Jump to content

  • 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

Weight Watchers

Greentealady

Recommended Posts

Greentealady Rookie
Greentealady
Posted

I am thinking of joining weight watchers, is anyone part of this group and if so does it work with a gluten-free diet?

Judy

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Mizzo Enthusiast
Mizzo
Posted

Weight watchers has 2 programs both of which can work on a gluten-free diet. A drawback is their online website for tracking calories etc.. does not have "prepared gluten-free foods" in it for a quick point count. You will have to calculate those on your own.

WW pushes fresh fruits and veggies and many of them are "free" no points, but when you start getting into grains etc.. that is where your points start really adding up (makes sense) but even more so for gluten-free because of the small amount of fiber and proteins in breads, crackers etc...

They strongly suggest low caloric (sugar substituted) items for yogurt, cheese, drinks, etc.... without going low cal your quantity really shrinks and you'll end up hungry.

examples

1 cup lowcal yogurt vs 1/3 cup whole milk yogurt

1 slice reduced fat cheese vs 1/2 slice reg cheese

diet drinks or water only(suggested)

I think skim milk is 1/2 point but whole milk = 2 points per cup etc........

A whole wheat mini pita is 1 point but 2 slices of Udi's bread is almost 4 points. When you get between 20 and 30 points (depending on your wght) it adds up

cyberprof Enthusiast
cyberprof
Posted

I am thinking of joining weight watchers, is anyone part of this group and if so does it work with a gluten-free diet?

Judy

I'm on Weight Watchers and I find it's very easy. They have little handheld calculator to calculate points (was on sale last week for $6 regularly $12) that is good for calculating gluten-free.

You get 29+ points a week - 29 is the lowest.

With WW, you choose your own foods so I think it works well.

mamabear272 Explorer
mamabear272
Posted

I am also on WW and I love it! I would say it's probably the beat plan out there for us. So much freedom! And it easily incorporates the foods that are the beat for us to eat. I actually find it easier now that I'm gluten-free. Two thumbs up here!

kathleenp Apprentice
kathleenp
Posted

I am doing WW now and it is very gluten-free friendly. The recipe builder allows you to input your favorite recipes and get the points values. If your premade foods aren't in the food list, it only takes a few seconds to input the info and have it saved forever. How many points you get depends on your age, weight height and sex. Real carby foods usually have higher points values than those with more protein and a little more fat. Fat free milk is 2 points per cup and whole milk is 4. Since I get a lot of daily points (and don't forget weekly points), I drink whole milk. Besides, there is no difference between 2% milk and whole milk.

  • 4 weeks later...
GlutenGladi8or Apprentice
GlutenGladi8or
Posted

To use an old quote from the late Robert Mondavi.... (and I am paraphrasing).

"Do you know what's the best wine out there? The one that YOU like".

And it sounds like there are plenty of people who like Weight Watchers. You might as well give it a try or stay on it -- especially if it's providing real results.

Guest Cassie Getty
Guest Cassie Getty
Posted

I recently started having a gluten free diet after trying and doing so many programs out there. I can say that this early, I can feel and see its effect, of course with the help of exercise. I find it difficult at first and was reluctant to continue but not anymore! Gluten free diet for me is here to stay and will be part of my system.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


GlutenGladi8or Apprentice
GlutenGladi8or
Posted

I recently started having a gluten free diet after trying and doing so many programs out there. I can say that this early, I can feel and see its effect, of course with the help of exercise. I find it difficult at first and was reluctant to continue but not anymore! Gluten free diet for me is here to stay and will be part of my system.

My eye doctor, who lives only 50 yards away from me, is in the EXACT same boat as you. She's already on week two of living gluten free and she's mad at herself.

She wishes she would have done it years ago!

PennyP Newbie
PennyP
Posted

I do WW and was just diagnosed *yesterday* so we will see how it goes. Found out at my meeting this week there is a smart phone app you can download at www.scan_calc which will scan barcodes and give you the WW points! And it is accurate. I plan to put this today at the grocery store when shopping for my new supply of gluten-free foods.

yumyummum Rookie
yumyummum
Posted

I was doing WW before and am on my first week of gluten free. I can already tell I feel SO MUCH BETTER.

I went off for the last few weeks before my endoscopy. Today was the first day I felt like..OK I am ready. Pointing here I come. I am curious to see if losing weight will be easier now. I always felt that I gained weight suddenly when my first symptoms came on.

pricklypear1971 Community Regular
pricklypear1971
Posted

The only negative I can think of on WW is the attitude (at least when I tried it 2 years ago) that you can eat any manufactured piece of crap and as long as it has low points, it's great.

I know attitudes differ by group, etc. But I just couldn't drink the WW cool-aid.

I seriously wanted to vomit when I heard what some people ate and were excited about. Ick.

I would do it online, but not a local group. And find a celiac online group. I think the "group" makes the biggest difference.

