Terrible Weight Gain

[pickles177]

Dear Forum

I was diagnosed with Coeliac in March of 2008 and for six weeks was symptom free and feeling great. Suddenly symptoms returned although not with the same intensity.

Ever since symptoms have eased but weight gain is ridiculous - over 2 stone in 8 months! I eat more healtily than ever and yet the weight is gaining! I also have joint and muscle pain, fatigue, carpal tunnel and terrible skin issues as well so asked my GP to check my thyroid which came back at 1.7 yet I still feel terrible - I'm still pale and symptoms above continue -

Does anyone have any advice or had something similar? Will my body ever lose the weight?

HELP

Thanks

[emcmaster]

Hi pickles,

Have you ruled out other intolerances? It is my belief that our bodies do strange things when they do not like what we are ingesting.

Has your doctor checked your thyroid antibody levels? That can be indicative of thyroid problems too.

Good luck!

[ang1e0251]

Are you sure you are not getting glutened secretly? It sounds like you have a good handle on your diet. My weight goes nuts when I have to take any pain killers or cold meds. Have you been around any remodeling products? Some drywall has gluten. Have you added any supplements to your diet? Some have small amounts of gluten that legally are under the limits so the company can list them as gluten-free. But some of us are very sensitive to that.

Possibly you have another sensitivity to another food. Many cannot tolerate dairy, I can't. Keep a food/symptom diary for awhile and it may help you pinpoint the problem.

I hope you are feeling better soon!

[Yana]

(Hi! first post here )

I'm very sensitive, not quite at the Celiacs severety (though I often wonder), and I too have had trouble loosing weight since going on the gluten free diet. I lost 20kgs in the year before I went gluten-free, and then I just plateaued with the weight loss, even as I was exercising just as much and eating healthy. I also experienced symptoms of being "glutened" when I hadn't eaten anything with gluten in it.

I still don't know about the weight gain (or more lack of loss), I presume it's that the different Gluten free flours and products have a higher GI, so my body is processing it into sugars quicker. But, kia kaha, stand strong, keep at the focus on weight loss!

But, to my horror I did discover that although not celiacs, I am so sensitive to gluten that just walking into a bakery with friends, or even walking down wind from KFC and I would react. My skin would flare up something terrible, and other allergic reactions would kick in... just from the smell of it. Also, much to my disgust, in the last month I discovered how many beauty and hair products contain gluten (I am lucky I don't wear make up and lots of hair products). I might be preaching to the converted, as you all see to know a hell of a lot more about what has gluten and what doesn't, but have you looked into stuff like that? Maybe something as stupid as breathing in traces could be why you had the random flare up of symptoms?

[sbj]

Weight gain is common in patients who are compliant with the gluten-free diet -see this article: Open Original Shared Link

A recent study from Northern Ireland (1) followed the weights of 188 patients on strict gluten-free diets for two years.

Eighty-one percent of those patients experienced weight gain

, 4% of patients maintained weight, and 15% lost weight during the study. These findings are similar to results from other European studies.

The physiologic mechanism for the weight gain is unknown. One explanation is that when the small intestine heals in response to a gluten-free diet, nutrients are absorbed more normally, and therefore dietary carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are contributing calories to the body. In addition, many gluten-free substitutes for wheat-based foods contain higher amounts of fats and sugars than their gluten versions, so the calorie count is higher to begin with. Finally, adults with malabsorption from active celiac disease often become accustomed to eating large portions of food without gaining weight. Once the disease is treated and nutrient absorption improves, it can be difficult for adults to modify their eating habits and reduce the quantity of food consumed in order to maintain a healthy weight.

The treatment for weight gain in people with celiac disease is the same for other overweight populations: Create a calorie deficit.

Weight gain might actually be a sign that you are doing a good job following the gluten-free diet!