24Y Male And Under Weight Bmi 16 What To Eat?

[GlutenBoy1986]

Am I so skinny because of being celiac, and will I ever gain weight?

i am 24 year old male 5'.11" 120lbs mbi is about 16..17 i am also a twin

male.. also is celiac we are the same in every way.

my twin bro andrew got a blood test after being on a gluten free diet

and got a negative result. he still wonders and some times eats wheat

and ends up with intestine problems afterward

I stay away from it all and its very hard for me to find things to eat it gets boring and i have books for gluten free food my mom makes us gluten free bread

and i love it but only lasts a day or two i havent found gluten free bread i like yet...rice bread eewwww to gritty lol i havent had a sandwich in a year i just found a place that makes Gluten-Free PIZZA! and its sooo good i cant have milk eather that is just as bad same for my twin. right now i am having a G attack foggy sleepyish bathroom trips and feel like im run down no energy to go play with my lil nephew pretend to killl Zombies takes alot of energy. i work for my dads tile bizz and work on cars/ barber jack of all trades. cant spell very good tho hahaha.

but im just looking for some way to gain weight im affraid me and my brother might have health issues one day from being to thin i tryed to gain with the shakes and going to the gym i got 10 lbs then got the flu. lot the weight did that too times

had the nero virious 2 times last dec and the flu. dont know what do do i hope this year isent the same dont know if ill make it... and i couldent stand loosing my bro

ever unless we are olddd olddd olddddddd men then i will except it. kinda lol

[mushroom]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Your skinniness is almost certainly related to the celiac disease and you will slowly start absorbing more nutrients as you heal. Did your doctor check you for any nutrient deficiencies, like Vitamin D, B12, potassium, calcium; was your thyroid checked. Many vitamins and minerals can be deficient in your body because you have not been absorbing them due to the gluten. I would definitely start a sublingual B12 (methylcobalamine) and get your Vit. D checked at least, because low D can lead to osteoporosis and D is important (as is B12) for so many body functions.

Yeah, bread is a hard one because nothing tastes like gluten bread. If your mom is baking it for you you might refer her to this recipe: posted on the forum here last week. I haven't tried it myself but it looks great and everyone seems to love it

Gluten intolerant people are more prone to develop infections while they are on gluten but now that you are gluten free you should be more resistant to flus and colds and such. Just take in plenty of good healthy foods, meats, vegetables, potatoes, fruits, rice, gluten-free pizza , and have faith that the weight will come back to you as you heal.

If your brother was tested after he stopped eating gluten his test should have been negative; that does not mean that he is not celiac, it just means that he was doing a good job with the diet. If you are identical twins he undoubtedly has celiac disease if you do. Tell him to wise up and get with the program because you want him to hang around until you're old.

[ryebaby0]

My son has the same struggle -- he's 5'11" and weighs 126 soaking wet. And he has braces right now, which doesn't help. Our advice:

1. take a multivitamin with zinc

2. his daily diet looks like this: milkshake (ice cream, whole milk, cream, sometimes chocolate syrup or jam), 2 or 3 scrambled eggs (with butter) OR a donut OR yogurt. He's not a morning person, so that's a lot for him. Lunch at school (he's a senior)is leftovers, or an UDI's bagel with peanut butter, hershey bars, yogurt, homemade choc chip cookies (tell your mom to search for "Chewy Gluten Free" from Food network. Best. cookies. evah.), cheese squares, graham crackers (sometimes we cover them in chocolate). Dinner is a protein, veggies, rice or potatos smothered in olive oil or butter. He always eats something(s) between dinner and bedtime. I cook all his food with butter.

Favorite foods: cheese, peanut butter, olive oil, whole milk, avocados (he eats 'em plain), hershey bars, M&Ms, blueberry pancakes (he eats them cold. King Arthur gluten-free Mix is what we use), Tostitos, tater tots, hot dogs, klondike bars, pudding...

His nutritionist said not to worry too much about WHAT the calories come from at this point, just try to get at least 500-600 at every meal and 500 at every mini-meal. It's a lot of work to eat that much! You might also try google-ing high performance athletes diets -- they have a similar problem, although for different reasons. As a relatively young man, you just burn so much calories its hard to keep up! Think of it as a contest, a goal --- some of the food isn't your favorite, but it will get you healthier. Good luck!

[pricklypear1971]

First, yes your body needs to heal to absorb nutrients well. If you haven't been tested for vitamin deficiencies do it, and supplament as needed.

Also, I got a rude shock last week - I reacted to something in a construction site - possibly gluten since sometimes it's used in wallboard and joint compounds.

So BE CAREFUL at work. Gloves, face mask, wash your hands before eating, keep your food away from the dust.

[maximoo]

rice pasta is good with the kraft mac & cheese cheese powder. Give the pasta in the box to someone else. Or maybe you & mom can make mac & cheese yourselves. Many gluten-free foods have more calories than regular food like waffles. With Pamela's mix you can make dozens of things. My son eats waffles with peanut butter--high calorie good amt of protein. If you can't eat large meals then eat 6 small meals.

btw my nephew is thinner than you--he's 6'0 & weighs 118 soaking wet. He has never been tested tho I've suggested it to his mthr (who is a NURSE!) go figure!

