Wheat/dairy free diet driving me crazy!

ShadowSoldier23

I started my wheat/dairy free diet on Thursday. It's only Tuesday. The fat kid in me cant stop thinking about a grilled chicken sandwich on a wheat bun or mozzarella cheese sticks with ranch! I've done good and haven't eaten wheat or dairy. I have even looked up sweets recipes with almond/coconut flower that I am going to hopefully try soon so I can still get a sweets here and there. But I am have a really hard time with these cravings!

My doctor suggest to go wheat/dairy free for a minimum of 6 weeks to help jump start my weight loss but also make that positive change to where I'm not eating pastas/bread like I did before. I get it. But at the same time I don't want to continue this diet and wind up completely sabotaging myself. Dropping dairy I get, because as a child I was lactose intolerant, but wound up eating it enough to build up a tolerance to it. Plus 80% of the population doesn't have the proper enzymes to digest dairy so it messes with our bodies. But I still want my ice cream (although I found Almond Dream, not sure it he potato or rice starch are okay to eat) and cheese sticks!

Does anyone have experience with starting this diet, not out of allergy needs but purely for lifestyle/health changes? How did you cope with it, any advice? I feel like I'm going crazy and my last final was yesterday, so I will now go back to work at Pizza Hut for the break....it won't be too hard, but the cheese is what gets me!

ShadowSoldier23

Anybody?

thecrossfitter

I don't eat grain or dairy in my diet. (Disclaimer before people freak out... I by no means think this is necessary - but my body really really doesn't like the way grains make me feel, and I just... don't, eat dairy. Also on the rare occasion I find myself craving a bagel... I eat it. So no haters - just my choice for my body )

I've had friends who have eliminated these items from their diet cold turkey and they said it took 2-3 weeks to adjust. I personally transitioned into this over a month with small sustainable changes. If it's something you want to do (note - I'm not saying she NEEDS to do this) I'd say you may need to give it a bit more time before you decide if it's something you want to stick with

(I also don't do the no/low carb version of this - I eat about 160 a day - lots of fruits and veggies).

In general I've felt crazy better since I've made these changes! No processed foods - just fresh meats, produce and nuts/oils. I'm hard core anemic and have always had no energy regardless of how much I slept - and now I feel like I have the energy of a 10 year old! (Could have nothing to do with lack of grains and dairy but lack of processed foods!)

ShadowSoldier23

I have no energy and want to sleep all the time so I'm hoping that it might help. I feel like maybe I should give in and eat some grains or something, my body is making me feel really sick and yesterday I wound up throwing up. It's really hard to think I'd never eat cheese again, or ice cream for that matter! I know I need to stick with it because apparently my body is telling me that I need to give it up, with how crappy (almost like withdrawals, which im reading about now) I feel. Thanks for the response!

thecrossfitter

I have no energy and want to sleep all the time so I'm hoping that it might help. I feel like maybe I should give in and eat some grains or something, my body is making me feel really sick and yesterday I wound up throwing up. It's really hard to think I'd never eat cheese again, or ice cream for that matter! I know I need to stick with it because apparently my body is telling me that I need to give it up, with how crappy (almost like withdrawals, which im reading about now) I feel. Thanks for the response!

Maybe speak with your doctor - I will say my friends that have done this have told me their bodies do TOTALLY freak out on them when they start - but if this is something he/she thinks you should do and you're on board with perhaps see if it would be okay to transition over a month?

And everyone I personally know who eats this way - myself included - usually has one meal a week with either dairy or grain (I'm having sushi saturday! mmmm)

But yeah - doctor's advice over everything you read in a forum of course - but from what I've heard this is an entirely normal reaction when you just switch like that!

ShadowSoldier23

What stinks is I don't have any insurance and I'm a broke (6 bucks to my name literally) college student. I live with family for now and they pay for my food (thankful for that!). So because I get the womens health medicaid, that's how I saw my doctor...for my once a year checkup. She said I can come back and speak with her whenever I like and I am planning to go weigh myself at the office Thursday since I'm so heavy my scale won't register my weight (yea, it sucks!). I figure once I have gotten past the 6 week mark I can do like a once a month/week day where I allow myself one dairy or wheat item like you said.

I just hope I can make it through the 6 weeks as bad as I am feeling. I'm just drinking a lot of hot tea for now to help me get through.

