Hashimotos and gluten-free diet

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  • sarahbicknell2013
    sarahbicknell2013 Posts: 11 Member
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    blankiefinder wrote: »
    sarahbicknell2013 wrote: »
    mamapeach910 wrote: »
    sarahbicknell2013 wrote: »
    I am celiac and dieting is so much harder... As most foods that are gluten free are higher in sugar etc. Can anyone help suggest how to make it easier... I've lost 5lbs in nearly 80 days but got loads More I want to lose but need help and advice.... :smile:

    I was diagnosed with celiac disease about 18 years ago. This was long before it was easy to find gluten free products on supermarket shelves. I had to order sub-par products online for years!

    Over the years, I learned a lot. Some things are worth eating the gluten free substitutions for. Some things aren't.

    There's a whole wide world of cuisine out there that never revolved around gluten-based ingredients. Find it. Naturally gluten-free foods like lean protein, dairy, beans, potatoes, rice, fruits, vegetables, nuts, gluten free oats... you can build a diet around those.

    How do you find dieting then with being gluten free? I eat a lot of things like rice and going down to basic ingredients but just find it so hard at times to manage when u do have to use the substitutes. Just wanna shed the wait I put on after I quit smoking but having celiac & lupus food & exercise is tricky.

    @sarahbicknell2013‌ I too am Celiac and hypothyroid (plus arthritis) and if you make the right food choices, losing weight is entirely possible, if your thyroid levels are well controlled. I averaged 1 pound every 5 days for the first 5 months before starting to move to maintenance.

    I limited the GF replacement products, they don't taste that good anyway, and limit the portion size of my starches such as rice, pasta and potato to 1/3 to 1/2 of a serving, weighed on my food scale of course!

    I focus on veggies, fruits, lean meats, dairy such as cottage cheese and greek yogurt, and everything else in moderation (including a square of dark chocolate each day to keep me going :) )

    In the end, it's all about calories, and choosing foods that will fill you without putting you over your calorie limit.

    Thank you for the advice, I try to make sure I count everything. I'm gonna look at cutting my carbs down like people have suggested, and try a few different potions poodle have suggested. And I very much agree that the gluten free options aren't very nice. Only really use the pasta bit someone suggested using bean pasta as it's low in cab but high in protein, fiber and iron. Lost 5lb but still a fair bit to go. Thanks again for you help. :smile:
  • aimscat
    aimscat Posts: 4 Member
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    I was diagnosed with hypo thyroid a couple years ago. Did the levothyroxine for a couple years and decided about a year and a half ago that it wasn't making me feel any better and that the side effect of osteoporosis was something I did not want. Then I saw a chiropractor who said I should try a two week trial of gluten free and see if it made any difference... Within the first week my daily heartburn and headaches were gone and I lost 3 pounds without actually eating less... within 3 months I lost 20 pounds just eating gluten free and not even being more active... that is just me, but it is kinda irritating when I tell someone that I am eating gluten free and they look at me like I am an idiot... I don't know if gluten intolerance and thyroid issues are connected at all, but going gluten free made more of a difference, for me, then 3 and a half years of levothyroxine... also on a side note, after going gluten free, after 3 years of trying to get pregnant, my husband and I finally got pregnant... we lost the baby and maybe it had nothing to do with the gf but it would be a pretty big coincidence .. just my opinion and random thoughts on this. I tell anyone who feels the same way I felt to give gluten free eating, or at least cutting back on the gluten, a try for two weeks. If it doesn't make a difference than either go to a doctor or don't worry about it, but if you notice a big difference, than it is worth it to at least give it a try... gluten free doesn't have to be move expensive if you do your own cooking or eat whole foods... anyway, rambling done.. hope you find out what is best for you!!
  • kathf123
    kathf123 Posts: 6 Member
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    azulvioleta6 wrote: »
    lesliedias22 wrote: »
    I have hashimotos, was diagnosed about 4 years ago. I'm usually fine with the medication daily. However, the last month or so, every time I eat, I've been an absolute mess, especially when gluten is involved, so I've decided to go entirely gluten and dairy free for a bit and see what happens. Kind of trial and error to see what my overall well being is like (I've been super bloated to the point of physical discomfort after eating that lasts days, more tired than usual, more irritable, Etc.)

    I haven't been tested for celiac, but every time I read up on hashimotos, seems the two are interrelated, so it's worth a shot.

    Would you explain what the mechanism behind that would be? They have to do with completely different body systems...

    Gluten mimics the TPO enzyme (they have very similar structures) so the thought is that eating gluten will exaggerate the autoimmune response from the TPO antibodies. I have very high TPO antibodies but negative for celiacs. I still have a lot of issues despite being on the levo-thyroxine so i've been looking into diet a bit. I've cut out gluten before but turned to the processed gf foods which are bad news, as others have stated above. Now i'm just trying to eat cleaner and primarily gluten free but not be too crazy about it. Reading a great Hashi's book right now written by a woman who has Hashi's and her PhD in pharmacy so she has a great understanding of bio-chem mechanisms. I highly recommend it and it's a very fast read: http://www.amazon.com/Hashimotos-Thyroiditis-Lifestyle-Interventions-Treating/dp/0615825796/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427715181&sr=8-1&keywords=hashimotos+root+cause
  • ElizabethKalmbach
    ElizabethKalmbach Posts: 1,416 Member
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    I have hashimoto's, ASIA, and pernicious anemia. Before my PA diagnosis, I tried gluten free as an attempt to resolve the symptoms I was getting from the PA, but discovered that it made absolutely no difference to me.

