Eating with Allergies: Why calories don't work

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  • pfeiferlindsey
    pfeiferlindsey Posts: 163 Member
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    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    silverpl2525 wrote: »
    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    Most food "allergies" are psychosomatic.

    My epi pen begs to differ.

    Do you know what the word "most" means?

    I think I get where you're coming from. I think you're talking more about the people who grab an at-home food allergy test and it comes back that their "sensitive" to all these random things. Had a coworker who did it and claimed she was allergic to all sorts of things. She literally attributed part of her weight loss to cutting lettuce out of her diet because the test showed she was "sensitive" to it.

    There is a huge difference between the above and a true food allergy that causes life-threatening symptoms.
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
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    I have reactions to many foods which aren't psychosomatic. While they aren't life threatening they are certainly uncomfortable. Since one is to soy and soy is in almost everything I'll often react and then have to back track and figure out what caused it.

    Some people go a little overboard but then again some really do have life threatening reactions. Luckily mine are just itchiness, stomach discomfort and rashes. Not the end of the world but because of reactions I tend to enjoy a healthier diet to avoid these.....other times I just accept I'll be itchy or nauseous and throw caution to the wind
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
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    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    Wilson, I gave you a hug but there are babies and children born with food allergies. Deadly food allergies.
    Our mileage will always vary.

    Thanks so much. I agree with you completely. In fact, the reason for my comment was that my allergist told me that there is a very, very small number of people who are "mildly" allergic to anything. You are or you aren't for the most part. Most everyone's bee sting and poison ivy looks about the same. People with peanut allergies risk death and don't get "hives" or a stuffy nose. They fall down on the ground and the life squad takes them away. But, people attribute all manner of irritations and dislikes to "allergies." I'm allergic to alcohol. When I drink it I get stupid and have a headache the next day.

    No not everyone’s bee stings look the same. I do not go into anaphylactic shock from them, but the area swells significantly and a rash spreads out from the sting. It takes over a week to subside.

    I would never belittle someone else’s allergies and it’s insulting that you feel the need to do so.

    OP, as others have said, food allergies don’t make you gain fat. You could gain some water weight that will subside as the allergic reaction subsided. CICO is still going to be how you lose weight; you just have to be more cautious and read labels carefully.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,913 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Allergies can be real, even if they aren't life-threatening. This is the kind of mindset that has people sneaking ingredients into people's food because they're determined to prove that allergies aren't "real" or are just a mental thing.

    This actually happens. My daughters FIL snuck shrimp into a dish to prove to her she wasn’t allergic. Needless to say, she either won’t eat there anymore or brings her own meals. SMH.

  • thelastnightingale
    thelastnightingale Posts: 725 Member
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    I don't understand this thread. I really don't.

    Allergies are real. If I eat things that I'm very allergic to, I will die. I've had enough (real) tests done, and nearly died enough times, to have an army of specialists who will tell you it's not all in my head. If it was, I'm not entirely sure how I would go into anaphylaxis from consuming an allergen that wasn't actually visible on my plate... I try my best to avoid poisoning myself, so the only times I've had severe reactions have been when people have lied or misled me about the content of what I'm eating.

    If you have allergies, weight loss can be challenging. Why? Because allergies restrict what you can eat. There are some really nice low-calorie or low-fat foods that I can't eat because they will either kill me, or make me ill.

    However, if anything, allergies make me lighter, because I am so ill when recovering I don't exactly have an appetite... not that I'd recommend shovelling allergens down your throat and stabbing yourself with an epi-pen for weight loss...

    There are some foods I am only mildly allergic to (i.e. they won't send me into anaphylactic shock) and they might lead to extreme stomach cramping and bloating - but again, that doesn't make me heavier.

    I have allergies, and I am overweight, not because I have allergies, but because I like food and I ate too much of it. It's really that simple...
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
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    4% actual 30 % believe.

    Today, an estimated 4 percent of American adults — or around 10 million — are believed to have food allergies. The percentage is higher for children, 5 percent or more, although many kids will outgrow allergies to milk, egg, wheat, and soy. The other four biggies — peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish — are more likely to endure. Catering just to the gluten-free subset (technically, celiac and gluten sensitivity aren’t allergies) represents an estimated $23 billion-a-year market.

    In his presentation to restaurateurs, Antico argues that appealing to the allergy crowd can pay off in dollars and cents. The market, he says, is much bigger than just people with diagnosed allergies. He cites a Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology study that found a whopping 30 percent of Americans believe they have a food allergy.

    https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2015/10/14/why-food-allergy-fakers-need-stop/PB6uN8NF3eLWFjXnKF5A9K/story.html
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
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    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    Wilson, I gave you a hug but there are babies and children born with food allergies. Deadly food allergies.
    Our mileage will always vary.

    Thanks so much. I agree with you completely. In fact, the reason for my comment was that my allergist [\b]told me that there is a very, very small number of people who are "mildly" allergic to anything. You are or you aren't for the most part. Most everyone's bee sting and poison ivy looks about the same. People with peanut allergies risk death and don't get "hives" or a stuffy nose. They fall down on the ground and the life squad takes them away. But, people attribute all manner of irritations and dislikes to "allergies." I'm allergic to alcohol. When I drink it I get stupid and have a headache the next day.

    The fact that you have an allergist confuses me, if allergies are mostly a figment of people’s imagination? 🤷‍♀️

    I’m lucky enough not to be allergic to any food stuff, but I certainly know people who genuinely are anaphylactic to any number of things.

    I agree with you that the ‘gluten-free’ bandwagon used to irritate me although now I see that it must have its advantages for all the truly gluten intolerant and coeliac suffers as the number of gluten free products has at least quadrupled in size over recent years.

    Likewise ‘lactose intolerant’ although, advances in non-dairy would have come as a result of the undeniable shift to more plant-based eating.

    So no harm done if people want to restrict something due to ‘imagined’ allergies in my opinion - if the market forces persuade the food industry to innovate faster and better all those true allergy sufferers will only benefit.

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