Need Help Getting Back In The Game

[WhoKnew?]

I was dx with Celiac in June of 08. Before that I was in decent shape, hoping to take things to the next level. I was eating healthy and working out regularly. For the past almost 5 years I've had problems with severe fatigue, joint pain, balance problems, and hair loss. I'm really hoping going gluten-free will take care of these problems. My biggest problem getting back into shape is that I can't eat. I'm terrified that I'm going to get glutened to the point where I'd rather skip a meal than chance it. Then, when I do eat and I know it's gluten-free, I go hog wild and binge. Some days I'm just so hungry that I don't care and will eat until I'm sick. Suffice it to say, my body is not very happy with me. I drink coffee for breakfast, have a bag of chips and a Snickers for lunch and whatever I cook at home for dinner. Amazingly, I've lost over 20 pounds since June. lol. I really didn't need to lose it. Anyway, I found a product called SOYJOY that is gluten-free that I can eat for breakfast along with eggs. I'd really like to get some gluten-free bread but so far what I've had is disgusting. I found some gluten-free protein shakes I'll be ordering next week and I'm dusting off the Bowflex. Are there any gluten-free oatmeals out there? I tried cream of rice but it too was pretty disgusting.

Does this ever get any easier? Will I ever feel rested, again, in this lifetime? Has anyone had problems with hairloss? Did it grow back? That one's really killing my self esteem. Anyone else want to kill the "friends" who see your weight loss and say, "Boy I wish I had your problem." ??

Sorry for the book. I'm just anxious to get healthy and feel good again.

CB

[curlyfries]

Why did you stop eating healthy? It's easy to eat healthy and be gluten-free. Stock up on fruits and vegetables, chicken and fish. And yes, it does get easier. Since I eliminated most processed food, shopping has been a breeze Do you have access to a microwave for lunch? I usually eat leftovers for lunch, or tuna......and lots of vegetables.

I can't help you with the bread....I never bothered with it.

I also was losing lots of hair, and it just recently stopped.....awesome. I don't know if it was from eating gluten-free.......maybe I'm absorbing nutrients better, now........or from going on a candida diet.

I'll have to get back to you on whether the hair will grow back

I have lost 44 pounds, but I needed to lose it. I've had a friend's husband ask about my diet because his wife has gained weight. I just want to roll my eyes

[flourgirl]

Im in agreement with Lisa about eating healthy. It's easy to eat fresh, unprocessed foods, and certainly safer, healthier than candy and chips. It may not be as "convenient" as the stuff you buy already made, but as far as I'm concerned tastes a whole lot better. When I first went on the diet I craved sweets (chocolate) and fats like crazy, but I think my body was crying out for things I could not absorb. I lost lots of weight, tho' I didn't need to. Now my weight is fairly stable. But finally the cravings are not as bad. I, too lost lots of hair, but that, too seems to be slowing down.

I no longer eat bread, or bread-like things anymore either. Bought is not edible....I've made many loaves of bread just to stick it in the freezer and leave it there. I've pretty much lost any taste for it. I have even tried bread pudding with several loaves (so it wasn't totally wasted), and been pretty disappointed with the results.

If you were in a healthy, fit state before and you obviously want to be there again. At first it may be difficult to get back into those habits, especially not feeling so great. I'd suggest starting slowly, make yourself do some exercises no matter how you feel. I'm sure in time you'll get to where you are happier with yourself, as old physical habits re-assert themselves.

Wish you luck...and keep us posted on your progress

[NorthernElf]

I'm a fitness instructor - I teach 12 classes a week. I'm also a runner. Anyway, just want to say it is possible to do activity and be a celiac !

