So Frustrated, Gluten Free Dairy Free Diet

cuteypolice
cuteypolice Posts: 32 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I was wondering if anyone had any gluten and dairy allergies and if so what snacks they eat. My pie chart is showing literally 68% of my diet is carbs. I stay generally within the calorie range daily maybe a little over or under sometimes but I am not losing weight because more than half my diet is carbs. The issue is if you can't have gluten or dairy a lot of the foods are made with carbs in them. I eat very healthy but the other thing that the chart is showing is that I am very low on protein. Help Please... Thank you
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Replies

  • OllyJ_79
    OllyJ_79 Posts: 126 Member
    The recommended amount of carbs in a normal diet is around 50%. Eating a higher percentage won't stop you losing weight, as long as you maintain a calorie deficit however.
  • rivka_m
    rivka_m Posts: 1,007 Member
    Is there a specific reason you need to be low carb? Plenty of people lose on high carb diets (myself included).

    For the allergy/protein issue check out the paleo groups here since they're supposed to be dairy & grain free, I think. They may have some good ideas. Most of my protein sources are high carb since I eat mostly vegetarian, sorry I can't be of more help.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    ... am not losing weight because more than half my diet is carbs. ..

    More than likely, you're not losing weight because either (1) you're not in a caloric deficit or (2) you haven't given your body enough time to react to the deficit (for instance, maybe you're retaining water from new exercises. Don't know, would need more details.)
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Egg is zero carb, dairy and gluten free with 65 fat : 35 protein.

    Have an omelette.
  • HillsRox
    HillsRox Posts: 3 Member
    Whilst I agree that low-carb isn't necessary for weight loss (caloric deficit is), I'm a HUGE snacker and have recently cut out gluten and dairy - for general health reasons, not necessarily due to allergies. Beyond the obvious raw veggies (LURVE me some carrot batons), I tend to snack on popped corn, dark berries (they have the lowest fructose) and zuccini or kale chips (super easy to make in the oven). Oh, and I practically live on fresh salsa, eaten with baby gem lettuce, instead of tortilla chips. Tortilla chips are usually gluten free, but certainly not low carb OR low calorie, so I save those for special treats. Anyway, hope that helps!
  • Patttience
    Patttience Posts: 975 Member
    Why aren't you eating more protein foods? It shouldn't be hard for someone who doesn't like gluten or dairy but who eats meat. Although i understand some or most lactose intolerant people can eat yoghurt. And some dairy products are very low in lactose such as cheese and cream and butter.

    But you can eat meat, fish, legumes, lentils, poultry and eggs for protein. Also nuts.

    I would not increase the number of snacks you eat but rather increase the size of your meals and with better quality carbs so that you don't get hungry between meals. Eg especially things like legumes and lentils. There are so many recipes made with these foods and they are cheap to buy and actually quite easy to cook if you get hold of a recipe book or two.

    You probably just need to experiment with more foods that are around and improve your cooking skills a bit more.

    Snack foods are generally poor quality nutrition or fat rich.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    I was wondering if anyone had any gluten and dairy allergies and if so what snacks they eat. My pie chart is showing literally 68% of my diet is carbs. I stay generally within the calorie range daily maybe a little over or under sometimes but I am not losing weight because more than half my diet is carbs. The issue is if you can't have gluten or dairy a lot of the foods are made with carbs in them. I eat very healthy but the other thing that the chart is showing is that I am very low on protein. Help Please... Thank you

    I can't eat dairy, so I understand your troubles there. Even with a gluten allergy, it doesn't mean you have to eat all carbs, all of the time. Are you eating a lot of boxed/packaged gluten free junk food? If you are low in protein then work more into your diet: eggs, tofu, edamame, nuts, beef, chicken, etc. You can eat all meats, eggs, fruit and vegetables...right there lies a huge variety of foods.
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    Go paleo the diet is mostly grain free and dairy free... I've considered it but I like pasta and lasagna a little bit too much.
  • cuteypolice
    cuteypolice Posts: 32 Member
    Thanks so much for the feedback, just wanted to comment about the egg being dairy free. When I went to my gastroenterologist she told me a common thought is that eggs are dairy free but they are not. I never asked what in the eggs are not dairy free or how they are not dairy free but they do have egg substitute that I use.