[GlutenBoy1986]

Hello everyone im finally back sorry its been so long. Well here it is... I am still Gluten free but my twin is not we are 26 now and still the same kinda i lost weight i weigh 117 now from 120/122ish I am in NETTTS school now because the tile company went down (lack of work). I have no money and no food now.. hence the weight loss, no health insurance never had it ever in my life. We still have hope to one day get to see a real doctor and get all the tests we need not sure what to get or the type of doctor/s to see. i have 5 months left of school i got denied food assistance i have to work 20 hrs a week to qualify. i applied for about 20-30 jobs and didn't get one call tried the tile union they never called back so i did 3 times and they said every time they would call me back never did and my uncle is in there and he tried and still nothing. So now i am in school to get my CDL Truck driving license so i can get a job but i am unsure if i can get a job being underweight like i am, my twin is getting his CDL also. He is 112 lbs and 1/2 inch shorter then me. I am 6'. We have been taking V-B12 and Andrew and I ended up with bad muscle cramps from the shoulders then moved down to the legs after 3 days of taking them ... kinda odd. I have some weird symptoms and I looked them up and it explains malabsorption of fats. And I think this is why We are so under weight. the only meal i get now is dinner at my feonsay's house her mom and dad cook for us he complains tho lol so i feel like such a mooch. My parents cant afford to feed me. i have no money for my car insurance or gas any more so i will take the buss to school soon. but i am trying and it is just hard. its been 2 years G/free and no help except less diarrhea . I am a christian I pray alot I have faith things will get better. But a good doctor would be a God send I just cant wait for that day.I just hope after i get licensed that i will get hired

[GlutenBoy1986]

By the way thank all of you for the replies the information you gave me will be put to good use i didn't think anyone would reply. I was upset today when i looked at the scale and was shook. Then i went on Google and looked up help for me, and saw my old post and i cryed. Its been a long time and dident think anyone would reply and i have 4. You made my day thank you so much for being so kind and replying to me.

[maximoo]

Milkshakes are high calorie. If you can drink them try to add at least 1 tall glass a day.

If you plan on becoming an over the road driver life as a celiac may be even more difficult foodwise & when will you have time to go to dr when over the road? It sounds like you might be dehydrated/malnourished. Driving 10 hrs a day without good food/good health will not be a good thing. Are you taking a good multivitamin not just b-12? Do you drink enough water? There are tons of threads on here to give you ideas of what to eat. When you do get your cdl, go the extra mile & get the haz mat & airbrakes endorsements. You will have more opportunities. My husband has been driving trucks for 30 yrs & the salaries have dropped in the past few years. Some companies only pay $11-$12 an hr. As a newbie you will have to take it but try to get into a company with good medical benefits & do try to stay local. Craigslist is a good place to look for work. Shacking up or having a roomate may be a good economic choice. When & if you do go to the dr please be aware theat there are alot of "less than professionals" out there. Read the thread "stupid stuff drs say" Knowledge is power! What kind of work does your twin do? Does he get to see the dr at all? Good luck & keep us updated.

[GFinDC]

Hi GlutenBoy,

It's nice to see you back! Sounds like you have a busy life going on there. Are you able to eat dairy now? Some people cant' eat it at first but later on can eat it ok, after their guts have healed some.

You can look for jobs at Monster.com and USAjobs.gov also.

I put in some tips below that are really for new people on the gluten-free diet, but you may still see something that will help. There are a couple meal idea threads too.

Eating gluten-free doesn't have to be expensive. If you avoid the special gluten-free products and just get regular whole foods it is no more expensive than it is for anyone else. Meats and vegetables and fruits are naturally gluten-free. You can use Mission brand corn tortillas instead of bread also. Just steam them a little so they don't break when folded. There some main stream gluten-free ceraels now that are not any higher price than other cereals. Like Chex and Pebbles. And Open Original Shared Link makes some gluten-free cake mixes.

Some starting the gluten-free diet tips for the first 6 months:

Get tested before starting the gluten-free diet.

Get your vitamin/mineral levels tested also.

Don't eat in restaurants

Eat only whole foods not processed foods.

Eat only food you cook yourself, think simple foods, not gourmet meals.

Take probiotics.

Take gluten-free vitamins.

Take digestive enzymes.

Avoid dairy.

Avoid sugars and starchy foods.

Avoid alcohol.

Helpful threads:

FAQ Celiac com

http://www.celiac.co...celiac-disease/

Newbie Info 101

http://www.celiac.co...ewbie-info-101/

Thread For gluten-free, Dairy, Soy, Corn And Nightshade Free Recipes

http://www.celiac.co...e-free-recipes/

Super Easy Meal Ideas Anyone?

http://www.celiac.co...l-ideas-anyone/

[dilettantesteph]

It sounds like you are facing quite a challenge. I wish you the best getting through it. Here, at farmer's markets, if you buy in bulk, you can get a lot of food for not much money. Also, non processed food is safer as far as possible cross contamination goes. I get a big box of apples for $25. Late last season he was selling them to me for $10. This season apples are in short supply. With that I can make 6 big pots of applesauce. You can get 10# of potatoes for $5. Often the farmers get to know me and throw in extras. Avocados don't grow here but they are a good source of calories if they grow there. A big bag of rice doesn't cost too much and will last a long time. If you are really poor, dumpster diving outside restaurants works well. They throw out a lot of produce that is almost perfect. I've have unfortunate experience with that level of desperation myself. People who do it know the restaurants schedule and will sometimes share that with you.

[GFinDC]

Hey hey, don't forget dumpster diving at your local college at end of the fall or winter session too. College students throw out lots of stuff rather than move it. The poor things don't have cars sometimes so they just toss their furniture and stuff in the dumpster. It's very sad! Not food so much, but furnishings, rugs etc.

[kareng]

What about food pantries? You could get Pb, rice, pasta sauce to use on the rice, cheese, canned fruits and veggies, maybe Chex cereal, check the canned Progresso soups ( some say gluten-free on them), beans canned or dry, Dinty Moore has gluten-free canned food, etc.