6 Months Gluten Free Gained Too Much

[2sweetico]

Hi! I was diagnosed in February and I gained about 45 lbs in about two weeks. It's been about six months and I have only lost about 5 lbs. I wanted to gain weight originally but then blew up like a balloon. I have tried everything! I went dairy free and it didn't help, I went on a candida diet and that didnt help. I eat very healthy; mostly lean protein and veggies. I just started incorporation some fruit and other carbs and I work out everyday. I'm 15 and it's really embarrasing changing so much right in front of everybody. When I first gained the weight it was all in my stomach and I looked pregnant, no it seems as if it all spread out through my whole body. Some parts of my body change about 3 inches each day because I get swollen some days. If anybody has any suggestions please please! I'm so tired of this and I just want to look normal. So many people think you only lose weight when you have Celiac.

[ravenwoodglass]

When you say some parts of you body change greatly during the day are you referring to your tummy? If you are bloating up evey day you may have some CC issues going on. Are you living in a gluten free home? If your not are you being very careful to avoid CC? Dedicated toaster, cutting boards, condiments and things like pnut butters etc? Do you have a pet you feed gluten food? If you are taking supplements have you read the whole label? Some will have a gluten-free label but still contain barley or wheat grass and that is an issue for us. Have you eliminated gluten from your makeup and toiletries? If not check them.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Hi, at age 15 you are still growing. It may just be that you gained weight you would have had already if you did not have celiac. Have you gotten any taller? If not you may be getting ready for a growth spurt and your body needs that weigh. Is the weight all in your belly or is it on other parts of your body too like your hips, breasts, butt, legs etc? Does your doctor think you are overweight or just right? Even if you are overweight a little you may out grow it eventually. It can take a while for your body to get used to getting the nutrients it needs. Before you went gluten free you body was not able to absorb all the nutrients you gave it so it may be making up for lost time. Also be sure that your are eating the right amount of calories for your age and weight. IF you eat too few calories your body goes into starvation mode and will hold onto any extra weight.

[ToriMartin]

That's allot of weight in 2 weeks... You should talk to a Dr. & have some blood work done. Trust me, I can't stand Dr's... But maybe there is something else going on...

When I was pregnant last year I gained 25 pounds & lost all but 10. When he was 2 months old I started putting on weight. In just a couple months I had gained 20 pounds... So, I was bigger than when I was pregnant. I have Thyroid problems which may be the cause. I think I am retaining allot of water. I'm also constipated. I know, tmi... Anyhow, I am not eating any corn or rice. I found just dropping the corn alone my weight would drop 5 pounds. I think it was making me bloat... I am slowly losing the weight... Which is better than gaining

I honestly think you are retaining allot of fluids. Eat just fruit, veggies & meat. Make sure they are not cooked in any sort of corn or wheat product. Like others said, you are probably really sensitive & getting CC...

Also, I'm taking Milk of Magnesia each night to clean out my system. I think it's important not to be carrying around all the toxins... But no more than a week & plenty of water! Even if you are retaining fluids, water is really important! They actually say that if you drink more, you will lose the water weight. I drnk one gallon a day. It may be more than I'm supposed to but with the milk of magnesia...

God luck

[kayo]

I agree, talk to a doctor. That's a lot of weight in a short amount of time. I bet much of it is inflammation and swelling, ie, water weight. You may have something else going on like SIBO or additional food intolerances. Soy was a big culprit in my weight gain and swelling. That's something to take a look at as there's quite a bit of soy in gluten-free foods. You may want to follow a whole food diet (lean protein, fruits, veggies) for a bit to give your intestines time to heal. The good news is you're 15! You're way ahead of most of us here who have struggled with these issues for years before finding the culprits and solutions. It will get better and since you're still growing you have such an advantage over us old folks :-) who's metabolism have slowed down. Hang in there!

[lucia]

I also recommend talking to your doctor. S/he may recommend a thyroid test. What you describe does sound concerning.

[2sweetico]

Thank you everybody!! The thing is, I have seen my doctor about all of it. All of my blood work seems normal except for some deficincies(Vitamin D and protein, etc.) I was tiny up until I was about 12, and then was a little heavier than normal, About a year and a half ago, I went low carb trying to drop a little weight, I ended up losing way too much and thats when I started trying to put on some. I was eating a bunch for about 5months, but still wasnt eating bread, etc. The second I started eating sandwiches and bowls of pasta, I blew up. Thank you everybody! I really have nothing to lose and am willing to try anything.

[ToriMartin]

I don't have faith in Dr's... If this one isn't helping you, you should see someone else. It's hard to find a Dr that takes you serious & listens... I had a Dr who atleast listened & tried to help. But I moved... I have went to numerous Dr's around here & have yet to find someone. But when you do, it's a really good thing

Kayo is right. You're still young so much easier to lose weight... I remember when I was your age... If I wanted to lose weight I would stay away from pop for a week. I'd lose 5 pounds like nothing... I wish it were that easy now...

[2sweetico]

hi everybody! so i ended up going to a few doctors and it turns out i have low dhea, estrogen, and progesterone.

I haven't had a period since May of last year! (sorry if it's too much) I was just wondering if anybody else had something similar to that or if there was a link between the celiac and hormones.

thanks everybody!!!

jazmine:)

[eatmeat4good]

There is a BIG link between Celiac and hormones.

That is part of the reason people get thyroid problems.

So glad you got checked.

I just want to comment on your experience with protein and low carb dieting prior to gaining the weight.

Eating that way makes our bodies more sensitive to insulin. Insulin's job is to remove sugar from the blood and store fat. When you eat too many carbs or grains your blood sugar goes too high so the body starts storing it all as fat. That is why people gain weight very Very quickly when they go off low carb diets.

Incidentally insulin is also a hormone.

If you eat mostly meat, vegetables and fruits then you can experiment with how many carbs you can eat.

Gluten free of course.