Metabolism...

[nerdolicious]

I was diagnosed nearly 10 months ago and have been strictly gluten free since. I noticed that now my metabolism is absolutely awful! I can eat 1200-1500 calories a day while going to the gym regularly and GAIN weight, which is just ridiculous. And it's not like I am eating junk food, my diet is very balanced and I rarely eat processed foods. I understand that my body was not absorbing nutrients very well before I was diagnosed, so it may still be in "survival mode". How long should I expect this to last? Will my metabolism go back to normal in time? This is getting sooo frustrating, especially with summer right around the corner.

[KuKuKaChoo52]

Are you getting enough fiber in your diet? Fiber should help keep you "regular". I have organic agave fiber powder that I drink every night before bed and I wake up ready to GO... Maybe give that a shot. I eat like 2000+ calories and hit the gym 3-5 times a week and I have lost weight since going gluten free. Make sure you are not getting any cross contamination or any hidden gluten, because that can make me constipated and bloated and feel like I am fat when really it is mainly just my body reacting bad.

Also you might want to switch up your exercise routine if all else fails. I have been doing metabolic circuit workouts which are really faced paced and burn tons of calories and that might help your metabolism.

[Kelly777]

I packed on 15 pounds of the 60 I lost so I understand where you are coming from. I think that now you are taking in the nutrients you are also taking in calories. Just because it is gluten free does not mean it is low in calories. Bread for example--Gluten Free is much higher in calories than regular bread so I have really cut back on sandwiches and the like. Also, because I am able to eat a meal without getting sick I found myself eating more because it tastes so good. Now I am able to eat cheese without problems and that is packed in some calories so I have cut back on it. I started chopping up vegetables to snack on rather that grain snacks and chips. Just get a Rubbermaid container and fill it with all sorts of chopped vegetables and dip them in salsa. Get mild if you stomach still won't take to spices. Snack on them. Eat salads for lunch with some chicken or other meat on it and make your own Fat Free dressing using guar gum to bind it and make it appear as if it is the same consistency as oil based dressings. Be careful with guar gum and xanthan gum because both are considered laxatives. Also at night I have a meat patty or chicken and a whole bag of steamed vegetables if I need it. Popcorn makes a filling snack. But you really have to watch it because of the calorie content of the gluten free foods. And you will be better before you know it. Someone told me 6 months and I was so discouraged I thought it wouldn't happen but it did. I'm still having a problem but will have the colonoscopy and endoscopy on the 6th and should know what is up with that then.

[nerdolicious]

KuKuKaChoo52: I am making sure to get enough fiber, but taking a supplement is a good idea. I also know for a fact that I am not getting any cross contamination because I live alone and my kitchen is completely gluten free. I eat mostly whole foods and cook everything myself. Rarely, I will eat out, but only at places I trust. I replaced all my pans and cooking utensils and made sure to thoroughly clean all the cabinets and surfaces in my house when I moved in. I also had to buy a dishwasher, fridge, and oven when I bought my place and they have never had gluten in them. On a different note, I noticed that your picture is the Seahawks logo and that makes you totally awesome! I live close to Seattle and I am a HUGE Seahawks fan as well!

Kelly777: Thanks for your reply! I do not eat many gluten free substitutes at all; I don't even remember the last time I had gluten free bread or pasta. The only things I really eat that are processed are plain rice chex with soy milk or sometimes a gluten free protein bar after I work out. Once every few weeks I will have a gluten free cookie as a treat, but I only buy one at a time. My diet is a really good balance of protein, carbs, and healthy fats and I never overeat. That's why I don't understand why I am having so much trouble with my metabolism. Maybe some of us will take longer than 6 months to recover? At 10 months out I am hoping this doesn't last much longer because I am going crazy!

[Roda]

Have you had your thyroid checked?

[nerdolicious]

Yep, just had my yearly physical and all my blood tests came back perfectly normal.

[Karl Otto]

I use to be constipated all the time before, I went on the gluten free diet of mine. Since, that time, I have been going regularly ever since. I have not been in the state of being constipated for over 5 years now. Going regular will help you feel better and is better for you. Mostly it is the bread in the past that you ate the made you constipated before you found out you had Celiac Disease. Remember, the wheat, oats, barley, etc.... is what kept you sick all the time in the first place. After being on the Celiac Diet for the past 5 years, I still cannot eat anything with any kind of spices, yet. I still cannot tolerate nuts or tree nuts at this time. I still cannot eat anything with food processing chemicals and food preservitives, yet either. I too am wondering just how long it takes for your stomach and small intestine to go back to normal functioning. Then, again, it may depend on just how long you had this disease and how long you went without treatment before starting the gluten free diet.

[KuKuKaChoo52]

Oh dang you are lucky to be fortunate enough to live in your own place and have it completely gluten free! I'm finishing up college so I live with my parents and my kitchen is not gluten free... Sounds like you are on the right track though. I'd say just keep up the good work and things will get better, the fiber does work like a charm for me though. Other then that you'd probably have to post up what you typically eat each day for people to really understand what might be 'missing'.

