Does gluten sabotage your diet?

I agree with the above poster.

On a personal note, I eat seitan. Seitan is a dough made from wheat gluten and prepared. It's almost pure protein as anything other then the gluten is removed before to make a more refined gluten. I eat roughly a half pound of this every day to help me hit my protein macros. Since it's a protein, it's very filling and sticks with you for quite a while. It does not increase my appetite nor does it hinder my progress.

Note that my goal is not weight loss, but body recomposition. I am lowering body fat percentages while gaining lean mass successfully. I eat all of the gluten I want with no ill effects such as those noted in the "Wheat Belly" Book which has many proponents but just as many arguments against. I do not have an intolerance to gluten nor any other medical reason to avoid it such as celiacs or Crohns.

It's been a staple of my diet and a great help towards my goals.

I heard this also and I have to speak from personal experience. I was living with a lady that was Celiac last year and I went gluten free with her. I lost a bunch of weight but it was not because of being wheat free... it was because I had a calorie deficient. I proved this to myself just recently by going gluten free again... I would still eat McDonald's & Wendy's (only after confirming everything I was eating had no wheat in it), I would go to the nice restaurant and get gluten free pastas (which might I add is much higher in calories and carbs) and I was gaining weight... not because of the gluten or not gluten but just simply because I was eating too many calories.


I have to add to this... I have been eating McDonald's and Wendy's and other crap throughout my weight loss journey and I have still managed to lose 14 lbs (most I have ever lost trying to lose). It is all about calories in and calories out.

I ate gluten throughout my weight loss and didn't have a problem. The loss seemed to be right about in line with my calorie deficit as well - if I was eating 500 less a day I lost about a pound a week, etc.

I have Celiac Disese... and trust me gluten has no effect on weight.

I did lose weight when I first went gluten free but that is because I had such severe damage that I only ate fruit, veggies, and meat. I went off of dairy even. The weight loss was because I was eating "clean" and at a deficit.

But if you look at gluten free foods... they usually have more calories than their gluten counterparts. Bummer!

I read a study stating that eating healthy and exercising helped you lose weight... jury is still out on that one though.

Good thing William Davis just doesn't make things up

Notable Difference: "Dr." William Davis is being paid (probably quite handsomly) for the information he is sharing. Everyone on here is giving personal experiences with their SUCCESS in what you are trying to accomplish. (not just their opinion) and sharing it FOR FREE. Motivation difference. You do the math.

I have Celiac Disese... and trust me gluten has no effect on weight.

I did lose weight when I first went gluten free but that is because I had such severe damage that I only ate fruit, veggies, and meat. I went off of dairy even. The weight loss was because I was eating "clean" and at a deficit.

But if you look at gluten free foods... they usually have more calories than their gluten counterparts. Bummer!

Ditto this - gluten intolerant because one of the titers was normal the other 2 not normal... so - when I discovered the gluten free substitutes - holy cow - 150 calories in a single tiny (palm of your hand - not including fingers sized) piece of bread! No wonder I started gaining after my initial loss too... Now, I just eat open face sandwiches when I eat bread at all, opting instead for other carbs that keep my tummy happy... and losing weight, without gluten. I have to watch my calories. And I have to exercise. Otherwise that scale doesn't budge and neither do the inches on the tape measure.

I think there are several possible factors:

1. Less choices. Which according to at least one study can reduce consumption.

2. If some of those choices become a combination of high protein and fat this can reduce appetite, as you can only eat so much meat before you get ill. Admittedly, some of us can eat quite a lot of meat before we get ill, but I for one know that no matter how hungry I am, I have a limit to how much meat I can consume n a day, and I seem to be a bottomless pit when it comes to sugary stuff.

3. Maybe there is something in gluten or in processed foods that tend to contain gluten or in a combination of gluten and other ingredients in those foods that causes hunger or cravings.

4. Individual triggers.

no .....OMG :yawn:

it doesn't sabotage my diet but it will make me poop blood for a month

people have all types of reasons for trying gluten free and for sticking with it, I personally did lose a ton of weight but mostly because I dropped all grain and dairy and I do not eat the "gluten free" substitutes. they remind me of the meats that they make for vegetarians, not really good for you but still allowed on your diet. I understand vegetarians miss bacon so much that facon sounds great and gluten free folks miss pasta and bread so much that their fake breads sound good, but like most people have already said, its worse for you than most wheat breads just as facon usually has questionable ingredients.

Unless you have Prater-Willi syndrome, nothing causes you to eat more except your hand shoving food into your mouth.

How does the food get into the mouths of those with Prater-Willi syndrome??

From my experience... well, I'm gluten intolerant. So if I were to eat it, it would not only affect my diet, but also my sleep, level of pain, and quality of life for the next several days.

Pro-Gluten Free:
In my ever so humble opinion going gluten free is great for you in the first couple weeks but it's not because you're "gluten free". It's actually because suddenly you can no longer eat fast food or things like donuts or pizza. You even have to watch some salad dressings because gluten is hidden everywhere! Naturally, when you cut out these foods or cut back on them you're usually filling up with "higher quality" foods or lower calorie and natural foods like fruit, veggies, and meat. Of course you'll feel better and look better if you're replacing fast food with veggies!

Anti-Gluten Free:
In my ever so humble opinion, going gluten free will ruin your diet. After a few weeks of eating gluten free you will start to figure out ways around it. You'll discover that this restaurant has fries free of gluten, so fast food is no longer off limits. You will discover gluten free bread and it has quite a few more calories in it when you compare the portion sizes.


Personally, if I could eat gluten, I would order the biggest pizza money can buy and I would eat every last bite. But I can't, so I won't.


tl;dr

Gluten is in a lot of foods. If you don't eat it, you will cut out a lot of foods that are high in calories.
Gluten free foods are typically higher in calories.

Eating/not eating gluten will have no effect on your weight loss. It's simple folks, calories in, calories out....

gluten is not part of weight gain...people who are gluten free are for medical reasons, they can't digest it, I hate that people think gluten free is a weight loss diet....ughhh biggest pet peeve....calories in and out people!!

If you have a gluten sensitivity like any other allergy your body can be holding on to the weight. So if you try going gluten free- which in my experience means eating more calories and still lose weight it might be a sensitivity. My doctor advised going gluten free and when I do keep it up I lose steady. The moment I cheat my weight lost stops for weeks.