BrewerGeorge

Personally, I wouldn't consider cheese and yogurt "dairy" if your reason to move away from it is that you can't digest it. The bacteria have already done all the hard work in those foods.

lindseyb317

wheat and dairy free can be hard... but its also fun! you can buy gluten free mixes for cakes, cornbread, etc, and use almond or coconut milk in place of dairy. as for cheese and ice cream, yeah its tough!! i usually cave once a day or so on dairy.
i know whole foods carries rice cheese but it is more expensive.

ShadowSoldier23

wheat and dairy free can be hard... but its also fun! you can buy gluten free mixes for cakes, cornbread, etc, and use almond or coconut milk in place of dairy. as for cheese and ice cream, yeah its tough!! i usually cave once a day or so on dairy.
i know whole foods carries rice cheese but it is more expensive.

We have two small health food stores here, so I found some shirataki noodles to try (although im still scared to do so!) and no whole foods or stores like that . Although our local grocery store carries a lot of alternatives for dairy. Tomorrow I am going to get some almond/coconut flour to bake some goodies for myself so I'm not completely deprived. I have to get used to the almond milk but it's not so bad. I'm trying to get through the misserable/searching for meals part first!

ShadowSoldier23

Personally, I wouldn't consider cheese and yogurt "dairy" if your reason to move away from it is that you can't digest it. The bacteria have already done all the hard work in those foods.

She said no cheese either, I was really sad about that I think once my 6 weeks is up I will add it in once in a while in meals so I will still get it once in a while.

jalara

I am gluten and dairy free and not by choice. I have Celiac's Disease can't tolerate dairy.

It's hard and it sucks.

My best tip for you is to stick to the outside of the grocery store and to eat a lot of protein!

Also, the withdrawal is normal, you've suddenly eliminated your body's main source of sugar (it didn't sound like you were replacing the carbs with gluten free ones). This diet will alter your intestines as well (for the better) as dairy and gluten-laden products are so processed that they barely resemble their original state.

It's hard (I know). But there are a TON of great things out there to eat (I promise). If you send me a PM I can help you figure out what to eat when you are craving something specific, and I try to give you whatever support you need.

GL!

millerll

Your doctor recommended this diet for weight loss, not for medical reasons (as in you can't digest wheat). If you hate it, then change it! There's no reason why you can't continue to eat wheat and possibly dairy (if your stomach can handle it). You just have to use portion control. So you'll get smaller portions and won't feel deprived, and you can still fit those items into your goals. A diet you can't stick to is of no use.

Of course, if you choose to remain wheat and dairy free, there are plenty of alternatives out there, as people have already mentioned. Good luck either way!

ShadowSoldier23

I am gluten and dairy free and not by choice. I have Celiac's Disease can't tolerate dairy.

It's hard and it sucks.

My best tip for you is to stick to the outside of the grocery store and to eat a lot of protein!

Also, the withdrawal is normal, you've suddenly eliminated your body's main source of sugar (it didn't sound like you were replacing the carbs with gluten free ones). This diet will alter your intestines as well (for the better) as dairy and gluten-laden products are so processed that they barely resemble their original state.

It's hard (I know). But there are a TON of great things out there to eat (I promise). If you send me a PM I can help you figure out what to eat when you are craving something specific, and I try to give you whatever support you need.

GL!

Thanks for the offer! Just sent you a message. I can use all the help and support I can get right now with how icky I'm feeling. I already feel the intestinal changes! It's a TMI topic for some people but I have been going to the bathroom a lot more with a different consistency. It's almost as if my body is cleaning itself out! And I have done a cleanse before that wasn't as effective as this. It's insane how your body can change so fast.

ShadowSoldier23

Your doctor recommended this diet for weight loss, not for medical reasons (as in you can't digest wheat). If you hate it, then change it! There's no reason why you can't continue to eat wheat and possibly dairy (if your stomach can handle it). You just have to use portion control. So you'll get smaller portions and won't feel deprived, and you can still fit those items into your goals. A diet you can't stick to is of no use.

Of course, if you choose to remain wheat and dairy free, there are plenty of alternatives out there, as people have already mentioned. Good luck either way!

I agree with you. It's supposed to be for weight loss but I am thinking I might just keep it as a permanent change in my life. I'm a documentary junkie and i've watched a ton of nutrition documentaries that basically say that the way we eat with all the processed junk is terrible for us and I feel it physically. However, I know that once I get past this six weeks I will be okay with the occasional diary or what product just so I don't completely miss out on it forever.