    Do others count the caloric intake from their drinks? i.e. starbucks passion tea lemonade silly question i guess but I am thinking maybe that I should be counting something like that since I do drink them twice a day sometimes. Thanks
  • OllyJ_79
    OllyJ_79 Posts: 126 Member
    The rule of thumb should be simply that if it has a calorie value then you should be counting it towards your daily allowance. If you are not you aren't logging truthfully, and in the long run, this will be self defeating.
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  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Thanks so much for the feedback, just wanted to comment about the egg being dairy free. When I went to my gastroenterologist she told me a common thought is that eggs are dairy free but they are not. I never asked what in the eggs are not dairy free or how they are not dairy free but they do have egg substitute that I use.


    Your gastroenterologist believes that eggs come from the mammary glands of mammals like cows, sheep or goats? :shock:

    Your gastroenterologist is wrong ...eggs are not dairy

    Are you allergic to eggs? That's different
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    Thanks so much for the feedback, just wanted to comment about the egg being dairy free. When I went to my gastroenterologist she told me a common thought is that eggs are dairy free but they are not. I never asked what in the eggs are not dairy free or how they are not dairy free but they do have egg substitute that I use.


    Your gastroenterologist believes that eggs come from the mammary glands of mammals like cows, sheep or goats? :shock:

    Your gastroenterologist is wrong ...eggs are not dairy

    Are you allergic to eggs? That's different

    ^^That....if there's a particular reason not to eat eggs with your food sensitivities, then that's one thing. But eggs and dairy come from COMPLETELY different sources and share few properties.

    That said...couple of tips.

    First, if your gastro thinks eggs are made of dairy, get a second opinion about your allergies.

    Second, assuming that goes as planned, look into some paleo cookbooks and diet resources. It's not allergy related, but paleo eating is substantially grain and dairy free. It's actually even more restrictive than just eliminating gluten and dairy, so you might be able to find some good recipes and food ideas that will fit your needs.

    Third, meat (beef, pork, poultry, fish) is gluten and dairy free, as well as substantially carb-free, in its whole form. If you're not a vegetarian (I didn't see that you mentioned that you were), add more of those to your diet. If you do that while maintaining the same calorie goal, your carbs will naturally decrease. Just watch processed meats that may have gluten or dairy products added to them.

    Fourth, as long as you're at a calorie deficit, it doesn't matter much where your calories come from. Macronutrient balance will impact your health, body fat percentage, etc, but it shouldn't significantly impact your weight loss rate, all other things being equal. So, eating at 68% carbs may affect how you're feeling and your end-game body, but it shouldn't affect how much you're losing.

    Fifth, yes, log calories from whatever source they may come in, whether it be food or drink.
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    If you have done it for a while you get used to it. I can't imagine anymore how it would be to have gluten on my plate or sugar. I absolutely don't miss breads, cakes, cookies or something, but there are enough pages online coming with the most fantastic alternatives you could eat! This one has awesome cakes etc for example!

    http://fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.se/
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    Try eating more meat.
  • julieharrell1
    julieharrell1 Posts: 29 Member
    I am gluten free because of celiac disease. I ate paleo for a couple of years. It's gluten free and dairy free. I did not lose weight on that diet either, but it might work for you. I ate less that 1200 calories a day. My only carbs came from occasional fruit. I think my problem is a celiac thing. Half of us can't gain weight to save our lives, the other half can't lose weight to save our lives (my half).
  • Anonycatgirl
    Anonycatgirl Posts: 502 Member
    Thanks so much for the feedback, just wanted to comment about the egg being dairy free. When I went to my gastroenterologist she told me a common thought is that eggs are dairy free but they are not. I never asked what in the eggs are not dairy free or how they are not dairy free but they do have egg substitute that I use.

    Do others count the caloric intake from their drinks? i.e. starbucks passion tea lemonade silly question i guess but I am thinking maybe that I should be counting something like that since I do drink them twice a day sometimes. Thanks

    How are eggs not dairy free? Eggs are not a mammal's milk or made from it, hence not dairy. You might also be sensitive to eggs--some people are--and your doctor was oversimplifying or explained it in a weird way. Otherwise, she's just plain wrong. Might want a second opinion there.

