How Do You Know If You Are Healing?

[goldyjlox]

I have been gluten free since August, I have been doing good at it I think. I have not been sick yet so I must be doing something right, right?? I used to have a huge bloated belly all the time, looked like I was pregnant, and I was always constipated...that was my problem, hardly ever D but always constipated. Now, I have lost my bloated belly (now its just baby fat!!) My face has colour so I dont look like the ealking dead, I have regular bowel movements, more energy, the tinglying feeling has left my fingers and toes, and those painful little bumps are not on my fingers anymore. So this would sound like I am healing right?? Here I thought that I would lose some weight by not eating the junky foods and become healthier but instead I have gained weight!!!! I am hardly eating much!!

I have not had any gluten that I know of, I have cheated a bit on the dairy....I am only off it for 3 months...but I never got any reaction to any that I have had.

So how do you tell if you are healing?? I would assume that eating gluten-free and not getting sick would be a good indication but I was never a sick person so I am a bit confused on how I should feel.

Sorry If I dont make any sense.

Jess

[blueeyedmanda]

For me, other than the GI symptoms going away. I had more energy and my overall personality was going back towards normal. I was not moping around and sad. I suddenly felt like a new person again....my old self

It does vary person to person though.

[Vykt0r]

I would imagine you'd also have less of an appetite considering the fact that celiac causes malaborption and therefore constant hunger in a lot of people.

[Gemini]

I would imagine you'd also have less of an appetite considering the fact that celiac causes malaborption and therefore constant hunger in a lot of people.

I think it's actually the opposite in most people. When I was eating gluten, I was never as hungry as I am now because all the bloating makes you feel full all the time. I would like a bird and feel full. Plus, with all the inflammation going on, hunger was not an issue. When you start to heal and your food is being absorbed like it should, you begin to realize what hunger really feels like. Things are working normally.

Malabsorption just means you are not absorbing your nutrients from food and has little to do with actual hunger pains themselves.

How does a person know they are healing? By all the things you described above. That's a really good sign. The weight gain can surprise people but it's common sense. You are absorbing calories and even though you may not be eating junk food anymore, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie! If you take in more than you burn off, you will gain weight. With each passing decade of life, your metabolism slows down and you have to less and less or move around more to compensate.

I snack on fruit and veggies all day to offset this as not only did I discover I had celiac disease, I went through menopause at the same time. Talk about a metabolism killer!

If your symptoms are disappearing and your color is good and you have energy, trust what your body is telling you.....you are doing a good job!

[VioletBlue]

I think the food issues have to do with where you were when you were diagnosed. I was always hungry and I had gained significant weight in the years prior to diagnosis. Now hunger is no longer the constant issue it once was, and even when I am hungry it no longer has the urgent do or die attitude to it that used to exist.

So I have lost weight since going gluten free. But I also don't eat much of any grains or special gluten free foods. I eat mostly whole foods now including dairy which I've never had a problem with. Prior to diagnosis I ate breads and pastas and cookies and cakes and frozen and pre-packaged foods all of which were bound to be higher in calories. So I think it depends on where you were prior to diagnosis and how you choose to pursue the gluten free diet as to what effect the diet has on your weight.

For me the most obvious immediate signs of healing were that the acid reflex and the diarrhea went away. My mood and outlook also improved significantly. And my nails have finally begun to grow again. I think any significant change along those lines is an indication of healing. But then we all express the disease differently, so healing is different for all of us.

It also takes time. A couple months is just the beginning. I've been gluten free since last December and my nails have just only begun to reflect that. All the other things that are secondary like the vitamin and mineral deficiencies take months and months and sometimes years to reverse themselves.

Violet

[goldyjlox]

Thanks. I am glsd to know that I am going about this right, the dietition said that I really did not need alot of her help as it sounds like I am doing a great job. My nails seem to grow more now also, I used to have a horrible time with my nails....constant nail biter. I do notice that I am more hungry now, I guess I have room in there besides air. Butr I have to work on eating a bit better and then at least I will feel better.

Thanks again.