Murlin54

msimon, I just want to wish you luck reaching your goals. My husband and I are trying to give up wheat, or severely restrict our intake. Not to the extent of avoiding it when it's hidden in foods, because it isn't an allergy or anything, just we know it is not the best food for us. According to what I've read, it does take some time to get past the withdrawal symptoms. I haven't found it too bad but I didn't eat a lot of sandwiches or wheat based cereals. My husband is having it a bit harder because he eats a lot of crackers and bread. He feels hungry all the time, but it is getting better after a couple of weeks. GOOD LUCK! You can do this!

ShadowSoldier23

Thanks Murlin! I sent you an add request so I can have a few people who are on a similar track as myself. It's much easier knowing that other people are fighting the same fight. I have been reading on the withdrawals and I am definitely feeling it since I ate a TON of pasta and bread on a regular basis. I sincerely miss my favorite cereal too, but I will enjoy that once in a blue moon after I've gotten over the issues I'm facing now.

vjrose

Keep checking the "health food" sections of the grocery stores, I don't know where you live but in Washington even the regular grocery stores carry a lot of Gluten Free stuff. Ice cream, try So Delicious coconut ice cream, decadent enough for anyone, I have to ration it carefully not real low calorie lol. And for melted cheese see if you can find Daiya cheese alternative, comes in Mozzarella, Cheddar, and pepper jack shreds. Not good cold but awesome melted.

Murlin54

Our decision to give up wheat started because my daughter is allergic, although recent allergy test came back negative. There is no doubt that she is having problems with gluten or wheat. It took her a while to figure it out but now she can't drink wheat based beers or eat bread, pizza etc without stomach issues and rashes. I bought the book "wheat belly" and it made me decide to try and limit if not eliminate wheat altogether. The book really bashes wheat and says it is bad for weight gain and a myriad of other health concerns. The hard part for my daughter, also a college student but paying for her own way now in her graduate program, is that gluten free products are very expensive. Under the Christmas tree, waiting for her, are two gluten free cookbooks. One of them is "Gluten Free on a Shoestring: 125 Easy Recipes for Eating Well on the Cheap. It looked pretty good. I bought two of the other books, one for her and one for us, "100 Best Gluten Free Recipes". I figure when she visits, I better start learning to cook some stuff she can eat. On a student's time and budget, working, classes and no spare money to spend, she hasn't had a lot of time to spend cooking. The diet can get boring when you can't eat what your used to eating and don't have a lot of time to cook and not enough money to buy those $$ gluten free products. I have been buying the Quinoa pasta though and it's good. Also, made a delicious Quinoa recipe I got from "AllRecipes.com. Quinoa and black beans. It was really tasty. For losing weight, the "Wheat Belly" book suggests that you don't replace wheat with other high glycemic substitutes such as gluten free breads, cereals etc., but if you limit your high glycemic carbs and stay away from wheat, it should go a long way toward helping weight loss. For you, I think your doctor is giving good advice. I think it should get easier once you get past the initial withdrawal and cravings. Those cravings should reduce as well.

wantthistowork

You should try the shredded mozzarella cheese substitute and also the shredded cheddar cheese substitutes made with soy. I actually just bought them and the guy at the health food store swore by them. The brand is "daiya" I believe. He said they taste and melt just like regular cheese. Buy the frozen or fresh gluten free pizza crusts, some tomato sauce and there you have a pizza (one of my favorites).

Also with the cheddar I suggest black or organic refried beans, the daiya cheddar cheese and salsa with soft corn tortillas or the smart and delicious brand (which have a ton of fiber, and yes, wheat but if that was the only wheat you had then it shouldn't be too bad), melt it all in the microwave and there you have a burrito. Beans are cheap AND filling!The cheese might be a little more $$, but if you portion these items out they should last for a while. Quinoa noodles aren't too bad as a substitute for spaghetti noodles as well. If you are a cereal lover (like me!) I found Lydia's Organics Vanilla Crunch cereal to be awesome (gluten-free, raw, organic & uses agave nectar instead of regular sugar) and eat that with Almond or Soy Milk. It is honestly delicious-just make sure you portion it appropriately instead of pouring a huge bowl like I love to do with regular sugary cereals!

