I'm Some Sort Of Anomaly!

[givenupgluten]

Ok, I'm naturally a tad curvacious..but not too much so. But since I've gone gluten free I've put on the pounds. I'm also vegan, which makes me feel particularly weird about being a bit overweight. I feel like I should be miniscule considering how many things I no longer eat...but that's just not the case. I'd like to think it's because I've learned how to make many, many dishes that I enjoy that are super tasty (i HAVE) but maybe I'm just not controlling my portions appropriately? I really don't know. I am sure I need to begin exercising regularly and I think that would help. But overall, I feel like I should be losing some weight regardless. I don't eat 'fake' meats and lots of boxed/canned/overprocessed foods. I make most of my meals myself from scratch. My nutritionist was even surprised that I had not lost SOME weight due to the diet alone..but in fact seem to just remain stable, or gain a few pounds here and there. What should I do? Has anyone had this problem..where they eat less/better...and gain more! Like I said, I'm starting to think I'm some sort of anomaly! Haha

I'm becoming very ashamed and uncomfortable in my own skin. The last time I saw my celiac specialist (this past summer) he mentioned he thought I was overweight, but that a nutritionist would help. My nutritionist didnt think I needed to lose weight at the time, but said I probably would anyway b/c of the diet....which like I said, hasn't happened. What to do..what to do..??

[Mother of Jibril]

Two thoughts...

1. Have you had your thyroid checked? Hypothyroidism can make it difficult or impossible to lose weight. TSH is the standard test. It's also good to check your free T4, free T3, and thyroid antibodies if your doctor is willing... a lot of them think TSH is enough.

2. Are you eating enough calories? If your body thinks you're starving it will do everything possible to pack on the weight.

[rinne]

I am wondering what your iodine levels are? Have you had your vitamin and mineral levels checked?

[givenupgluten]

Hi there! No, I have not had my thyroid checked OR my iodine levels/Vit D- Would I go to my general practitioner to have these checked? Or would I need to go to a specialist? (Sorry, I don't know much about these two tests)

I do think I'm eating enough calories, because I love me some olive oil, avocados and other healthy fats Haha...But seriously, I feel like I'm not restricting myself in my eating at all, but I also don't think I overeat..at least that's not the norm for me. The last time I was able to lose any weight at all was before I was gluten free or vegan, and I worked out twice a day and at about 1200-1400 cals a day. That's difficult to maintain though for the long term - as you can probably tell from my post! So frustrating. Thanks for the tips - I'll def. check in with my dr. re: the tests for those

[Mother of Jibril]

It makes sense to check your thyroid then Any PCP can do it... just a simple blood test. Hashimoto's is known to cluster with celiac disease.

[Nancym]

I think vegan's being skinny is a myth. There's plenty of things that are terrible for you that are vegan. Cut back on the starches and sugars, eat more protein. That should help stabilize your blood sugar/insulin and make your appetite come down and keep you fuller longer.

[kmcr80]

Watch the starches, sugars and sodium. Also, definitely go to the gym at least twice a week if you want to lose some weight.

[Mtndog]

I was thinking thyroid too. Also, maybe going on some probiotics to help with bloating might help too.

I put on twenty pounds recently FAST and it turned out to be my thyroid (my medication needed to be readjusted) and candida (which they can also check with a blood test). In my case, the candida is because I've been on long-term antibiotics.

My stomach bloated out like I was pregnant and probiotics have helped with that too.

Also, I've noticed with gluten-free replacement foods (for bread, cookies etc) they have more carbs, less fiber and less whole grain. Make sure you're choosing brown rice products when you can (Tinkyada pasta has whole grain rice pasta).

Definitely check your thyroid, vitamin levels, try some probiotics, and look at labels. Hope this helps!

[givenupgluten]

Thanks everybody! I appreciate all the advice and help! I'm definitely going to have some blood tests run and get that taken care of - I'll let you know what I find out. I"m also starting an exercise routine...starting out slow at first, and slowly building up. So hopefully that helps as well.