Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight

ChristinaBarnhouse
ChristinaBarnhouse Posts: 274 Member
edited November 9 in Food and Nutrition
I just came across a new book by William Davis called "Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight" and have been going over the book reviews. The author makes some very good arguments about how eliminating wheat from our diet can be very beneficial.

Has anyone else read this book or reviewed the theory that getting rid of wheat can be good for losing weight among other thigs? Have you tried this? Please tell me your thoughts.

Thanks!

Replies

  • stephabef
    stephabef Posts: 936 Member
    As someone with diagnosed Celiac, I'm pretty biased as claims like this create big stigma for the CD community... wheat is NOT the enemy for everyone. It really sucks for me and for a lot of others, but for plenty of people it's fine.

    Also, eating gluten-free is NOT a weight loss diet - it's a way of life. If I don't eat gluten-free, I don't take in the vitamins I need and various systems shut down (including the neurological system - big deal). However, GF does not equal weight loss. In fact, I gained when I cut out wheat. It's only now that I'm starting to lose again. Careful of the fads!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Gimmick (IMO) ...... diet books that "sell" sensible eating are boring. Been there, done that. You gotta get a gimmick to sell, sell, sell!
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
    I happen to believe wheat products are a major contributor to the rising obesity epidemic. I haven't read Wheat Belly, but here's at least one review of it.

    http://blog.cholesterol-and-health.com/2011/10/wheat-belly-toll-of-hubris-on-human.html

    I have eliminated most wheat products as part of a low-carb lifestyle and find it very easy to lose weight. Skeptics will say the only reason I am losing weight is because of increasing protein, not cutting down on wheat and/or carbs.

    Here is the blog of one such skeptic and her thoughts on Wheat Belly:

    http://carbsanity.blogspot.com/2011/10/and-im-one-thats-paranoid-yeah-dr-wheat.html
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    Just got the ad for this book on Women's Health newsletter, I thought it was a real article but when I clicked on the link, it was all gimmick just like their Flat Belly Diet crap.

    I think.... reducing carbs in general helps me, personally. When I do eat carbs, I try to make sure it's whole grain so that I'm getting the fiber I need. Cut out all the white crap - flour, sugar, refined carbs - and minimize carb consumption in general. That's my game plan, anyway. Dunno about anyone else.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    As someone with diagnosed Celiac, I'm pretty biased as claims like this create big stigma for the CD community... wheat is NOT the enemy for everyone. It really sucks for me and for a lot of others, but for plenty of people it's fine.

    It's refreshing to hear this opinion from someone who actually HAS to eliminate certain foods.
  • mamalade1
    mamalade1 Posts: 42
    I suspect if I cut out all wheat products, I would lose weight, but not because of inflammation, because I'd be reducing my calories. It is pretty easy to check if you have an inflammatory response to wheat. You can get a simple blood test that will measure it. If so, then yeah, cut out the wheat. If not, I figure it's a fine addition to a balanced diet. One other thing: "wheat" tends to be a big blanket category that includes both whole grains and highly processed foods. A donut, for example, is not good for you, but is it because of the wheat? I think not. There's my two cents.
  • sweetlola13
    sweetlola13 Posts: 18
    Any time you restrict your diet you will likely lose weight. I'm gluten intolerant, and when I went GF, I did lose weight, but one of my symptoms is water retention. I feel so much better without gluten, but that doesn't mean it is for everyone. Give it a try for awhile, it won't hurt, and it's so much easier now than it was a few years ago when I started. It is true to beware of fad diets, but GF diets don't have to be, just be cautious of the source. Oh, and beware of GF junk food! Just because it is gluten free doesn't make it healthy! A muffin is a muffin, glutenous or not!
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
    I suspect if I cut out all wheat products, I would lose weight, but not because of inflammation, because I'd be reducing my calories.

    Why wouldn't you simply replace the calories with something else?
  • NettyB62
    NettyB62 Posts: 45
    I bought this book too, I thought a lot of it made sense, but my boyfriend thinks it is a bunch on bullsh**
  • aranchmom
    aranchmom Posts: 176 Member
    I am not celiac, but my husband recently has cut out gluten (wheat) and so to make life easier, I have been gluten free with him for 5 weeks. Didn't reduce weight, bloat, or have any other benefit that I can tell. It simply isn't a problem for me, and i suspect the same for lots of others.
    I was hoping it would reduce the weight/'bloat' around my tummy, but I think that is just plain old boring FAT. Not bloat. Sorry people, but unless you are truly sensitive or allergic - wheat is just fine. Overeating is the culprit. Boring but true. :laugh:
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
    As someone with diagnosed Celiac, I'm pretty biased as claims like this create big stigma for the CD community... wheat is NOT the enemy for everyone. It really sucks for me and for a lot of others, but for plenty of people it's fine.

