Gluten Free, Dairy Free And Still Overeating!

[delilah]

Hello, While I am thinking most people who find out they need to gluten-free find it restrictive, I have found it to be liberating. I found myself eating products I stayed away from for years because they had flour in them. Now I am buying gluten-free pasta and pizza crust and food bars and waffles. This is wonderful! I feel a difference every day with my depression. Each day is a bit lighter and the despair when I wake is gone. Its been 2 1/2 weeks only!

My problem is this.. I am eating out of control. I was hoping being gluten-free would balance out my system and I would lose weight. I have over 100 pounds to lose. I have not really gained weight eating all this and am wondering if my body is trying to replenish itself. I am still feeling sluggish and aching joints. I don't know if I should attribute this to some sort of detox or that I am still eating some gluten somewhere or from eating to many carbs!

I hear many people talk about hidden gluten in cosmetics and other products. I am not sure what to look for. Is there a site to read about this?

Also I am dairy free now for a few weeks and a vegetarian. I stay away from refined sugars but use Stevia and Agave mostly and some products are fruit juice sweetened. I read some stay away from sugar all together. I guess thats a trial and error process.

I am so glad to see the light with my depression. I haven't been able to work and feel hopeless about finances since I feel so powerless. I am waiting for that to return. I hope that will happen soon.

All in all it was important for me to begin writing here. I have gotten so much from reading many of your entries. Thank you.

I welcome any advice and support especially in regard to losing weight. I feel I research nutrition and know much. But I am feeling overwhelmed with all this overeating. I eat mostly organic and very healthy food. Just way too much. some say becoming gluten-free just naturally balanced it all out. Did that happen to anyone out there?

Thanks

D.

[aikiducky]

Hi D, I had the same happen when I first went gluten free, I couldn't stop eating!

I had a clear feeling that my body needed the food so I just decided to go with it...I lost weight! You're probably deficient in some nutrients and vitamins at this point if you haven't been able to absorb your food properly because of the celiac. So your body is telling you it needs nutrients.

A few months later it started to even out and I didn't feel like I needed to eat so much any more. Nowadays (two and a half years gluten-free) I eat three-four times a day and my weight stays even.

The only thing is I would make sure that most of what you eat is very nutritious food, vegetables and fruit if you can digest them, good fats, enough protein and not only carbs.

Note that gluten is a protein, so when you cut out gluteny food, you need some other source of protein!

Hope this helps.

Pauliina

[delilah]

Thank you Paulina. This was very comforting to know I am not alone. Beneath the upset over this I feel like I should be patient and it will subside. So I needed to hear that. I feel like I AM finally getting some nutrients I haven't in a while. I still need to have more balance but that will come as well. Thanks again

D.

[EBsMom]

Note that gluten is a protein, so when you cut out gluteny food, you need some other source of protein!

Definitely make sure you're getting enough protein. I think that most people need more than they actually eat....and they fill in the void with carbs (often empty ones, gluten-free or not.) That leads to wildly fluctuating blood sugars, necessitating more food....it's a vicious cycle! When I eat enough protein, I feel full for much longer and I don't crave carbs so much.

I had to do a mental reset this weekend - I was enjoying indulging in the gluten-free donuts way too much, all in the name of not wanting my daughter to feel deprived (she went gluten-free, then I followed.) I remembered that I didn't let her eat donuts every day before she went gluten-free (nor did I eat them often), so why would I do that now? I guess adjusting to this diet is a process, but the basics of a healthy diet don't really change, gluten-free or not.

Rho

[delilah]

Thanks Rho. I am REALLY overdoing the carbs. I have GOOD carbs like brown rice or quinoa and include gluten-free chocolate food bars or dairy free ice cream and I try to make sure I put in a bean sprout or a cup of veggies here and there. I need to reverse that. But I am so enjoying the combination of eating the carbs I love and waking without depression. Its so exciting still that I feel like I almost deserve it. I know eating balanced and working out will allow for another kind of pleasure as I start to feel better physically because I am achy and full. I just don't seem to take the plunge. Part of me says to buck up and the other part says, enjoy for bit and then you will naturally find your balance. But will I really? I feel so optimistic on this plan but I read about others who keep gaining or don't actually feel as good as they would like. I am really banking on feeling the best I have ever felt as time goes on. I hope I am not kidding myself.

I research nutrition and food addiction and sensitivities and I feel like I know much about them. And for me, when I discovered celiac disease (or it discovered me) I felt like I found home when it came to food. And I fully embraced it. I just want to find my best physically now that the emotions seem to be in alignment.

Thanks

Delilah

[burdee]

Thanks Rho. I am REALLY overdoing the carbs. I have GOOD carbs like brown rice or quinoa and include gluten-free chocolate food bars or dairy free ice cream and I try to make sure I put in a bean sprout or a cup of veggies here and there. I need to reverse that. But I am so enjoying the combination of eating the carbs I love and waking without depression. Its so exciting still that I feel like I almost deserve it. I know eating balanced and working out will allow for another kind of pleasure as I start to feel better physically because I am achy and full. I just don't seem to take the plunge. Part of me says to buck up and the other part says, enjoy for bit and then you will naturally find your balance. But will I really? I feel so optimistic on this plan but I read about others who keep gaining or don't actually feel as good as they would like. I am really banking on feeling the best I have ever felt as time goes on. I hope I am not kidding myself.

