Gluten free, Celiac Disease and Weight

It's a bit of an adjustment but it's totally do-able and well worth it to eliminate gluten and other foods if your body is reacting badly to them. I can't have gluten or even the least bit of dairy without having a reaction. I recently tried a bit of butter again just out of curiosity and oh boy... MIGRAINE HELL. Turns out my body reacts to the proteins (not so much the lactose) in dairy as well as the protein (gluten) in wheat. So forget that noise. Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels!

I have a lot of friends and family who went GF. It will be hard the first couple of weeks but you will get used to it and you will likely start feeling better soon after. Gluten stays in your body for a while so you have to be patient to see more permanent results.

One thing to consider is that the best course of action is to start with raw foods - lots of quinoa, brown and wild rice, beans, rather than going to GF prepackaged flour. Often times GF flours have high content of soy and soy slows down the thyroid. It is a major food to avoid if you are hypothyroid. I only say this because your family has a long history of thyroid problems and you are possibly predisposed. Given the weight issues, you will not have hyperthyroidism but might be predisposed to hypothyroidism.

You can of course have some soy in your food but most GF flours that I have seen have a lot of soy flour in them. Just something to be aware of. Plus eating raw foods that are complex carbs (quinoa, beans, wild rice) has tremendous health benefits.

If you go GF now before having the endoscopy, you will not be able to have it later and get a proper diagnosis. Your doctor should have told you to have the endoscopy first and then start a GF diet when you get the results.

I was diagnosed with Celiac disease through a biopsy 6 years ago. I saw no weight loss results just from going GF. I still have to count calories and eat below a certain amount to lose weight.

I was a diagnosed in early 2012 and have been gluten free since. I didn't have normal Celiac symptoms though. I was tired all the time,had a lot of headaches, constantly getting sinus infections, joint pain...no digestion issues what so ever. My doctor was running blood tests for a few years trying to figure out what was wrong with me because I always had abnormal blood work...low potassium, low calcium, high levels of monoclonal antibodies. I was sent to an oncologist because my doctor was concerned that I might have a blood cancer like multiple myeloma or lymphoma based on my lab results.

Luckily for me, I got food poisoning over Thanksgiving in 2011 (who would ever say lucky they got food poisoning?) but it made my doctor start testing my igA antibodies and he noticed that they were higher every time so he sent me for the Celiac screening blood test which came back positive...then I started seeing a GI doctor and had the endoscopy to confirm.

So within a few weeks of going gluten free, the unexplained fatigue is gone, I stopped getting sinus infections, my allergies have gotten better, the joint pain is mostly gone...however I put on 15 pounds within 10 months and I feel sick to my stomach at least 2-3 times a week. I am probably getting cross contaminated from somewhere but my celiac panels keep coming back negative so at least I am better off now.

But just remember, if you have celiac once you go gluten free, you will become more and more sensitive to gluten. So if a waiter brings you a salad with croutons you have to send it back because if you pick them off, you will probably get sick from trace gluten left behind. It sucks.

I haven't been diagnosed with celiac disease, but when I cut gluten out of my diet I noticed I had drastically fewer headaches (I'd get... oh, two a week before and now maybe two a month) and my left knee that started bothering me when I started running was suddenly not a problem. Other than that, I haven't noticed anything - no change in energy level or digestive troubles. I suspect modern wheat, not gluten, may be my problem, because I seem to be able to handle spelt bread without a return of headaches/joint pain. Whereas if I eat something with wheat, I am 98% sure to have a headache the next morning.

Getting rid of gluten coincided with my getting in shape, so I'm not sure how much of an impact it had on my weight, but I don't try to replace the amount of bread and pasta I was eating before with gluten-free alternatives now. The fact that I was suddenly eating fewer carbs probably had a positive effect. I haven't made cookies/cakes/other such desserts for myself since getting rid of gluten either, so again: probable positive effect on weight loss. I save spelt bread, corn or brown rice pasta, and almond flour/brown rice flour pancakes for very special occasions.

I'm not extremely careful when I eat out, because very small amounts of gluten (like in soy sauce) don't give me much grief. I avoid it, certainly, but if an item doesn't have something I know contains wheat, I just go for it. I don't eat out that often though.

1. You need to complete all of the Celiac testing before changing your diet, or it could affect the accuracy of the tests.

2. I found the switch to actually be pretty easy, to be honest. It's most complicated when eating out or at other people's houses, particularly with people who don't really understand what's involved. However, eating in the house, as long as you're willing to try some new foods, isn't really all that hard. Just be willing to look around at your supermarket options - I changed markets to one that has a better gluten free section. Also, I've spent time doing research on what restaurants I can eat at. I definitely put in an effort to patronize local places that make an effort to accommodate me kindly and knowledgeably, rather than some of the big chains that couldn't care less.

