Extra Energy W/ Less Food?

[MrMark]

Over a week ago, I eliminated gluten from my diet and am slowly seeing some health benefits.

My problem is that I used to eat about 3000+ calories a day and not even feel full. For about a week now I have been eating about 1000 a day (probably less) and feel satisfied (not hungry). Pre gluten-free, I weighed 215 lb (overweight), now I am 203 after a week. The strange thing is I have more energy than ever before. Is this declining weight and declining caloric intake an indicator of something dangerous?

Before I was gluten-free, my face always burned like there was a fire under my skin. It wasn't hot to the touch, but my nerves were signaling ye olde brain that it was hot. What is this and why did it suddenly stop - I don't miss it.

Thanks Mark

[blueeyedmanda]

I eat a lot less than I did before celiac. I am not as hungry half as much as I used to be. I never had facial burning but I did have other bothersome symptoms that have gone away.

I did gain some weigh on the diet, which I am going to try to get rid of after the holidays.

Congrats on feeling better, it is a great milestone!

[njbeachbum]

i've only been gluten free for a week (round of applause), but i haven't noticed a decrease in my appetite just yet. i also haven't dropped any weight. i am 5'9" and have been in the 155-160 range for the past few years. even with celiac, i have maintained that weight over this time. i was always in the 140's then started working out a few years ago and put on about 10-15 pounds of muscle. since i was originally diagnosed with crohn's disease many many years ago, i always judged my health by the stability of my current weight. anyway, with only a week under my belt, i can't say that i've seen amazing results... i'm still using the bathroom a few times a day, however i do notice a different kind of "clarity" in my head.... energy may be up a bit, but i haven't been getting great sleep since i found out i have celiac. i've been up late every night doing obsessive compulsive research!

what i'm most concerned with is keeping my energy level up on the days when i am competing... i play competitive volleyball, and day-long tournaments really use a LOT of energy. i always used to carb up before playing, so now i need to find alternate ways to get the same kind of energy.

[bluejeangirl]

. energy may be up a bit, but i haven't been getting great sleep since i found out i have celiac. i've been up late every night doing obsessive compulsive research!

There are more then a few of us with that compulsion here. Must be a side effect of eating too much rice.

Gail

[sneezydiva]

The first days after going gluten-free, I was STARVING. I was eating all the time. But then, all of a sudden, I wasn't very hungry most of the time. I started the diet in earnest in August, and I've lost 15 pounds without even trying. (and it was weight I needed to lose) I also have more energy, though it waxes and wanes because of my environmental allergies.

[silk]

MrMark- Isn't it amazing to find other people with similar experiences. Being relatively new at this, you find yourself wondering if you are imagining some of these changes or attributing them to the celiacs when they might not be connect at all until you come here and find people like yourself experiencing the same things. I love this place!

I've been on the gluten-free diet, actually I would call it 'live it' for a little over 3 weeks now and I would agree with you whole-heartedly! I have a much smaller appetite and don't get hungry between meals. I am not tempted to snack at all and have to remind myself, because of my being a type 1 diabetic that I do need to eat something small between meals to keep my blood sugars at an even keel. Before discovering the celiac issue I had gained 6 lbs in a 2 month period while dieting and exercising like mad. I felt so frustrated. Since I went gluten free I have lost 9 lbs! and cut my evening insulin intake from 17 units to 8 units and I was still low on my blood sugar this a.m. so I will have to go lower on the insulin yet again!

I am so relieved to feel better (most of the time) as opposed to feeling like hell most of the time and the bonus is the un-expected weight loss, lower insulin needs/better bs control and that I sleep like a baby for the first time in years and have tons! of energy. Makes me happy to finally feel this way and sad for the 47+ years that I missed out on feeling this way.

I hope that this is not just a temporary side effect of the diet change.

[bakingbarb]

Over a week ago, I eliminated gluten from my diet and am slowly seeing some health benefits.

My problem is that I used to eat about 3000+ calories a day and not even feel full. For about a week now I have been eating about 1000 a day (probably less) and feel satisfied (not hungry). Pre gluten-free, I weighed 215 lb (overweight), now I am 203 after a week. The strange thing is I have more energy than ever before. Is this declining weight and declining caloric intake an indicator of something dangerous?

Before I was gluten-free, my face always burned like there was a fire under my skin. It wasn't hot to the touch, but my nerves were signaling ye olde brain that it was hot. What is this and why did it suddenly stop - I don't miss it.