Jessi Lou Newbie
Jessi Lou
Posted

I've been on weight watchers for a couple of months, about as long as I've been trying to go gluten-free. And I've found that it's helped me a lot. It works well with gluten-free. If you join for meetings you can purchase a points calculator, with which you can figure out how many points things are worth.

I've actually found that my gluten-free foods are a lot less points!

  • 2 weeks later...
Kay53 Newbie
Kay53
Posted

I am thinking of joining weight watchers, is anyone part of this group and if so does it work with a gluten-free diet?

Judy

I have recently re joined WW and have a really good feeling about it. It is going to fit right in to what I need to do to stay gluten-free!!

anabananakins Explorer
anabananakins
Posted

The only negative I can think of on WW is the attitude (at least when I tried it 2 years ago) that you can eat any manufactured piece of crap and as long as it has low points, it's great.

I know attitudes differ by group, etc. But I just couldn't drink the WW cool-aid.

I seriously wanted to vomit when I heard what some people ate and were excited about. Ick.

I would do it online, but not a local group. And find a celiac online group. I think the "group" makes the biggest difference.

This. When I walked in as a 20 year old at a perfectly healthy weight, they should've told me to go away. But because I was 5 kilos from the bottom of their healthy weight chart, they signed me and proceeded to encourage me to eat tonnes of artifically sweeted processed rubbish. Sweet is sweet regardless of the source of sweet taste and it sets you up to crave more - I was permanently starving hungry on the daily points allowance and it made me feel like a complete freak. Whereas before I just wanted to be a bit thinner, I now struggled with every mouthful and I ended up dieting my way into a binge eating disorder.

I've nothing against the points system, it's a good method of portion control. But their products set you up with really bad habits where they should be encouraging eating fresh fruit and veges and lean meat. Not 1/2 point fake desserts and candy washed down with endless diet coke, as was being pushed in the meetings I attended. But I guess the products bring in tonnes of money.

I don't want to dismiss the experiences of those who've found support and success, but it made me extremely unhappy (and crazy enough to keep thinking that it was my fault and I re-joined over and over, yet never losing any weight at all).

I follow the south beach guidelines (mostly) now. I always thought the name sounded very fad-diet ish, but it's actually a great option for someone with insulin resistance.

coffeetime Explorer
coffeetime
Posted

I am a lifetime ww who fell off the wagon. When the gluten-free lifestyle was thrown into my life I really struggle with my weight. I felt it took so much of my energy to make sure that I was eating gluten-free that I really didn't care about the calories (or points) and most prepared gluten-free products are very high in calories and fat. The meetings which has always been so helpful for me were no long beneficial, because I couldn't use most of the products that were being discussed. About 5 weeks ago I rejoined on line and so far have lost 12.5 lbs. The new points system has unlimited fruit which is considered 0 points and most vegetables are 0. The online calculator is great for gluten-free recipes, you just plug in the nutritional info of your ingredients and it calculates the points value for you. WW is a very sound program but if your head is not in the right place it (nor any other program) will work. I have about 8 more lbs to lose then the real fun will begin--maintenance :blink:

  • 2 weeks later...
Ceara Newbie
Ceara
Posted

I'm a former WW member that was diagnosed in March. I fell off the wagon because of my gluten intolerance. After reading this i'm thinking about going back and rejoining so thanks!

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. JudyLou
      - JudyLou replied to JudyLou's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      Thanks so much!
    2. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to JudyLou's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      I have osteopenia and have cracked three vertebrae. Niacin is connected to osteoporosis! Do talk to your nutritionist and doctor about supplementing with B vitamins. Blood tests don't reveal the amount of vitamins stored inside cells. The blood is a transportation system and can reflect vitamins absorbed from food eaten in the previous twenty-four...
    3. JudyLou
      - JudyLou replied to JudyLou's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      Thank you so much for the clarification! Yes to these questions: Have you consulted dietician? Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies? Osteoporosis? Thyroid? Anemia? Do you take any supplements, or vitamins? I’m within healthy range for nutritional tests, thyroid and am not anemic. I do have osteopenia. I don’t take any medications, and the...
    4. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to JudyLou's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      11

      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      @JudyLou, I have dermatitis herpetiformis, too! And...big drum roll... Niacin improves dermatitis herpetiformis! Niacin is very important to skin health and intestinal health. You're correct. dermatitis herpetiformis usually occurs on extensor muscles, but dermatitis herpetiformis is also pressure sensitive, so blisters can form...
    5. trents
      - trents replied to Mark Conway's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      5

      Have I got coeliac disease

      And I agree with Wheatwacked. When a physician tells you that you can't have celiac disease because you're not losing weight, you can be certain that doctor is operating on a dated understanding of celiac disease. I assume you are in the UK by the way you spelled "coeliac". So, I'm not sure what your options are when it comes to healthcare, but I might suggest...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,154
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Kathy N
    Newest Member
    Kathy N
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • JudyLou
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By JudyLou · Posted

