Yep What they ^^ said. I've been GF for two years. Send you a friend request. Welcome!

It's definitely stressful at first! I lost a lot of weight at first because I didn't know what I could eat, and I mainly stuck to rice crackers and hummus. It's daunting, but you can do it!

My advice is to first find some G/F Bread and pasta (even if relying on them for every meal isn't much of a weight-loss strategy..). Udi's brand is my favorite, but you may also have Glutino and Rudi's available to you. Ask around at your grocery stores. I live in a small city and all of the local grocers now carry Udi's. If you have Whole Foods or a Co-op in your town, you basically have it made now. Get to know the products available to you, and (if your budget allows) spend a little more on the pre-made foods, breads, treats and mixes the next few weeks while you're making the transition. It should help minimize your stress. You may even want to order some foods online if you live in a really small town. Udi's, Pamela's, and the Silly Yak Bakery all ship their products from the web.

Once you're more comfortable, you can rely on cooking for yourself from scratch more often. Many of the meals that are familiar to you are already gluten-free, such as roast chicken or steak with potatoes and veggies. Eggs and hashbrowns are a favorite breakfast of mine. (Mr. Dell's Natural hashbrowns only include potatoes on their ingredient list.) I'm not sure what kind of cooking you like to do, but many Indian, Thai and Mexican (but no flour tortillas!) dishes are gluten-free.

You will want to watch out for hidden gluten. I've been eating gluten-free for 3.5 years, but the first few months, I didn't realize that most soy sauces contain even more wheat than soy. So if you want to eat Chinese food, you will either have to talk to your restaurant about what kind they use, and ask to replace it with broth if they're willing, or you can make your own dishes with gluten-free soy sauce and Tamari. Also, I used to think that breading on chicken tenders was so thin that it didn't matter, but it matters A LOT. There is no safe amount of gluten to eat if you have celiac! You will have to become a major label-reader, but it's amazing what you learn about foods when you do it!

The first couple months won't be a walk in the park, but you will get the hang of it. You'll get used to planning ahead, packing lunches, and researching menus before you go out. There are times I still struggle with not being able to eat whatever I want, and I feel that it's really unfair, but at the same time, I've learned so much about healthier eating (gluten-free and otherwise), and I've become a much better cook. I also discovered a much wider variety of grains and foods in general because of being forced to cook for myself. I had never made Italian polenta, stuffed grape leaves, veggie moussaka, or Mexican tamales before I had been on this diet, but I'm glad I have! You will learn a lot, so take each day as it comes, and you will feel so much healthier once you settle in to this way of eating.

It's tricky at first but you get used to it. Don't forget to replace your toaster, colanders, and scratched pots and pans. These can store gluten. Also if you are going to continue serving gluten containing foods to your family you'll want to be hyper-vigilant of cross contamination. You'd need your own peanut butter, jelly, butter, mayo, ect. Watch for crumbs on the counter. Personally I only let my family eat pre-packaged gluten items in the house. I won't buy bread or anything that leaves crumbs.

Udi's makes the best breads IMO. They have really good pizza crusts too. Also muffins, bagels, and cookies. There are a lot of good pasta brands that are gluten free too. Just watch that you don't overcook them. They get too mushy.

Check out some of the Paleo cookbooks like Well Fed, recipes in the group here on MFP, or the websites below. Paleo is more restrictive than gluten free but there are lots of ideas and some really great recipes.

Also, one other note, celiac can be genetic, so it's possible your kids might be predisposed to it as well. Just something to keep an eye out for.

http://beta.primal-palate.com/category/recipes/
http://www.againstallgrain.com/