Recently diagnosed celiac

RoseThePenguin
RoseThePenguin Posts: 100 Member
in Getting Started
I'm not too sure where I should post this.

I have been on and off MFP for a few years now and always make progress with my weight loss when I rejoin. For a while now I've been feeling tired and sluggish, having dizzy turns and panic attacks and constantly felt sick to some degree. After over a year of different tests and doctors appointments I have now discovered I have celiac disease (difficulty digesting gluten).

I'd say I'm fairly addicted to anything gluten based (pizza, pasta, bread, crisps, cake...) and I'm going to find it very difficult to cut it out altogether :'(

I know in the long run this will help massively and I'll even shift a bit of weight by changing my diet...but I think I'll need some help!

I would love it if any other gluten free MFPers would add me for support and give me some tips and recipes.

:)

Replies

  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
    I'm very intollerant to all grains in the grass family (so cereal grains, corn, rice, etc.) and mildly intollerant to pseudocereal grains, so while it's not exactly celiac, I have an even broader spectrum of foods I can't eat. There are still a lot of things you can eat, and there are lots of substritutes (hey, you can even buy them in the store! There are gluten free things everywhere now! :love: ). I know it doesn't feel like it, but you have it easy :wink: Feel free to add me and for some dinner ideas, here are some of mine. Good luck adjusting!
  • bmchenry02
    bmchenry02 Posts: 233 Member
    One of my favorite food bloggers Iowa Girl Eats is gluten free and posts all kinds of great things.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Sorry to hear of your diagnosis, but I'm glad you got it figured out.

    I'm a celiac too, and have been GF for a few years, so I know it is overwhelming at first. Those first few months are tough when you have to change your way of eating. It takes a lot of work to break the old habits, read every single label, and eat out less often. Give yourself a few months to get used to the GF diet, and expect your recovery to be up and down in the first few months. Recovery is a lot slower than most people think. I would estimate that most celiacs are feeling noticeably better after eating GF 6 months, and many symptoms will resolve much sooner than that.

    Try the celiac.com forums. You'll find many people in there going through the same thing you are. It was a great help to me.

    Best wishes. :)
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    nvsmomketo wrote: »
    Sorry to hear of your diagnosis, but I'm glad you got it figured out.

    I'm a celiac too, and have been GF for a few years, so I know it is overwhelming at first. Those first few months are tough when you have to change your way of eating. It takes a lot of work to break the old habits, read every single label, and eat out less often. Give yourself a few months to get used to the GF diet, and expect your recovery to be up and down in the first few months. Recovery is a lot slower than most people think. I would estimate that most celiacs are feeling noticeably better after eating GF 6 months, and many symptoms will resolve much sooner than that.

    Try the celiac.com forums. You'll find many people in there going through the same thing you are. It was a great help to me.

    Best wishes. :)


    This, although 4 years post diagnosis, my kidney function numbers are still slightly below normal. So, while you'll find yourself feeling better quickly, full recovery can take a long time. I didn't have as much trouble breaking the habit as others I know with celiac because my husband is all in for my wellness and so are my kids. I buy myself separate sandwich bread, but other than that, my kitchen is GF. (I have teen boys. I can't afford to buy GF bread the way they eat it.)

    Good luck!
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    There are many wonderful books/cookbooks out there now on gluten-free. My favorite is "101 Best Gluten-Free Foods" published by Publications International, Ltd.
  • RoseThePenguin
    RoseThePenguin Posts: 100 Member
    Thank you all for your replies. I'm only on my second day and the amount of food I find gluten in is depressing :'(

    I'm having a look online for GF recipes and trying to keep in mind that I'd rather be healthy than eat cake :D
  • TriBecca_14
    TriBecca_14 Posts: 8 Member
    I have Hashimoto's (another autoimmune disease) and eating a GF diet tends to reduce the symptoms. I just recently started and it has been a challenge. As other have mentioned, there are a lot of resources out there and a lot of good recipes that will satisfy your taste for breads, pizza, etc. My boys and I are big comfort food lovers. I found a GF recipe last weekend for chicken and dumplings and to my surprise, my boys loved it! Good luck on your new journey!

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