Weight Gain

[Simmie]

I have gained twenty pounds with my diagnosis and have heard of this happening to others. What's the cause?

[nettiebeads]

I have gained twenty pounds with my diagnosis and have heard of this happening to others.  What's the cause?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When were you diagnosed? I hate to tell you this, but celiac disease can cause weight gain for some. I know, I'm now 40lbs. overweight. I am losing it at the maddingly slow rate of 1 lb a month. I think it has something to do with the malabsorption - the body has been starved of nutrients, goes into super slow metabolism mode to keep itself alive, but doesn't switch back after the diet has been changed. Maybe that's a farfetched theory, but it, hey I haven't heard of any others. But a serious answer is that if you are eating gluten-free flour-based products, they are LOADED with calories. The substitute flours are denser, heavier and therefore pack a whole lot more calories than your regular wheat based products.

[lembry]

I have gained twenty pounds with my diagnosis and have heard of this happening to others.  What's the cause?

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Hi. This is my first time on this message board, but the whole purpose for me looking on it is because of weight gain. I was diagnosed with celiac disease in April this year (4 months ago!!). Since then, I have gained 13 pounds and I can't seem to lose any of it! In fact, I only seem to inch upward, little by little. I'm so frustrated! I don't eat nearly what I used to before I was on a gluten-free diet. I feel like I'm hungry all the time and I feel completely deprived of all the wonderful foods I used to love. Now, to top it all off, I've gained all this weight. HELP! Any suggestions besides starving myself even more and exercising like a crazy person? Healthwise, I feel better since going on a gluten-free diet, but mentally, I'm major bummed!

[PreOptMegs]

From what I understand, our celiac disease diagnosis at a biological level means there are billions of bad bacteria/flora in our intestines and are thriving on the processed crap we continue to feed our bodies, whether gluten-free food or not. I have only had success with the specific carbohydrate diet. gluten-free alone only put more pounds on, but I am a different person now with this diet.......

[nettiebeads]

From what I understand, our celiac disease diagnosis at a biological level means there are billions of bad bacteria/flora in our intestines and are thriving on the processed crap we continue to feed our bodies, whether gluten-free food or not.  I have only had success with the specific carbohydrate diet.  gluten-free alone only put more pounds on, but I am a different person now with this diet.......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I looked into the scd but it won't work for me - fruit juices of any sort aggravate my ulcer in a major way. I've come to terms with the weight - I am not a number on the scale or size of clothes. I'm moderately active, BP is 110/72, resting pulse 64, my bad cholestoral could be lower, but my high density is great, my overall ratio is fantastic. My doctor believes that part of my excess weight is the celiac disease and lets it go. He knows I'm not thrilled with the extra weight, but if I'm otherwise healthy and active and staying gluten-free, he's not that concerned with it. In other words, I think that there is more to my life than focusing on the scale. I don't binge or snack like I used to, but the weight still won't come off, so there I am.

[lovegrov]

Weight gain after going gluten-free is VERY common because you start absorbing things. I gained 70 pounds in two years (30 pounds of that was OK). Still should shed 20 of it.

richard

[lembry]

From what I understand, our celiac disease diagnosis at a biological level means there are billions of bad bacteria/flora in our intestines and are thriving on the processed crap we continue to feed our bodies, whether gluten-free food or not.  I have only had success with the specific carbohydrate diet.  gluten-free alone only put more pounds on, but I am a different person now with this diet.......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What is a specific carbohydrate diet? I've never heard of it.

[Janelson]

What is a specific carbohydrate diet?  I've never heard of it.

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Oh gosh does that freak me out to hear how much you have all gained. I have been on this diet since May and I gained about 10 pounds and lost 3 so far...although I live off of vegtables and fruit and that is about it. I feel so helpless. The thing is I use to be very over weight and I worked for a long time to lose the weight! I got to my goal weight and about a year later I get this disease and now I am gaining it all back again! I dont think I have the strength to be that big gir again when I worked so hard to lose it all! I can not do that again.

[PreOptMegs]

lembry-

The specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) is a very, very strict obviously gluten-free diet that basically doesn't allow you to have any processed foods, starches, or anything with disaccharides. What is left to eat, you ask! Only the healthiest of fruits, vegetables, cheese, meats, yogurt.... if you want to know more you can visit www.breakingtheviciouscycle.com or just ask me. I am an avid supporter of this diet. Please look into it.

[misskris]

I was pretty thin before celiac disease - about 118 lbs (I'm only 5'3ish). I got up to about 148 at my heaviest (before being gluten-free), but now I'm more like 130 (I've been gluten-free for nearly 2 yrs now). I feel healthier than I've ever been, but I definitely don't look like one of those stick-thin models. I'm quite curvy and I kinda like my new figure, but I still go up and down a bit.

