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

Why Won't The Weight Come Off?


Anteau25

Recommended Posts

Anteau25 Apprentice

I have gained 13 pounds since going gluten free at the end of August. In the beginning I did not exercise at all due to the lack of energy and sleeping all the time.

Now I live off mostly fruits, vegetables, and chicken. I exercise regularly and I can't shed a pound!

I started exercising regularly about 3 months ago. After 3 weeks I GAINED 2 pounds. Even though I was frustrated, I continued and lost the 2 pounds but am staying at a steady weight.

Can someone please explain to me the connection of celiac disease and trouble losing weight? I know we absorb more after going gluten free, but I have more energy now and am so much more active.

I want to go to the beach this summer and wear a bathing suit, but it's not gonna happen if I don't get my weight down. I'm just feeling down because I'm trying so hard and not getting any results.

I am also a type1 diabetic and thought maybe it was my thyroid. I just had bloodwork and saw my endocrinologist. My thyroid is fine, and she said it's not diabetes related.

Anyone have tips, advice, or can lead me in the right direction? The slightest glimmer of hope?

I would appreciate it so much.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Guest lizajane

I have the same problem with weight. But I eat mostly the gluten free food which is very high in calories, but I love to eat. I justify it by saying I have given up so much food already, that I refuse to give up everything!! I am also lactose, soy and corn intolerant too!

Guest jokamo

Anteau25,

I am right there with you! I have Lupus and Fibromyalgia and gained 50 pounds on prednisone and since going gluten free, I can't seem to get the wieght off either. <_< Sorry I don't have any tips for you. Just wanted you to know that you are not the only one out there.

Good luck!

Jodi M. ;)

Anteau25 Apprentice

Thanks for the replies. It does make me feel a little better knowing that I'm not the only one struggling with this. I guess I'll just keep working on it.

Electra Enthusiast

I'm right there with you. I gained 20 pounds since going gluten free and I am having such a hard time getting it off. I have to keep my calorie intake at around 800 calories a day or I gain weight. UG I'm starving to death here and I've only lost 7 pds. It's taken about 5 weeks to lose that much too.

My philosophy is that our motabolism is so screwed up from living with Celiac all these years that our body still thinks we are starving even though we are getting enough. Our bodies have gotten to the point of where they are so used to being without the proper nutrition that even when we get it our body goes into reserve mode and holds onto every ounce of calories it can get. It's a survival instinct for the body, and I think at this point It will be impossible for me to convince my body otherwise lol!!

It really sucks, but (for me) it's reality :(

It must be nice to have gotten some energy back. I still haven't gotten there. I am more exhausted now then before I found out I had celiac, so that makes it even tougher to lose grrrrrrrrr!! Celiac, Pernicious Anemia, and Narcolepsy are not going to help me out in the energy department lol!! Good Luck I hope you start losing soon, and don't give up!!

blueeyedmanda Community Regular

I have too gained about 20 lbs since going gluten free, and I cannot get rid of it. I am going to the gym, I do not eat chips and snacks. I have the occasional cookie and ice cream. I feel so ugly these days because a few coworkers are losing their weight. It is bathing suit season. :ph34r: Some of my summer clothes I used to look great in I now look dumpy. I gained all my weight in my tummy area/thighs and some butt fat. SO if I put on tank tops I look bigger than I am because if I get the size that truely fits, it sits nice on my lower half but the top is big and baggy and looks bad. Glad to see others know where I am coming from.

skinnyminny Enthusiast
I'm right there with you. I gained 20 pounds since going gluten free and I am having such a hard time getting it off. I have to keep my calorie intake at around 800 calories a day or I gain weight. UG I'm starving to death here and I've only lost 7 pds. It's taken about 5 weeks to lose that much too.

My philosophy is that our motabolism is so screwed up from living with Celiac all these years that our body still thinks we are starving even though we are getting enough. Our bodies have gotten to the point of where they are so used to being without the proper nutrition that even when we get it our body goes into reserve mode and holds onto every ounce of calories it can get. It's a survival instinct for the body, and I think at this point It will be impossible for me to convince my body otherwise lol!!

It really sucks, but (for me) it's reality :(

It must be nice to have gotten some energy back. I still haven't gotten there. I am more exhausted now then before I found out I had celiac, so that makes it even tougher to lose grrrrrrrrr!! Celiac, Pernicious Anemia, and Narcolepsy are not going to help me out in the energy department lol!! Good Luck I hope you start losing soon, and don't give up!!

I am sorry you are having such a hard time. I am not sure your height but even though you are trying to loose weight 800 calories is too little just for your body to function if you laid in bed all day you still would need at least 1200, your calorie intake may be too low your body thinks its starving and it is trying to hold on to everything. Try to eat first thing in the morning it revs your metablism up and portion control the rest of the day. smaller more frequent meals will increase your metabolism. I Hope this helps!


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Ann1231 Enthusiast
Anteau25,

I am right there with you! I have Lupus and Fibromyalgia and gained 50 pounds on prednisone and since going gluten free, I can't seem to get the wieght off either. <_< Sorry I don't have any tips for you. Just wanted you to know that you are not the only one out there.

Good luck!

Jodi M. ;)

Jodi, I feel like I could have written this post. I have rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. With prednisone, I have also gained 50 pounds. I can't seem to get the weight off either.

I have recital, graduations and then a very formal event coming up and I am so embarrassed because nothing fits at all and I can't afford to buy all new clothes. It's very frustrating...and now I'm flaring and need more prednisone. ugh....

Ann

dragonmom Apprentice

I don't have any drug related issue with my weight gain. I just keep adding to my body , I stopped making my gluten-free goodies, just ate meat cheese, and veggies. lost 6 pounds and then it just came back. I am just one large pound attractor. :o I just keep plugging away. Good luck

  • 2 months later...
Gwenny Newbie

Dairy that isn't low fat isn't going to help. Since I started eating low fat and cutting down on the dairy intake has really helped the scale for me. I'm doing weight watchers and using the flex point system. Those gluten free goodies suck when it comes to points, they aren't so good for you. I found that I was eating what I thought were light meals, but actually were larger portions than I thought, thus more calories.

I am eating small meals, several times a day and sticking to my points and getting exercise. The weight stopped going up and is slooooowly going down.

Before I found out about celiac, I had lost 40 pounds in just a little bit of time, now a one pound loss is difficult.

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,549
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Blough
    Newest Member
    Blough
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • 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.