I've been on a gluten free diet now for 7 months, initially I started to lose pants sizes because I lost all the bloating from eating gluten. Now though, it seems like I'm starting to put on weight even though I'm continuing on a gluten free diet. Is this possible and normal? I had my gallbladder out in December could that have something to do with it? I'm 20 years old 5'4" and at 120 since going gluten free, but now I'm at 125 in the last few weeks and people are starting to notice my weight gain. I'm really scared about this weight gain and possibly putting on more weight. Do you have any suggestions?

Have you substituted all your favourite foods, like pasta, bread, cookies, doughnuts etc. with gluten-free items? That could be a big problem, because those things have a lot more sugar and refined carbs than the 'real' thing, and will definitely lead to weight gain, unless you cut back on them. Don't make them everyday staples, but rather treats.

But still, you're far from being overweight, and don't really need to worry yet. Just watch those carbs and sugars!

I'm really curious...at such a young age, why did you already have your gall bladder out? What was going on with your health?

It's perfectly easy to gain weight going gluten free - not only are you now absorbing the food you're eating, but you may find that the substitutes your eating aren't any more calorically economical than anything you ate before. Often times, it's far worse!

Dear CMCM,
I had my gallbladder out at the same age! Just about 4 years ago, it was removed. I am going to commemorate it with some gluten free cookies on July 28th. Gluten intolerance or Celiac can cause your gallbladder to go bad. No one could believe that mine went bad at that age as well. At my ten day post-op check-up, I found out it was very inflamed and irritated and almost ruptured! This was after my doctor told me since the tests showed nothing, that could not have been it. If I had listened to him, I would have ended up with pancreatitis.
Sincerely,
NoGluGirl

Dear sluct,
I had my gallbladder out at the same age! It turns out the Celiac is probably what made my gallbladder go bad in the first place. Who would have thought? I have had difficulty losing weight as well. I have had Thyroid Disease though. However, going gluten free and low-fat can be difficult. Many of the low-fat foods we used to eat (like cereal and Nutri-Grain bars) we cannot have anymore.
I am scared I am getting a stone in my bile duct, because I am getting pain there and have had difficulty eating a lot of low fat foods which are gluten free as well. Just the breads can have 6 or 9 grams of fat per slice! Some people gain weight, others lose weight while on the diet. I have had the same experience. I was losing weight for a while, and now I am having difficulty losing. I may have other issues though. I know I have a yeast overgrowth from having to take so many antibiotics as well as steroids for asthma, and birth control for cysts. That is the trifecta from Hell when it comes to yeast.
Sincerely,
NoGluGirl
P.S. I am contemplating doing the Zone again. It is easy to do gluten-free, and works well to keep blood sugar steady.

Try to keep in mind that while eating gluten, the villi in your intestines were not absorbing all of the nutrients/food you were eating... That's why we could eat as much as we wanted, but still be really skinny!! I had lost a ton of weight before being diagnosed with Celiac. After I went gluten free, I gained about 15 pounds. After my guts healed, I was actually absorbing what I ate, so the calories were counting. I never had to exercise, but about a year after I "healed" and started to feel better and get my energy back, I bought a rowing machine and starting exercising. I have lost about 12 pounds and feel better and stronger than ever. Hope this helps you. Maureen

The first 3 weeks of going gluten free i gained 9 pounds. I was getting so depressed. But now this week i am slowly going back down, my stomach is getting a little smaller. I think once i get the hang of of no casein, i will continue losing weight. I have also not made any gluten free snacks or breads this week, so that could be why i have lost weight. I have been trying to stay with the basic food groups and im not snacking at all. Cause i dont know what i can snack on, i use to have nachos everyday, but now that is out of question, so i just grab fruit and im happy(ok trying to be happy).

paula

Before I was diagnosed with Celiac, I was told I was hypoglycemic. Therefore protein was what I ate. I continue to follow that diet and have added carbs now. I read that a person who eats protein (bacon and egg) for breakfast will eat 300 calories less a day than someone who eats cereal or carbs.

I've been gluten free for 2 months, have lost my poochie bellie and am slowly regaining muscles. I do walk with a friend 3 miles 2 to 3 times a week. Before gluten free I crashed everynight in my recliner as I was washed out. Now I'm up moving til 10:00 p.m.

I sleep better, 8 hours a night, and am able to jump out of bed and go go go!

I don't really care if I gain weight. I'm HEALTHY!

I was going to post the exact same question...I mean..almost identical.

I am 7 months gluten free, initially lost weight, and now I am gaining. I don't think I am eating more, actually I think I eat less now than I did before. I was not a skinny person before, just normal.

I was also wondering if now I am absorbing more, and even though I am doing more physically now than I have in the past 4 years....

