For newly diagnosed celiacs trying to get in shape

shaumom

This is just a friendly bit of info for any newly diagnosed celiacs who are also trying to lose weight, get in shape, etc... And congratulations on figuring out what the heck was going on with your body!

- Right now, your body is not absorbing nutrients as it should. You are nutrient deficient - what nutrients are lower depends entirely on where the damage in the gut is, however, which differs by individual. So even if, say, your iron levels are fine, you can be low in zinc, B vitamins, and so on. This is going to affect your immune system, your stamina, your ability to build healthy new muscles, etc...
- Your body is currently injured (the gut damage) and it will be trying to heal itself. So like any other injury, it's going to be using extra resources as it tries to get you better. But again - it's doing this when you still have fewer resources than you need, nutritionally.
- It can take between 6 months to 2 years for this process to finish and get you to the point where there is nothing to heal, and you are absorbing all your nutrients properly.
- Every time you accidentally (or on purpose) ingest gluten, it can add up to 2 weeks more of time needed to heal.

So basically, it really helps, when you are just diagnosed, to remember that a lot more of your body's resources are going to be going toward healing rather than building muscle, so this is a good time to try for maintenance rather than a lot of body building or weight loss.

You'll have a lot more energy and resources to start getting in better shape if you wait at least that first 6 months before working on more intense dieting, weight lifting, etc...



And some last few tidbits:
1. most experts recommend all close family get tested, once someone has a celiac diagnosis, because the odds are higher they'll have it too, and it can be present for years without symptoms.

2. You should be re-tested around 1 year (blood test, at least) to see if your diet is working, because there is a low percentage of celiacs who don't heal properly on the typical GF diet. You should also be tested for vitamin levels, to make sure they have begun to recover. Celiacs unfortunately tend to have very low post-diagnosis care from doctors (even though they DO need care), based on surveys, so you'll likely have to be proactive about seeking this yourself.