Overweight... With A Theory

[luvs2eat]

I've been gluten-free for 3 years. I didn't lose weight initially... I attributed that to my swift diagnosis.

I started gaining weight. At first I attributed that to eating TONS of food I was allowed to eat to compensate (in my brain) for all that I can never have again. Once I got over that... I ate more normally and continue to eat well (lots of fruits/veggies, etc).

So... my intestines that used to shoot thru whatever I ate at warp speed, have slowed considerably. Not to be too graphic here... but I can go days and days (like 3-5??) without moving my bowels... and when I do, I'm not constipated or uncomfortable at all. I just don't have to go often.

So, now I'm wondering if my food is sticking around in my intestines and nutrients are just absorbing and absorbing and absorbing and it's causing me to gain weight. Maybe I've gone from malabsorption to hyperabsorption.

Whattya think??

[tarnalberry]

Fairly unlikely - the body is fairly efficient at absorbing what it can so even a "regular" person isn't eliminating much in the way of obtainable energy in their waste, and there's a limited amount of calories that can be absorbed from food in the first place. It's still worth trying to figure out why the constipation is a problem (too much calcium without enough magnesium? too much iron? not enough water? not enough exercise?)

[luvs2eat]

Dang... I was hoping I'd stumbled on to why I can't lose weight... other than the fact that I EAT too much. haha

No constipation whatsoever!

I drink plenty of water... exercise (more recently)... eat 2 Viactiv calcium chews a day.

My babe of a significant other is flabbergasted that I don't go every day!! I don't give it a thought... till it's like 5 days... and then I wonder more than worry.

[tarnalberry]

What are you eating? If you're eating most of your calories from meat and cheese or the like, or low-fiber foods, you don't produce as much stool - there's less insoluble stuff for your body to get rid of.

As for the weight gain... yeah... that eating too much thing will do it every time. ;-) (I say that in sympathy - 10lbs this year from a stressful job that I allowed to keep me from eating/exercising right.)