New here, 2 weeks gluten free.......

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New here, 2 weeks gluten free, grain free and processed gluten product free...

Hi, my name is Traci and I am a recently turned 50 year woman and mom to 4 boys between the ages of 29 (almost 30) and 12. I have fought with my weight for as long as I can remember and I'm pretty sure I've tried everything on the market at least once. When I turned 41, I finally had the courage to make some changes in my life that were years and years overdue. I am in a wonderful (sometimes challenging) relationship with my partner of 8 years, Paula.

I lost quite a bit a weight prior to meeting her but always had an additional 40 to go. I have fought with it for years.
I decided after finding a great site (Dishing up Nutrition) and listing to their podcasts, DAILY, to start living a gluten free, grain free, real food way of life. I am not celiac, or have never been diagnosed, but I do know that I am gluten intolerant. More that that, I know that wheat just isn't good for you. But, I also fully believe that all the gluten free products are not good for you either. I realize they are tools and easier, but I decided NOT to make them a part of my diet.

Going gluten free triggered the same feelings of withdraws that I felt when I quit smoking 23 years ago. Not only were the withdraws torture, but that fact that I am a deli/bakery manager just compounded the stress. I FINALLY got through that and now feel very proud of myself that I was able to accomplish and stick with the choice I made.
BUT, after 2 weeks of gluten free eating and loosing nothing but the bloat in my stomach I sat down with MFP and tracked my protein, fat,carb, calorie count. I eat lots of good fats, carbs from vegies and fruit and good protein, but what I found is I was not eating nearly enough of ANY of those things! I upped everything and have been tracking ever since and I am FINALLY loosing again!

Something that has made it a little easier is that I love to create and cook. I am always in the kitchen (when I'm not at work making sugar/wheat laden foods :sad: ) trying to create good gluten free foods from real food. I follow quite a few cooking blogs also and try lots of new things.

Probably one of my biggest pit falls is I love my red wine at night. I know I need to just have one glass but, it is my potato chips and ice cream, ugh!

Hope to make some friends here!
Traci

Replies

  • dovek11
    dovek11 Posts: 94 Member
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    oh.... that withdraw!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM Celiac. Luckily I read at a Celiac forum about the withdraw! I would have thought I was losing my mind. Mine last three horrid days. I thought about gluten foods I didn't even like! What a miserable time! But I knew it would pass if I stuck with it, so I did. Thankful that I did! After the three days I immediately felt immensely better!

    Do you find it amazing its hard to eat enough calories when you go grain free? I did! That is how I found MFP, I wanted to log my food to see what I ate, after people saying I ate like a bird. I didn't believe them, since I was stuffed. But I found out I was at 800 calories, so they were right.
    I learned I can't trust 'hunger' to tell me. I think after stopping gluten and not getting the funny feelings in our stomachs, we really don't know what hunger feels like!

    Welcome! And good luck on your journey
  • Mezzie1024
    Mezzie1024 Posts: 380 Member
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    The withdrawal was pretty awful, I agree. It's been about three years for me (just about everyone in my family has Celiac Disease, though, so at least I'm in good company), but at the beginning I was craving cupcakes CONSTANTLY. I HATE cupcakes, but I absolutely needed one then. Now it's all automatic, but it was a tough transition. I feel so good now that I've never once been tempted to cheat, though I did tell my husband that should I ever be about to die but still have functioning taste buds he is to shove a croissant into my mouth. :p

    Ruskitd, I had the opposite reaction. Now I feel hungry and full whereas before I had no idea what full felt like (probably since my body wasn't absorbing any nutrients and wanted me to keep on eating).
  • nacolesworld
    nacolesworld Posts: 15 Member
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    I know what you mean! It was so difficult sticking with it for the first 2-3 weeks, but afterwards it was not bad (except when my hubby gets to eat the cheese biscuts at Red Lobster and I don't *cry*)
  • pdworkman
    pdworkman Posts: 1,342 Member
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    I felt withdrawal for a good 2-4 weeks, but was also probably getting glutened regularly during that time period as I figured out what I could eat and what I had to get rid of.

    I have no trouble getting enough calories on a grain free and vegan diet! I am running and strength training and have no problem eating 2500-3500 calories when I need to!
  • lovesdarkchocolate
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    The recipe for the Garlic Cheese biscuits is on the Pamela's pancake and baking mix bag. They are delish! Mind the calories as they need to be made with real butter, real cheddar to taste "right".
  • aholly70
    aholly70 Posts: 577 Member
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    Hello been gluten frr for 3 months now,I have celiac disease. Feel free to add me.
  • nacolesworld
    nacolesworld Posts: 15 Member
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    The recipe for the Garlic Cheese biscuits is on the Pamela's pancake and baking mix bag. They are delish! Mind the calories as they need to be made with real butter, real cheddar to taste "right".

    Thanks!!
  • morninglory5782
    morninglory5782 Posts: 30 Member
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    I have been gluten free for a couple of months now. I was told by an herbalist that I am gluten sensitive (I have been tested for Celiac and do not have it). I found it easy to go gluten free, it was like a whole world of new, Good foods was opened up to me, and i didn't have any withdrawal that i know of...But I am still learning about it and am concerned that there might be gluten in one or two of my medications, so I could still be getting it accidently if not in medication, even in food that i'm not sure about.
    Looking forward to learning more about it and hoping to make some friends. Feel free to add me :D
    Meg