Thanks Mark

Mark, I have only been gluten free since the end of October but I have not lost my appetite, if anything it is back like crazy!

The face burning though, I had that and all the time. It felt so hot but no one could understand what I was talking about although sometimes I looked red.

I lost 5 lbs right away but as I said my hunger is crazy and I am not losing anymore weight. From what I have read on here it all is normal, it just depends on your body. Mine is hungry! LOL My energy is up too but not as much as I would like.

[Snowball1952]

Wish I could say that. I eat about the same. Energy not any different. How ever I feel better being celiac Free then I have in years.

[Guest maybe I have celiac]

Over a week ago, I eliminated gluten from my diet and am slowly seeing some health benefits.

My problem is that I used to eat about 3000+ calories a day and not even feel full. For about a week now I have been eating about 1000 a day (probably less) and feel satisfied (not hungry). Pre gluten-free, I weighed 215 lb (overweight), now I am 203 after a week. The strange thing is I have more energy than ever before. Is this declining weight and declining caloric intake an indicator of something dangerous?

Before I was gluten-free, my face always burned like there was a fire under my skin. It wasn't hot to the touch, but my nerves were signaling ye olde brain that it was hot. What is this and why did it suddenly stop - I don't miss it.

Thanks Mark

for me, 15 pounds in 15 days, amazing isnt it. I know a lot of people gain weight but I am the reverse

[cattriona]

Maybe your metabolism has picked up. But if you're worried, you'd better talk to your doctor to try and ease your concerns. I found that I have lost quite a bit of weight despite the fact that I'm eating more, including quite a few things that have a higher fat content. However, I feel much healthier as a result, despite the weight loss.

I'm glad that the gluten-free diet is making you feel better.

[Offthegrid]

I love 14 pounds very quickly (a week and a half?) when I initially went gluten-free. I was somewhere around 240 pounds at the time? Not exactly sure.

When I eliminated casein (dairy), I had another fairly rapid drop of 10 pounds, but gained 5 of those back. Eliminating soy and I had another 5 pound loss very quickly. When I cut out potatoes, I dropped rapidly again.

I'm now at the lowest weight I've ever been since junior high school, and am very happy. I've always been overweight (my highest weight ever was 270), so this is great.

I'm not hungry all the time, and actually feel satisfied by my food instead of before when I would eat and eat and eat and never be full.

It's a good thing.

[Joyous]

Over a week ago, I eliminated gluten from my diet and am slowly seeing some health benefits.

My problem is that I used to eat about 3000+ calories a day and not even feel full. For about a week now I have been eating about 1000 a day (probably less) and feel satisfied (not hungry). Pre gluten-free, I weighed 215 lb (overweight), now I am 203 after a week. The strange thing is I have more energy than ever before. Is this declining weight and declining caloric intake an indicator of something dangerous?

Gluten is literally addictive to many people who are gluten intolerant because of an opioid chemical that's released in your system. (Because of this, serious cravings for foods with gluten are commonly a sign of gluten intolerance.) That's why some people with Celiac Disease weigh more than they'd like to (though many are too thin due to malabsorption). I've read that malabsorption can also cause an insatiable appetite because your body isn't getting the nutrients it needs.

You could also be losing water weight. From what I understand, that's common in the first week or two off of gluten.

That said, you should be eating a lot more than 1000 calories a day! To me, 3,000 calories per day doesn't sound like too much for a 200 lbs person if you're active, provided they're coming from sources that are healthy. You won't last on so few calories. You'll gain weight, too. I know all too well that diets only work if you eat. And that goes for any type of diet, not just weight loss diets. Your body needs nutrition in order to heal itself. Make sure you're getting enough fat and protein. Diary and high fiber foods can be rough on someone whose digestive track is still healing (though of course, it's still important to get enough complex carbohydrates), so it may be a good idea to plan your diet accordingly. There's a book called The Diet Cure that has a chapter about how much damage low calorie diets can cause.

Before I was gluten-free, my face always burned like there was a fire under my skin. It wasn't hot to the touch, but my nerves were signaling ye olde brain that it was hot. What is this and why did it suddenly stop - I don't miss it.

Not sure. I get that too, and I definitely got it in the week and a half that I wasn't eating gluten. I'm hoping it goes away for me as well.