Dieting and Celiac's Disease

tall_t
tall_t Posts: 251
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
I have been trying for a very long time to lose the weight that I have. I have many various medical conditions and the doctor sent off a test for possibly having Celiac's disease this morning. I will find out later this week if this is the case, but I have most of the symptoms, and we are both pretty confident it will be positive.

In looking at the diet that Celiac's have with no glutton, I would like to hear from some with this disease to find out if I would still even need to worry about calorie intake since it would limit a LOT of what I eat now as it is. Any dieting advice? Do you diet? Do you eat as much of what you can?

Replies

  • debnu1
    debnu1 Posts: 1,568 Member
    You really have so many options. There are multiple replacements you can use for flour. Rice noodles for instance, there are wonderful breads you can find with no wheat or gluten in them. You will always be safe with fruit, vegetables and pure protein. Check out your local health food store and read some labels!
  • tanyewest
    tanyewest Posts: 113
    I have just sent off this week for a test for Celiac's disease and to see if I am Gluten Intolerant. I wish you the best of luck as I do my self to not having it, but I am in the same boat as you so to speak as I have most of the symptoms too.

    I will let you know if I do have it as I hope you will the same with me, and we can get through it together and help eachother out with diets etc.

    All the best:flowerforyou:
  • lt_mrcook
    lt_mrcook Posts: 389 Member
    There are a ton of options for gluten free diets. Don't not think for an instant that you can not change your lifestyle, and still lose weight just because you cut out gluten. The is rice flour, tapioca flour, and spelt flour just off the top of my head. You can still eat most of the same things, you will just have to make sure the ingredients in them are compatible with your condition (if you have it). Good luck to you both, and here's a prayer that it's not Celiac.
  • auntbliz
    auntbliz Posts: 173 Member
    Here is the link to a thread with a lot of us with gluten issues http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/72884-gluten-free-girls-and-guys
    My family just went gluten free last year in June, as 3 out of 6 have celiacs and another with wheat allergy, so basically 4 out of six of us can't have any of that old stuff we used to love. There is hope though, if you've got celiacs or gluten intolerance, it's very hard at first, but gets easier to the point of it being second nature. The hardest part I've found is getting other people to understand that you can't eat their food, even if they don't put wheat in it :ohwell: Look at that post though, and it may answer some questions that you have. And yes, you will still have to watch calories, because a lot of the gluten free stuff is very high in calories.:wink:
  • souralice
    souralice Posts: 66
    I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 2 years ago and I actually gained quiet a bit of weight. Even though it seems like you will be eliminating a lot, there are still plenty of options and your body will be absorbing nutrients properly after essentially being starved of them. However, it is different for everyone with the weight. Some lose...some gain...some stay the same. Gluten free grains are also much denser than gluten-filled grains and can be much higher in calories. Even though I gained weight initially, I now find it much easier to watch my calorie intake because before I was diagnosed I was starving all the time and would binge on gluten-filled carbs (since my body wasn't absorbing the proper nutrients). I can actually get full now! Haha. Also, I would encourage you to possibly try a gluten-free diet even if your test comes back negative if you think gluten might be a problem for you. My mom and I both initially had negative test results. Six years after the initial test, I had a positive test and I wasted all those years being sick sick sick. My mom never waited for a positive test result. She just went gluten-free and is feeling so much better. Good Luck to you and I know there are several gluten free dieters on this site, so post if you need help!
  • slm638
    slm638 Posts: 64
    I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 2 years ago and I actually gained quiet a bit of weight. Even though it seems like you will be eliminating a lot, there are still plenty of options and your body will be absorbing nutrients properly after essentially being starved of them. However, it is different for everyone with the weight. Some lose...some gain...some stay the same. Gluten free grains are also much denser than gluten-filled grains and can be much higher in calories. Even though I gained weight initially, I now find it much easier to watch my calorie intake because before I was diagnosed I was starving all the time and would binge on gluten-filled carbs (since my body wasn't absorbing the proper nutrients). I can actually get full now! Haha. Also, I would encourage you to possibly try a gluten-free diet even if your test comes back negative if you think gluten might be a problem for you. My mom and I both initially had negative test results. Six years after the initial test, I had a positive test and I wasted all those years being sick sick sick. My mom never waited for a positive test result. She just went gluten-free and is feeling so much better. Good Luck to you and I know there are several gluten free dieters on this site, so post if you need help!

    I've been gf for almost 9 years now...I gained weight at the beginning as well...for me it was because every time I saw a gluten free cookie or other "forbidden" food, I binged. I finally figured out that I don't have to be deprived to eat gluten free! Being gluten free also makes it easier to say no to fast food and office treats!

    There is the phenomenon called the "false negative" with the blood test. There are many factors (I'm no doctor, so can't speak to them specifically) that affect the levels of antibodies they're testing for in the blood. That's why they typically use the blood test to screen then go on to the small intestine biopsy to confirm.

