Gluten Free

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JECA3184
JECA3184 Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
Can having a more gluten free diet (not cutting it out 100%, but having a mostly gluten free diet) help with weightloss? Or is it just a fad diet thing?
From what I have been reading on the internet, it's a bit vague.
I've been thinking about trying gluten free granola and bread.
Suggestions? Ideas? Tips?
- JECA

Replies

  • PrimaveraEterna007
    PrimaveraEterna007 Posts: 242
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    :huh: I did not know.... What is it you know about it..? I would like to know more
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Fad thing, if you don't have a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease there is not benefit to eating gluten free.
  • Mavrick_RN
    Mavrick_RN Posts: 439 Member
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    Fad. Expensive fad at that.
  • fayeonherway
    fayeonherway Posts: 204
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    Fad thing, if you don't have a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease there is not benefit to eating gluten free.

    This.
  • Jez_SD
    Jez_SD Posts: 2
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    As someone who eats gluten free due to a sensitivity, I can confirm, it's a fad diet. The reason people tend to lose weight (when they first start) is because a lot of the per-prepared food tastes like cardboard (or worse).
  • ChaoticMum
    ChaoticMum Posts: 115 Member
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    To be honest, eating gluten free is cheaper than eating gluten products. When I became gluten free I stopped eating breads and pastas. I replaced them with more vegetables and healthy fats and proteins. My grocery bill has not changed. IF you buy the specially made gluten free cookies, and breads, and pastas and treats etc - then YES - its more expensive. But if you just eat whole natural foods its not.

    That being said - Celiacs have no choice but to be GF. Many people have gluten intolerances and choose to live a happier/healthier/more comfortable life by being GF. My son has amazing behavioural changes when he lives GF vs living with gluten.

    I myself am more comfortable when I live GF - which began two fold - one in solidarity with my son and two because of the subsequent research into gluten which led to researching GMOs and the effects of grains in general on our bodies. The result was that I didn't realize I was so UN comfortable until I cut gluten from my diet. I am no longer bloated. I no longer have to visit the bathroom immediately after meals with gas pains. I no longer am nervous to be in a crowd because I may pass gas in public. My skin has cleared up from acne that has bothered me since I was a teenager. Acne which had migrated to my back. These are things I just thought were 'ME' and that I had to live with. Only by going GF did I realize these things could change.

    I have never been diagnosed with anything but because I chose to try something new, I found a way of life that works for me. I didn't do it to follow a fad, I did it for ME.
  • danni_l
    danni_l Posts: 144 Member
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    I eat gluten free and I have lost weight, but I generally take more care of what I eat now and find that eating gluten free / low carb works best for me.

    As with everything - its a personal preference.

    That said, some people fall into the trap of buying gluten free products which can be high in sugar, and end up putting on more weight.

    I prefer to cut it out altogether rather than find replacements.
  • ethompso0105
    ethompso0105 Posts: 418 Member
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    Okay...here's the deal with gluten free eating and weight loss according to my personal experience:

    If you're truly gluten intolerant, then you may have luck losing weight when you drop gluten. If you notice things like bloating, headaches, indigestion, etc, after eating gluten, then cutting it from your diet may be a good idea. I cut all gluten from my diet for 12 months straight--within the first two months, I lost 10 pounds. Not because I didn't like the food, either. I found incredible (albeit expensive) alternatives and still enjoyed eating. However, when I became lax and started reintroducing gluten into my diet--even just a bit here and there, the weight crept back on. In speaking with a couple doctors, they said this is a huge indication that my self-diagnosed gluten intolerance is the real deal. If you're going to cut out gluten, don't just do it half way, and give it a minimum of a month to work.

    If you're NOT gluten intolerant, eating gluten-free is just a fad. It likely won't help you, and may actually hurt. A lot of pre-made gluten free alternatives are higher in fats and sugars to make up for the lack of "normal" taste and texture.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    To be honest, eating gluten free is cheaper than eating gluten products. When I became gluten free I stopped eating breads and pastas. I replaced them with more vegetables and healthy fats and proteins. My grocery bill has not changed. IF you buy the specially made gluten free cookies, and breads, and pastas and treats etc - then YES - its more expensive. But if you just eat whole natural foods its not.

    That being said - Celiacs have no choice but to be GF. Many people have gluten intolerances and choose to live a happier/healthier/more comfortable life by being GF. My son has amazing behavioural changes when he lives GF vs living with gluten.

    I myself am more comfortable when I live GF - which began two fold - one in solidarity with my son and two because of the subsequent research into gluten which led to researching GMOs and the effects of grains in general on our bodies. The result was that I didn't realize I was so UN comfortable until I cut gluten from my diet. I am no longer bloated. I no longer have to visit the bathroom immediately after meals with gas pains. I no longer am nervous to be in a crowd because I may pass gas in public. My skin has cleared up from acne that has bothered me since I was a teenager. Acne which had migrated to my back. These are things I just thought were 'ME' and that I had to live with. Only by going GF did I realize these things could change.

