I started the gluten free diet on Monday at the recommendation of my doctor-even with negative test results. I have been slightly overweight since my 1st pregnancy. I haven't done anything extra to lose weight other than cutting out the gluten (which wasn't much since I already cooked evening meals gluten free for my girls). I lost 4 pounds in 4 days-is that even possible or safe?

Yes, it is possible, and also perfectly safe. Because you've just lost excess fluids your body was holding onto.

When I first started the gluten-free diet, I lost 20 pounds in less than a month. I used to have terribly swollen feet and legs by night, and I know my hands were swollen, too, and so was my face. Now I rarely swell.

If you're going to lose fat, it will take a lot more time. About one pound every week to a month is healthy. I am sure your weight loss will slow down soon, and then will be much slower after that.

So, nothing to worry about, be glad that you're losing all that extra fluid.

My 3rd child was born in August of 05 - and from that point until I went 100% gluten free, in November of 06, I'd lost nothing. I could eat nothing and would still not drop any weight at all. It was horribly frustrating.

I initially started the gluten free diet in June of 06 - and lost a few pounds right off the bat. However, I was not committed and "cheated" quite often. Naturally... I constantly made myself sick by doing so.

In November of 06 I decided "that's it" and I went 100% gluten free. Since that day - I've lost more than 40 lbs, with NO effort at all. (I hit the 40 lbs mark on 2.7.07 - 40 lbs in a little less than 3 months)

I still have a bit to lose before I'm back to pre-baby weight, but I am feeling better than I've felt in years, and looking much better as well! =)

I lost 8 pounds in the first week of being gluten-free! It was all water weight, and it was so much that people noticed and said "your face looks thinner"!! I have noticed that for me, when I have gluten, I get bloated, and can gain 5 pounds of water over night!!! So, yes, I think your reaction is normal, whatever normal is....

In the several months before I was diagnosed, I was very ill and lost 15 pounds. Immediately after starting the diet, I lost a few more--probably due to water weight.

Over the next 2 months, I put on 10 pounds.

I, too, lost significant weight (30 pounds in 3 weeks) when I went gluten free. I used to fluctuate 5-7 lbs a day -- but couldn't get the Drs to see this as a symptom.

I am so glad to see this thread! After I had my last daughter I could not lose the weight. Took me a couple years to realize it was water weight. I used medication to control it and through trial and error we found that Strattera works. I lost almost 30 lbs. of water. I went gluten free around Oct. and I have noticed if I accidentally have gluten I get very thirsty and gain water weight.

I still have 3-5 excess lbs. that will not stay off and I suspect MSG, but may have to do a full elimination diet to really figure it out. Not looking forward to that. I did it once before, but I guess I need to do it longer.

I also found through alot of searching that there are some women that after they have children had ths same problem and it makes me wonder if they had gluten intolerance as well that was triggered by the pregnancy. The hard part is many Drs. don't take it seriously and I'm so thankful mine did. As he said with as many calories as it takes to gain and lose weight when you fluctuate that much it's water!

8 lbs. in 10 days here. Haven’t lost any since – that was ~3 months ago. I have to assume it was mostly water retention lost.

Same for me I lost about 6 lbs the first 2 weeks, I figured it was from all the bloating. I know I am eating more calories, or at least the same. I havent gained it back.

Wow--I was asking myself the same question! I went gluten-free a week ago and I don't have a scale but my pants were literally falling off me the last 2 days. I also don't feel bloated or gassy at all this week, which is a miracle!

I'm really confused, because I"m gaining weight. I have only been on the diet for a week and a half (I was just diagnosed) and have gained 4 pounds so far. I don't understand it. I lost a lot of weight and want to stay how I am now.

Cuervo,

I'm very active, and noticed that on the gluten-free diet I lost a little weight right at first, then gained a bit, but my clothes feel better. I've mostly noticed an improvement in my training. Despite not getting to the gym as often, I'm lifting a little more, and my stamina during exertion is better. I recently paddled a long, hard kayak run I'd done 2 years ago. I remember being EXHAUSTED after the run then, this time I was merely tired. I believe that I'm building muscle, perhaps muscle that didn't build due to nutrition problems before. You might not have had excess weight to lose, and are now gaining good weight/muscle.

I have noticed that with even a tiny amount of gluten, I get very sick, and my weight jumps 5-8 pounds VERY quickly (over 1-2 days), but I can lose that weight very quickly again, making me think it's just water retention.