As far as eating goes, you need to prepare. My daily breakfast is a cup of cooked brown rice tossed with some dried cranberries and slivered almonds and one egg - and microwaved. It has protein, complex carbs, and some fat. I steam the rice and store it in the fridge, about 3 cups at a time. I eat a lot of egg salad or tuna salad for lunch - take it to work in a small container and dip gluten-free rice crackers in it. I also eat a lot of supper leftovers for lunch. I buy boxes of Mrs. May's bars or Lara Bars from Costco - says gluten-free on the box - for quick energy between classes. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies & dip...Epicure Selections has gluten-free dips (home party company). Supper is different types of rice, potatoes, yams, or gluten-free pasta (Tinkyada) with meat I season (red meat/chicken/fish) and veggies. Snacks are bought or made gluten-free stuff. I make my own chocolate chip cookies (M&M baking chips are gluten-free), and I throw ground flaxseed in them. Go to recipezaar.com and search for dietary restrictions and you can find a variety of recipes.

I'm a fan of Kinnikinnnick brand stuff - they have a nice pancake mix and their flaxseed & sunflower seed bread is good - I buy the mix, make it, slice it, lay it out & freeze it, and then bag it. It MUST be toasted and I only eat open faced sandwiches with it. Costco also has some gluten-free pepperoni (Grimm's) - nice treat. Walmart Great Value Brand seems to label gluten - they have a reasonably priced maple syrup too for those pancakes !

It definitely takes some preparation. I do a lot of things I never used to do - like smearing peanut butter over a banana or sliced apple & dotting it with raisins...breadless treat. It does get easier once you develop your own gluten-free routine and likes & dislikes.

As for hair loss, I used to go through periods of this - noticed it in the shower - but I haven't seen this for awhile.

[WhoKnew?]

Thank you all for your suggestions and support. I'm finding it more difficult to eat healthier mainly because of the economy. But today, I picked up a banana on the way to work... baby steps right? lol.

I'll be restocking the fridge and fruit bowl at work this weekend so I'll have some healthier choices for breakfast and lunch.

Curlyfries, I love tuna but have reactions if I eat a lot of it due to the mercury. I have found though that the canned salmon is pretty good.

Flourgirl, I think I'm just longing for the carefree days of eating whatever I want. Which had it's good points and its bad points. I think I'm just going to have to give up the (bread) ghost.

NorthernElf, the really sad thing is that I'll be a certified trainer in 6 months. Apparently, it's much easier for me to give out the advice... lol. I think I was wallowing a little bit when I posted. Sometimes it's very easy to live with celiac and some days, not so much.

Thanks again,

CB

[chasbari]

Thank you all for your suggestions and support. I'm finding it more difficult to eat healthier mainly because of the economy. But today, I picked up a banana on the way to work... baby steps right? lol.

I'll be restocking the fridge and fruit bowl at work this weekend so I'll have some healthier choices for breakfast and lunch.

Curlyfries, I love tuna but have reactions if I eat a lot of it due to the mercury. I have found though that the canned salmon is pretty good.

Flourgirl, I think I'm just longing for the carefree days of eating whatever I want. Which had it's good points and its bad points. I think I'm just going to have to give up the (bread) ghost.

NorthernElf, the really sad thing is that I'll be a certified trainer in 6 months. Apparently, it's much easier for me to give out the advice... lol. I think I was wallowing a little bit when I posted. Sometimes it's very easy to live with celiac and some days, not so much.

Thanks again,

CB

I notice that a lot of the foods you mentioned have soy, soy lecithin, high fructose corn syrup and salt. These all might be causing problems while you heal. Good for starting to take small steps again. I was used to my wife doing all the food prep and sometimes I get so discouraged that I am having to fix almost everything I eat after 23 plus years of being so very spoiled. Don't skip out on meals no matter how depressed or tired you might be feeling. You might be feeling that way because you do need to eat at that point. Have safe food with you or nearby if at all practical. I can't leave the house without having something with me because I still haven't figured out how to live as a celiac "out there" yet.... unless I am heading to the nearby HFS or the produce department of the supermarket. You are well worth the fight so good luck. It's perfectly fine to say it out loud here. I have found that it is good to have so many people who understand when the rest of my world, while curious at times, seems so clueless or just doesn't seem to think it really matters. I don't think I can get anyone to understand how eating went from a joy to something I have come to fear as I re-learn a lifetime of habits.... it gets better.

[kmcr80]

Thank you all for your suggestions and support. I'm finding it more difficult to eat healthier mainly because of the economy. But today, I picked up a banana on the way to work... baby steps right? lol.