I research nutrition and food addiction and sensitivities and I feel like I know much about them. And for me, when I discovered celiac disease (or it discovered me) I felt like I found home when it came to food. And I fully embraced it. I just want to find my best physically now that the emotions seem to be in alignment.

Thanks

Delilah

If you eat for emotional reasons (boredom, stress, loneliness or sadness) or even fatigue, you will overeat on ANY kind of diet. Consider whether you are truly physically hungry before you start to eat. Then listen to your body to notice when you feel satisfied or 'just enough' full, so you STOP eating before you overeat. While you have painful celiac symptoms of bloating, gas, cramps or other kinds of indigestion, recognizing hunger and fullness may be more difficult. However as you abstain from gluten (and any other food allergies), your symptoms should lessen so that you can sense true physical hunger and satisfaction. Also choose a wide variety of gluten free foods, not just low fiber, high calorie carbs. If you eat more fruits, vegies, beans, nuts and whole grains, you will feel satisfied and full sooner than if you eat high sugar, low fiber treats. Weight loss requires consuming less and exercising more. When you only eat for physical need, you will eat less, but you may need to add some exercise. Good luck!

BURDEE

[redfreckle8]

I have noticed I've been overeating desert after dinner since I went gluten-free. But I just came to an epiphany last night. Ok ready. So before we went gluten-free/DF we'd feel bad after dinner or any meal for that matter (dinner was just a big meal for me) and we got use to that feeling. We'd stop eating because we didn't want to feel any worse. After going gluten-free/DF we don't feel bad after eating. So we think we aren't full because for so long we equated feeling bad with being full. So I eat candy/cookies/sugar until I feel bad and then I stop because my mind thinks I'm full. YES. So now what? I have to train myself to be ok with not feeling bad after eating dinner. How do I do that? In the mean time I'm not buying anymore sugar. Help?!

[AliB]

Carbs are very, very addictive. How many people do you know who can stop at just one cookie?

What I am seeing over and over again as I read the forums is so many who have gained a level of health back after going gluten-free only to then find themselves going back downhill after a few months. What is happening is that when they drop the gluten, they then start to look around for other carbs to replace it with.

The trouble is that so many of us are not just gluten intolerant but actually carbohydrate intolerant. The enzymes needed to break down the carbs, namely dairy (lactose), sugar, grains and starches are often, due to the gut damage, either lacking or even missing.

I have not been able to cope with carbs for a long time but didn't know why. I also have weight gain issues. The only two times in my life I have ever been well was when I was eating low-carb and I am kicking myself now for not keeping it going, not only would I have lost the weight, I probably wouldn't be diabetic now either! I found both times that as soon as I started to re-introduce the carbs, I couldn't control it.

Now I have dropped not only gluten but dairy, carbs and sugar. I am keeping to basic foods, plain unprocessed meat, fish and poultry, fresh veg and fruit and a little honey and plain probiotic yogurt. My gut is healing very quickly and I am now able to tolerate a few foods that I couldn't cope with a few weeks ago, like eggs.

Just like those who are gluten intolerant often crave gluten foods, those who are carb intolerant tend to crave carbs. The more you eat the more you want. Like many carb-intolerant people the bulk of my weight is at the front. I am really hoping that now I am both non-gluten and low-carb the weight will start to shift.

[RiceGuy]

When I first went gluten-free, I could not eat enough! I was always hungry, even after stuffing myself to the point that I felt like one more bite and I'd be choking. Even then, I still felt hungry somehow, and it was certainly frustrating. Thankfully it subsided, and I'm now eating what seem like proper amounts.

Based on that I'd say give it time, but if you start gaining too much weight my guess would be that you need more nutrient-dense foods. Perhaps things like insoluble fiber will help satisfy. Just be careful not to deprive the body of those much needed nutrients. Maybe a multi-vitamin would be a good idea too (if you're not already taking one).

[Nanna]

When I first went gluten-free, I could not eat enough! I was always hungry, even after stuffing myself to the point that I felt like one more bite and I'd be choking. Even then, I still felt hungry somehow, and it was certainly frustrating. Thankfully it subsided, and I'm now eating what seem like proper amounts.

Yes, thank you, I thought there was something wrong with me. I've lost my "full" radar and can't seem to find a stop point where my body tells me that I've eaten enough.

I try to stay with a balanced diet and try to stop eating when I think I've had enough, although it's very strange not to feel pained, bloated and gassy after eating, so naturally you keep going. The other day I ate two huge bowls of stew for dinner, something I would never have done before. I stopped smoking 15 months ago and gained four kilos, and I'm not interested in gaining any more weight.

