New And Curious

[pipermarau]

hey everyone! i've recently started the gluten free diet after years of searching for an answer. a few weeks ago i weighed in at 84lbs, that scared the living crap out of me. i have always been skinny and never had a problem with weight gain. my heaviest time was at 117lbs and i was happy there. i looked healthy and had a very active lifestyle and then one day it all went down hill. it happened so fast and at the same time as a battle with endometriosis that i only had the ability to deal with one problem at a time. i had thought and was hoping my stomach and energy issues were connected to the cervical problems but i was wrong. birth control was only masking a symptom of the gluten problem. the week i stopped taking it i dropped ten pounds and have been falling ever since.

what i am curious about is if anyone has gone through such a dramatic weight loss with this? how did you cope? i'm struggling to gain weight in a world where people are on diets to lose weight, not cater to a severe food allergy. my doctors in the past ignored my weight as a problem and thought i had a mental eating disorder and told me to seek counseling. i'm completely for women and men eating healthy, i have had friends with anorexia and bulimia and have tried to help them overcome their issues with food and i am insulted a doctor would just throw me into a category with them and dismiss the issue. an eating disorder is more than a need for counseling and it requires attention and patience from doctors. i was given no attention for my complaints of sudden and unwanted weight loss. now i am stuck trying to get above 90lbs and i'm restricted to a gluten free diet. i'm frustrated and i need help. i'm eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, i have bought but have not made gluten free bread mix, pastas, and have tried some already made brownies. my struggle is finding more than just snack food. i don't have a lot of energy to prepare a meal anymore, even for just myself and i am in a position where i do not have help cooking. the person i live with doesn't value the danger of cross contamination and most of the kitchen is not safe.

is weight gain going to take time, or is it possible that i might be able to start to recover in that area quickly with the right foods? this website has been so helpful the last three weeks of my new life, and thank you to anyone that takes the time to read this and reply.

[rosetapper23]

When it comes to gaining weight, all I can recommend is eating a balanced diet of proteins, fats, and carbs. You mentioned eating fruits, vegetables, and processed food. While it's good that you're eating gluten-free food, if your aim is to gain weight, you're going to need to eat fresh food...and I'd recommend meat, whole-fat dairy (especially cheese and yogurt), and carbs (which include vegetables and fruits). Try eating baked potatoes with sour cream and bacon bits, homemade macaroni and cheese, and stews. Now I know that you mentioned that you don't have the energy to cook....but since eating fresh and natural food is very important when you're recovering from celiac, you may have to summon the energy to do some cooking. Also, to help your gut heal, you might consider taking L-glutamine. I know it's hard when you're first begining to recover from the effects of celiac, you'll see that your efforts will pay off. I hope you start gaining wait soon!

[sa1937]

You might also consider buying a crockpot if you don't have one all ready. It's pretty easy to throw everything together and have a nutritional meal that pretty much does itself with minimal effort on your part.

Somehow I hope you can educate the person you live with to deal with the cross-contamination issues...I know it's not always easy based on what I've read here on the forum, but I honestly don't know how you can get well if your kitchen is a gluten-filled landmine.

[Mari]

Over about a 10 year period my weight went from about 140 lbs to less than 100 lbs. 5 years gluten and cow dairy free I'm still trying to get back up to 120 lbs, a good weight for my age. I have gained a few lbs but then lost it when I was glutened or developed intestinal overgrowths of yeasts and bacteria. Right now I'm able to eat more but have not added any weight. I also had some intestinal parasites which I got out using herbal remedies.

I eat a lot of ripe bananas ( no green on them, lots of black spots)

buckwheat, rice and millet cereals all gluten-free.

small amounts of meat once or twice a day, one egg a day.

winter squash, carrots and green veges.

Sheep's milk yogurt. Apples and pears.

prunes and small portions of organic raisins, cranberries.

I buy a bunch of very ripe bananas, slice, dip in water with Vit C (lemon works too) then freeze in small bags. Makes a delicious snack.

There are some websites where you can calculate the calories in the food you eat. Other websites where you can calculate the fiber content of the foods you eat.

[pipermarau]

When it comes to gaining weight, all I can recommend is eating a balanced diet of proteins, fats, and carbs. You mentioned eating fruits, vegetables, and processed food. While it's good that you're eating gluten-free food, if your aim is to gain weight, you're going to need to eat fresh food...and I'd recommend meat, whole-fat dairy (especially cheese and yogurt), and carbs (which include vegetables and fruits). Try eating baked potatoes with sour cream and bacon bits, homemade macaroni and cheese, and stews. Now I know that you mentioned that you don't have the energy to cook....but since eating fresh and natural food is very important when you're recovering from celiac, you may have to summon the energy to do some cooking. Also, to help your gut heal, you might consider taking L-glutamine. I know it's hard when you're first begining to recover from the effects of celiac, you'll see that your efforts will pay off. I hope you start gaining wait soon!