    The best way for me to lose weight is for me to increase my cardio (I walk or run daily.) and mind my portion sizes. Weight lifting helps my figure, but not my scale weight as much as the cardio.

    Auto-immune diseases like hashimotos, diabetes, and celiac disease often appear together, but you don't always end up with the same combination as everyone else. Treating your hashimotos with a solution for celiac won't help unless you actually have celiac disease. If you have something else like I do (pernicious anemia) you'll still be miserable.

    Either go to your doctor and get a blood test for celiac, or do a gluten challenge yourself and resolve things to your own satisfaction. I would also advise getting a basic blood panel to see if you are deficient in any basic vitamins and minerals. Hypothyroid people appear to have some absorption issues due to lower stomach acid, and many vitamin deficiencies have similar symptoms.

    Stay in tune with your body - it can take some time, but figuring out what keeps you feeling healthy is priceless. Good luck!
  • lesliedias22
    lesliedias22 Posts: 30 Member
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    Just an added comment in reading this thread and similar threads to this...

    People need to seriously cool it on the negative criticism and judgement about the whole gluten free thing.

    Whether it's a diet choice based on medical issues, potential medical and health concerns, or just an overall choice in regards to weight loss or whatever... Who cares! Whatever makes you happy and feel good, right.

    I've really noticed that people on MFP REEAAAALLLYYY jump down your throat about it and quite frankly, I'm sick of reading it. So ridiculous.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    kathf123 wrote: »
    azulvioleta6 wrote: »
    lesliedias22 wrote: »
    I have hashimotos, was diagnosed about 4 years ago. I'm usually fine with the medication daily. However, the last month or so, every time I eat, I've been an absolute mess, especially when gluten is involved, so I've decided to go entirely gluten and dairy free for a bit and see what happens. Kind of trial and error to see what my overall well being is like (I've been super bloated to the point of physical discomfort after eating that lasts days, more tired than usual, more irritable, Etc.)

    I haven't been tested for celiac, but every time I read up on hashimotos, seems the two are interrelated, so it's worth a shot.

    Would you explain what the mechanism behind that would be? They have to do with completely different body systems...

    Gluten mimics the TPO enzyme (they have very similar structures) so the thought is that eating gluten will exaggerate the autoimmune response from the TPO antibodies. I have very high TPO antibodies but negative for celiacs. I still have a lot of issues despite being on the levo-thyroxine so i've been looking into diet a bit. I've cut out gluten before but turned to the processed gf foods which are bad news, as others have stated above. Now i'm just trying to eat cleaner and primarily gluten free but not be too crazy about it. Reading a great Hashi's book right now written by a woman who has Hashi's and her PhD in pharmacy so she has a great understanding of bio-chem mechanisms. I highly recommend it and it's a very fast read: http://www.amazon.com/Hashimotos-Thyroiditis-Lifestyle-Interventions-Treating/dp/0615825796/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427715181&sr=8-1&keywords=hashimotos+root+cause

    Thank you! That is very helpful.

    I've been eating fairly low carb for several years and don't consume many processed foods, so I am not getting much gluten anyhow. I just want to have a better understanding of the issue.
  • tiger2411
    tiger2411 Posts: 6
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    b
    lesliedias22 wrote: »
    Just an added comment in reading this thread and similar threads to this...

    People need to seriously cool it on the negative criticism and judgement about the whole gluten free thing.

    Whether it's a diet choice based on medical issues, potential medical and health concerns, or just an overall choice in regards to weight loss or whatever... Who cares! Whatever makes you happy and feel good, right.

    I've really noticed that people on MFP REEAAAALLLYYY jump down your throat about it and quite frankly, I'm sick of reading it. So ridiculous.

    YES! Thank you! It's crazy how complete strangers can so easily tear into someone elses life choices and make them feel like total crap about them! You definitely won't see me post anything other than comments to other posts from now on! In case anyone else has the same questions I did about going gluten free, I can happily say I have been 100% free since I posted this and I have not only lost about 7lbs, but I don't even miss it at all! I can visually see my inflammation going down and I don't get the nasty tummy bloating and pains and bathroom problems anymore! So I don't care why or how it works but it definitely is working for me!!
  • lesliedias22
    lesliedias22 Posts: 30 Member
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    tiger2411 wrote: »
    b
    lesliedias22 wrote: »

    YES! Thank you! It's crazy how complete strangers can so easily tear into someone elses life choices and make them feel like total crap about them! You definitely won't see me post anything other than comments to other posts from now on! In case anyone else has the same questions I did about going gluten free, I can happily say I have been 100% free since I posted this and I have not only lost about 7lbs, but I don't even miss it at all! I can visually see my inflammation going down and I don't get the nasty tummy bloating and pains and bathroom problems anymore! So I don't care why or how it works but it definitely is working for me!!

    That is awesome! I have also felt a lot better in regards to the gluten free diet. I do have some small items that contain gluten but it's still 98% less than what my diet was like before. I haven't seen any weight changes yet really, and my thyroid is getting better in regards to fluctuations even with the meds but it's still not quite there, however, I definitely don't have the same pains anymore either! I'm glad someone else has the same perspective of MFP as myself. I don't plan on posting new posts either.

    Hope to have the same success as yourself!

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