Giving up Wheat

Strive2BLean

I don't eat this kind of "junk" anyway so this would not be hard to eliminate. What I do love though is bagels. Sweets are not my thing.

Strive2BLean

Thank you. I will

lozadee

bump

Strive2BLean

I only eat whole foods. Nothing processed and everything cooked myself from scratch. I would basically only be cutting out breads bagels, Triscuits. I don't have an allergy to it so I don't have to be meticulous about it.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

It's a good idea for people with wheat sensitivities, like celiacs.

For everyone else, it just makes dieting overly restrictive and creates a potential for a failure point. Can you really say no to this sexy beast for the rest of your life?



I know I can't.

Yes, i have no problem saying No to that sloppy and disgusting donut. It makes my stomach hurt just looking at it. I eat for optimum health and I have found when I ditched the grains, added sugar and any / all processed foods that fruits and vegetables taste so much better and I crave them.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

It's a good idea for people with wheat sensitivities, like celiacs.

For everyone else, it just makes dieting overly restrictive and creates a potential for a failure point. Can you really say no to this sexy beast for the rest of your life?



I know I can't.

*whimpers*

Yes this desert looks delicious but with someone with a wheat allergy it is torture and they do make things that are gluten free. I eat them all them time. This is the times. If you go into any bakery ask for gluten free stuff they usually have something just as good.

Why substitute junk with other junk. My Dr's told me that is the biggest mistake people make. If you need to remove stuff from your eating plan due to intolerances or allergies - then it should be removed and not go find another processed substitute for it. Makes no sense.

dad106

I have just started to attempt and eliminate wheat and flour. I made this decision after watching a video on youtube by LeanSecrets "Reasons to stop eating wheat". You could check it out. LeanSecrets (with Brenda Leigh Turner) is a great youtube channel.

I love Brenda Leigh Turner! We should start a group of people who eat by her principles!

Also, I started following her guidance, including cutting out wheat and flour, and the weight is melting off effortlessly. I feel better, it's only been 3 weeks and I'm down 10 pounds.

P.S. I'm Vegetarian too

Correlation does not equal causation.

You could be losing weight due to a number of reasons, and not just because you cut out wheat and flour.

To OP:
I eat wheat and flour all the time... Bagels in the morning, sandwiches for lunch.
I lost and maintain fine.

ohtobe140

I gave up wheat the day after thanksgiving last year and I have had it twice since then, both times I broke out in hives, so yes, giving it up was good for me. I have no cravings for it now and it now makes me feel so bad that that is motivation enough to stay away. A lot of my physical pain has gone away since giving up wheat and I think I was living with an allergy for a long time but since I kept eating it, my body was constantly fighting it. Try it, it won't hurt to try it and if you don't like giving up wheat then don't. It's not a cure all for weight loss but if it makes you feel better to give it up then try, if it's doesn't, then don't.

Fatandfifty3

I've cut gluten right out of my diet and I feel so much better for it. I also find I have less desire to binge eat.

trinitylyons01

It's a good idea for people with wheat sensitivities, like celiacs.

For everyone else, it just makes dieting overly restrictive and creates a potential for a failure point. Can you really say no to this sexy beast for the rest of your life?



I know I can't.

*whimpers*

This. (The whimpering part!)

jahowell

I have much better success when giving up wheat, I also feel better mentally and Physically, a lot less joint pain, less anxiety, less PMS!
I have it every once in a while, then I remember why I gave it up!

runlisaloo

I have a sensitivity to wheat, so I gave it up about two years ago - completely. I feel MUCH better and am not nearly as bloated. My husband feels better too. It's been easy to find products (pasta, bread, cakes etc.) made from rice flour and other non-wheat flours. I don't lose weight unless I cut calories. If I eat substantial amounts of cake, bread, etc., of course, my weight is up. I still have to focus on calories consumed and burned. Hope this helps! Good luck to you!

Alisha_countrymama

Yes I have done this and had amazing results!

Enigmatica

I kicked wheat to the curb when I found out it was one of the things that had been making me sick for most if not all of my life. I can't have dairy either. Both of those foods trigger migraines within an hour, digestive system problems that last for days, and skin breakouts last a couple of weeks, for me. All those years I thought I was "unhealthy" and it turned out my body was reacting to these foods. Ugh.

Sooo... I haven't found it that hard to ditch wheat and dairy because the effects on my health are quite clear. It seems to be harder for those who don't have an obvious health reason to eliminate a food that so permeates our culture. Eating out becomes especially difficult. Not an issue for me very often but it's a dealbreaker for many.

