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For Those Of You Who Never Lost Weight B4 Going gluten-free

ptkds

By ptkds
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

ptkds Community Regular
ptkds
Posted

I was one of the few that didn't have the symptom of losing weight before I was diagnosed with celiac. So now I am wondering if I would lose weight if I were to eat gluten. I have been gluten-free for 2.5 yrs. Has anyone else experienced this? I really dont' want to get sick, but I am just curious!!

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Kaycee Collaborator
Kaycee
Posted
I was one of the few that didn't have the symptom of losing weight before I was diagnosed with celiac. So now I am wondering if I would lose weight if I were to eat gluten. I have been gluten-free for 2.5 yrs. Has anyone else experienced this? I really dont' want to get sick, but I am just curious!!

I was another who never had loosing weight as a symptom. No matter how much D I had, I gained weight. I was so hungry all the time. Admittedly, I lost about 14 lbs before I was diagnosed, but that was through sheer hard work fighting the battle of always wanting to eat and not because of coeliac. As soon as I went gluten free I wasn't as hungry. I had all the best intentions in cashing in on this phenomenon, but alas I haven't been able to, and three years after going gluten-free, the weight is nearly all back.

I've never actually thought about eating gluten to loose weight. I have pondered with with the idea, but nothing serious. Yes I imagine it could work, I wouldn't recommend it and I wouldn't fancy being sick and miserable to do it.

And I am one that never lost weight going gluten free either. It just isn't fair.

Cathy

Roda Rising Star
Roda
Posted

I did not loose weight either before being diagnosed. I had lost 10 lb. the month before my EGD, but I think it was more nerves than anything. I put it all back on by Christmas. I am now down 5 lb, but not from being gluten free. I am suffering from too much thyroid medication and am in the process of adjusting my dose. At least I know the diet is working because this is the first time in 9 yrs that I have had to decrease my dose (aside from post partum). So I'm thankfull for that. I think my problem is not getting enough exercise and munching too much. Soon though I will be getting out bike riding with my 8 yr old and my 4 yr old riding on my bike. I'm so looking forward to it. So I'm not one of those lucky ones either to shed weight going gluten free. But I do feel better though.

samcarter Contributor
samcarter
Posted

All my life I had a hard time losing weight. The only times I ever lost weight were:

1. Before entering college, I put myself on a fruit-and-veggies only diet (yeah, real healthy) and walked three miles a day. I lost twenty pounds, but as soon as I went to college and started eating other foods, the weight went back on.

2. After my second kid, I started amping up exercise to lose the baby weight and counted calories, only allowing myself 1100 a day. Probably not the smartest thing. I did lose weight, but it was impossible to maintain.

Since I've gone gluten free, people have told me I've lost weight. I think it's because I'm not as bloated now; the scale has only gone down about 5 pounds, but I do know I'm not snacking as much as I used to. Mainly because I have very few "snacky" foods: Rice Chex and Mary's Gone Crackers are about it. I make a point of not baking gluten free cookies or buying them. I know my lack of willpower. I've also cut out cheese finally, after acknowledging that dairy is causing issues.

I suspect celiac runs in the women in my family. I've always had a protruding lower gut (lower intestinal area), even as a kid! My mom said it "ran in the family", that my great-grandmother, grandmother, and herself and my aunt all had that "pooch". I wonder if it was just inflamed intestines, i've heard that they can protrude from all the inflammation going on down there and push the stomach muscles out.

Anyway, the women in my family always have a hard time losing weight as well. The body will naturally retain as many calories as it can when it's malnourished.

personally, I don't want to start eating gluten again even if i might lose weight. I doubt I would. :P Plus, even if it did work, the gluten would be doing serious damage to my intestines, causing malabsoprtion of nutrients...just not a good idea overall.

darkhorse Apprentice
darkhorse
Posted

Actually, the research I have seen shows that most people are not underweight before being diagnosed and it is actually the opposite. The study showed that most people were in the normal range, then overweight/obese people, and then the smalled percent were underweight at diagnosis.

For me, I began gaining weight rapidly right before going to the doctor. I gained almost 10 lbs in a month and then was only able to maintain my weight even though I was counting calories and working out pretty much every single day. That was one of the main reasons I went in to see the doctor. I know the weight gain was my fault, but I was hungry all the time so I was eating everything in sight. I've heard that this could be due to the intestines not absorbing nutrients so your body thinks you are starving and tells your brain you are always hungry. I haven't seen any medical studies on this, but it makes sense.

