When You First Went Gluten Free, Did You Lose Weight?

[Marilyn R]

I'm 6' tall and was 185 lbs. when I was still "healthy". Lost 35 lbs. on the South Beach Diet. Started eating gluten again, weight fluctuated. Got sick as a dog, went down to 142 lbs. I've been gluten-free since 4/10 and weigh 140 lbs, size six.

I don't eat many processed gluten-free foods, but I do enjoy Chebe. My gastro wants me at 150 lbs, I'm not too concerned about it. I just try to focus on eating what keeps me from being ill.

[dandt]

I lost a little weight but not heaps. I was losing weight until I started eating alot of rice and pre-packaged gluten free foods. Almost a year after I went gluten-free I'm starting to lose weight, but more because I'm not snacking AT all and going back to basics with jsut salads and stuff. I wasn't overweight and I'm almost 21 so I've lost 5kg or so (well 3.5 but I put on 1.5kg muscle too). I'm still fairly bloated although it varies a bit now.

[UKGail]

Great post - full of interesting stories!

I gained about 30 lbs in the last year or two as my health declined, due to stopping exercising and constantly eating carby/gluteny foods to stave off nausea and hunger cravings. This switched to weight loss about a month before I went gluten free as the gastro symptoms kicked into high gear. The weight loss continued on the gluten free diet, quickly at first, then stopped as I discovered gluten-free goodies. These didn't agree with me, so I stopped eating them, and now grains too, so the extra weight is coming off again, but I am not hungry, nor have I yet returned to exercising. Over 5 months I have lost about 20 lbs, with another 10 or so to go before I go back to my normal weight of about 125 lbs. Hopefully my weight will stabilise there.

[lisalgreer]

Yes, I have lost weight. I used to be normal weight/moving toward pudgy but realize I was at least gluten intolerant (if not celiac) from age 5. I had a terrible wheat craving and a bunch of other symptoms even as a child. Binging and compulsive overeating haunted me most of my life. Now, one of my big theories is that gluten intolerance and/or celiac cause many eating disorders in people.

So in July 2010, I went gluten free after an IgE test (yeah, I know not really a good test for this) showed I was sensitive to wheat and rye. I dropped about 18 pounds in 6 months with no other changes. At that point, I had been obese and NOTHING I did budged the weight. I had a big, bloated belly and always felt awful.

Then I got lax about things and the weight went up a bit. Fast forward to Dec. 10th of last year. I went gluten-free for good (and am not limiting dairy though I still eat some). In total now from my high weight in July 2010, I've lost about 26 pounds, and again, that's without trying. My doc was amazed at my five pound loss over the holidays and shocked that it was all gluten free that did it.

I find that the burning/nagging/terrible hunger I had when eating gluten disappears when I take out the gluten. If I get glutened, it comes back.

[Jp629]

I have always been overweight and couldn't lose it no matter what I did. When I went gluten free it wasn't to lose weight but get rid of all the other problems I had. D, migraines, tingling, depression, stomach pain, anxiety, etc.

Losing weight was a shock. I went from 235 to 160 and it has stabilized. That's 75 pounds and I wasn't even trying. Took almost 2 years. But that's because I realized I was super sensitive. Can't really eat any of the gluten free processed foods. I have to stay with mainly whole foods. Plus finding out I have other food intolerances might have helped to.

Actually I was losing weight "prior" to being diagnosed. One I went gluten free, I "gained" 12 pounds in 3 months. Doctor says its because I'm now absorbing nutrients via my small intestines.

[Jp629]

I have always been overweight and couldn't lose it no matter what I did. When I went gluten free it wasn't to lose weight but get rid of all the other problems I had. D, migraines, tingling, depression, stomach pain, anxiety, etc.

Losing weight was a shock. I went from 235 to 160 and it has stabilized. That's 75 pounds and I wasn't even trying. Took almost 2 years. But that's because I realized I was super sensitive. Can't really eat any of the gluten free processed foods. I have to stay with mainly whole foods. Plus finding out I have other food intolerances might have helped to.

Actually I was losing weight "prior" to being diagnosed. One I went gluten free, I "gained" 12 pounds in 3 months. Doctor says its because I'm now absorbing nutrients via my small intestines.

[BrittLoves2Run]

I haven't been able to lose months the last 6 months that i've been really sick before being diagnosed. In one week i've lost about 4 pounds. Which is more than i've lost in MONTHS. I hope to lost about 10 lbs total. I need to lose it.

[xxikayixx]

I have always suffered from intestinal pain and ever since I went Gluten free I have NEVER felt as energetic, healthy and pain free as I do now. It has been almost weeks, and I've lost 7 lbs.