And if you substitute gluten-free breads, cookies, cakes, etc, for the wheat versions, don't count on losing weight. Gluten-free isn't necessarily calorie free!

CrazyTrackLady

Hi all. Anyone out there ever give up eating food that contains wheat like, bread, pasta, crackers, cookies: basically anything made with flour. I am reading "Lose the Wheat Lose the Weight" and it sounds like an interesting concept. I was just curious if anyone has had any success with it.

If you're considering it, join the Gluten Free group. Lots of very good advice on there. I have been GF since January 2011. It made drastic differences to my health, plus I lost a lot of weight and my cholesterol plummeted.

It's not easy at first, but it gets better.

PaveGurl

It depends a LOT on how you replace those items, in my experience, and that you remember you still have calories in/ calories out equation to balance. I cut out grains, refined sugars, and beans last year, and I typically do NOT use gluten-free products -- where I used to have bread or pasta, I now have another veggie, for example.

It's beneficial in a lot of ways, but be aware it's not a panacea if you replace it with faux-food. GF products may have just as much starchy stuff and more sugar to make up for the protein loss in removing the gliadin.

aejbx4x7s

As a Celiac, I have no idea why someone would choose to give up wheat. I just want a giant croissant. And a bagel. And spanakopita. And...

Also, be aware that many wheat-free alternative products from the store, like wheat-free bagels and breads, have more calories than their counterparts.

tropicalhotdognight

I have a mild gluten intolerance. In general, I'm quite fit, but in the last year or so I've put on a couple of pounds of body fat that just haven't been willing to budge. Over the last six months or so, I moved out of state with my boyfriend. I started a new job, have learned to navigate a new city, have had lots of nights out getting to know new friends... and, frankly, had a lot of late nights eating pizza and drinking wine with my dude. (We were long distance for about a year before I moved, so this has been a happy, happy time!) My couple of fat pounds turned into ten-ish pounds of fat on top of my fairly muscular physique. After my dad had a tremendous amount of success with a wheat-free diet, Mr Tropicalhotdognight and I gave up gluten for a month starting on January 1st. We tried really hard to avoid packaged gluten-free snacks like cookies and crackers, went to eat only at restaurants where we knew we could order gluten-free meals, and did a ton of grocery shopping, planning meals and cooking together. By default, we ended up eating a ton of protein and vegetables, the occasional potato, and some quinoa or rice here and there. In sum, we were more or less on a lower-carb diet. He lost about 12 pounds over the course of the month and, although my scale didn't change much, my body composition was quite different by the end end of January. People kept asking me if I'd lost some weight because I looked slimmer.

On a gluten-free diet, I noticed that my low belly looked and felt less bloated within a few days. I slept better and woke up more refreshed. My mood was stable all day every day. I did pretty hardcore workouts four days a week and found my recovery time from each was dramatically shorter-- far less sore and fatigued the next day, even though I was pushing myself much harder. Most importantly for me, though, was how dropping gluten affected my hunger levels. I never felt particularly hungry or particularly stuffed. My food seemed to sustain me well during the day, and my body told me when it was time to eat. It became easy to keep eating gluten-free because it felt natural and easy, and I never felt deprived.

My boyfriend struggled a little more over the first two weeks-- he was definitely hungrier and felt more withdrawal symptoms. He, however, doesn't have a known gluten intolerance. He started working out with weights and a heavy bag several times a week, and it seems like the gluten-free diet has really helped him build musculature and lose fat. He looks great!

I suspect that giving up processed foods in general could yield the same kinds of results, as could a lot of other diet plans. It seems, however, that gluten-free works really well for both of us. We went out for Italian food and each had a beer over the first weekend in February, and we both felt awful. We woke up bloated, sluggish and headache-y the next morning. Could've had more to do with the booze or the amount of salt in restaurant food, but after a weekend of indulgence, we hopped right back on the gluten-free train. We are continuing to feel great and see results!

RobynLB

Makes no difference to weight loss. Might make a difference to bloating if you are sensitive to it.

MerlinWilliams

I cut out grains completely. Best move I ever made.

Joint pains gone.
Weight dropping.
Migraines have disappeared.
My skin is no longer dry, and my hair is growing in much fuller.
Sense of taste is now heightened - and I like vegetables I would never previously have eaten.
Sweet cravings have vanished - so no added refined sugars now.