    And yes, count your drinks. Not logging drinks, rather than "too many carbs," is probably why you're not losing weight.
  • Jennifer_Lynn_1982
    Jennifer_Lynn_1982 Posts: 567 Member
    Like most have mentioned on here, eat some meat! :)

    I eat mostly gluten free and dairy free so I get a lot of my protein from lean meat sources (ground turkey, chicken breasts, ground chicken, etc.) and eggs (mostly egg whites but omega-3 eggs on the weekends). Typically the only carbohydrates that I consume are from vegetables and fruit and I usually add in a bit of olive oil to my green beans each day to make sure I get some good healthy fats. I also supplement with a vegan protein shake (typically Genuine Health or a brand sold in Costco - I found Vega One too expensive and harder to digest at times).

    My nutritional pie chart is 35% C, 40% P, 25% F. Having a higher protein % helps me feel fuller longer.
    If you'd like to see my food diary, send me a friend request :)
    Good luck!
  • L0te
    L0te Posts: 14
    Meat for sure. Try some turkey slices, beef or chicken veggie stir fry, burgers/turkey burgers with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun.

    Edit: Oops, snacks. Turkey still, but I am gluten free and sometimes snack on pepperoni, ham, or peanut butter.
  • cuteypolice
    cuteypolice Posts: 32 Member
    I am gluten free because of celiac disease. I ate paleo for a couple of years. It's gluten free and dairy free. I did not lose weight on that diet either, but it might work for you. I ate less that 1200 calories a day. My only carbs came from occasional fruit. I think my problem is a celiac thing. Half of us can't gain weight to save our lives, the other half can't lose weight to save our lives (my half).

    It's so weird, I know I have a dairy intolerance ( allergy ) and it's severe. The gluten its a sensitivity. Since I have been on this diet I have gained weight not lost any and before I was on this diet I couldn't gain weight to save my life. I was eating chocolate everyday and never gained a pound.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    My wife has to go low carb and gluten free for medical reasons. Lunch meats are good (as long as you get the gluten free versions) or meats (sausages, hot dogs, etc..). You can do salads too or snack on veggies with some ranch.


    My question is, do you use a food scale and can you open your diary?
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    First, re: the weight gain.
    I couldn't say for certain, but a possibility to speculate on? It could be celiac disease rather than gluten sensitivity. Did the doc actually test you for that? If so, I'd honestly get the test results to see. If the doctor didn't test you for that, one has to go back ON the gluten diet for 4-6 weeks to accumulate enough damage for the test to properly register. And even then, there's a 20% false negative rate.

    The reason I ask is this. It's a very common scenario for celiacs to be unable to lose weight, and then when they go gluten free, they start gaining. The body has previously been unable to absorb nutrients properly, and when it heals, all of a sudden it goes kind of gonzo. I've heard some doctors speculate that it's like the body has been in starvation mode and suddenly, it can access the calories and so you start gaining weight. Most celiacs I know kind of even out, though, eventually.

    But one reason it's important to know if you do have celiac disease is that if you do, and you are just now going gluten free, it's a BAD time to limit your diet at all in terms of calories. The body is damaged enough that it needs at least 6 months to heal back up, if not longer, and it is still not absorbing nutrients completely until it has healed. So any nutrients you can pack in will be used by the body for healing, at this point...if it was celiac disease. A little of this also applies to gluten intolerance, potentially, but seems to be a matter of a few days or weeks for inflammation to calm down, from what I've read. So not such a big issue.


    Some places with good recipes for this sort of thing
    http://nomnompaleo.com
    http://www.aniphyo.com
    http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/alphabet-of-vegetables_6295.html
  • Ferrous_Female_Dog
    Ferrous_Female_Dog Posts: 221 Member
    The issue is if you can't have gluten or dairy a lot of the foods are made with carbs in them.

    Does not compute. If you can't eat gluten you should probably wind up eating fewer carbs since you can't have wheat and other carb sources.