ms99pepper

sorry i havent read the whole thread so i might be repeating some things. i've just recently cut out dairy from my diet because its ..well gross (in the sense of where it comes off) and full of fat, unless its fat free then its just full of chemicals.. there's nothing in dairy that we need that we cant get from someplace else. & theres plenty of great alternatives. rice or almond milk are great choices, obviously there are soy products but i wouldn't start eating everything soy. there are still mixed reviews on the affects of too much soy. i just got vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.. AMAZING!!
now is it just wheat? can you have other grains, oats, barley, farro, brown rice, quinoa... they make bread out of that stuff too, and these are all complex carbs that are actually good for you, supply you body with vitamins, fiber and minerals.. its the refined sugar and white flour goods i would stay away from.

read skinny *****... its a funny read and really insightful about whats in our food, you might not be so sad to give up dairy after all.

randa_behnam

i have a wheat, yeast and Rye intollerance, i dont avoid these foods completely but when i do eat pasta or bread i really balloon up like im having an allergic reaction.

i make sure my fridge and cupboards are full of protein and i buy a few gluten free foods. pasta is my downfall so i only eat it now and again. bread i have pretty much got out of my system now,

its not easy, i think maybe you should wean yourself off these foods slowly rather than in one big go!

eat lots of eggs/ chicken/ tuna to fill you up. make sure you have fruits and veggies to tuck into when you need a snack x

capriciousmoon

I don't see the point in giving them up if you're just going to look up ways to make similar foods with different ingredients or use substitutes that are basically the same thing. Just because an ice cream isn't dairy or you're using a different type of flour doesn't really make it healthier for you.

nhbthaler

I used to do no-gluten no-casein in short little spurts (i.e. on the order of weeks) in the hopes it would help me keep my weight low and it wasn't until I ditched both for good that the weight finally fell off.

shakybabe

I've gone wheat free/low carb in general (but still eat small amount of dairy as didn't eat that much to be honest anyway.. other than milk in tea and cereals)

Rice doesn't contain wheat gluten so you could have something like Rice Krispies with the lactose free milk or almond milk or something (if you don't have nut allergy) I sprinkle a few coco pops in with mine to make it sweeter without adding sugar and satisfy my choc cravings without eating an entire bowl of just coco pops! You can have curry and rice if you do a tomato based curry rather than a korma style one that would contain cream and again rice is gluten free or can whizz cauliflower up in processer to rice size and steam in microwave and use that as your 'rice'.

You can get gluten free bread.. I don't eat loads but I like scrambled egg on toast at weekend so use it for this (lasts longer if you cut it into slices then freeze the slices) and gluten free pitta's make nice healthy kebabs or a mini pizza base. (though would mean adding cheese?)

Oats are ok, I found a nice rhubarb crumble topped with oats instead of pastry, and found gluten free brownies.. I think if you find a few small treats you can have every week or so you won't feel like your depriving yourself and you can always exercise that day to earn more calories to cover your 'treat meals'.

If you enjoy baking or want to have a go, a bag of gluten free flour will probably be cheaper than a loaf, you could try and make your own or also use it for egg-less batter (flour and sparkling water like chefs do on telly) for pancakes for a treat? or dip vegtables in it and do vegetables in a tempura batter or prawns? ,, as a treat meal I'm thinking. obviously they be high in calories as fried but would be gluten free and again you could exercise that day to earn those extra calories so you don't gain weight after treat days.

There is a gluten free group on here you can join for ideas too, I joined recently and someone gave me recipie for gluten free yorkshire puddings! :happy:

TNoire

I asked my doc about this and his eyes went really wide, he don't agree with it at all
He tells me don't call it a diet, eat what you want within moderation just stay away from fast food junk food processed food and such like that and treat when you make your goals

What ive learned from my doctors and a bit of what ive done on my journey is this....

females no less than 1200 cals a day men 1800 a day
Always burn more than you consume for great weight loss
Your body will always have a certain amount a day you will burn just sitting on your butt
For example my body alone is roughly 1600 a day just sitting around doing nothing
I consume around 1200-1400 a day

Low carb is key, heavier carbs in the morning

Whole grains keep you fuller longer & fresh fruit and veggies and lean meats
Personally I do red meat and taters 2x a week

Remember the heavier you are the more calories you will burn and the smaller you get the harder it gets but we can't let that get us down

Like example I gained 195lbs when I quit smoking, I was 135 when I graduated almost 12yrs ago, quit smoking gained weight but didn't get on track til March 2009 when my docs got on my case saying they didn't want me to have a kid til I was at a good weight, October 2010 I lost 156lbs then came stress of buying selling houses, now after my slack phase im back on track in the last month I lost almost 6 lbs