I'll be restocking the fridge and fruit bowl at work this weekend so I'll have some healthier choices for breakfast and lunch.

Curlyfries, I love tuna but have reactions if I eat a lot of it due to the mercury. I have found though that the canned salmon is pretty good.

Flourgirl, I think I'm just longing for the carefree days of eating whatever I want. Which had it's good points and its bad points. I think I'm just going to have to give up the (bread) ghost.

NorthernElf, the really sad thing is that I'll be a certified trainer in 6 months. Apparently, it's much easier for me to give out the advice... lol. I think I was wallowing a little bit when I posted. Sometimes it's very easy to live with celiac and some days, not so much.

Thanks again,

CB

Same here with the tuna. I stick with the canned crab...its terrific.

[naturallyboredthriller]

As far as working out goes, I recently discovered Luna bars, which are great. They are 70% organic but do contain oats, so if you can't or don't know if you should eat oats, I would advise against trying them. However, I'm able to eat oats and haven't (*knock on wood*) had any problem with these nutrition bars. They're also low in fat; there are about 3.5 grams of fat per bar. I eat one (my favorite is Iced Oatmeal Raisin) and a banana about an hour before I workout and run, and I'm good to go throughout my workout sessions. The packaging on the bars also state something along the lines of the fact that they don't use anything that derives from wheat, and I've checked the ingredients, and again, teh only thing questionable is the oats, and I'm alright with oats.

As far as bread, Whole Foods makes a pretty decent tasting bread. However, I've grown so accustomed to not being able to eat bread that any time I buy any gluten-free/wf bread, it usually just ends up sitting in my freezer for a long time. But I mostly stick to fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to tuna fish, fish, chicken, and egg salad. I had a pretty hard time adjusting to the gluten free diet over a year ago, but it has really gotten so much easier over time, especially now that I know what I can and cannot have and what I like vs. what I don't like. I must also be on a low fat diet, so it's pretty challenging sometimes to find gluten-free/wf food that is also low fat AND is edible, but I've made it work. Also, with celiac awareness spreading, more and more brands of gluten-free food are being offered at more and more locations; even Wal-Mart carries gluten free products now! But everyone is right about the fact that it really is easier to eat gluten-free while eating healthy. I hope you're feeling better and just know that you're not alone in this, and it really does get easier!

[remedios]

Hope you find a system that works for you. I have been celiac for 6 years, and I'm still struggling with the athletic calorie and nutrition requirements. I used to eat a snickers every day after kung fu class unless I had ice cream at home. After an injury, I gained a bunch of weight from all those fat calories and had to figure out a better way to get nutrition... like packing real meals, not just snackbars! And eating nuts as snacks instead of ice cream or candy bars. And becoming entirely self-sufficient with food prep at home.

So here is my bread solution... admittedly, it's not for everyone. If you're not attached to the bread experience, you can buy corn tortillas or make 3-minute chickpea crepes much more cheaply. But IF you're willing to do some spending, here's a bread solution that even the most finicky, most pressed-for-time bread aficionado can get behind! If that's you, whoknew, read on. If not... =D sorry about the book!

The (initially expensive, but pays-for-itself-over-time) bread solution for you Bread Addicted celiacs:

Buy a programmable bread machine and bread mix from amazon or costco.

Buy bread mix in bulk from amazon and get it shipped right to your door regularly.

Make bread. Eat it or freeze it. Handwash the pan. Feel better.

The double-paddle Zojirushi is the best machine for gluten free flours. It costs around $220. If you do the math: assume you'll make bread once a week. For the first year, the bread costs $8/week (factoring in the cost of the machine). If you make bread twice a week, the cost goes down to $6 per loaf. After you "pay off" the bread machine in the first year, it's just $4/loaf. You can make a lot of great food and snacks if you have an easy and convenient way to get bread at home... and you can get rid of the snickers and chips habit.

Here are the product details of what works for me:

Zojirushi BBCCX20 Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine

Pamela's Products Wheat-Free Amazing Bread Mix, 19-Ounce Packages (Pack of 6)

Good luck to you!