i did order gluten free vitamins and have been doing my best to keep up with them. right now the back pain is the only thing keeping me from going into the kitchen and cooking, but i have fresh raspberries, vanilla yogurt, and salad mix in the fridge as well as some rice cakes. i'm always tired and the blackouts are horrible but the pain just takes the cake. i can't stand or sit, forget chopping anything up. i'm afraid i'd lose a finger like this, i've already shattered a glass on the floor today. right now it's heating pad and water water water. i am hoping tomorrow will be better enough so i can bake some bread, then i will have sandwiches. one of my favorite things was always a peanut butter and banana sandwich, sometimes with a little honey on it. it's quick and healthy, which is what i need right now.

on another note, since the kitchen isn't safe is there anything i can do to try and de-gluten my personal stove top collection? all of the bake ware is contaminated and impossible to clean, the person they belong to has years, and in some cases decades of crumbs, burnt on spots of food she was too lazy to scrub out, etc. i have tried since i've been home to thoroughly clean all of it but as she cooks it just gets worse. i'm going to have to buy my own dishes for baking, that is fine but its my pans i am trying to save. i have three that i need to clean up, thankfully my germ issues lead me to a stainless steal set, seamless, and i have been able to keep them spotless except the biggest pan with deep sides that i use to fry chicken and the shallow edge gravy pans/pancakes. it is only around the bolts inside that i need to clean. is there possibly a soak that might get in that tight spot or will i have to just go buy new pans? i'm thinking about buying a new cutting board as well. the crockpot will also need replacing since its upkeep has been poor. i can't seem to get all of the gunk out of it, i have no idea what she burned in there.

i can't wait to have my own kitchen again. unfortunately divorce has been hard on me, the only thing i got out of it was the calphalon and i can't afford to replace it. while family has been good to me they have also let me deal with this alone and don't think its such a big deal. they all think i should be better now since it has been three weeks. i just don't know how to explain to them that i don't even know how i'm going to feel in the weeks to come.

thank you, all the responses are going to help me with my diet. its a struggle eating simple and eating right and its too easy to float to junk food because it is already cooked. when i get the up days i'm going to try my best to spend it in the kitchen preparing ready to eat food on the down days.

[pipermarau]

Over about a 10 year period my weight went from about 140 lbs to less than 100 lbs. 5 years gluten and cow dairy free I'm still trying to get back up to 120 lbs, a good weight for my age. I have gained a few lbs but then lost it when I was glutened or developed intestinal overgrowths of yeasts and bacteria. Right now I'm able to eat more but have not added any weight. I also had some intestinal parasites which I got out using herbal remedies.

I eat a lot of ripe bananas ( no green on them, lots of black spots)

buckwheat, rice and millet cereals all gluten-free.

small amounts of meat once or twice a day, one egg a day.

winter squash, carrots and green veges.

Sheep's milk yogurt. Apples and pears.

prunes and small portions of organic raisins, cranberries.

I buy a bunch of very ripe bananas, slice, dip in water with Vit C (lemon works too) then freeze in small bags. Makes a delicious snack.

There are some websites where you can calculate the calories in the food you eat. Other websites where you can calculate the fiber content of the foods you eat.

thank you for the list, i'll def give it a try. i do know i need to put more meat in my diet but i love eggs and eat those frequently.

i was wondering, how have you dealt with exercise since you started trying to get your weight back up? i know i can't do much more than a few tasks around the house right now but i don't know when i should try and start working in a routine again. i've sort of been afraid that if i tried exercise that i would lose more weight rather than start building back muscle. i don't want to be miss 6 pack abs, but i would like to be able to open new jars again. you know, do the simple things in life.

thank you for your reply, and i wish you luck getting up to your goal weight. a friend of mine and i are on a "team" right now. she is trying to lose 20lbs and i am trying to gain 20lbs. we are giving each other encouragement and we both hope you get there.

[kareng]

You can get a crockpot for $15 at Walmart.

Throw in some pieces of chicken or a small roast or briscuit & a bag of frozen veggies and some water or broth. Salt & pepper.

Or 2 cans of beans, package of chili seasoning ( check for no wheat - Williams & McCormick are both probably OK) 1 can diced tomatoes with onions, 1 can tomato sauce & 2 lbs. cooked hamburger . Microwave the hamburger while opening cans & draining beans. Adds shredded cheese & sour cream. Put on a salad with chips to make taco salad. Re- heat with cheese & dip tortilla chips. Put on a baked potato.

Cook a big pot of rice. You can sit while it cooks. Freeze it in little baggies to add to the 2 above meals.

Peanut butter on rice cakes, apples, or celery. Make sure you have your own jar marked or hidden in your room. You can use a nice layer of foil or parchment paper if you must use a cookie tray.

Put cold cuts and cheese slices on rice cakes. Put a bit of salad dressing on the rice cake for flavor.

I wonder if you fill your pans with water and vinegar to cover the bolts and soak. I have found vinegar to do a good job of dissolving the flour so it can be rinsed away.

You can get cheap flexible cutting boards. I got some 2 for $1 at the dollar store. I use them on the counter to prepare food sometimes, too. I'll add a link so you can see what I mean in a minute.

Editedto add: Open Original Shared Link

$17 for this Crockpot. I have it in red from target & love it.

Open Original Shared Link