I had a hard time with the weight gain at first. Eating gluten-free helped me feel healthier, but the weight didn't start coming off until after I started taking vitamins.

I don't have enough self-control to do the SCD. I just have to watch myself. I mainly stick to meats and veggies. I feel really good when I do that. The gluten-free breads and pastas tend to slow me down. But I can't go as strict as what the SCD calls for.

I'd like to know what other gainers are doing to lose weight - besides the SCD. More power to you people.

[PreOptMegs]

As a gainer myself, I also had hypothyroid and since getting that straightened out, I have lost +/- 10 lbs. I just try to fill myself on all of the fruits and vegetables I want, but I make sure I eat protein at every meal and dairy (yogurt for me!). I eat dinner at around 5-6 everyday and don't snack after that. I drink about 100 oz of water a day and I am an athlete, so I exercise all of the time.

[luvs2eat]

I never lost weight... even having diarrhea for months and months. Since going gluten-free I've gained about 30!! My DD's doc told her people with celiac disease either lose weight or gain it. She got the wt. loss part, I didn't.

I can't seem to get it off either... so I'm stepping up my exercise in a big way hoping that'll help! If I'm not lighter, at least I'll be in good physical shape.

[aberglund]

It sounds like most of you gained weight AFTER you became gluten free. My daughter is gaining weight as a sympom of being gluten sensitive. We're starting the diet tomorrow.Has this happened to anyone?

Ana

[christa]

It sounds like most of you gained weight AFTER you became gluten free. My daughter is gaining weight as a sympom of being gluten sensitive. We're starting the diet tomorrow.Has this happened to anyone?

Ana

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I gained 15 pounds over the last two years despite working out 5 days a week and watching what I te. I even kept food diry with calories because I thought maybe I was eating more then I thought I was. I just started the gluten-free diet so I am really hoping it helps.

[kevsmom]

I lost 30 pounds in the 3 months before I was diagnosed, due to malabsorbtion (I was having diarrhea 20-30 times a day). I thought well, if I'm going to be this sick, at least I'm losing weight (I need to).

After I was diagnosed and went gluten free, I gained all of the weight back.

My Gastroenterologist was thrilled. He said that meant I was retaining the nutrients.

[cornbread]

I gain weight easily with carb-loaded foods, esp. since being gluten-free - I think it's partly because the gluten-free versions of wheat foods are carb heavy, but also because I'm actually absorbing them now. I keep weight off and feel my best when following a paleolithic style diet, ie: just meat, veggies, eggs and a little fruit and a small amount of nuts/seeds. After the first few days of carb/sugar cravings are over with, I reach a mental 'high' (ketosis?) and my appetite self-limits and I just feel great! I'm 5 4 and currently 115lbs - I drop to 112 when I'm strict about my diet and bloat to 120 when I'm not. I feel that I'm *incredbly* carb senstivie. I can shoot up or down 5lbs a week, depending on the amount of fruit I eat!

[JenM]

lembry- 

The specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) is a very, very strict obviously gluten-free diet that basically doesn't allow you to have any processed foods, starches, or anything with disaccharides.  What is left to eat, you ask!  Only the healthiest of fruits, vegetables, cheese, meats, yogurt.... if  you want to know more you can visit www.breakingtheviciouscycle.com or just ask me.  I am an avid supporter of this diet.  Please look into it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What are the advantages to that diet? I don't have Celiac, but suspect some intolerance or sensitivity, and I've always been underweight and am really trying to change that. Thanks.

[Wizenour]

Hi. This is my first time on this message board, but the whole purpose for me looking on it is because of weight gain. I was diagnosed with celiac disease in April this year (4 months ago!!). Since then, I have gained 13 pounds and I can't seem to lose any of it! In fact, I only seem to inch upward, little by little. I'm so frustrated! I don't eat nearly what I used to before I was on a gluten-free diet. I feel like I'm hungry all the time and I feel completely deprived of all the wonderful foods I used to love. Now, to top it all off, I've gained all this weight. HELP! Any suggestions besides starving myself even more and exercising like a crazy person? Healthwise, I feel better since going on a gluten-free diet, but mentally, I'm major bummed!

I am right there with you. I have been gluten free since May 2010 and have gained 25 pounds. My GI doc says that I need to exercise for an hour every day and watch what I eat. I do that and I am still inching up on the scales. It seems that I read somewhere that your body is so in shock that it holds on to every thing it gets due to being deprived for so long. I don't know if I buy that but I do know that I have to watch my diet closely and apparently that is not enough. Please inform if you get a good answer, I am frustrated too

I have considered a nutritionist, but I know that is expensive so I do as much research as I can to find healthy low fat low calorie gluten free foods but I am still packing it on. Wish I could be of more help.