I been trying to burn a extra 500-1200 cals a day on top of the 1600 cals and everything else, one thing im trying to watch is sodium and carbs, not trying to burn 4000+ like I was last year a day cause my doc said if im trying to have a baby at the sametime don't over do it just do what I can

we can do this

Just remember burn more than you eat just don't consume under 1200 cals as long as ur getting 1200 and plenty of water your good (1800 for a guy)

Muscle weighs more than fat, muscle burns more fat

3500 cals to put ON a lb
3500 burned cals to take OFF a lb


If you eat less than those carbs your body will go into starvation mode and store everything & we don't want that!

hope that helps I know it helped me

Also set your goals and when you make that goal treat yourself and only half a slice of cake or whatever of a normal serving size

remember fast food/processed food/junk food stay away from it til your treat yourself day for making your goal

Kymmu

I've been wheat free since January this year. Feel free to look at my diary.

I have a little gift for you......
Take a bunch of ripe bananas peel them and cut into thirds. Freeze them tonight.
Tomorrow put them into a food processor, at first they will look like chopped nuts, keep whizzing them up.
They will turn into the MOST delicious good for you no added anything ICECREAM ever.
Give it a go and message me to let me know what you thought.....It's delicious....

Your Welcome.

bigbugboo

I am wheat and sugar free (most of the time, I have been known to indulge on my days off). I have eaten this way for a while now, and have found many different ways to enjoy my food. There's so much choice out there that you shouldn't feel deprived, lol. I know it can feel like that in the beginning, but I bet you will find yourself getting really resourceful in no time.

I wouldn't go back to wheat and sugar full-time as it is like poison to me. It makes me feel sluggish, bloated, headachey and just generally bad. The weight has come off well for me (almost 1 stone, 14lb in 9 weeks). I'm doing it the slow and healthy way, but it is the best way. Let me know if you'd like some help with recipes etc. : )

bigbugboo

I've been wheat free since January this year. Feel free to look at my diary.

I have a little gift for you......
Take a bunch of ripe bananas peel them and cut into thirds. Freeze them tonight.
Tomorrow put them into a food processor, at first they will look like chopped nuts, keep whizzing them up.
They will turn into the MOST delicious good for you no added anything ICECREAM ever.
Give it a go and message me to let me know what you thought.....It's delicious....

Your Welcome.

I freeze all kinds of fruits and put them through my juicer (it has a special attachment for making icecream). I love banana, strawberry and peach together. It looks so pretty and tastes fantastic!

honeyb7

Get the book by Dr. William Davis, "Wheat Belly" It will help you to understand about wheat and why it might be better for you to cut it out of your diet. But it also gives you alternatives to eat healthy, including recipes and meal a plan. Part of the struggle of being a carboholic for me is once I start eating carbs (gluten free or not) I just crave more. And yes the withdrawal from these types of carbs (not all carbs are bad, just the ones that raise your gylcemic index too high, which gives you the highs and lows throughout the day) can be difficult. Reading about this stuff has helped in my journey to health.
Friend me if you'd like some support!

ShadowSoldier23

Thanks for all the advice! I know several people have told that this drastic change is not good for me. I do know that cutting out dairy won't hurt me one bit, especially with all the things I know about milk as someone said earlier. Plus 80% of people lose the ability to properly digest milk after infancy because the enzymes disappear. I know for a fact I'm one of those people because as a kid I could never keep dairy down. It also makes me sick if I eat too much now as an adult, so as much as I will miss it I think it's beneficial for me to cut it out.

I also know that my body doesn't really like the breads/pastas that much because I've always ballooned up when I eat too much of it. I'm not saying I'm going carb-less because I did Atkins and gained all the weight back and then some right after I started eating carbs again! For now though I will at least go the 6 weeks and try to make better choices and eat these things a lot less often.

So i'm about to go to the grocery store, I feel much better this week than I did last week, thats for sure!

Murlin54

I've been wheat free since January this year. Feel free to look at my diary.

I have a little gift for you......
Take a bunch of ripe bananas peel them and cut into thirds. Freeze them tonight.
Tomorrow put them into a food processor, at first they will look like chopped nuts, keep whizzing them up.
They will turn into the MOST delicious good for you no added anything ICECREAM ever.
Give it a go and message me to let me know what you thought.....It's delicious....

Your Welcome.

That is what I gave my babies for ice cream. It is so good.