Anyone trying to go "wheat free?"

My hubby and I are 99% gluten free.

I saw an interview with the doctor that wrote "Wheat Belly" a couple of weeks ago. I am aware that genetically modified foods are already in the system, so his theory about "franken wheat" did not surprise me and made sense.

I play around with it all the time and just started gluten/wheat free again this week. I do know in the past I have done better in terms of weight loss when I don't eat any bread/pasta etc.

Thanks for your post. Congrats on maintaining a vegetarian household! I'm vegan, no coffee, alcohol, or sugar/corn syrup/artificial sweeteners. A wheat-free diet has always intrigued me, though. Need to do more research before making the leap and plan to check out that book. Please keep us updated on your progress!

Im all kinds of " free". Basically all known allergien foods, if i eat it ill breakout ugly by my jawlines, it messes with my hormones, all i can eat to be ok is fruit and veggies ... Wheat is in alot of things like soy, yuk....

I've been reading alot about this lately and am willing to try it, but need to read a book on it to get the whole scope before I start. I have that beer belly look and I'm not really much of a beer drinker. Any suggestions on a good book. Short articles just don't seem to cover enough info.

Ive gotten so much books on bad foods like wheat from my library, check online for their catalog and order some on wheat..

I have noticed recently though that some products that used to have HFCS now use regular sugar. I suppose you could call that progress.

That's only because with the increased use of biofuel (made from CORN) the savings companies had by making a product with HFCS have greatly diminished. The cost savings is almost gone completely. They are now shifting to regular sugar because there isn't enough savings to justify all the processing costs for the HFCS.... It's all about the $$$$$, nothing to do with being healthier or not. :-\

I am about 95% wheat free due to allergies. I feel great. Please freind me so we can share ideas.

I've though about going gluten free, no allergy/Celiac just curious about what would happen. For those of you who are gluten/wheat free, have you noticed a significant increase in food costs? I just got out of college and am BROKE and am spending all of my money applying to graduate school so I'm trying to figure out how to budget for it. It seems like all of the gluten free items I check out at the store are much more pricy. What's your experience? Was it worth it?

I have been mainly wheat free since about august/sept.

For me I found cutting a huge chunk of it out helped.. I don't bother checking all ingredients for it but for example instead of having wheat based cereal, AND bread for sandwiches for lunch AND pasta (or other carbs with dinner) i changed the biggest things.

Cereal I use Rice Krispies or Oats, lunch is salad or soup, dinner is salad or veg with fish or white meat. I do allow a mini yorkshire pudding with sunday dinner but that's the only flour item I have. I managed to find some gluten free brownies and don't have any other pies or pastry products.

I found this easy to stick to, only have small amount with sunday dinner doesn't make water weight go up by huge amount it has improved drastically from 3-5lbs daily fluctuations to 1-2lb and monthly was previously 6-10lbs and now around 4lbs for that week.

I also cut potatoes, rice, pasta (any grain based item) with main meal and replaced things like mashed potato with carrot and swede mash. I allow potato OR rice once a week for treat meal.

I don't think I'm allergic to it though I just pile on water after eating lots of it? I've lost 12" from tummy and 8 " off waist since cutting amount of carbs I eat daily.

I have been mainly wheat free since about august/sept.

For me I found cutting a huge chunk of it out helped.. I don't bother checking all ingredients for it but for example instead of having wheat based cereal, AND bread for sandwiches for lunch AND pasta (or other carbs with dinner) i changed the biggest things.

Cereal I use Rice Krispies or Oats, lunch is salad or soup, dinner is salad or veg with fish or white meat. I do allow a mini yorkshire pudding with sunday dinner but that's the only flour item I have. I managed to find some gluten free brownies and don't have any other pies or pastry products.

I found this easy to stick to, only have small amount with sunday dinner doesn't make water weight go up by huge amount it has improved drastically from 3-5lbs daily fluctuations to 1-2lb and monthly was previously 6-10lbs and now around 4lbs for that week.

I also cut potatoes, rice, pasta (any grain based item) with main meal and replaced things like mashed potato with carrot and swede mash. I allow potato OR rice once a week for treat meal.

I don't think I'm allergic to it though I just pile on water after eating lots of it? I've lost 12" from tummy and 8 " off waist since cutting amount of carbs I eat daily.

I havent had anything white since August. No rice, no pasta, no potatoes, no potato chips or fries. No cake, no cookies, no pudding, no soda, skim milk, no cereal. Just vegetables. I have only lost 15 and since Christmas gained 5. I swear it is metabolism.

I eat millions of pounds of gluten I'm sure. Tons of carbs in my diet for energy. I watch my calories and exercise. I've lost 85 pounds since having my first son (although I lost, then gained back 50 of it with my second son, and then lost it again)

If you medically need to for a condition, then its necessary to stick to it 100%

As for just doing it for weight loss, I don't think it will help you unless its just one way to limit your calorie intake. There are still plenty of fattening things to eat without gluten, so be careful.

as for whet belly: I carry weight in my thighs and hips. My tummy is pretty flat and always has been even when I was heavier. even with tons of wheat eating. It might just be genetic for your family.

IMO it is in so many things under so many different names that it is really only worth trying to do 100% if you have a medical need to do so. Having said that - we do have way to much wheat in our diets these days so I think it is a good thing to do what one can to reduce the amount being consumed. There are several good sites on celiacs disease that list the names that gluten lurks under and there are so many amazing grains and seeds available that you can use in place of wheat that it is worth experimenting if you can afford it.

I have a severe gluten intolerance and have been relatively wheat free for some time. Where I live, the wheat flour substitutes can be hard to find and are expensive, and it can be hard to find gluten free products that aren't loaded up with other things like fat and sugar to make up for the loss of texture that gluten provides. I have been lucky in finding some places where I can mail order the flours and grains, and I have been experimenting with different recipes to find some flour mixes that produce some pretty darn good results. There are some out there that might produce nice looking results but they taste horrible so I have been taking the best of the worst, and combining a bunch of different products to find some that at least taste decent.

One of the big discussions I come across is the use of guar gum and xantham gum in gluten free recipes to add the texture and elasticity that gluten does. Some people are totally against using them for various reasons and others find they have no problems with them. I started using them and I find that they significantly improve the results and quite frankly, if that means I can stick with the gluten free eating, I will use them and just pay attention to what my body is telling me (besides the usual "feed me feed me" thing that it is doing lately :happy: )

I really enjoy learning about things, and I love to cook and bake and experiment anyway so I found this whole gluten intolerance thing to be somewhat of a positive challenge??? I am happy to offer up some of the experiences I have had if you are interested and give you the names of a book or two that have some decent recipes in them. Just let me know.

We are also vegetarian (almost 20 years) and gluten free (3-4 years). I am recently off of all grains, even rice and corn (incl corn starch, corn syrup/glucose/fructose, etc.)

When we first went gluten-free, I gained a number of pounds, experimental baking for Christmas.

Now I do a lot less baking. Our meals are more centred on whole foods now, naturally grain free. Curries, chili, soup, salads, fruits and vegetables on their own, quinoa and buckwheat, potatoes, nuts (those I'm not allergic to) and seeds, etc. I get one loaf of bread and one pack of daiya cheese each week for hubby and DS, and they also eat corn tortillas. For myself, I make a tapioca and buckwheat based bun, and keep them in the freezer for when I want bread. I use the same recipe for homemade pizza crust and other bread based treats, but that is pretty rare. I only make cake or cookies for special events, esp. when we have to go out to a meal somewhere else and there are going to be treats.

There is still plenty that you can eat, and it is possible to gain weight instead of losing even on a restricted diet like this. I have to be really conscious of portion sizes and get lots of exercise to lose weight, and MFP has been such a lifesaver there.

Pam

"Do or no not. There is no try."

Seriously, I've been wheat/grain free for going on 3 months. I can't explain how much healthier I feel. Do it.