    Also, eating gluten-free is NOT a weight loss diet - it's a way of life. If I don't eat gluten-free, I don't take in the vitamins I need and various systems shut down (including the neurological system - big deal). However, GF does not equal weight loss. In fact, I gained when I cut out wheat. It's only now that I'm starting to lose again. Careful of the fads!

    There are more people than not that can not handle gluten and especially wheat. I am one of those people.

    There is such a thing as gluten allergy and / or intolerance and not have Celiacs Disease.

    I see far too many people on this site and in real life that have the symptoms of allergy / intolerance to wheat and other gluten products, yet put themselves through pure H*ll because they don't want to give it up. SMH
  • mrsred79
    mrsred79 Posts: 79
    I have the book and am cutting out the wheat in my life as best I can. It's not just about cutting out the wheat though. Pay close attention to what Dr. Davis says about replacing wheat with wheat substitutes. That "gluten free" brownie mix may be awesome and taste "just like real brownies!", but it can still go straight to your *kitten* because the starches used to replace the wheat are high on the glycemic index. What I took away from the book is that wheat should be eliminated based on the adverse effects it has on our bodies, including but not limited to excess weight. But it still goes right back to taking out processed "junk" foods and replacing them with healthful whole foods. Not "healthy whole grains", but real whole foods. Like vegetables.

    Overall, I like what I read. It's very easy for folks to misinterpret though and think following a "gluten free diet" is going to solve all their weight problems. Because it won't.
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
    Wheat is one of the last things that i have really cut back on. I don't know if cutting out completely is different. But what has worked for me is eating a primarily plant based diet. Aiming for 1 pound of leafy greens & raw veggies, a pound of cooked veggies, 4-6 fresh fruits a day, an ounce or two of nuts & seeds a day, and 1 cup of beans a day, and limiting grains or starchy veggies to 1 serving a day. Meat or animal protein is limited to 12 oz per week and I feel so much better. Plus I don't usually eat more than 1 tbsp of oil a day, or any sugar or salt. I only have wheat products maybe once every week or two.

    I know that grain products are more calorie dense than veggies, so I get to eat a lot more. If I throw in a piece of bread or have crackers it really throws off my calorie count and I end up over much easier than I thought. I think it is the calorie density for me, not necessarily the actual wheat. Although when you think about it, most pasta is refined and salt is added, crackers are loaded with salt and sometimes sugar, and bread has all kinds of stuff in it. NOt sure how many people actually sit down to a bowl of steaming wheat berries in the morning like oatmeal and would consider that a source of weight gain.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
    I just came across a new book by William Davis called "Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight" and have been going over the book reviews. The author makes some very good arguments about how eliminating wheat from our diet can be very beneficial.

    Has anyone else read this book or reviewed the theory that getting rid of wheat can be good for losing weight among other thigs? Have you tried this? Please tell me your thoughts.

    Thanks!

    I am reading the book now. It makes sense and Dr Davis has put himself through the test of eating native wheat (the original grass) before it was hybridized, dwarfed and made a GMO product and then eating the "new" wheat we eat today.

    He said the difference in his body was paramount. This new stuff they have developed made him very sick, however he was able to eat the original wheat with no issues.

    These companies creating GMO's and such are ruining the food supply and it is a shame. Hence why we are constantly seeing the rise in obesity, diabetes, celiac, ADHD, Autism, etc..............

    Food, whether we want to admit it or not, has a profound effect on the body and these disorders and diseases.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    As someone with diagnosed Celiac, I'm pretty biased as claims like this create big stigma for the CD community... wheat is NOT the enemy for everyone. It really sucks for me and for a lot of others, but for plenty of people it's fine.

    Also, eating gluten-free is NOT a weight loss diet - it's a way of life. If I don't eat gluten-free, I don't take in the vitamins I need and various systems shut down (including the neurological system - big deal). However, GF does not equal weight loss. In fact, I gained when I cut out wheat. It's only now that I'm starting to lose again. Careful of the fads!