    I have never been diagnosed with anything but because I chose to try something new, I found a way of life that works for me. I didn't do it to follow a fad, I did it for ME.

    Exactly. This.

    For people looking for a quick fix weight loss trick, yeah it's a fad that most likely wont even help. For people looking to fix chronic issues, its worth a try. Gluten is significantly inflammatory and grains like wheat are quite difficult to digest, so they promote dietary stress which can cause all sorts of issues.

    End of the day, give it a shot and if you see no difference, then don't keep doing it. If it does make a difference, well, then good thing you tried it. Unfortunately trial and error is the only way to know if you're sensitive.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    I don't know about dieting. It helps some people with bloating (my husband and sister, for instance) so they look better. My sister-in-law really is gluten intolerant (celiac disease) - it almost killed her at 50. When she ate gluten she couldn't digest anything and was horribly ill and lost serious amounts of weight. You do NOT want to do that!

    High glycemic food, including starches (many of which have gluten) will change insulin levels and change how you metabolize and store sugar
  • V3ggieL0vinGinger
    V3ggieL0vinGinger Posts: 235
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    I don't know about weight loss, but gluten is bad. Go read Wheat Belly!
  • tiddlebit11
    tiddlebit11 Posts: 182
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    Dont know if someone already said this...but by cutting gluten out for too long you can actually develop an intolerance to it = NOT GOOD!
    \
    As someone who just got diagnosed as being coeliac, i assure you that you do not want to become intolerant to it , i have a quite badly damaged GI tract because of it and food choices get a lot harder

    It wont help with weight loss... eating healthy foods and being active is the way to go...sorry but theres no 'secret' or miracle thing to do to lose weight more quickly

    Good luck!
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    Dont know if someone already said this...but by cutting gluten out for too long you can actually develop an intolerance to it = NOT GOOD!
    \
    As someone who just got diagnosed as being coeliac, i assure you that you do not want to become intolerant to it , i have a quite badly damaged GI tract because of it and food choices get a lot harder

    It wont help with weight loss... eating healthy foods and being active is the way to go...sorry but theres no 'secret' or miracle thing to do to lose weight more quickly

    Good luck!

    you can also develop an intolerance through eating too much of it. **** happens.
  • singer201
    singer201 Posts: 560 Member
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    I eat primal/paleo which is primarily gluten/wheat/grain-free, and since the main intent is to eat fewer carbs for weight loss, I avoid the expensive and carb-laden gluten-free alternatives, as well. Fresh veggies and fruits, meats, and healthy fats make up most of my diet.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    To be honest, eating gluten free is cheaper than eating gluten products. When I became gluten free I stopped eating breads and pastas. I replaced them with more vegetables and healthy fats and proteins. My grocery bill has not changed. IF you buy the specially made gluten free cookies, and breads, and pastas and treats etc - then YES - its more expensive. But if you just eat whole natural foods its not.

    That being said - Celiacs have no choice but to be GF. Many people have gluten intolerances and choose to live a happier/healthier/more comfortable life by being GF. My son has amazing behavioural changes when he lives GF vs living with gluten.

    I myself am more comfortable when I live GF - which began two fold - one in solidarity with my son and two because of the subsequent research into gluten which led to researching GMOs and the effects of grains in general on our bodies. The result was that I didn't realize I was so UN comfortable until I cut gluten from my diet. I am no longer bloated. I no longer have to visit the bathroom immediately after meals with gas pains. I no longer am nervous to be in a crowd because I may pass gas in public. My skin has cleared up from acne that has bothered me since I was a teenager. Acne which had migrated to my back. These are things I just thought were 'ME' and that I had to live with. Only by going GF did I realize these things could change.

    I have never been diagnosed with anything but because I chose to try something new, I found a way of life that works for me. I didn't do it to follow a fad, I did it for ME.

    Exactly. This.

    For people looking for a quick fix weight loss trick, yeah it's a fad that most likely wont even help. For people looking to fix chronic issues, its worth a try. Gluten is significantly inflammatory and grains like wheat are quite difficult to digest, so they promote dietary stress which can cause all sorts of issues.

    End of the day, give it a shot and if you see no difference, then don't keep doing it. If it does make a difference, well, then good thing you tried it. Unfortunately trial and error is the only way to know if you're sensitive.
    This and this
  • ang3li
    ang3li Posts: 69 Member
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    If you have a gluten-free diet, and DON'T buy all that "gluten-free" processed crap from the supermarket, then it is NOT a fad-diet.

    Look into the paleo lifestyle. I try and avoid all wheat, gluten, grains and dairy and eat completely paleo with lean meats, sweet potato, vegetables, fruit and nuts. Sometimes i have some cheese and wine.

    Anyway, if you think that going gluten free is good for your diet, but then end up buying all the gluten free bread, pasta, cookies, sweets etc, then you won't succeed.

    Stick to natural whole unprocessed foods which you can't get from a box =)

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