I am hoping to lose some weight after going GFDF especially since I am eating less and have less to munch on. But I also have been really busy and have not had time to go to the gym. But at the very least I have been able to maintain my weight this whole time without working out so that is an improvement in my eyes.

I also don't think it would be a good idea to attempt to lose weight by consuming gluten. If you didn't have problems with being underweight before going gluten free, you probably won't now either so it would only make you sick to try it. Even if it did work it would be impossible to maintain that weight loss after you started gluten-free again. That is the unfortunate thing about unhealthy weight loss is that it results in the dreaded, YO-YO dieting effect.

I don't know how helpful my post was, but hopefully it answered some of your questions.

cyberprof Enthusiast
cyberprof
Posted

I'm another who could never lose weight pre-diagnosis and was always hungy. I gained 20 pounds in the two years immediately prior to diagnois. I haven't been able to lose much since going gluten-free and have about 25-30 to lose. I'm still hungry now, all the time, though I think it may just be psychological. I'm addicted to eating and I think that I always felt deprived as a kid food-wise, and now I'm deprived (no gluten goodies) so that makes me crave what I can eat.

But no, I don't think eating gluten would cause me to lose weight. It'd probably just make me get another autoimmue disease!

SalmonNationWoman Newbie
SalmonNationWoman
Posted

Overwieght and obesity issues run on both sides of my family. I've watched many family members starve, do fad diets, fat camps, spas, Phen-Fen and other diet pills to no avail. I was overweight when I went gluten-free but I thought it was mostly due to inactivity from a torn knee ligament. I had reconstructive surgery and was ready to get back to exercising. Then a severe drug reaction caused me to gain so much abdominal weight my Asian neighbor asked me if I was pregnant!

Since going gluten-free, I've lost 50-55 lbs of bloat and need a new wardrobe. I'm still slowly losing despite a raging appetite and less-than-stellar exercise routine. Being out of my supplements seems to make me hungrier, so until I get my new supply, I'll stick to eating lots of veg, fruit, lean protein and avoid porking on gluten-free baked goods or comfort foods.

As others have mentioned, I would never go back to eating gluten, even if I thought it might casue me to lose weight.

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ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted

I am one of the obese ones. When I told my dr I had celiac disease, selfdx'd, his eyes bugged out while he looked me up and down. He totally didn't believe me. I couldn't test at the time and I won't now. He's accepting it a little more now but he still doubts. Like many GP's, he really has a limited knowledge of the disease and no clue about food intolerances.

I did lose a little in the beginning but my craving for sugar has exploded and my weight started to creep up on me again. So now I'm doing Atkin's. Kicking the sugar has been very hard. I believe that will be the key for me going forward. When I reach my goal weight, that will be decided by going off BP meds, maybe some sugar can come back in. I can never eat it again the way I was. Truth is, I've eaten enough sugar for several lifetimes!

TES Newbie
TES
Posted
I was one of the few that didn't have the symptom of losing weight before I was diagnosed with celiac. So now I am wondering if I would lose weight if I were to eat gluten. I have been gluten-free for 2.5 yrs. Has anyone else experienced this? I really dont' want to get sick, but I am just curious!!

At first, I had other symptoms that I now know are celiac. When I started losing a pound a day, I also was losing a handful of hair a day and my teeth became loose, my heart rate skyrocketed, plus multiple other symptoms, so I really wouldn't even think about it, to be a good way to lose weight. I am chubby and now that I am gluten free, and intestines are healing (8 months) I have lost some weight, due to my body getting the nutrition it needs and the only time I have the feeling of "starving" is when I have been glutened.

cyberprof Enthusiast
cyberprof
Posted
...and now that I am gluten free, and intestines are healing (8 months) I have lost some weight, due to my body getting the nutrition it needs and the only time I have the feeling of "starving" is when I have been glutened.

Isn't that funny, I am always so hungry when I've been glutened. What is the mechanism for that? I'm usually nauseous but I can't understand why I'm hungry.

living-without Newbie
living-without
Posted
I was one of the few that didn't have the symptom of losing weight before I was diagnosed with celiac. So now I am wondering if I would lose weight if I were to eat gluten. I have been gluten-free for 2.5 yrs. Has anyone else experienced this? I really dont' want to get sick, but I am just curious!!