    I'm not personally wheat gluten sensitive, but I am very sensitive to products containing yeast. For me, limiting carbs and limiting wheat gluten have really helped me lose weight more rapidly. I just hate that bread is one of my favorite foods. :sad:

    Watch out for gimmicks. The book will work for a lot of people who are wheat gluten sensitive but not full Celiac's disease.

    And lasting weight loss is a total change of life-style, not just following one fad after another.
  • kschudy
    kschudy Posts: 17
    I, too, am a Celiac and I also gained weight when I went gluten free. Although removing some glutenous products can improve one's health (simply because some of the products you cut may be highly processed, etc.), it's definitely not a way to lose weight.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I suspect if I cut out all wheat products, I would lose weight, but not because of inflammation, because I'd be reducing my calories.

    Why wouldn't you simply replace the calories with something else?

    When you quote just 1 sentence of someone's reply .... it's obvious you missed (or just ignored) the point.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
    As someone with diagnosed Celiac, I'm pretty biased as claims like this create big stigma for the CD community... wheat is NOT the enemy for everyone. It really sucks for me and for a lot of others, but for plenty of people it's fine.

    Also, eating gluten-free is NOT a weight loss diet - it's a way of life. If I don't eat gluten-free, I don't take in the vitamins I need and various systems shut down (including the neurological system - big deal). However, GF does not equal weight loss. In fact, I gained when I cut out wheat. It's only now that I'm starting to lose again. Careful of the fads!

    I'm not personally wheat gluten sensitive, but I am very sensitive to products containing yeast. For me, limiting carbs and limiting wheat gluten have really helped me lose weight more rapidly. I just hate that bread is one of my favorite foods. :sad:

    Watch out for gimmicks. The book will work for a lot of people who are wheat gluten sensitive but not full Celiac's disease.

    And lasting weight loss is a total change of life-style, not just following one fad after another.

    Wheat Belly is not a Diet book. It is passing information on from research this Dr has done in regards to how wheat has been ruined by human intervention of hybridization, Genetically modifying and making it a dwarf plant so that it will produce more.

    It is not the same wheat that was grown in generations and thousands of years past............
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
    As someone with diagnosed Celiac, I'm pretty biased as claims like this create big stigma for the CD community... wheat is NOT the enemy for everyone. It really sucks for me and for a lot of others, but for plenty of people it's fine.

    Also, eating gluten-free is NOT a weight loss diet - it's a way of life. If I don't eat gluten-free, I don't take in the vitamins I need and various systems shut down (including the neurological system - big deal). However, GF does not equal weight loss. In fact, I gained when I cut out wheat. It's only now that I'm starting to lose again. Careful of the fads!

    Same here- I got so excited by being able to eat without getting riotously sick that I went overboard. Losing weight by eliminating wheat but while mowing down on some (delicious) Pamela's cookies? Not gonna happen.

    People ask me all the time- what benefits does going GF bring? I always say 'nothing unless you're gluten intolerant or celiac'. If you can eat wheat- eat it! I envy the easy fiber wheaters can munch!
  • ChristinaBarnhouse
    ChristinaBarnhouse Posts: 274 Member
    Thank you everyone for your great insight!
  • mamalade1
    mamalade1 Posts: 42
    I suspect if I cut out all wheat products, I would lose weight, but not because of inflammation, because I'd be reducing my calories.

    Why wouldn't you simply replace the calories with something else?

    Given the pervasive nature of wheat in our diet, and the fact that it's relatively high in calories compared to many other foods, there's a pretty good chance that a number of people will lose weight on this diet, especially if they're trying to eat healthily overall. You absolutely could replace the wheat calories with, say, chocolate calories, and you'd probably not lose weight. But for the author of this book, regardless or whether or not his science is correct (and there are plenty who take issue with it and are happy to blog about all over internet), some people will lose weight on his plan, and that's good enough to sell books. Do they lose weight because of reduced inflammation? Maybe. Do they lose weight because of reduced calories? More likely.

    That's all I'm saying -- I don't know about his science, but I do know you can test your inflammation levels pretty easily to see if it's an issue for you. I do find the changes to wheat over the years interesting. I don't know for sure what it means, but it is interesting.
  • ljbhill
    ljbhill Posts: 276 Member
    Sounds similar to the doco 'fat heat' which actually advocates more fat in the diet and less wheat/sugar. I must say I've cut a lot of gluten, complex carb and sugars from my diet and added more fat. I feel way less bloated, don't have cravings and dropped the last few pounds! I even upped my calories!

    The best thing to do, is try it and see what works for you! Everyone is different.
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