Any Guidance - Gluten Questions

mrs_kurz

Hi Guys,

For the past 5 weeks i've eaten near perfectly, and have lost a measley 2lbs. I have 24 to lose to take me down to 9 stone (i'm only 5 foot 5) I'm currently 10 stone 10 so not healthy.

So 5 weeks near perfect, lost 2 pounds, 1 day I ate a chocolate bar and some crisps and I've put a pound back on. I literally don't know what to do. I'm despairing if I'm honest. Pictures of me infront of other people are horrible because it shows how big I am. I have all fat round my face and stomach and can't sit down without wearing something to cover up my horrible bloated stomach that folds over when I sit down.

I don't know what to do anymore, nothing is working. I have been looking up symptoms of food intolerance and some for gluten are weight gain, headaches, constant tiredness, dodgy bowels all of which I can relate to. I went to my doctor about it a while ago and she just said "with any food allergy there's no real test you just hav to cut it out and see how you feel". If I tell my Mum I'm cutting out gluten she will just say Im fine and being fussy. She isn't supportive of me losing weight, says i'm fine as I am. and my husband is supportive but doesn't really do anything. He's naturally a very skinny person so when I try and tell him how I feel he just pretty much says "sorry you feel that way".

I just feel awful. I want to lose this weight so I can be how I want to be, be comfortable in my own skin but it's just not happening. If I cut out gluten and find I feel better, will cutting it out long term help me lose weight if I am intolerant?

CoachReddy

before you go crazy trying to find short cuts and quick fixes, can you tell us your height/weight/age and how many calories you're eating daily?

"perfect" to you may mean something completely different to others. and it may or may not actually be perfect. let's try and figure it out for you.

lildee0216

I know losing weight can get frustrating. Are you measuring yourself? I don't lose much weight (lbs) anymore I lose inches. Maybe start measuring yourself.

I'm not sure if cutting gluten out will help you lose weight but I have heard that people feel better and aren't as bloated.

Are you drinking enough water on top of eating healthy? Remember to take your weight and divide it in half and you should be drinking that many ounces a day.

Before my wedding last year I cut out dairy because I have a mild case of lactose intolerance and I lost weight and I wasn't as bloated. Try cutting out dairy?? Take a calcium pill and drink almond milk. 1 glass of milk is 35-45 calories!

You will have to just keep going at it. Don't give up. I promise it will take time and just be consistent.

mrs_kurz

Hey guys, thanks so far. Stats are as follows:

Height 5' 5"
Current Weight - 150 lbs
Goal weight 126lbs

I think I do eat healthily now. I am a vegetarian but do eat fish such as canned tuna/baked white fish. I don't really eat processed food. Although the occasional snack.

I probably don't drink enough water or get enough exercise but that's something I'm trying to work on. 2lbs in 5 weeks just seems awful though!

domgirl85

Those symptoms aren't just for gluten...most food allergies or intolerances have the same symptoms to varying degrees. I had those exact symptoms from meat. I learned this back in August when I did a month of pescetarian(sp?) (mostly vegetarian). All those symptoms went away. Now I eat mostly vegetarian. I've figured out what I need to do when I have meat: I either stick with seafood and turkey (I don't have problems with those) OR I just have a smaller serving size. I don't cook meat (outside of seafood) for my meals/leftovers so I'm not overdoing it anymore. A few months ago, I was eating meat more often (for like 2-3 months) and I could really tell the difference. I'm also slightly lactose intolerant but as long as I have aged cheeses (less lactose) and avoid cow's milk, I'm fine.

My point is, don't assume it's the gluten. You might want to try different things. Maybe cut back on it at first. As far as your Mom, why does she need to know you're cutting it out? I don't see how why you have to bring it up.

As far as how you feel, I think you need to work on being comfortable now. A lot of people think losing weight will make them happy. If anything, it can make you more critical of yourself. Loving yourself and accepting yourself now will help you more than worrying and doubting yourself ever will

ChaoticMum

For the past 5 weeks i've eaten near perfectly, and have lost a measley 2lbs. I have 24 to lose to take me down to 9 stone (i'm only 5 foot 5) I'm currently 10 stone 10 so not healthy.

She told us her weight and height....

My biggest advice is to tell you that you need to choose what makes YOU happy. If you feel you are not healthy then yes - you need to find something in your lifestyle to change. It definitely helps when you have support, but - if YOU choose to make changes you will need to request that they support your decision even if they don't agree with it. At 150lb you are not hugely overweight - even going by the controversial BMI chart you are only just at the edge of overweight/normal area. 9 stone would put you in the lower to middle range of the BMI for your height.

We have a family of gluten and grain intolerances. We have tested negative for celiac but yet when my son and I refrain from eating gluten we see SIGNIFICANT behavioural changes in him and I see major changes in my 'bloat'. The belly I thought was residual baby belly? Gone when I refrain from eating grains. Wheat and corn are my two biggest culprits.

I really enjoyed reading www.marksdailyapple.com Its a lifestyle eating change - not a diet. And yes - it can help with long term weight maintenance, not just loss.

CoachReddy

Hey guys, thanks so far. Stats are as follows:

Height 5' 5"
Current Weight - 150 lbs
Goal weight 126lbs

I think I do eat healthily now. I am a vegetarian but do eat fish such as canned tuna/baked white fish. I don't really eat processed food. Although the occasional snack.

I probably don't drink enough water or get enough exercise but that's something I'm trying to work on. 2lbs in 5 weeks just seems awful though!

how many calories are you shooting for currently?

cals83

It depends on how you cut it out. If you replace gluten contained items with gluten free equivalents that are just as processed, you will probably gain weight. Gluten free bread and stuff is a lot more calorie dense than wheat counter parts. Good luck finding a sandwich thin or hamburger bun for 100 calories. I am now eating Udi's Multigrain bread on the occasion where I want a piece of bread and it is 70 calories for a piece of bread that is probably half the size of a normal piece of bread.

I was diagnosed with Celiac disease at the end of January 2012 and started a gluten free diet. By November, I had put on 15 pounds. I didn't really change my diet outside of subbing the stuff I loved with gluten free equivalents.

IF you do have an intolerance to gluten, it is possible that giving it up could get rid of some stomach bloat but it really isn't a weight loss plan.

Also, you can ask your doctor to do a Celiac screening through a blood test. They test to see if your blood has any antibodies to gluten floating around in it. A doctor won't officially diagnose you based on the blood test because they want to rip you off and force you to have an upper endoscopy...however I think it would be enough of a confirmation to give up gluten.

Tatiyanya

Gluten intolerance is quite often connected with Celiac Disease, which can and NEEDS to be tested for while you are still eating gluten. My symptomes were actualy pretty similiar to yours. I felt bloated, fuzzy sick and weak after eating /drinking gluten including food , constant constipation and rather suprising weight gains after stuff like bread/pasta and drinking beer was quite a trip for me.

Get yourself tested while you still eat gluten, the tests arent awesome experience (blood test panel and endoscopy x.X) but need to be done. There are tests for other food alergies , i swear i had some done before when i didnt know what makes me sick.

I hope its not gluten intolerance really, cos that **** is everywhere, and the gluten-free diet is then for life . Plus you gotta learn words like "cross contamination" and other annoying ****.

Get better doctor before making huge lifestyle altering decisions imho.

...
You say the endoscopy is not neccesery?!
Bloody *kitten*.
In my country I didnt have to pay for it with my insurance but it was not a procedure i wish to have ever again tbh...
Bloody bloody *kitten*.

sunandskies

If you are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease (which there is a blood test for) gluten could be the cause of the bloating. My mother was recently diagnosed and as I was presenting with some similar issues and it's genetic I decided to cut out gluten as well.

It definitely helped with a lot of gas and bloating issues, and I did lose a bit of weight when I started, but that could just be because I wasn't eating sandwiches for lunch or crackers with my soup anymore.

drusilla126

Gluten questions? If you're not Celiac eat your gluten. When companies cut out gluten from products they replace it with other crap like sugar. So unless you have an actual intolerance eat all the friggin gluten you want. Getting on the fad train is a sure way to not succeed. Do what is right for you and what you can sustain for life or else you will fall off the wagon and end up back where you started.