Are you being VERY careful with avoiding gluten?

Geoff

That's *exactly* my story! It was so frustrating, I couldn't lose the weight after baby #3 no matter what I did. I could seriously not eat a thing for several days, and if any weight dropped off at all it would ALL come back the second I ate anything....even a stick of celery would cause me to gain 3 pounds.

The first week gluten-free, I lost 3 pounds...the first month, I bet I dropped 10. Even though I weigh about the same as I did before my 3ed baby (well, maybe a little less) I *look* lots thinner because my face isn't retaining water anymore!

Plus, I had more energy again and became more active...

Now if I get glutened one of the ways I can tell is that I will gain 3 pounds....always 3....overnight in water weight. Yuck!

I am trying. It is only week two, so as for the meals, yes I am staying away completely. The only thing that I may be having a little is in the sauces for my stir fry (but I have only had it twice). Otherwise I think I am. I have been reading everything very carefully. My stomach has really been hurting though the last two days as if I did eat something, but I don't have a clue what it was. I have been basically eating the same thing every day.

I wish I lost weight. I think I lost 2 pounds and put it right back on. It's been harder to lose weight for me since I went gluten free. I need to lose 25 pounds. I think people who keep losing had an allergy to wheat also besides the intolerance. I wasn't allergic to wheat, just gluten intolerant. Just my two cents.

Well, I'm no expert, I've only been gluten-free a few months. But I've found it pretty tricky. The obvious is easy, it's the hidden sources that aren't so I haven't looked for the gluten free stuff yet.

I think that our bodies get used to eating things, so anytime you have such a dramatic shift in your diet, it's likely to wonder what's up. It's part of that great survival mechanism. It's like people who cut calories too much to lose weight, and then their body reacts by conserving every calorie it can. Your body is probably still reacting to this strange new diet. I'd suggest varying it more, otherwise it'll make it harder to stick to.

I find it takes me a a week or 10 days to feel better after an accidental glutening. Keep at it, and I'll bet you feel better soon.

If you're uncertain about the sauces, stop eating them. This isn't our court system. Foods aren't innocent until proven glutenous. They are glutenous until proven innocent. Some times that's easy, sometimes it's not. But it helps to think like that.

It seems that many celiacs also have other food issues. Not surprising, considering the damage to our internals, but a drag. I'd suggest keeping a food diary, or at least pay careful attention to what you're eating and when you feel best/worst. I'm about 80% certain I'm having issues with corn, so I'm starting a corn free diet for a few weeks, then I'll reintroduce.

Good luck!
Geoff

Cuervo,
My 2 cents:
Watch those sauces - especially stir fry stuff. Anything with soy sauce will most likely be a problem. Those salad dressings and sauces will really fool you. Read the labels VERY carefully. MSG could also be a problem (not a gluten problem, but an intolerance issue). It is for me. It goes by many names. You may want to watch for this.

I'd stay away from any sauces that you're not certain about. I make all my sauces and dressings from fresh foods & herbs - cilantro, parsley, stuff like that.
I've also heard that you can use tamari (sp?) if you're in need of some soy sauce in a recipe. Haven't done this myself, so I'm not absolutely sure about it.



My food journal was so helpful. You don't always remember what you ate the day before, and if you have a somewhat delayed reaction, it can get really frustrating. I highly recommend you keep a food & mood journal. It'll help a lot.

Take care

Thank you GeoffCJ.

My only other food issue is that I have Type 1 diabetes. So I have even less choices of food. I know I should stop eating the sauces, I just have to learn how to season stuff with basic herbs and stuff. It will take me a little while cause I hate cooking. I'm trying to learn how to love it.

I started a food journal last week and it is helping.

What is Tamari and where do I get it?

I lost alot of weight before starting the diet and once I went off gluten I ended up losing alot of water weight too....I ended up really skinny for awhile. I didnt need to lose any weight before all that happened.

From what I've seen on the board, San-J is gluten-free, and you can get it possibly at Whole foods. Other than that, like I said, I haven't tried it yet, and I haven't been to Whole foods since I found out about it. Maybe you can do a search of the site (at the top of the page, there's a search option) and find out a little more info.

Wish I could tell you more, but I'm just not knowledgeable on the subject. There's tons of info here though.

Good Luck, Cuervo !

I guess I meant in my post there may be other foods you're not aware of reacting too, but are.

The diabetes is tough. My dad and aunt and grandpa have Type 1, so it's always been something I've watched out for, but I seem to have dodged that genetic bullet. On the "silver lining" side, you're probably already better than many of us at paying attention to your food.

As for cooking, I've always enjoyed it, so it's not been too hard for me. There are some great recipes online if you search for gluten free recipes. In addition, some of it just easy. I made fajita's a couple nights ago. I bought everything at a normal grocery store, with no special gluten free ingredients. I used normal corn tortillas for my wife, and I ate rice tortillas, since I suspect I'm having issues with corn. It took me less than 25 minutes, and a lot of that was just chopping. A lot of asian food is good if you avoid soy sauce, as they don't use as much wheat. Especially Vietnamese food, which I'm now a HUGE HUGE fan of.

Anyway, don't get discouraged! There is a steep learning curve and your body is going through a lot of changes, so it can be a bumpy road at first. But it gets easier fast.

Tamari is an asian sauce, very similar to soy sauce and can substitute in most recipes. My grandma in law would notice, but most people wouldn't even be able to tell the difference.

Geoff

Tamari looks, smells and tastes like soy sauce. I usually find it in health food type stores.

Dear Cuervo,
Tamari can be found at healthfood stores. It is very good. It is more fermented and made a little differently than regular soy sauce. There are two soy sauces readily available you can get just about anywhere. LaChoy is found all over the place, and Wal-Mart has one that is safe for us in the Great Value Brand. Many people have said they prefer Great Value, as they thought it tasted better.

As far as the weight issue goes, I recall you mentioned you are a Type I Diabetic. If you take insulin, it can make you hold on to fat. Watching your glycemic index is the smartest way to help this. It is not uncommon that hypoglycemics end up diabetic later, because they eat things to keep their blood sugar up. I have been reading about this in The Zone diet books. What happens is, as your insulin levels increase so that the glucose can be tolerated by the pancreas, your body converts the carbs to fat. The Zone allows you to eat carbohydrates without deprivation. It seems to be what I am looking for. It is nice and balanced, and the science behind it is absolutely fascinating. A biochemist discovered this. Jennifer Aniston follows the Zone. She looks great!
Sincerely,
NoGluGirl

So what are some of the guidelines for the zone diet. I have seen that mentioned in a couple of different post. I would appreciate a little more info if you are willing to share. Thanks

The Zone is pretty practical - you can mix it up. Kind of tough, but pretty do-able.
Dr. Barry Sears - here's the website. Check out the "Enter The Zone" Tab.

http://www.drsears.com/welcome.page

I've been gluten-free since 4-06 and I think it is starting to catch up! Before I tried the low carb diet b/c my sister lost weight really quick. I did not lose an ounce! That was 2005. Pre-diagnosis I went up to 153 (i'm only 5' 1/2") joined weight watchers and lost weight quickly b/c I was not eating much gluten is what I believeI. I also think this is why my labs were not as bad as my daughters or sisters. I just lost about 10lbs. in ~2 weeks! I'm happy but everyone thinks the worst. I hardly ate bread type stuff or pasta to begin with so we just rarely eat it now. I supplement with Tostito chips!

Anyway, I wouldn't worry yet, but of course if it becomes drastic I would definately see a doctor.

Take care,

Jacqui

I feel a little bit envious of those who were overweight and have lost weight without trying, since going gluten free.

I wish I could say the same, but it looks like, I have missed the boat, as I am now over a year down the gluten free trail, and there has been no weight loss. But I do put it on when I get glutened, which seems to be pretty much everybody elses problem too.

So I am just going to have to be happy with how I am, or work on it. That sounds so hard.

Cathy

Dear mn farm gal,
The Zone sounds complicated at first, but it actually is quite easy. I own many of the books. Since Dr. Sears is a biochemist, he knows how the body works. It helps your mental and physical conditions. What is great is, this can help depression, low blood sugar, diabetes, ADD, and all kinds of other conditions, because it helps balance your brain chemistry. Each meal and snack in the Zone is 30 percent fat, 30 percent protein, and 40 percent carbs. The food servings are divided into blocks. Each block consists of either 1.5 g. fat, 7 g. protein, or 9 g. carbs. An example for one day (women normally eat 11 blocks on average, men at least 12) would be:

Breakfast: 3 blocks
4 egg whites
1 oz. low-fat shredded cheese
1 small potato, chopped (one cup)
dash cayenne pepper
6 whole almonds
1 teaspoon refined olive oil
*note in this meal, when there is a fat-free source of protein, we add an extra fat blocks to compensate. That is why there are more here.

Snack: 1 block
1 ounce part-skim mozarella string cheese
3/4 cup V-8 vegetable juice
3 black olives

Lunch: 3 blocks
3 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 Tablespoons Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue
1 Cup green beans
6 macadamia nuts

Dinner: 3 blocks
4.5 oz. catfish
2 squares cornbread
2 teaspoons Smart Balance
1/3 teaspoon refined olive oil
1/3 cup peas

Snack: 1 block
1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup pineapple tidbits in light syrup
2 macadamia nuts, crushed

This is to give you a basic idea. The best part is, you can access a lot of this online. Plus, even if you are bad at math, you could do this. As long as you have a measuring cup and spoons, you will do fine!

Sincerely,
NoGluGirl

[even a little gluten can harm u and there are gluten free stirfry saucesout there. you might want to look online for some of them.. good luck

Louisiana has a brand made locally called Crystal, and it is gluten free. I called the company, and they said yes, so I still get soy sauce. Kari-out is also gluten free, so when I go out to eat and need soy sauce, I just ask for the little packets, for some reason Kari-out is the only take-out brand I've ever seen anywhere for asian sauces. Hmm.

I was put on a gluten free diet a month ago and have lost 30 lbs so far, still losing. My issue was water weight at first, then I stared losing actual fat. The main issue now is that since I went gluten free, I'm just not hungry. It is a miracle on a day when I can eat a full two meals in a whole day. If I piled all the food I eat up, it would fit on 1 plate every day, never fail. If I try to force more down, I get sick. Not to mention I work 7-8 hours a day in a bakery now, and while working that much has increased my appetite some, I'm burning off 3,500 calories a day just working. I'm only consuming around 1,000. All my doc could say was to pack as much punch in what I am eating as possible, but there is another issue. Heavy, fatty foods are making me ill. I got crampy and constipated last time I ate a fatty meal. The closest I can get right now is a rare steak, with no sauce whatsoever.
It doesn't help that all I can eat comfortably right no are raw fruits and veggies. Celery and honeydew just don't pack caloric punch. They make me feel better, though, and they are easy to access at work and on the go.

The closest I can get to "calorie- laden" and "full of carbs" is rice sticks or cellophane noodles in coconut milk. Thai food is my saving grace, because it is also easy on my tummy.

Dunno why I am finding it so hard to eat fatty foods, but if someone else does, please chime in. I'm thisclose to having to buy yet another pair of pants because I lost more weight.Grrr.

Just a note from someone who lives in China and has been in Asia a long time: most of the sauces have wheat in them. MSG is wheat based here, and I have seen that mentioned in some of the literature as well.

Hi

Before I had my daughter 7 yrs ago I was alwas fluctuating my wt between 120 - 125lbs I am only 4'11" After I had my daughter I lost all baby wt in 2 wks I only gained 12lbs It was hard for me to eat because she took alot of room after I was done nursing her I gained 25lbs in 6 months I then progressivly gained over the years I now wt 160. A year ago I started gluten-free and lost 14lbs that was without cheating, felt great. Then started eating reg food after testing was all Negative, and I gained 20lbs back at least. I have started gluten-free again to feel better but I have not seen any results because I have cheated and have not been able to get on a scale to see what I wt. Thats my story. Donna

Hello Mayflowers,
I can sympathise with your desire to loose weight, as I have been struggling with mine since I gained 40 lbs in three months three years ago - when I had an abrupt hormone change which put me into menopause immediately. I realized then that I had gastrointestinal issues, but it has been very difficult to pin it down, especially as the medical establishment seems loath to help me pin down any or all of my issues. I had the biopsy for celiac, but since it came out negative, no more help was offered me, other than the diagnosis of "IBS and likely gluten intolerance'. Since then (and since posting here for the first time yesterday, I have read more posts and info which seem to indicate I may have "starch intolerance" either instead of, or in addition to gluten intolerance. Still, the weight would not come off (it seemed) no matter what I did. In the intervening time, (since diagnosis three years ago) I even found information about the "Alkaline approach to diet, which cured my acid reflux problems immediately, and also offered super quick weight loss. The problme is, as I became aware, that I now seem to have an increased appetite which I can not control. I have lost 10 lbs (relatively quickly) with the alkaline diet, but put it back on due to this increased appetite I now have. The alkaline diet is difficult to implement, but (I have been trying unsuccessfully for a year now) I intend to implement it and go starch free and gluten free as well, to gain health back. Wish me luck with the cravings.

