribute to this HRA account (we have done this for 2 years and most of the people here still do not understand it) Well, once your money in the bank runs out it is done until the following Jan. Dr's visits and lab tests alone are alot of money.

So excuse the rant.

If you are in a lot of pain it can't be good and your body is telling you something. We are here if you need any questions and support.

[kbtoyssni]

I also agree that a doctor won't be able to help you much. The best he/she could do is give you some meds (which cost money) and which are only going to mask your symptoms and possibly cause other side effects.

Rice, potatoes, frozen veggies and chicken are things that "normal" people buy that are cheap. Yes, you're not going to be able to buy gluten-free bread and cookies if you're on a budget, but what kinds of things are you buying that are so expensive? I think in general food isn't cheap, gluten-free or not. If you can, use store coupons, buy family sized bags of food. Buy things from the shelf of "dented tins" because they're really marked down.

[Speedy]

Im not worried at all about medical bills i do live in Canada and have full coverage of health and everything, same with to do with dented cans we dont do that here. Rice potatoes and al that ive been living off of pretty much forever. Im just so sick of this diet i dont like feeling sick all the time, not being able to eat things i really want...i dunno just cant stand it anymore. 18 years my whole life so far living in solitude, i feel trapped.

[gfp]

Im not worried at all about medical bills i do live in Canada and have full coverage of health and everything, same with to do with dented cans we dont do that here. Rice potatoes and al that ive been living off of pretty much forever. Im just so sick of this diet i dont like feeling sick all the time, not being able to eat things i really want...i dunno just cant stand it anymore. 18 years my whole life so far living in solitude, i feel trapped.

If you are willing to cook your own food then theres very little you are missing out on.... actually I'm a bit biassed because I don't even think about lots of gluten-free products and rarely buy any of them....hence I don't really miss them.

When I'm at home I eat "normal food" ; I chose from 1 of 50,000 gluten free recipees except I don't... I just chose recipees that are either naturally gluten free or really simply altered,

Food bills are one of those things..I can go and spend $300 at a supermarket quite easily and buy lots of luxuries or I can live of $20 a week.

One of my (well my girlfriends) fav things is chicken soup... I just buy the offcuts of chicken (not really because of cost but because they make better stock/soup) .. I know the wings are expensive in Canada so buy thighs and drumsticks...

I'll give you an example ...

I'll buy a bag of chicken drumsticks for a few $ meanwhile I'll also buy some fresh vegetables and I boil the drumsticks up with some garlic, herbs and the peelings from carrots, heads from celery etc. (give em a good wash first) ... BUT the thing is your not going to actually eat the celery heads and peel etc. your just taking all the vitamins, minerals and taste from them..

After about 30 mins at a low boil I fish out the drumsticks and let them cool, running them under a cold tap in a seive helps... and then I take off the skin, knuckles etc. and throw these back in the pot... and pull off the meat.. it adds up pretty quickly.. anbd soon you have a large pile of chicken meat...

Seperately I boil up the veg which was not "garbage", the actual carrots and celery, leeks etc. and add the stock I made but I reserve at least half ... 12 drumsticks makes A LOT... but basically the stock and the chicken meat just become some "prepared items" .. for the soup I just add the vegetables tothe stock and cook them and add some chicken meat 10 mins before the end.. you can make it into a thin asian soup and add rice noodles and sweetcorn or a thick hearty broth adding some rice or peas or lentils etc. indeed there are at least 1001 chicken soup recipees....

The OTHER reason I do this is because its an excellent source of vitamins and calcium!

With the rest of the stock I can make chicken curry, risotto or again a huge list of stuff ... in summer it can be a simple chicken salad using the meat etc. or a simple meal like fajitas using the meat...

Or take beef... I like stuff like bourguignon, stroganoff or goulash .. again I'll buy offcut meat because it tends to be tastier and a decent steak will practically have dissolved into mush after marinading for 24 hours then cooking for 12... (which is how I do my bourguignon) ... you can just google recipees and easily adapt them.. for instance for bourguignon I just use gluten-free flour in the roux.

There is one thing stopping you doing this (and its easy for me to say) ... and that is I have a well stocked larger...of basic ingredients. when I visit my mom she doesn't and it is incredibly hard for me to find stuff to make... and I end up eatng gluten-free bread and such because its all she has... the hardest part is getting the basics together.... once you do then its dead easy to just look for an idea on the internet to make dinner more interesting... and ITS A LOT CHEAPER.... and I mean really a lot. If you buy spices in bulk (preferably Asian stores for price/quantity) .. I always roast and grind for instance my own cumin and coriander (cilantro) and i buy large packets but so long as its still seeds and kept dry lasts for years... to be honest I rarely bother roasting, I just stick a saucepan on low and "roast" them that way and it takes 2 mins.. anyway what Im trying to say is the packet mix for say chilli costs 20x what it costs to make it yourself....

So I really feel that if you get into the habit of buying the basics and stocking up you will get a much more varied and exciting diet. You'll spend more time hunting down that ingredient than loking at the products you can't have in the supermarket etc. and if your willing to do it you can make it fun as well.

If your rushed we started a thread once with over 100 recipees could be cooked in the time it takes to cook rice or gluten-free pasta.

The logic being your not saving ANY time by using a packet or tin of you still have to wait for the rice to cook.

[Saz]

Rice can be cooked up in chicken or some other kind of stock to give it a different flavour. (of course check it gluten-free)

Also there are some treats that you can make yourself that aren't all that expensive. Last year I made biscuits that consisted on crushed nuts and melted chocolate- unfortunetly I have misplaced the recipe.