Oh sweet a Seahawk fan =], you must be equally awesome! I live about 45 mins from Seattle, but have always been obsessed... I'm so stoked for this year(if the stupid jury thing on June 3rd goes well...)keep your fingers crossed.

[claireyb]

Nerdolicious, what did thyroid checks did they do? Did they check your free T4 and free T3 levels? Here in the UK doctor's don't often check the thyroid's conversion rate of T4 to T3.

[mommida]

There is at least a 10 % connection of Celiac to auto-immune thyroid disease, Grave's (overactive) and Hashimoto's (early stages flip-flop overactive to underactive until the thyroid is destroyed to underactive needing thyroid medication for the rest of your life.

Hashi's can be harder to diagnose. Can you get a refferal to an Endocronologist?

BIOTIN is naturally occuring in animal LIVER. Do you eat liver? I don't. I take the 5,000 liquid gel caps a day. It helps with metabolism, hair and nail growth.

[taysic]

I'm with clarieyb on this one. Check your thyroid again. It controls your metabolism. I'm not sure what tests they took but just because you don't show up with a thyroid disease doesn't mean you have thyroid problems - which usually are difficult to detect in external symptoms beyond fatigue, depression, and low metabolism.

Open Original Shared Link

Also note that celiac ends up being an autoimmune disorder as your body begins to attack itself in order to get rid of the gluten protein. It ends up damaging your thyroid a lot and could easily have caused Hashimotos Disease -- and weakened your thyroid.

Open Original Shared Link

[beemahoney]

I was diagnosed nearly 10 months ago and have been strictly gluten free since. I noticed that now my metabolism is absolutely awful! I can eat 1200-1500 calories a day while going to the gym regularly and GAIN weight, which is just ridiculous. And it's not like I am eating junk food, my diet is very balanced and I rarely eat processed foods. I understand that my body was not absorbing nutrients very well before I was diagnosed, so it may still be in "survival mode". How long should I expect this to last? Will my metabolism go back to normal in time? This is getting sooo frustrating, especially with summer right around the corner.

I see that you posted this last May, and am wondering how things have turned out for you. I was diagnosed with Celiac in January of 2011. I eat a 1200-1300 cal strict gluten free diet - many vegetables, very balanced, high fiber, almost never eat gluten free "replacement" foods, exercise regularly, I do have a thyroid disorder, but have been on levothyroxin for 6 years prior to Celiac diagnosis, so this shouldn't factor in. I have gained 16 pounds without changing anything. I am extremely frustrated, and confused, and wondering where my metabolism has gone. I am very careful to eat a "rainbow" because I feel like I am nursing my digestive tract back to healthy absorption ability. I should add that I was not underweight (or overweight!) to begin with. I hope you have found the answer to this dilemma!

[sa1937]

I see that you posted this last May, and am wondering how things have turned out for you. I was diagnosed with Celiac in January of 2011. I eat a 1200-1300 cal strict gluten free diet - many vegetables, very balanced, high fiber, almost never eat gluten free "replacement" foods, exercise regularly, I do have a thyroid disorder, but have been on levothyroxin for 6 years prior to Celiac diagnosis, so this shouldn't factor in. I have gained 16 pounds without changing anything. I am extremely frustrated, and confused, and wondering where my metabolism has gone. I am very careful to eat a "rainbow" because I feel like I am nursing my digestive tract back to healthy absorption ability. I should add that I was not underweight (or overweight!) to begin with. I hope you have found the answer to this dilemma!

Welcome to the forum. Since this thread is kind of old, the OP probably won't see your post as she hasn't been on the forum since June 20. Perhaps others will chime in with what they've experienced.

[Macbre]

I can totally relate to this....I've been gluten-free since 12/2010 & have gained 12 lbs. I'm so frustrated because I eat a very balanced diet. We cook @ home and I only have 2-3 gluten-free cookies during the day when I'm craving sweets. I hardly ever have gluten-free bread and watch my carb intake. Had my tyroid checked 2 weeks ago & everything is ok. I workout 6 days/week 1 1/2 hrs. & still I battle the weight. I change up my exercise routine so I know it's not that. Food goes right through me so I'm not constipated, I'm actually wondering why I'm not the skinniest person out there considering how much "D" I have. I'm about to try protein shakes as a meal supplement hoping maybe that will work.

[beemahoney]

I can totally relate to this....I've been gluten-free since 12/2010 & have gained 12 lbs. I'm so frustrated because I eat a very balanced diet. We cook @ home and I only have 2-3 gluten-free cookies during the day when I'm craving sweets. I hardly ever have gluten-free bread and watch my carb intake. Had my tyroid checked 2 weeks ago & everything is ok. I workout 6 days/week 1 1/2 hrs. & still I battle the weight. I change up my exercise routine so I know it's not that. Food goes right through me so I'm not constipated, I'm actually wondering why I'm not the skinniest person out there considering how much "D" I have. I'm about to try protein shakes as a meal supplement hoping maybe that will work.

You can totally relate. Hopefully we will figure this out. I am not settling!