    Put more meat in your diet. Tofu, beans, avocado, fish, beans, nuts, lentils, fish, things like that.
  • bethanytapp
    bethanytapp Posts: 79 Member
    I am gluten & dairy free.... Some of my favorite snacks are:
    - almonds & 85% dark chocolate
    - fruit
    - veggies with hummous
    - coconut flour cake in a mug - lots of recipes on pinterest
    - popcorn
    - almond milk and PB2 'ice- cream'
    - avocado
    - tuna
    - boiled eggs

    I end up being about 40% carb, 30% fat and 30% protein. For meals I eat lots of veggies, quinoa, sweet potato, beans, fish & chicken.

    Hope that helped
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    a common thought is that eggs are dairy free but they are not. I never asked what in the eggs are not dairy free or how they are not dairy free but they do have egg substitute that I use.

    I don't understand. How can eggs possibly have dairy? Are we using some unusual definition of dairy? (I don't really care, as I eat lots of dairy and love it, and it makes me feel great, but this is just puzzling.)
    Do others count the caloric intake from their drinks? i.e. starbucks passion tea lemonade silly question i guess but I am thinking maybe that I should be counting something like that since I do drink them twice a day sometimes. Thanks

    If there are any significant calories, of course. I don't count black coffee, though, even though there are a few, or plain tea. No real reason for that except that I tend to drink partial cups and it would be a pain and not especially helpful to try to log them.

    I don't think it matters how many carbs you eat, although I do about 40%. I can't tell how much of what I eat your doctor might think are dairy based, but I eat eggs (whole, from a farm), vegetables, fruit, and meat (including fish), in addition to the starchier carbs like potatoes and sweet potatoes and quinoa. Are you vegetarian? If I cut gluten and dairy my diet would probably get a lot lower in carbs, without any effort.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    You aren't losing weight because you are eating too many carbs. You aren't losing weight because you are eating too many calories.

    I eat gluten free and dairy free (with the occasional cheese).

    You can add me and take a look at my diary! I eat lots of chicken, salmon, turkey, nuts, seeds, etc.
  • jacklis
    jacklis Posts: 280 Member
    I don't eat Gluten or Dairy (however I can tolerate high fat greek yogurt). I am also sensitive to eggs, and it's weird but I build up a tolerance to them over time, and then all of the sudden they start passing through me too quickly - as if I cannot tolerate them either. So then I cut them out and work back up to them again- slowly.
    My snacks are lactose free cottage cheese and gluten free oatmeal. Raisins in the oatmeal, frozen fruit in the cottage cheese and aforementioned greek yogurt.
  • cherriedlacondrata
    cherriedlacondrata Posts: 83
    one of my favorite things to eat is chicken salad with grapes wwrapped in a romain leaf or tuna salad wrapped in a romain leaf! its really good. :-) Im supposed to be gluten free and dairy free as I have an intollerence, but sometimes its hard, especially when you are out and about or low on money. I like to eat carrots and maybe a side of dressing to dip them in or some celery with a little peanut butter.. a handful of grapes when I need a sugar fix.
  • TMM211073
    TMM211073 Posts: 153 Member
    Hi,

    I'm Coeliac and I can be sensitive to dairy (I can't eat Greek yogurts or cream, I can only stomach skimmed milk and thin, fat free yogurts) and soya is a no no for me too (so no dairy replacement options for me).

    I eat fresh fruit, veg, fish, meat, I love quinoa, I have gluten free pasta; I love gluten free rice cakes, corn cakes, I have peanut butter, I also have shelled hemp and add it to porridge (I make mine with skimmed milk for added protein, but it can be made with water) or sprinkle it on salads.... Look up protein rich seeds (such as Flaxseed & shelled hemp)

    Try eating oily fish, chicken, eggs, cottage cheese and nuts as they're good sources of protein.

    I'm in the UK, so depending where in the world you are, some of my favourite brands are:

    Nature's Store (Available in Tesco)
    Kelkin (widely available)
    Kallo (widely available)
    P28 protein spread, banana, peanut, chocolate (Tesco and online)


    xXx
  • Jeneba
    Jeneba Posts: 699 Member
    I just discovered Splitz crisps. They are made with split peas and have 100 calories, 7 grams of fiber, 7 grams of protein.

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