[basketballstar15]

I was diagnosed when i was about 15 months old and for the past few months ive been cheating on my diet, mainly because i got kicked out of the house and cant really afford gluten free foods, but now lately ive just been feeling awful. I got cronic headaches, stomach feels like im about to throw up all the time, and i dont know just some other random things. I feel like i should go to the doctor, but im terrified of them (just cause of early traumatize from when i was first diagnosed) does any one know of any symtons of when i know im getting REALLY sick cause i think thats when ill go. Even though i know its a dumb idea and what not...i dont know what to do

When I feel like cheating i think of what goes on inside my body! Wouold you ever kill anyone? SO why would you kill things inside of you!

[DestinyLeah]

The symptoms of when it will get really bad?

If you are feeling it, it is bad. Symptoms of Celiac are autoimmune responses, and you are doing more damage to your body every time you take a bite. It is already "really bad", and the doctor can't change our eating habits. You have to commit to eating what is right for you, all the time. Otherwise, the reality of this disease is that it will kill you.

Good luck finding the resolve to do this, and we are here to support you. Ultimately, though, it is up to you to support yourself. No one else can save you.

[lizzydotcom.]

hm...well i don't know about all that stomach hurting stuff..my disease is wayyy different. I can't eat gluten; just like you can't..but i don't get the stomach problems, and to tell you the truth, i would trade you in a heart beat....i would MUCH RATHER have stomach pains than an itchy rash all over my body.

The diet is really hard...but you have to stick with it, or you won't get any better.

[Teacher1958]

Don't forget that you can prepare dinners in larger amounts and freeze them for future use. Just make sure to write the date on a piece of tape and secure it to the container. Do you know how to make hummus and stuff like that? You can buy things like gluten-free crackers, which are kind of expensive, but make them go a long way by eating them with things like hummus for lunch every day. Of course, I'm a vegetarian. I don't know much about inexpensive meats, but I think tuna might be inexpensive. Don't forget eggs. You can do all sorts of things with those.

[lex4850]

my grandma has celiac disease and she has been cheating lately. i told her that even though it's not fun, and in your case cheap, its your health that matters the most. you need to take care of yourself.

[Teacher1958]

my grandma has celiac disease and she has been cheating lately. i told her that even though it's not fun, and in your case cheap, its your health that matters the most. you need to take care of yourself.

I miss the foods I used to eat terribly, but I truly look at gluten-containing products as being a poison in my case. For 42 years, I put up with a variety of symptoms. Maybe that's why I am thankful just to be able to do something about it now. My symptoms used to control my life; now I have the ability to control the symptoms, and it is great.

[Karen B.]

The best reason I know of to stay on the gluten-free diet is that most of the health conditions that result from not being on the gluten-free diet are not curable. Manageable maybe, but not curable. And you don't know that you have developed something like lupus until the symptoms hit you over the head.

Celiac Disease Research: Associated Diseases and Disorders

https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html?p_catid...-42107314839.10

If you're tired of the same old thing, branch out into ethnic dishes. A lot of Indian and Asian dishes are gluten-free and inviting friends over for a chinese stir-fry or an Indian curry is an interesting and cool way to stay gluten-free and socialize. Don't just look at Celiac websites, look at other recipe websites and try different stuff, pick recipes that are gluten-free or can be easily and learn to substitute.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about -- Green Chili with Pork Open Original Shared Link

In Canada, you might not be able to find Poblano chilies or jalapenos but you can start with a standard bell pepper and spice to taste with cayenne. Or don't make it spicy at all but when you make a bunch, freeze the leftovers in small batches so you can have it over rice on time. Next week have it as tacos or wrapped the solid bits in a corn tortilla with the sauce and cheese on top (enchiladas). If you can't afford fresh, check for frozen, sometimes it's cheaper. Stews and soups are cheap, easy and forgiving and you can make enough to have friends over to share. It doesn't feel lonely when the rest of the table is eating the same thing.

I'd go bonkers if I had to eat the same stuff in the same combination all the time. Last night I ate Indian, a chick pea and potato curry. Saturday night was Mexican, Friday night was a stir-fry. Many ethnic dishes come from a need to make cheap ingredients tasty.

p.s. I don't always eat like the UN, tonight was Americana (deviled ham sandwich). I just really like different foods. I'd go nuts on a "This is Thursday so we always have meatloaf" type of menu.

[Karen B.]

Im not worried at all about medical bills i do live in Canada and have full coverage of health and everything, same with to do with dented cans we dont do that here. Rice potatoes and al that ive been living off of pretty much forever. Im just so sick of this diet i dont like feeling sick all the time, not being able to eat things i really want...i dunno just cant stand it anymore. 18 years my whole life so far living in solitude, i feel trapped.

One question -- what is it you really want to eat so badly that you are willing to get sick for it? If there is something specific, this is the best place to throw it out there. I can promise you that you will get suggestions for gluten-free alternatives.

Okay, two questions -- have you really reviewed what is allowed on the gluten-free diet today? I ask this because I ran into a Celiac the other day that didn't know Celiacs could have corn tortillas. She thought corn was out for Celiacs. If you were raised on the diet for 18 years, check for new stuff. I've seen changes just since I was diagnosed.

[Auntie Lurlynn]

try shopping @ asian or thai food stores, food there is really cheap

[allison lynn xo]

the only way to make this go away is to stick to the diet.

i'm a habitual diet-cheater.