Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):
  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Finding It Really Difficult To Gain Weight


Jemimabella

Recommended Posts

Jemimabella Newbie

Hi Everyone,

This is my first ever post on this forum. I am from the UK and I have been diagnosed as a coeliac for nearly seven years. My bloodwork is generally pretty good, and most of the time I feel fine in myself. However, I am disappointed that I have not gained much weight. To be honest I don't have the best appetite in the world and I soon feel full up so don't eat big meals. I am also very cautious about making any mistakes with my diet because I cannot face being so sick ever again.

I would love some inspiration from other coeliacs, like maybe if anything has helped you to put on weight.

Thank you

:rolleyes:


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Generic Apprentice

It took me years to put on a decent amount of weight. As your stomach heals it will start to absorb nutrients better. You have to remember it took along time to get as sick as you were. So it will take some time to reverse the damage.

heathen Apprentice

i have been gluten-free for over a year, eat like a horse, and still haven't gained any wait. but i'm not LOSING anymore, and that's what's most important to me right now. i figure the weight gain will come as i get older. make sure you eat, though--and a healthy diet. i know it's easy to splurge on the unhealthy foods that i am still able to eat. like gluten-free oreos. so much sugar...

Susanwisely Newbie

Hi there. Maybe you should ask to see a dietician if you dont have one already? Your Dietician will see if you are getting enough calories. I am 23 years old and only a very scary 84lbs in weight so I know what you are going through.

Ask for a supplement drink called Fortisip. I have to drink 3 per day and they compensate for a meal, plus I eat as nomal but have these extra meal/drinks. Theyre worth trying. Ive been on those for a month and gained 8lbs.

Also try increasing your calories to 2500 a day instead of your RDA of 2000 calories. Believe me, im also trying everything there is to try and find this is my only option....

If you are losing weight that is something you need to see your Dr about.

Hope this helps!

alamaz Collaborator

I lost almosst 15 lbs. when I was first diagnosed and even then I didn't need to lose any weight. I still haven't gained anything back but I think it's a combination of no more or atleast very little sugar and carbs so I'm not bloated anymore. I eat through out the day. I eat an apple with nut butter and a turkey sausage patty for breakfast, a snack at 10am, lunch at 1230, snack at 3/3pm, dinner at 6 and sometimes a snack before bed. most of the time it's a small meal that includes atleast a fruit or veg. and for sure protein. don't worry about eating low fat foods right now and concentrate on the healthy fats (coconut, avocado, artichoke etc.) and protein. I also like the idea of a fortified drink. Not sure what they have accross the ocean but one of those a day in addition to increasing your caloric intake should help.

CtheCeliac Rookie

Welcome! This is my first time posting as well! :rolleyes: I must say that I gained 10 pounds the first six weeks, but have plateaued. I'm almost at the six month mark and am becoming increasingly frustrated that I have not gained a few more pounds. I recorded my caloric intake the first six weeks, and ate around the clock. I think it's when we start to stress and have almost a fear of eating that it can also become difficult to have a healthy appetite. I have a family member who makes the best gluten-free cake. :P It's good for us to have a healthy fear of not wanting to be sick again. At the same time, when we feel extremely limited by our diets or stressed that we may not eat as much or a well-rounded diet. Now that the weather is warming up, I've enjoyed making shakes in the blender with fruit and organic gluten-free yogurt.

My relative who was wasting away as a Celiac gained over 40 pounds in one year. Trust me, the weight was needed. So now, I need to break my 10-pound mark. I'll take ideas, too. :unsure:

Buck22 Rookie

>>organic gluten-free yogurt

Sounds good - what brand do you buy?

Thanks,

Richard

Welcome! This is my first time posting as well! :rolleyes: I must say that I gained 10 pounds the first six weeks, but have plateaued. I'm almost at the six month mark and am becoming increasingly frustrated that I have not gained a few more pounds. I recorded my caloric intake the first six weeks, and ate around the clock. I think it's when we start to stress and have almost a fear of eating that it can also become difficult to have a healthy appetite. I have a family member who makes the best gluten-free cake. :P It's good for us to have a healthy fear of not wanting to be sick again. At the same time, when we feel extremely limited by our diets or stressed that we may not eat as much or a well-rounded diet. Now that the weather is warming up, I've enjoyed making shakes in the blender with fruit and organic gluten-free yogurt.

My relative who was wasting away as a Celiac gained over 40 pounds in one year. Trust me, the weight was needed. So now, I need to break my 10-pound mark. I'll take ideas, too. :unsure:


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - trents replied to SilkieFairy's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      IBS-D vs Celiac

    2. - SilkieFairy replied to SilkieFairy's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      IBS-D vs Celiac

    3. - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

    4. - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

    5. - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,336
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Jeffrey Yeres
    Newest Member
    Jeffrey Yeres
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      No coincidence. Recent revisions to gluten challenge guidelines call for the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of 3 weeks. If possible, I would extend that two weeks to ensure valid testing.
    • SilkieFairy
      Thank you both for the replies. I decided to bring back gluten so I can do the blood test. Today is Day #2 of the Challenge. Yesterday I had about 3 slices of whole wheat bread and I woke up with urgent diarrhea this morning. It was orange, sandy and had the distinctive smell that I did not have when I was briefly gluten free. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but the brain fog is back and I feel very tired.   
    • knitty kitty
      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.