I was diagnosed with Celiac about 3 years ago. I was told by the Dr. that I had probably had it for years. I remembered back when I was going thru my divorce, I got very ill. Nothing stayed in my gut long enough to be be absorbed. I lost probably 20 lbs or more in a rather short time. Since then, I have learned that stressful cituations in your life, can definately trigger Celiec. After that, I began to put the weight back on, even though I DID NOT want to. Now, since being gluten free, I am at my maximum weight and I hate it. I have been trying despiritly to loose weight, working out and walking on the treadmill. Despite doing this daily, I am still having a difficult time reducing. When I went to the Dr and she told me I needed to cut more calories, I almost cried. Just the thought of being MORE DEPRIVED OR LIMITED than I already am, just depressed me. I am determined to remain GLUTEN FREE, because I dont want the pain or cancer that comes if you dont remain gluten free, but I am still determined to loose weight. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I feel all alone with this disease/diagnosis, because NO ONE I know has it. I am really needing to share with others, LIVING WITHOUT gluten!!! :unsure:

cyberprof Enthusiast
cyberprof
Posted
... Despite doing this daily, I am still having a difficult time reducing. When I went to the Dr and she told me I needed to cut more calories, I almost cried. Just the thought of being MORE DEPRIVED OR LIMITED than I already am, just depressed me. I am determined to remain GLUTEN FREE, because I dont want the pain or cancer that comes if you dont remain gluten free, but I am still determined to loose weight. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I feel all alone with this disease/diagnosis, because NO ONE I know has it. I am really needing to share with others, LIVING WITHOUT gluten!!! :unsure:

(((HUGS)))) to you. Your first post!

What your doctor said, that's what my doctor said too, and I never went back to her. I cried too.

Have you had your thyroid tested? That can be why you aren't losing weight and it can be related to celiac, as they are both autoimmune diseases. My thyroid is OK, though I wish there was a magic pill to help me lose weight.

Welcome to the board. This is a good place.

~Laura

ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted

I was diagnosed with Celiac about 3 years ago. I was told by the Dr. that I had probably had it for years. I remembered back when I was going thru my divorce, I got very ill. Nothing stayed in my gut long enough to be be absorbed. I lost probably 20 lbs or more in a rather short time. Since then, I have learned that stressful cituations in your life, can definately trigger Celiec. After that, I began to put the weight back on, even though I DID NOT want to. Now, since being gluten free, I am at my maximum weight and I hate it. I have been trying despiritly to loose weight, working out and walking on the treadmill. Despite doing this daily, I am still having a difficult time reducing. When I went to the Dr and she told me I needed to cut more calories, I almost cried. Just the thought of being MORE DEPRIVED OR LIMITED than I already am, just depressed me. I am determined to remain GLUTEN FREE, because I dont want the pain or cancer that comes if you dont remain gluten free, but I am still determined to loose weight. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I feel all alone with this disease/diagnosis, because NO ONE I know has it. I am really needing to share with others, LIVING WITHOUT gluten!!! :unsure:

I am very sorry you are strugglng so. I feel it too. I allowed myself a year, which drifted into another 6 months, to learn to live with the diet and lifestyle. But then, I promised myself, it was time to get a grip and get the weight down to something more reasonable. I really want to get off the BP meds. I didn't plan any exercise routine because that has never helped me control my weight. I'm a couch potato at night but on my feet most of the day and live up a flight of 23 steps. So not a total slug.

Recently someone here mentioned Atkin's so I read the book and decided to try it. It's been very good for me. I'm only in my second week but doing well. It took me off all sugar. As terrifying as that was for me, I'm a total sugar addict, I forged ahead. The first few days were hard. But this week I'm really feeling better and more in control. I can stick with this and feel good too. I just don't want to be hungry and craving all the time. I haven't been.

I guess I can only say, find a program that you can live with. One where you don't feel deprived and you will succeed. There is a weight loss thread where some of us talk. Jump in if you want. We kind of come and go and anyone is welcome.

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      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc.  Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food. The only processed food they eat regularly is a bowl of Cheerios here and there.  Could shaking legs be a symptom of just a one-time gluten exposure? I guess there's no way to know for sure if they're getting absolutely zero exposure because they do go to school a couple times a week. We do homeschool but my son does a shared school 2x a week and my daughter does a morning Pre-K 3 x a week.  At home our entire house is strictly gluten free and it is extremely rare for us to eat out. If we eat at someone else's house I usually just bring their food. When we have play dates we bring all the snacks, etc. I try to be really careful since they're still growing. They also, of course, catch kids viruses all the time so I  want to make sure I know whether they're just sick or they've had gluten. It can be pretty confusing when they're pretty young to even be explaining their symptoms! 
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