    Like souralice said, even if your blood test comes back negative, give the gf diet a try (watch for all those hidden sources) and see how you feel. Also make sure you are insistent with your doc. Celiac Disease is becoming more frequently diagnosed, but there are still professionals out there that aren't that open to the possibility.
  • tall_t
    tall_t Posts: 251
    Thank you so much to those of you who responded. It looks like I have quite the road ahead if this thing comes back positive. I really appreciate it!
  • auntbliz
    auntbliz Posts: 173 Member
    I should add that both of my little ones blood tests came back negative for celiacs or any kind of food allergies, but when we took them off gluten, the positive results were amazing! They both had failure to thrive before, and the then 2 year old was losing weight also, after being gluten free for a couple months she was a different person, she gained about 5 pounds, which she sorely needed, she is still at the bottom of the growth chart, she has a much better attitude now, she doesn't have blowouts except for when she gets accidental gluten, my son has had similar positive results, and similar negative ones when he gets gluten on accident. So, does their pediatrician think they have celiacs? No, he says they don't because of the blood test, says they CAN'T because of the blood test and the fact that they were both growing, allbeit slowly, they were gaining in height. Does it matter that their dad has it? No, just because it's highly genetic, doesn't mean they have it in his eyes. The point, the doctors can be wrong, and the blood test is not fool proof. Whatever the test says, I would recommend trying the diet for awhile just to see if things start shaping up after a couple months.
  • slm638
    slm638 Posts: 64
    I should add that both of my little ones blood tests came back negative for celiacs or any kind of food allergies, but when we took them off gluten, the positive results were amazing! They both had failure to thrive before, and the then 2 year old was losing weight also, after being gluten free for a couple months she was a different person, she gained about 5 pounds, which she sorely needed, she is still at the bottom of the growth chart, she has a much better attitude now, she doesn't have blowouts except for when she gets accidental gluten, my son has had similar positive results, and similar negative ones when he gets gluten on accident. So, does their pediatrician think they have celiacs? No, he says they don't because of the blood test, says they CAN'T because of the blood test and the fact that they were both growing, allbeit slowly, they were gaining in height. Does it matter that their dad has it? No, just because it's highly genetic, doesn't mean they have it in his eyes. The point, the doctors can be wrong, and the blood test is not fool proof. Whatever the test says, I would recommend trying the diet for awhile just to see if things start shaping up after a couple months.

    That's just unbelievable and is plain ignorance! I didn't lose any weight (at any point) and have never been anemic or shown vitamin/mineral deficiencies, but my doctor still did the tests and kept digging. Good for you for being persistent! If this doctor won't listen, find a new one! Good luck!
  • LOVINLIFEGUY
    LOVINLIFEGUY Posts: 47
    we are on day 3 of a g/f diet for my 3 year old. It is very difficult so far and today is the first day of daycare. She had the biopsy of the small intestine on friday and were waiting for the results this week. I guess a normal number for antibodies is around 6 and my daughters blood work showed 128. If its not celiac I don't know what is going on. I have noticed on most of the foods we have purchased that the calories are much higher and the portions are smaller. I would just keep an eye on that. My daughter claimed to be hungry all the time and im curious to see if this changes with g/f diet.

    Good luck
  • soccerfanatic10
    soccerfanatic10 Posts: 11 Member
    I found the main culprit to be the gluten free foods. They are way more calorie dense and not to mention expensive. I limit the gluten free foods but have certain things like pasta and gf flour on hand. I just eat a lot of natural foods like chicken, tukey, veggies, fruit, nuts, etc.
  • slm638
    slm638 Posts: 64
    Same here...watch the gf stuff, very high in calories and/or fat/sugar. I'm sure once her body actually starts using the food she's eating, she won't be as hungry.
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
    we are on day 3 of a g/f diet for my 3 year old. It is very difficult so far and today is the first day of daycare. She had the biopsy of the small intestine on friday and were waiting for the results this week. I guess a normal number for antibodies is around 6 and my daughters blood work showed 128. If its not celiac I don't know what is going on. I have noticed on most of the foods we have purchased that the calories are much higher and the portions are smaller. I would just keep an eye on that. My daughter claimed to be hungry all the time and im curious to see if this changes with g/f diet.

    Good luck

    One of the best pieces of advice I've received as far as eating gluten-free and still paying attention to calories is not to replace foods with the gluten-free version. More times than not, that leads to significantly higher calories. Instead, find a substitution that happens to be glut-free. For example, I always had (and LOVED) an english muffin with peanut butter for breakfast. Obviously, I can't have the english muffin anymore. I could substitute a regular english muffin (about 100 calories) with a gluten-free english muffin (at least 200 calories, usually higher), but I've found that it's healthier, cheaper, tastier and easier to not do this. It takes some creativity and time, but I figured out I'd rather have Quaker Chocolate Rice Cakes with peanut butter. Afterall, who doesn't love chocolate and peanut butter together!?!? :tongue: Of course, you could also use a plain rice cake instead. Anyhow, this is just an example.

    I rarely buy "gluten-free" versions of normal foods- I find that they're more expensive, higher in calories & fat, and don't taste as good. Just my opinion...
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
    I have been trying for a very long time to lose the weight that I have. I have many various medical conditions and the doctor sent off a test for possibly having Celiac's disease this morning. I will find out later this week if this is the case, but I have most of the symptoms, and we are both pretty confident it will be positive.

    In looking at the diet that Celiac's have with no glutton, I would like to hear from some with this disease to find out if I would still even need to worry about calorie intake since it would limit a LOT of what I eat now as it is. Any dieting advice? Do you diet? Do you eat as much of what you can?

    I'm wondering if anyone that eats gluten free has a public food dairy that you could reference?
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