Wheat-Free Works?

Options
anum1216
anum1216 Posts: 2 Member
edited April 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all.

I am avoiding wheat in my diet these days - both for weight loss and because I have problems with hypoglycemia and tiredness during the day.

I am a 5'3" female and 135 pounds. I have plateau'd at this weight for about 5 years, except for a period of a few months, about two years ago, when I ate 1300-1400 calories and walked 3 miles a day; however, I gained the weight back soon enough. I REALLY want to lose my last 10 pounds once and FOR ALL!

I am hoping that eliminating wheat will help me in multiple ways. I'm eating 1300-1400 calories in this diet, and am running about 3 miles a day. I also walk around my college campus about a mile a day, but other than that I just sit and study all day. However, I am nervous that the weight just won't come off - I have tried almost everything, and (despite what I consider a "fluke" by losing that weight for a few months a couple of years back) nothing seems to work.

If anyone has seen results with avoiding wheat, please let me know! I need some motivation!!! Thank you!

Replies

  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    Options
    anum1216 wrote: »
    Hello all.

    I am avoiding wheat in my diet these days - both for weight loss and because I have problems with hypoglycemia and tiredness during the day.

    I am a 5'3" female and 135 pounds. I have plateau'd at this weight for about 5 years, except for a few years back for a period of a few months when I ate 1300-1400 calories and walked 3 miles a day; however, I gained the weight back soon enough. I REALLY want to lose my last 10 pounds once and FOR ALL!

    I am hoping that eliminating wheat will help me in multiple ways. I'm trying to have about 1300-1400 calories in this diet, and also running about 3 miles a day. I also walk around my college campus about a mile a day, but other than that I just sit and study all day. However, I am nervous that the weight just won't come off - I have tried almost everything, and despite what I consider a "fluke" by losing that weight for a period of months, nothing seems to work.

    If anyone has seen results with avoiding wheat, please let me know! I need some motivation!!! Thank you!

    Whether or not you eat wheat will have no effect on weight loss whatsoever.

    Eating less calories than you burn is the only thing that works. If you like wheat, eat it within your daily macro allowances.

    When you were at your "plateau," were you weighing and measuring everything that you ate? The closer you get to your goal weight, the more important accuracy in your logging will become. I'd suggest investing in a food scale, logging your food accurately, getting enough protein, and perhaps look into lifting weights a few days a week in addition to your walking.
  • kyrannosaurus
    kyrannosaurus Posts: 350 Member
    Options
    Avoiding wheat is not going to make you lose weight. Unless you have coeliac disease or diagnosed with some type of gluten sensitivity there is no benefit to giving up wheat products. Only a calorie deficit will result in weight loss.
  • anum1216
    anum1216 Posts: 2 Member
    edited April 2015
    Options
    Thank you; I know that calories are the main component behind weight loss (as evidenced by the fact that I lost weight by limiting my calories more than usual to begin with). However, I am trying a wheat-free lifestyle for reasons other than weight loss as well.

    And I have tried heavy lifting and increasing my protein for about a year - the only thing that happened was that my cellulite became more pronounced. That's about it.

    I'm mostly wondering if anyone has seen benefits from a wheat-free lifestyle and if they have, to please let me know how you went about it!!
  • kyrannosaurus
    kyrannosaurus Posts: 350 Member
    Options
    What health benefits do you think you will achieve by abstaining from wheat products? I am unaware of any benefits to cutting out wheat products except when there is a diagnosed medical reason to avoid gluten. I am honestly curious as to what you expect to achieve by doing this.
  • sandryc79
    sandryc79 Posts: 250 Member
    Options
    Plenty of people who cut out an entire type of food believe it was the catalyst for a successful results. Getting anecdotal accounts from individuals is not really proof that they are correct about the cause and effect. It is just proof that they believe it to be so.

    I have not seen a lot of evidence that cutting all wheat has health benefits beyond simple calorie intake reduction (which can be accomplished multiple ways).
  • roropants
    roropants Posts: 4 Member
    Options
    I've avoided gluten for years and taken breaks from it. I lose weight when I don't eat gluten, but only because gluten-free high-calorie foods like pastries/pizza/hamburgers...etc are harder to come by. But, look out cuz many gluten-free substitute breads and cookies have more calories than their gluten-filled versions. It's totally worth looking into high-glycemic foods to avoid because some of them will surprise you!
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Options
    Yes. I have cut out wheat and wheat products during times in my life. It did not affect weight loss at all.
  • tweetiejovi
    tweetiejovi Posts: 62 Member
    Options
    I believe when I don't eat wheat that I am general calmer as a person and my periods which can be hell on earth are better to. Especially as my trigger comfort food is always bread and butter or toast, and I can easily eat loads without relieasing. Sometimes I try limiting but find for me a no tolerance policy as best, but as I got told my a friend of mine she found it really hard to do a no wheat challenge for a month, so the celebration pizza was amazing lol. So I guess it varies person to person. Never been tested for coeliac but my mums friend is and she finds it hard to follow a certain diet.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    Options
    Why aren't you more active? That's less than 10,000 steps per day.

    If you want to lose more, move more.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
    Options
    tweetiejovi wrote: »
    I believe when I don't eat wheat that I am general calmer as a person and my periods which can be hell on earth are better to. Especially as my trigger comfort food is always bread and butter or toast, and I can easily eat loads without relieasing. Sometimes I try limiting but find for me a no tolerance policy as best, but as I got told my a friend of mine she found it really hard to do a no wheat challenge for a month, so the celebration pizza was amazing lol. So I guess it varies person to person. Never been tested for coeliac but my mums friend is and she finds it hard to follow a certain diet.

    Yeah just no.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    Options
    I bake bread. Really, really, excellent bread. From scratch. It's very hard to say no to a steaming fresh loaf and some nice soft butter. Yum.

    Yum! YUM! Well yum until I look at the calorie count.

    I've not cut out wheat from my diet, but I have reduced the amount of bread baking I do for the family, and I've definitely increased the number of alternative foods in our kitchen so that there are things other than simple carbs to reach for.

    Have I lost weight because of less wheat? No, I've lost weight because I'm consuming fewer calories for a given activity level.

Categories