      Thanks so much! 
    • knitty kitty
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      I have osteopenia and have cracked three vertebrae.  Niacin is connected to osteoporosis! Do talk to your nutritionist and doctor about supplementing with B vitamins.  Blood tests don't reveal the amount of vitamins stored inside cells.  The blood is a transportation system and can reflect vitamins absorbed from food eaten in the previous twenty-four to forty-eight hours.  Those "normal limits" are based on minimum amounts required to prevent disease, not levels for optimal health.   Keep us posted on your progress.   B Vitamins: Functions and Uses in Medicine https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9662251/ Association of dietary niacin intake with osteoporosis in the postmenopausal women in the US: NHANES 2007–2018 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11835798/ Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/   Nutritional Imbalances in Adult Celiac Patients Following a Gluten-Free Diet https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8398893/ Nutritional Consequences of Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Diet https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7422/15/4/61 Simplifying the B Complex: How Vitamins B6 and B9 Modulate One Carbon Metabolism in Cancer and Beyond https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9609401/
    • JudyLou
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By JudyLou · Posted

      Thank you so much for the clarification! Yes to these questions: Have you consulted dietician?  Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?  Osteoporosis? Thyroid? Anemia?  Do you take any supplements, or vitamins? I’m within healthy range for nutritional tests, thyroid and am not anemic. I do have osteopenia. I don’t take any medications, and the dietician was actually a nutritionist (not sure if that is the same thing) recommended by my physician at the time to better understand gluten free eating.    I almost wish the gluten exposure had triggered something, so at least I’d know what’s going on. So confusing!    Many thanks! 
    • knitty kitty
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @JudyLou,  I have dermatitis herpetiformis, too!  And...big drum roll... Niacin improves dermatitis herpetiformis!   Niacin is very important to skin health and intestinal health.   You're correct.  dermatitis herpetiformis usually occurs on extensor muscles, but dermatitis herpetiformis is also pressure sensitive, so blisters can form where clothing puts pressure on the skin. Elastic waist bands, bulky seams on clothing, watch bands, hats.  Rolled up sleeves or my purse hanging on my arm would make me break out on the insides of my elbows.  I have had a blister on my finger where my pen rested as I write.  Foods high in Iodine can cause an outbreak and exacerbate dermatitis herpetiformis. You've been on the gluten free diet for a long time.  Our gluten free diet can be low in vitamins and minerals, especially if processed gluten free foods are consumed.  Those aren't fortified with vitamins like gluten containing products are.  Have you consulted dietician?  Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?  Osteoporosis? Thyroid? Anemia?  Do you take any supplements, medicine, or vitamins? Niacin deficiency is connected to anemia.  Anemia can cause false negatives on tTg IgA tests.  A person can be on that borderline where symptoms wax and wane for years, surviving, but not thriving.  We have a higher metabolic need for more nutrients when we're sick or emotionally stressed which can deplete the small amount of vitamins we can store in our bodies and symptoms reappear.   Exposure to gluten (and casein in those sensitive to it) can cause an increased immune response and inflammation for months afterwards. The immune cells that make tTg IgA antibodies which are triggered today are going to live for about two years. During that time, inflammation is heightened.  Those immune cells only replicate when triggered.  If those immune cells don't get triggered again for about two years, they die without leaving any descendents programmed to trigger on gluten and casein.  The immune system forgets gluten and casein need to be attacked.  The Celiac genes turn off.  This is remission.    Some people in remission report being able to consume gluten again without consequence.   However, another triggering event can turn the Celiac genes on again.   Celiac genes are turned on by a triggering event (physical or emotional stress).  There's some evidence that thiamine insufficiency contributes to the turning on of autoimmune genes.  There is an increased biological need for thiamine when we are physically or emotionally stressed.  Thiamine cannot be stored for more than twenty-one days and may be depleted in as little as three during physical and emotional stresses. Mitochondria without sufficient thiamine become damaged and don't function properly.  This gets relayed to the genes and autoimmune disease genes turn on.  Thiamine and other B vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are needed to replace the dysfunctional mitochondria and repair the damage to the body.   I recommend getting checked for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  More than just Vitamin D and B12.  A gluten challenge would definitely be a stressor capable of precipitating further vitamin deficiencies and health consequences.   Best wishes!    
    • trents
      Have I got coeliac disease

      By trents · Posted

      And I agree with Wheatwacked. When a physician tells you that you can't have celiac disease because you're not losing weight, you can be certain that doctor is operating on a dated understanding of celiac disease. I assume you are in the UK by the way you spelled "coeliac". So, I'm not sure what your options are when it comes to healthcare, but I might suggest you look for another physician who is more up to date in this area and is willing to work with you to get an accurate diagnosis. If, in fact, you do not have celiac disease but you know that gluten causes you problems, you might have NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). There is no test available yet for NCGS. Celiac must first be ruled out. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that damages the lining of the small bowel. NCGS we is not autoimmune and we know less about it's true nature. But we do know it is considerably more common than celiac disease.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.