Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Change In Body Shape?


MDRB

Recommended Posts

MDRB Explorer

Ok so I have been strictly gluten free for about a year now and I have never felt better. I was looking at some old photos of myself from before diagnosis and I was actually quite stunned by how much by body shape has changed. I had always been quite thin, I weighed around 50kg but always had a bit of a bloated tummy and if I managed to put on any weight it would all go on my stomach. But now my body shape has totally changed. I currently weigh about 60kg which is about right for my height, I have a flat-ish stomach (much smaller than before gluten-free despite the fact that I have GAINED weight) but my hips and thighs have spread out. So I have gone from an 'apple' shape to a 'pear' shape which seems a little odd. Have any of you experienced something similar?


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



ravenwoodglass Mentor

I don't think this is an odd question at all. For myself the answer is a definate yes. I have hips and a butt now for the first time in my life. Before I was diagnosed I had a huge bloated belly but sticks for arms and legs with no fat layer to them at all. I am still very thin by most standards but have gained weight on my lower body and lost the belly.

OptimisticMom42 Apprentice

Is this vanity?

Two years ago I was given a nine year old golden lab, Angel. She was fat, sway backed and had no muscle tone. The owner had been feeding her canned wet food that was mostly corn. My dogs eat a grain free food. It's safer for me to handle and better for them. Angel lost the fat and gained muscle tone. She looks a lot younger.

I've only been gluten free for about 5 months and like Angel I'm losing fat and gaining muscle tone. My thighs and calves and leaner and for the first time in several years I can feel muscles instead of just flab on my abs. I'm a JC Penney size 10 instead of a 14. If I give up the chips and marshmellows who knows?

We just look healthier!

northernsunshine Newbie

I have definitely seen a huge difference. I'm very petite, but always had a very curvy backside and a small waist. With the undiagnosed Celiac wreaking its havoc, I had turned into a tube. Totally gone was my small waist and some of the roundness in my backside. It was depressing as I worked out all the time. The amount of ab work I did was astounding and I saw no results. After 15 months on the diet "cure" I now look like I did before, maybe better. And I have the energy to do things I couldn't do before, such as run. I probably haven't looked this good in 7-8 years. What is funny is all those ab exercises were building muscle, but didn't show due to the bloat. You can't have a nice flat belly if your intestines are swollen. I also put on muscle very easily again as I did before I got sick. Call me vain, but I'm thrilled. I'm enjoying every single minute of my health and my body. I lost it and now have it back. It is not to be taken for granted.

My husband is also thrilled. He got his girl back! Too much information perhaps, but maybe it will help someone else depressed at the loss of their health and shape. Stick to the diet, be patient, and it will come back. Oh, and get those Vit D levels checked. The final piece of the puzzle for me was treating the very typical Vit D deficiency we can get.

(Ha! Ha! I sound like one of those old articles in magazines like "Ladies Home Journal.")

MDRB Explorer

Thanks for replying!

I'm definitely enjoying the flatter stomach, but I have gained so much weight! I look fine, but the numbers freak me out. I have gained 10kg! Its also very strange shopping for clothes with an entirely new shape. I'm used to having to buy bigger tshirts (to cover the tummy) but could get away with tight jeans because my limbs were always so thin...that's all changed. How much weight did you guys gain after going gluten-free (if any)?

mysecretcurse Contributor

Hey I thought it was only me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was just looking at pics of myself from a few years ago and wow, huge difference.

I was always stick skinny, and just like you said, if I put on any weight, it went straight to my gut and that's it. Stickly, weak arms and legs, no muscle tone, no butt or boobs, no "meat".

It's amazing how much things have changed. I'm still pretty thin but I'm curvy now. For the first time in my life I feel like I understand what people mean when they said "Women have curves". I started putting weight on my HIPS and this past year (I'm in my second year of a gluten free diet with occasional accidentaL glutenings) my breasts started to grow! I was always sad because my mosquito bite breasts looked about as developed as a 13 year old girl and my tummy always stuck out more than my boobs! Now my boobs while still petite are much more valuptuous (from like AA cup to nice B cup). My entire shape changed, its amazing!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      130,255
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Karen Dawson
    Newest Member
    Karen Dawson
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Wheatwacked
      Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to rib pain. Chest pain stemming from the ribs ccould be costochondritis, which involves inflammation of the cartilage connecting the ribs to the breastbone. This pain can range from mild to severe, potentially mimicking heart attack symptoms, and is often worsened by breathing or movement. Other potential causes include muscle strain, rib fractures, or even referred pain from other conditions.  It will also help to chose vegetables low in omega 6.
    • Scott Adams
      Great question! Even if some individuals with celiac disease don’t experience immediate villi damage from occasional cross-contamination, it’s still strongly recommended to maintain strict avoidance of gluten. The immune response triggered by gluten can vary between individuals, and even small amounts may cause systemic inflammation or other symptoms, even if intestinal damage isn’t immediately detectable. Additionally, repeated exposure—even at low levels—could lead to cumulative harm over time. Strict avoidance of cross-contamination remains the safest approach to prevent long-term complications and ensure overall health. Everyone’s sensitivity differs, so working with a healthcare provider to tailor precautions is ideal.
    • Zuma888
    • knitty kitty
      You have one gene for Celiac.  You have a second autoimmune disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is frequently found at a higher rate with Celiac.  HLA genes carry autoimmune disease genes like Celiac and Hashimoto's and diabetes and others.   You have Celiac symptoms of reacting after gluten.  You said "I am however still suffering from the effects of the gluten challenge (food sensitivities, slight brain fog, weird stool, fatigue, swollen thyroid, bodyaches)."  And your anti-thyroid antibodies increase after gluten exposure.  While tTg IgA does not directly attack the thyroid, gluten exposure does trigger the  immune system to produce antibodies against the thyroid in genetically predisposed individuals.  You did not eat sufficient gluten (10 grams of gluten per day for two weeks minimum) to raise the autoimmune antibodies to the point they can be measured in the blood, so your blood tests may well be inaccurate.  You could choose to continue the gluten challenge of 10 grams a day for at least two weeks and get retested.   At the very least, you know that gluten is harmful to your thyroid, and because you are genetically predisposed to Celiac disease, a strict gluten free diet would be beneficial for your overall health.  
    • Zuma888
      Thanks @Scott Adams! I guess my question now is: do the celiacs who can get away with regular contamination without villi damage as you mentioned have to be strict about cross-contamination ? 
×
×
  • Create New...