Nanna

[AliB]

I was thinking a bit more about this - I wonder if there aren't 2 things going on here. One is that perhaps because you are no longer eating the grains, you aren't getting the nutrients that they were providing and your body is craving the extra food as a way of trying to replace it. The other is that because your body is now starting to heal and nutrients are beginning to get through, the receptors for those nutrients are waking up and demanding more food for the nutrition.

Are you taking any supplements? If you can give your body extra support, it may not need to be so demanding.

I suspect though that a lot of it is to do with withdrawal, detox and your body trying to rebalance itself. You will probably find that the hunger will recede as time goes on. Try not to eat too much in the way of carbs but stick to good protein sources and fresh fruits and vegetables and a little honey and it should settle down.

I have found that I am not eating as much as I used to prior to gluten-free. Still can't shift the weight yet, but I hope that will follow.

[jhow32000]

I don't have weight to lose but I overeat on a regular basis...not lightly either (3000 or so cal/day). I have had to abstain from the gluten-free things I know I cannot eat just a little of. gluten-free processed foods tend to be even more processed than non-gluten-free stuff and just as bad for you. I follow the SCD diet, you can google it. The only things that keep me on track and not bingeing are keeping a food journal where I log my caloric intake, not buying the tempting foods and allowing myself Sunday as a cheat day where I eat whatever I want and don't log calories (though I still tend to eat within reason without great effort).

You know your weaknesses, and if you are like me and you can abstain altogether from something but can't handle eating just a little of it and that's it---you might want to try some of these things. I highly recommend the SCD diet, it is very healing. I consumed tons of calories on it and didn't gain any weight b/c my body expended so much energy healing I think.

I have to disagree with AliB on some points. Your body was not getting nutrients from the grains you were eating before if she is talking about before you went gluten-free. You would not have been getting alot of the nutrients from your food from the villi flattening, plus grains in general have shown anti-nutrient properties (meaning they can actually leach nutrients from your body). She makes good points in the rest of her post though. I would say you would do well on the diet I suggested as your gut heals very quickly on it, the foods can be heavy and protien rich so you will feel satisfied. Good luck/

[parla]

So I eat candy/cookies/sugar until I feel bad and then I stop because my mind thinks I'm full. YES. So now what? I have to train myself to be ok with not feeling bad after eating dinner. How do I do that? In the mean time I'm not buying anymore sugar. Help?!

I've heard that we eat dessert after dinner because the sweetness signals the brain to stop eating. Of course I think that was true before refined sugar/flour and saturated fats - which your body becomes addicted too and therefore don't work to stop you from eating. So here are a few desserts that have been around for a long time, that you can eat, and enjoy. You'd be so surprised if you eat them slowly and really let the flavors melt in your mouth, how you'll feel full right away.

• Dried fruits by themselves: Dates, Prunes, Apricots, Apple, Pineapple
  
• Dried fruits with honey and herbs: cut them up and drizzle some honey over them. I love dried apricots in honey with fresh thyme sprinkled over it.
  
• Warm fresh fruit: Get a nice oven safe glass or ceramic bowl and put some peeled, sliced fresh fruit in it like peaches, plums, apples, pears (either mixed or alone). You can sprinkle them with cinnamon and a teaspoon of sugar in the raw. Since you wouldn't want to use butter, a tiny bit of oil might enhance the flavor. You wouldn't believe how satisfying a warm dessert is. If you have a small bowl like a ramekin it helps you make just the right portion and really easy to fill it up with one apple or something.
  
• gluten free crepes - easier than it sounds. you need 1 egg and a bit of water (milk for the non-df's), a few grains of salt, double the amount of salt in sugar. Stir all that together with a fork until well combined. Then pick a gluten-free flour and slowly add enough, mixing the whole time, until it has the consistency of batter (easy to pour, like a milkshake). Put a little oil for frying in the pan and when it is hot let it spread thin (don't use too much batter) and then flip it and serve it with a squirt of lemon juice and a tiny bit of powdered sugar or tasty beet sugar. Or put some berries on top.
  
• Dark chocolate (there's some with 80-90% cacao and of course dairy free) : This stuff is so hard to eat but tastes like delicious chocolate that you have like three nibbles and that's enough for the night
  
• Dark chocolate clusters. Heat up some dark chocolate until it melts. then pour it over a bowl of cornflakes (make sure that the chocolate can coat all the flakes) or/and nuts or/and dried fruits, and drop spoonfuls of the mixture on a piece of baking paper and let it cool off. Again use the dark chocolate and you'll see how little of it you need to eat if you take your time.
  

You said you are dairy free (for those who aren't then I can highly recommend getting a nice cheese like feta or a creamy one like camembert and have a small slice of it each night with the fruit or chocolate)

All those things are pretty healthy and it's a lot of fun to have something different than dry old cookies. And trust me when you take 3 minutes to peel and cut a peach and add a couple of frozen blueberry and 10 minute to heat it up in the toaster oven all sprinkled in cinnamon, everyone around you is going to be jealous - that's some really good eating