Is there anyone here who has celiac disease and has gained weight after going gluten free?

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travelhunny
travelhunny Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
i was diagnosed with celiac about 18 months ago. I have given up wheat products which is the only treatment. I THOUGHT I would lose weight because of this but have gained about 10 pounds in the past year or so. I am 60 years old, 5'6 1/2" and weigh 217 this morning. My clothes don't fit, my back hurts and I can't tie my shoelaces! I have decided that I need to focus on my diet. I'd appreciate hearing stories from other celiacs. Are there any out there?

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  • erikabows
    erikabows Posts: 5 Member
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    You can weight going gluten free! I did. But a lot of the time it's because the gluten was not allowing you to take in proper nutrients from food and now that you are taking proper nutrients in, it can cause some weight gain. I recommend not eating a lot of processed gluten free things like breads and cookies. Especially if you just went gluten free, your body is doing the best it can, so eat as healthy as possible. Once you are doing okay; you can reintroduce some more gluten free grains in your diet like amaranth. I've been gluten free for 3+ years now
  • travelhunny
    travelhunny Posts: 2
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    H Erika - thanks for your reply! I think that is what is happening - my body is absorbing much more in the way of nutrients. I stay away from processed GF except for an occasional piece of toast made with Essential Baking bread. I don't eat processed foods because of the amount of sugar hidden in the food. I eat pretty well but think I must be eating too much of the good things! Time to stay focused. Did you gain a lot of weight when you went gluten free?
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
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    Have you ever read consumer reports? If so, there was an article you may find helpful in that magazine. Gluten free foods have to replace the gluten with ingredients that still allow for those foods to taste somewhat ok. With that, if you compare gluten free bread to regular bread you will find the grams of sugar, fat and often times carbs are way higher in gluten free foods than they are in foods that contain gluten.

    The article also references a couple studies where many people who truly have celiac disease is still considered over weight or obese because it's not to be used as a "weight-loss" tool and many of the foods those with celiac disease eat are no better for you, really - they just don't contain gluten. If you did this expecting to lose weight then you have been misinformed.

    Even if you eat gluten free, you still really need to watch the grams of fat, calories and sugars that in these foods. Many gluten free foods replace the tastiness with sugars, really, and that makes them somewhat ok to eat.

    I highly recommend really going over what you eat.
  • daniellejm893
    daniellejm893 Posts: 15 Member
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    Agreed. Gluten free foods have higher carb amounts so be aware of that. It's more beneficial if you just give up most breads, pastas and any other gluten products you may eat. Although the there are gluten free alternatives, have it once a day in the morning (by bedtime it will be fully digested) or limit the amount you have daily/weekly. I usually eat Udi's gluten free bread and only have one with breakfast as I pair it with an egg or an open faced sandwich instead of having 2 slices of gluten free bread.
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
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    Yes, I gained weight at first. A lot of the gluten free prepared foods are higher in calories. Make sure you're reading your labels and logging correctly. Gluten free does not mean healthier.
  • acorsaut89
    acorsaut89 Posts: 1,147 Member
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    travelhunny wrote: »
    H Erika - thanks for your reply! I think that is what is happening - my body is absorbing much more in the way of nutrients. I stay away from processed GF except for an occasional piece of toast made with Essential Baking bread. I don't eat processed foods because of the amount of sugar hidden in the food. I eat pretty well but think I must be eating too much of the good things! Time to stay focused. Did you gain a lot of weight when you went gluten free?

    Also - there is no such thing as "the good things" when it comes to food. If you eat too much, you're going to gain weight. While your body may have had issues absorbing nutrients prior to going gluten free, this is not the reason you're gaining weight.

    If you don't eat gluten, but your calories in are higher than your calories out, you're still going to gain weight. It sounds to me like you thought this was going to be one of those magic pills and you could still eat just as much while losing weight. It isn't like that. When you go gluten free, 8 times out of 10 the same quantity of GF food vs. food with gluten, the GF food will have more calories and carbs and sugars in it. You have to be very careful with what you eat when you go GF.

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