Gluten Free and Weight gain?

bunnyr

Why do so many people gain weight after going Gluten Free? People say they were underweight before diagnosis and quickly gain weight after changing their diet.

NoAdditives

Because a lot of gluten free products are just as processed and full of crap as regular processed foods. It's not always easy to make cookies, crackers, etc. without gluten and some of the ingredients they use to make them taste good and have a normal texture aren't very good for you.

Lyadeia

I totally agree with NoAdditives on this one. I believe that if someone is truly going to go gluten-free, then they should not only cut out the regular kinds of crackers and cookies but also the highly processed ones that claim to be gluten-free.

It's like someone cutting out fat and eating Snackwell's fat free cookies...they may be less fat, but they are higher sugar and oftentimes higher calorie...and they are so processed that you can't even pronounce half the ingredients in them.

dancer77

Exactly! (I agree with Lyadeia and NoAdditives). It can also be because gluten-free foods are often more dense and therefore have more calories in my experience.

BOGmama2010

I agree, I know the pancake mix that I bought had a huge amount of calories for just 2 pancakes compared to my whole wheat mix that I make. Plus it tasted like chalk. I am trying to limit my gluten and am getting my carbs instead through fresh fruits and veggies. That gluten free stuff is expensive too! So this is a bit cheaper for me.

knblocklinge

People who truly have an allergy to gluten or wheat tend to be thin prior to their diagnosis because they are sick (GI problems). They cannot keep much down (in more ways than one if you know what I mean), which means they are not retaining many calories. However once they figure out they have an allergy, their weight stabilizes (assuming they eat the proper amount of calories for their body).

If you truly need to cut out gluten from your diet, check out Food for Life brand. The Brown Rice bread is quite good. Also, I love Van's Blueberry waffles. There are definitely good products out there. You just have to sample many products and find out what you like. If there is a Whole Foods near where you live, I would suggest going there. Many of the employees are very knowledgeable and have tried many of the products. They can steer you the right direction of the good, the bad, and the ugly!


P.S. To echo what others have stated, just because it is wheat or gluten-free doesn't mean you don't have to look at the nutrition label.

mlb929

If you have been diagnosed with Celiac and that is why you are gluten free, you may have thyroid issues. There are also gluten intolerant people who can't lose weight. There is a close connection between celiac and thyroid problems as well, Have your thyroid tested if you are positive for celiac disease. My son is very underweight, but also has hypo-thyroid which just hadn't effected his weight yet because he is young and very active.

My kids favorite gluten free food is marshmallows - and they eat a lot of fruit, gluten free can be a high carb diet as well. We simply avoid most of the gluten free items. That said - if you have a diagnosis of celiac disease and itemize on your taxes the cost difference in the food can be tax deductible, so keep your receipts.

kdiamond

I eat gluten free but I also eat Paleo - so no boxed or processed crap, no rice, no potatoes, etc..

The term can definitely be misleading.

shreddingit

only because its gluten free doesnt mean FAT free!...things that cant ever have gluten, say gluten free, hahaha what a marketing gimmick it has become!