I Hope I Don't Lose Any More Weight

[S-J-L]

Hi,

I have just been diagnosed with celiac disease, and have been gluten free for not even a week yet.

I am very skinny, 103 pounds (47 kg) 5'8. I am a 20yr old female and this is the most i have ever weighed in my life, despite eating very well.

I am worried that im going to lose more weight being gluten free because i never feel full or satisfied after eating gluten free. Also i am flatting and doing a really demanding degree, so im worried if i get tired that i wont eat properly because anything gluten free that i actually like takes longer to prepare. I just cant grab sandwiches anymore.

I have been eating those rice cracker things rather than bread. Nothing seems to full me up and im worried!

Help please?

[camoflauge]

The thing that really helps me is a protein shake-if you are not lactose, etc. intolerant. I mix some sort of fruit, milk (but you could use fruit juice, water, gatorade, etc) and that gives me a better balance than stuffing my face with junk food. not the ideal "meal" but great for when you are on the go.

I don't really have much other advice, hopefully someone who is "seasoned" will help you out, i just wanted you to know how helpful the people on this board are.

As far as the hunger thing-are you absolutely sure you aren't eating anything with hidden wheat, barley or rye or things produced on the same line as "gluten" containing products? did you get completely separate new utensils, pots/pans-anything with a pourous surface such as cast iron, teflon, plastic, have you checked your hair care products, toothpaste, vitamins/medicines, etc?

by rice crackers what do you mean? the quaker rice cakes are cross contaminated and some even contain barley syrup or something like that. most celiacs (from what I have learned) can't handle Quaker Oatmeal products because they are "cross contaminated".

I was introduced to the fact that gluten is like "glue" and it can stick to lots of things and is extremely hard to remove all traces. I have found out that I am that sensitive. When I get any trace of gluten I am starving like there is no tomorrow. Otherwise I am totally normal. You may be completely different, but I just wanted to share some of the ideas others have given me.

Good Luck.

Heather

[S-J-L]

Thanks, i dont think im still being exposed to gluten.

How do i know if my toothpaste has it? it doesnt say. I use Colgate.

Any other advice?

[ravenwoodglass]

The weight loss should stop soon. Many of us find we are constantly hungry for a bit during the healing process, our bodies have gone without nutrients for so long that once we start absorbing it doesn't want us to stop taking in that good stuff.

You can have sandwiches, you just need to find a bread that you like. I don;t know if you can find them where you are but Kinnickinnick makes some really good ones that have a texture that is actually like wheat bread. My favs are the italian and the white sandwich. They also make a good pizza shell that I even use sometimes as a flat bread with hummus. They seem pricey but you get 4 of them and they are around 500 calories each.

Something I did a short time ago to gain back some weight was used pretzels. Wylde pretzels are free of gluten, soy and dairy and one large bag has over 1000 calories for around $3. I would open a bag each morning and munch all day long in addition to my meals. That added an easy extra 1000 calories a day and within a couple of weeks I had gained back the last 5 lbs of the 20 I lost when sick last year.

If you can you should make up a pot of chili, soup or stew once a week or so, this can be reheated easily in a microwave and can make a good quick meal.

Hang in there, things will get better.

[MDRB]

Hi,

I have just been diagnosed with celiac disease, and have been gluten free for not even a week yet.

I am very skinny, 103 pounds (47 kg) 5'8. I am a 20yr old female and this is the most i have ever weighed in my life, despite eating very well.

I am worried that im going to lose more weight being gluten free because i never feel full or satisfied after eating gluten free. Also i am flatting and doing a really demanding degree, so im worried if i get tired that i wont eat properly because anything gluten free that i actually like takes longer to prepare. I just cant grab sandwiches anymore.

I have been eating those rice cracker things rather than bread. Nothing seems to full me up and im worried!

Help please?

Hi,

I have also been very skinny my whole life, I was just under a hundred pounds when I was diagnosed and have found that I have gained about ten pounds since going gluten free. My doctor says that this is pretty normal because celiacs who go gluten-free are finally starting to absorb their food properly.

You are probably feeling hungry all the time because your body is having gluten cravings, this should pass the longer you stay on the gluten-free diet.

You could try eating starchy foods that are naturally gluten free such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and rice. Also to stay fuller longer, you could try adding more protein in your diet such as chicken, legumes, tofu etc. Also small meals more often will help with the fullness.

Good Luck