3. It hasn't helped me lose weight. Some of that is because the gluten free processed foods tend to be even higher in calories in than the regular kind, and while I cook mostly fresh foods, discovering that my local pizza place has a gluten free menu (and delivers!) has definitely slowed me down. However, don't count on going gf to help you lose weight in itself.

4. I do feel a lot healthier. I don't have Celiac, just a gluten intolerance, so it's less serious for me, but I had a lot of the same symptoms that you describe. In the last three months since I went gf, my migraines have mostly disappeared, my stomach is much less sensitive and doesn't bloat after I eat like it used to, my skin has cleared up big time, and I just generally feel much more energized. One of the first changes I noticed was how much more easily I could focus at work in the afternoons. It was kind of a shock to my system the first time I realized that it was 3pm and I'd just sat and focused for an extended period of time - I used to be totally useless by that time of the day. I feel so much more productive and focused lately, and less like I'm just dragging myself through life.

5. Within a week, I noticed changes. Be aware - the first week can be really hard. I had what can basically be described as withdrawal symptoms for about three days - horrible splitting headaches, felt sick - like when someone tries to cut out caffeine after having 10 cups a day or something - but about a week later I felt energized and my skin was clearing up. It can take months to fully get the gluten out of your system, but most people I've talked to have noticed a difference within a few weeks.

Basically, I don't think it's as hard as people think it will be. Once I realized how much better I feel, I don't really even want anything with gluten. How could I be tempted by something when I basically look at it and all I see is migraines and pimples? How is that appetizing? Honestly, the only time I've been tempted is when it's been hard to find food that's convenient and easy and I end up eating a bunless hamburger or something because it's all that's available.

Good luck! I think you'll be amazed how much of a difference it will make in your life and your general sense of well-being.

I do not have celiac.. I do not adhere to STRICT GF eating.

I DO however avoid all obvious sources of wheat due to autoimmune issues I have.

I had migraines (at least weekly or MORE), hypoactive thyroid, acid reflux, tenitius, frequent bouts of vertigo and rheumatoid arthritis. I was a MESS!

I did a 30 day juice fast and felt like a new woman so I knew that my problems were all diet related. I added back in foods and my problems returned.. So I did an elimination diet and was convinced that my problems must be from dairy. I was preparing myself to give up yogurt and cheese for EVER. Imagine my shock and horror when I discovered that my beloved WHEAT was the root of my problems?!?! I would sometimes eat cracked wheat porridge for breakfast, homemade whole wheat flour tortillas with lunch. and then a nice serving of cous cous for dinner. I LOVE wheat and everything made from it And I was eating mostly whole grain wheat.. Healthy, right?

Since giving up wheat and before I even started losing weight: Thyroid returned to normal and no more synthroid, acid reflux is completely gone so no more medication for that, I haven't had even ONE migraine so no more meds for that, I still have tenitius, but it's reduced. I haven't had any vertigo and the BEST part is, my joint pain is reduced by at least 80% I do still have some pain in my knees, but it's NOTHING compared to what it was.

I also eat very few cereal grains in general and avoid most "gluten free" substitute products like GF pasta or GF pizza crusts. I'll eat them on occasion, but I treat it as a special treat and not as an ordinary part of my way of eating.

Even if your celiac results come back NEGATIVE, you still MIGHT benefit from GF or Wheat Free eating.

I too have just been diagnosed with exactly the same thing. I had the constant weight gain, gluten antibodies attacking my thyroid, memory loss, severe exhaustion, etc. I have been gluten free for 4 weeks and I can't begin to tell you the difference I feel. Because of the large weight gain in a short amount of time I also acquired "fatty liver disease" that I am working on repairing. Just the ability to get through the day with a normal amount of energy has been a blessing!

I didn't lose any weight going GF. (I was actually under my goal a little from being sick all the time.) Even though I didn't lose a single pound, I did go from a tight size 8 to a loose size 6 pants a couple of weeks after going GF. All the bloating went away and I got my flat stomach, LOL.

I don't do GF for the flat stomach, though. I do it because after over a decade of unexplained nausea, pain and vomiting out both ends after eating, I'm tired of being sick. Amazing difference - so grateful I finally found a doctor who knew what to do. It took a few weeks for all my symptoms to settle. I've been GF for a few years now. GF is inconvenient, but sooo worth it if it's a health issue. If it's just for weight loss, don't bother. :flowerforyou:

P.S. I cook most of my food from scratch, so it hasn't been at all expensive to go GF. I don't waste my money on processed GF stuff. I make my own flour blends for baking and cooking, and the only GF food I buy is pasta.

ETA: OP asked about brain/cognitive issues, like concentration and memory. I was super fatigued all the time and I have to say not so sharp in the brain. I also developed an anxiety disorder over the years (which has improved since going GF) because I never knew why, how or when I was going to be violently ill. :sick: