Hi everyone - anyone gluten-free?

acantu59
acantu59 Posts: 25 Member
edited October 14 in Introduce Yourself
I'm very new here - I found out about myfitnesspal when I bought my Xbox and it came with a fitbit... was told that mfp would integrate with it, so here I am. :happy: I've been going to Zumba classes 3-5 times a week since last April, and although I've been toning up, I'm not losing the weight.

I've just decided to try the gluten-free lifestyle and see if that helps. I'd love any input from someone that's been gluten-free for a while. I love MFP - I'm a computer addict, and I am much more likely log every bite here than I am to write it in a diary. I haven't logged a loss yet, but I have high hopes.

Replies

  • Dawna954
    Dawna954 Posts: 183 Member
    Hi and welcome!

    I don't eat completely gluten free but I do adhere to the basic prinicpals of no white flour or rice and I stay away from sugar.
    My daughter is celiac so I have had lots of opportunity to learn about it. In place of flour I use either rice flour or spelt flour. I love spelt! Although it comes from the same family it possesses a different makeup. I also use either spelt or rice pasta. It doesn't bloat you and now I feed it to the entire family and they never know. If I make a lasagna, I use Kamut noodles which taste great. You will love it here. Lots of support and tons of ideas to help you on your journey.

    Dawna
  • acantu59
    acantu59 Posts: 25 Member
    Thanks, Dawna! Nice to meet someone who's been on the journey for a while - with the gluten-free, that is. Having to watch what your daughter eats while not being celiac yourself has to be hard. I'm sure I'm going to have a bit of trouble adjusting, but I have a good menu plan and with the support I find here I'm confident I'll make great progress!
  • April_K
    April_K Posts: 4
    I am new here as well, and I just purchased a fitbit. I am gluten free and definately not by choice.(I could never choose to be GF just because.) I wouldn't wish Celiac disease on anyone. All that aside...There are some awesome GF cook books out there that help, but not all of the cook books are great. Most GF foods/recipes do not taste the same as normal food. I have found that Schaar and Glutino are a few brands that taste good. I have a Gluten free Quick fix cook book and a gluten free on a shoe string cook book that have some amazing recipes. One thing to remember is GF breads tend to have more carbs than regular breads. They are very dense and filling though. There are a lot of gluten free things already added to the MFP website which makes it so easy to log. I also have the ap on my phone so I can scan barcodes of other GF foods if I cannot find them.

    If there are any recipes that you are looking for let me know, I might have one. My Mother is fabulous at making regular recipes gluten free. Definately makes life easier :)
  • nevergiveup92
    nevergiveup92 Posts: 99
    I have lost some weight on a gluten-free diet but not a lot. I guess it depends on the person and on how much you eat in substitution of non-gluten foods. Good luck :)

    April_K: I'm a Celiac too! .. I absolutely HATE it.. and when I "cheat" (I know you're not supposed to but it's so hard at times) .. but I tend to bloat so bad that I actually gain five pounds from it.. but I then lose it again the next day because it's just bloating lol
  • April_K
    April_K Posts: 4
    I have lost some weight on a gluten-free diet but not a lot. I guess it depends on the person and on how much you eat in substitution of non-gluten foods. Good luck :)

    April_K: I'm a Celiac too! .. I absolutely HATE it.. and when I "cheat" (I know you're not supposed to but it's so hard at times) .. but I tend to bloat so bad that I actually gain five pounds from it.. but I then lose it again the next day because it's just bloating lol

    How long have you known you were celiac?
  • nevergiveup92
    nevergiveup92 Posts: 99
    I figure I've been one for at least 11 years but we never really "clued in" until about 6 years ago. It got worse as I grew older and now I cannot eat any thing. A morsel of a bread crumb bugs me so bad now, I can't stand it. It also cause me to become lactose intolerant, but the good thing about that is they have pills for the dairy problem and it doesn't damage you like gluten does. How about you?
  • Lucero57
    Lucero57 Posts: 1
    I have Ceiac for 5 Years now. At first was in denial and I sure paid the price for it when i ate things i was NOT supposed to. Now I am on track. I find other things to eat. Mainly stay along the lines of Meats, Vegetables, Fruits, Plenty of water. But most of all excercise and I also notice pro-biotics help with my absorbption of food. Which helps to retain my weight. There is a Gluten Free Protein Weight Gainer I used from Costco Along with Almond Milk and Bananas mixed in the help with my irregular Diet. Best wishes in your health. ML
  • sweet110
    sweet110 Posts: 332 Member
    Hey there. I'm not celiac, but I am allergic to wheat (true histamine response...hives, sneezing, nasal congestion, wheezing, etc). So I eat gluten free except I don't have to worry as much about things like cross-contamination--trace amounts aren't enough to trigger my allergy. There is also a gluten free "group" on MFP. Just do a search on "gluten." Folks there can also offer up resources.

    I'm not sure I'd be gluten free by choice...you can achieve much of the health benefits of a no-flour diet by an 80% commitment to unprocessed foods, and then allowing yourself that 20% to eat things you like...including things that have wheat/gluten. Like real pizza. Or the occasional commercial cookie. Because while broccoli is better for you than pasta, I'm not sure there's anything inherently "healthier" about gluten free bread versus regular bread, or gluten free cookies versus regular cookies.

    Just something to keep in mind. Good luck!
  • acantu59
    acantu59 Posts: 25 Member
    I've actually never been diagnosed as being wheat-sensitive, but I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and pre-diabetes, as well as having arthritis on my knees and in a couple vertebrae. The articles I've read claim that a GF, or wheat-free diet can help with fibro as well as getting diabetes under control... I'm at my wit's end - this isn't a choice I'm making lightly. I work out 3-5 times a week and I should be losing weight. Something has to be keeping it on me, so I'm starting here. I've been reading some articles by William Davis, M.D. - the author of the book "Wheat Belly". They make sense to me. I've also been a subscriber for years to Leanne Ely's Menu-Mailer, and about a year ago she started talking about the benefits of gluten-free eating. Her menus now offer gluten-free choices and suggestions for substitutions, and she doesn't rely on commercial substitutes very much. I'm using the Body Clutter menu, which is a lower carb menu -when you want to go GF there are a couple special items like GF teriyaki sauce or GF soy sauce, but she uses mostly regular items. Because it's lower carb, there isn't a lot of call for bread or noodle items anyway, and I really haven't missed them. I eat mostly unprocessed foods to begin with, when I'm on track and cooking for myself. I've never been much of one to use mixes or pre-packaged dinner stuff. I had enough of that when I was a struggling single mom. Now it's fresh or frozen veggies, lots of greens, lean proteins and almond or coconut milk - I'm not much of a dairy drinker. I do like my brown rice, too!
  • acantu59
    acantu59 Posts: 25 Member

    If there are any recipes that you are looking for let me know, I might have one. My Mother is fabulous at making regular recipes gluten free. Definately makes life easier :)

    Thanks, April! Right now, I'm using SavingDinner.com's Menu Mailer - her Body Clutter menu is great, and there are GF instructions for all recipes - I've been a subscriber for years, and love her! I'm going to stick with her for a while until I get the hang of it, then will probably try to branch out and try some baking and such.
  • vacherin
    vacherin Posts: 192
    I'm wheat-sensitive rather than gluten-sensitive, although the severity of my symptoms varies a lot. It used to be that even if a few wheat crumbs touched my plate I would end up with hives and red, burning, itching skin, but now I am able to eat foods with a breadcrumb coating, every once in a white, without a reaction. What's helped me a lot is taking Bromelain and Quercetin supplements every day between meals. I also used to have the same reaction with onions, chilli and large amounts of dairy, but the supplements have massively reduced symptoms.
  • April_K
    April_K Posts: 4
    That sounds awesome acantu :) Let me know how it works once you get the hang of it :)
  • acantu59
    acantu59 Posts: 25 Member
    Goodness! I just realized I didn't introduce myself!! :embarassed: My name is Angela and I'm 52 years old and hoping to drop 38 pounds.
  • edellaSut
    edellaSut Posts: 22 Member
    I am also a menu-mailer fan and was pleased to see her latest offering, an autoimmune version. She did this in partnership with dr wahl (the wahl protocol) which was designed to provide sufficient natural micronutrients, not only for MS (which wahls has tamed for herself) but is also ideal for any autoimmune ailment. Wahls called the final version of her protocol 'wahl paleo plus': no starches or sugarsrs worth mentioning, but lots (LOTS!) of vegetables (the famous 9 cups of veg a day -- thank heavens for green smoothies!) As with all the menu-mailers, leanne provides the main meal with macros in proprtions that differ for different plans. The autoimmune meals seem generally quite low CHO, a safe amount of protein for body maintenance and not a lot of fat in comparison to LCHF. This way of eating might be useful for others here -- feelings of hunger certainly aren't an issue! I am adding the daily menus (not recipes) to my meals, so you would need to subscribe to the menu-mailers. They have AUTO at the beginning, but I'm not sure if others can see them.
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