Hello Donna,

Check my response to 'Mayflowers'. I too am quite short (4'9") and presently weigh 168 lbs. Your tale of weight gain and difficulty with losing echoes my experience perfectly! I have cravings for grain and starches and sugars, which keep me constipated and lethargic, but using the alkaline approach/hypotheses, helps keep my bowel moving in some sort of way. My gastroenterologist tells me that my smoothe muscle nervous system is quite damaged, and that is why I experience a host of other symptoms, including acid reflux, sinus migraine issues, advanced osteoarthritis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, incontinence, and general bowel malfunction. Yes, dealing with starch cravings and 'cheating' because of it, makes life quite difficult. I "know" what I must do, but keeping to it is soooooo very hard. As well as trying to go alkaline, I am now a "sprouter" as well, and I find that quite satisfying. Still, it all makes life quite difficult. None-the-less, I focus on joy every day - it is how I cope.

Best Wishes, Serena

I am so relieved after reading this thread. I lost 6 lbs my first 7 days of being gluten free. I was starting to get really worried, but this thread has reassured me that there's nothing sinister going on in my body. Pre diagnosis I had been losing 1-2 lbs per week (sometimes less). I lost 31 lbs in 5 months before being diagnosed, but I was in a near panic yesterday realizing that I was now losing almost a pound a day. I needed to lose the weight to get back to a healthy BMI (I'm there now), and I hope the weight stays off.

I would always and still only eat 2 times a day and put on the weight especially after my daughter was born 7 years ago. when I first went on the diet I lost 14pounds in 3months that is the most I ever did since my early 20s, but then I started eating regular food again to try to get a postive result on the last test Pillcam which turned out negative, well I put on 20 pounds in less the time that it took me to loose the weight. Putting on weight for someone my size 4foot 11inchs 160lbs is really not good for one my bones, I am on the small bone side not thick boned, so I really have to watch what I do. I could eat only breakfast and skip lunch and eat a small meal and I gained all that weight to begin with. Little did I know that it was the Gluten that I was filling my body, I usually ate alot of Wheat bread sandwiches and Pasta love the pasta.But I am learning to deal with it.

donna

Hi Donna,

I am implementing the new approach today - that is, no starch, no sugar, no gluten, and phase one of the alkaline approach (greenfoods blenderized). I hope to go starch/sugar/gluten free for about three weeks, to see what the difference might be. I'll keep you posted and let you know what happens. I also intend to look further into the "low glycemic" style diet, to understand it better. It seems to me that every diet approach offers seemingly sensible and realistic theory, but in practice they sometimes oppose one another, and then too, each has it's own pitfalls, meaning that in the end they did not work due to cravings which began some time after being on them. Perhaps it will be different now. We'll see.

Serena

Hello. Did you know that MSG has been used for years in lab rats to quickly fatten them up for certain purposes? Did you know that MSG is used commercially in hundreds of foods to improve their flavor, and hence their marketability. They even put it in coffee (Tim Horton's). I used to love MSG, and used it in my stir-frys, soups, etc. all the time. Now it is no longer in my kitchen and I avoid commercial foods with MSG in their contents, which means - many potatoe chips brands, sauces, fast foods and other prepared foods.

Does anyone (with chemistry background) know if glutamate is a derivative of gluten? I know that mono means one, and sodium is simply one sodium atom in the MSG molecule, ie,
"one-sodium-glutamate".

Serena

Hi Serena,
Thats alot of symptoms to deal with! I have a few of them myself. The ones that bother me the most are the acid reflux and what seems like a long time to digest my food, which causes some of the bloating and burping. I was wondering what an alkaline diet looks like. What do you eat in a day. Does it matter if its cooked or raw? Thanks

Gail

Cathy,
I'm in the same boat as you. Just can't lose weight. At this point, I'd just be happy to feel more energetic.
Marlene57