Does anyone have experience with gluten free?

I went to see my Gyn today for my annual and we talked about my inability to lose weight. Although she doesn't see a need for me to lose anymore, she did listen to my concerns about the weight gain I have had over the past year and some of my digestive complaints. She thinks I have an "unhealthy gut" and should try eliminating some things to see if I can find a culprit. So she wants me to go 2 weeks without gluten. My question is what does this kind of diet look like? What type of foods should I be eating? Any suggestions? I will google it of course but I'd be curious what someone who is trying to lose weight and exercising eats that goes gluten free. Thanks!

Replies

  • stephanietasomers
    stephanietasomers Posts: 1 Member
    Well first off, you want to steer clear of the "Gluten Free" foods section. The best way to go gluten free is to go faux-paleo. That is, center your diet around veggies and meat, and of course fruit, rather than trying to find gluten free substitutes for the foods we normally eat. Hope this helps. I've been GF since 2006 and I'm happy to offer other suggestions.
  • biggyg2
    biggyg2 Posts: 3 Member
    Just curious, why stay away from the gluten free section ? All the substitutes and processed foods ?
  • krismet777
    krismet777 Posts: 2 Member
    I wouldn't say stay away from the gluten free section at first if it will help you wean off things like bread for example. That is how I did it . I eat mostly chicken eggs brown rice fruits vegetables personally. I am dairy free too for the most part. It did help with my weight when I was being strict. And helped with my ibs immensely
  • daynasrose
    daynasrose Posts: 46 Member
    edited August 2017
    krismet777 wrote: »
    I eat mostly chicken eggs brown rice fruits vegetables personally. I am dairy free too for the most part. It did help with my weight when I was being strict. And helped with my ibs immensely

    I am currently doing gluten-free and dairy-free like quoted above.

    If you are trying to fix an unhealthy gut I HIGHLY recommend something called the GAPS diet. It is extremely effective at cleaning up gut issues. I only tried it for a couple of weeks because I did it as research. I am a school counselor and work with kids with varying issues but mainly autism and ADHD. The GAPS diet is recommended for them, thus my interest in it. However, it helps anyone with leaky gut or other digestive issues. The book gives the science behind it and includes all the recipes you will need to start and continue the diet. Try it out and see if it helps. Good luck!

  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    Yup, we're GF for 3 years now. Started with Fodmap then added back the foods we missed the most.
  • WallyAmadeus
    WallyAmadeus Posts: 119 Member
    The easiest way to to do it: If it is baked, don't eat it. My husband has digestive issues, and when he went gluten free, he substituted nongluten goods for ones he was eating with gluten. Didn't lose a lb, though his stomach seemed to settle. When he eliminated baked goods of any type (made with e.g., soy, almond, rice, coconut flour), he began losing steadily. I don't have his digestive issues, but I've found that foods on which I can totally binge are baked. It is hard for me to pound down cups of brown rice, easy for me to eat a loaf of fresh bread!
  • I have had a gluten free household for years, because my husband is allergic to wheat and rye. It is a different condition than celiacs, but the solution is the same and the result is that we do not have any gluten in our house
    For two weeks, I would just cut out everything with wheat. The available gluten free products are higher in carbs and more calorie dense, because they are made with rice flour. I would get some Udi's chia seed bread to replace bread and just avoid any other baked goods. Get some gluten free tamari, regular soy sauce is made with wheat and contains gluten. We eat a low carb diet with a lot of meat and veggies. The paleo diet goes well with a gluten free diet.
    If you end up getting good results and go longer than two weeks, you will need to figure it out in more detail, but for the two weeks, just cut out all wheat, including bread and pasta.
  • rodentmama
    rodentmama Posts: 2 Member
    I've been gluten free for years and it helped me with pain and brain fog. I'd suggest (as someone else has) that you avoid processed food. Switching from gluten containing grains to other refined starches isn't really good for you. It could be a treat but should be a mainstay.

    When I want bread I do the gluten free flax foccacia bread recipe. It fills me up and I get lots of healthy fat and protein. It is surprisingly good. One incarnation is here https://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2014/08/flaxseed-focaccia-bread/ I don't use the Italian herbs because I like to put almond butter on it sometimes. It is super easy to make in a blender or bullet and to bake just pour it out on a parchment lined pan.

    It isn't hard to do once you step away from the processed food. I've been following keto and a lot of that stuff is also gluten free. Using almond flour and eggs in combination to make baked goods. Yummy stuff.
  • ALCF69
    ALCF69 Posts: 3 Member
    I have celiac and am gluten free. The only thing I'd add is that a lot of gluten free sub foods also have a lot of sugar, which aside from all the obvious problems, tends to be inflammatory for many people. But, I find if I'm overly strict in any direction (aside from really no gluten), I personally tend to over-indulge later. So, although I don't buy gluten free bread, for instance, when I was craving a good Reuben sandy at our only local Jewish deli and discovered they had gluten free bread, I ordered an amazing sandwich. good luck.
  • RisOnTheRun
    RisOnTheRun Posts: 624 Member
    My husband and son have celiac so our household is pretty much gluten free. Keep in mind that things like potatoes, rice, and corn are all gluten-free, so you can easily get your carbs without switching to processed things. We tend to stick with things that are naturally gluten free, so we use corn tortillas or rice cakes instead of bread, brown rice instead of pasta (although gluten free pastas are pretty good these days), rice crackers instead of regular crackers, etc. Asian food tends to be pretty safe for eating out, but beware of soy sauces (and sauces in general), as some have gluten in them. Even though I can eat gluten, most of the time I stay gluten free out of convenience and I rarely feel deprived.
  • Raven_Hawk
    Raven_Hawk Posts: 22 Member
    I have a daughter who has coeliac, so we need to do gluten free when she visits us. You have to watch the specific "gluten free" foods as they often contain more calories, more fat & more carbs than their equivalents and in my opinion taste gack. Rather than buying gluten free foods I'd be looking at just eliminating those things that have it and buying normal food.

    You can get a load of help from the many Coeliac web sites there. It can be complicated as there can often be gluten in things you would never suspect.