I make all our own food, from scratch...I think I might just have to exercise more.
(like running after 2 small children isn't enough exercise!!! )

Ahhh, weight gain, weight loss. Here's what I've learned thru a lot of years of testing every frigging diet known to man. Several years ago, before I was realized my situation with celiac disease, my weight gain (about 30 lbs over my ideal 130 lbs which I weighed ALL my life with no problem) was bugging me. I did a strict Body for Life program for maybe 10 weeks, fairly true to the program. I ate what was suggested (including small amounts of bread) and exercised vigorously (weights and cardio) 6 days a week, an hour each day. I dropped about 20 lbs, although I didn't reach my goal. A couple of years later I decided to do Atkins, and was very strict with its induction program for a good 6 to 7 weeks. I lost a LOT of weight, got almost to my goal with no effort, and in the process, realized how wonderful I felt doing Atkins. Looking back, I now realize it was because I was eating NO GRAIN!!!! and virtually no dairy other than about an ounce of hard cheddar cheese a day. Also...no sugar, no fruit. Just meat, salads, moderate veggies, an ounce of cheese a day, lots of water. I was never a big meat eater, but was shocked at how fabulous I felt on this unfamiliar diet. When you keep carbs low like this, you do not have any sugar or junk cravings, either. I lost more weight more easily this way than anything else, period!

Well, a few years passed, I put back on about 15 of those lost pounds over time (thru sloppy eating and little to no exercise), and then started trying to lose weight again....various programs, nothing worked, and no matter how moderate my calorie level was and how much I exercised, I didn't lose a single pound and didn't lose all that much fat. Really frustrating.

So for myself, I've realized it MOSTLY comes down to your food intake, and I realized that I can't lose weight when eating a lot of sugar, carbs in general, dairy, even a lot of fruit. When I first went gluten free I started eating and "testing" all the gluten free goodies out there, which I soon noticed frequently had SUGAR as the first, main ingredient. These things are incredibly high carb, high sugar. While eating all this stuff, I continued to have a very upset digestive system. I think I didn't handle the various starchy flours or all the sugar. And I realized that I wasn't eating that way before celiac....I knew I couldn't eat all that sugar stuff without gaining weight....so why was I eating it now?

Well, this is rambling, but ultimately, I and I suspect many others as well, will not lose weight either eating gluten OR gluten free if I/we don't eat very carefully....good clean protein, good vegetables (but not much if any potatoes or rice or corn), very little in the baked goods category, and limited dairy. Little to no sugar. And finally, realistic PORTION CONTROL. And reasonable physical activity on a daily basis....could be as simple as walking. I don't think I have some weird unique body composition....I've always been pretty healthy aside from my digestive woes, and was slim my whole life until about 15 years ago when I put on this 20 to 30 lbs which I've been unable to completely lose. There's no magic pill, no magic program, just the right foods in the right amounts and reasonable physical activity every day.

Finally....you have to do these things and keep at it despite what we will always deem a "too slow rate of loss." The the turtle wins the race, and I've learned to accept that weight loss will be slow but steady when I do the right things. Every day you do the right things is a step towards your goal weight, simple as that. You are either moving towards your goal or away from it, depending on your choices for the day!

They could be right that its the high carb stuff that's added to you. For people like me its almost necessary. I'm a Celiac that could constantly drop weight so I eat a lot of breads and pastas and use extra margarine even. I guess in a way, be blessed you can stick where you are and not gain too much! Like someone here said, you're in healthy range for your height

~ Lisa ~

Stay away from the gluten-free baked stuff like breads and baked goods. They are full of calories. I mean, there's 220 calories in HALF a gluten free bagel.
I am also 5'4" and presently weigh 125. I went up to 145 when I went gluten free. Now, I stay away form the carbs. I'll have pasta once every 2 weeks and rice once a week. I love the summer because all we eat is grilled meat and vegetables.
This is typical menu for me:

Breakfast: 1 apple and a meal bar (found Soy Joy bars, they are awesome!) or yogurt

Snack: either string cheese, raw veggies, almonds

Lunch: Big salad (I add either garbanzo beans, grilled chicken, or leftover steak for protein)

Snack: either apple with peanut butter, sometimes baked corn chips and salsa, hand full of dried fruit mix

Supper: Grilled meat (steak, chicken, tuna, salmon), and a vegetable

Snack: usually something very light like popcorn or just a piece of dark chocolate

I love eating now cause I don't gain weight. I do exercise a half hour a day.

I’ve had the same problem although I started gaining weight almost immediately after beginning a gluten free diet in February.. I’m very athletic and have always been lean and somewhat muscular. I eat a very healthy diet (previously the type of snack I liked was frosted mini wheats!) In fact, I’ve never been much of a bread eater and overall my diet hasn’t really changed that much.

I rarely get on the scale but my clothes are getting very tight. I am so frustrated and down about this. I try to tell myself I am healthier but I am also afraid I am just going to keep gaining weight out of control! This is so scarey for me too.

Try to incorporate alot of fiber into your diet.

What do you think are the best sources of fiber on a gluten-free diet?

Thanks.

Dear Slackermommy,
I have been gluten free for the same time as you. I was losing a little weight in the beginning, but now seem to not be able to lose any. It could be the yeast contributing to that. However, I am hungry all the time, and cannot go low-carb. My hypoglycemia does not respond well to it. I get dizzy and sweaty and all kinds of stuff. It was terrible. My lower abdomen is really bloated.
I am thinking other food intolerances are a possibility for me. I do not hardly eat dairy. I can only handle it in extremely small amounts on occaision.

Dear NWLAX36mommy,
I have always been athletic, too. I have a somewhat muscular frame. I used to eat a lot of cereal before my diagnosis. I think our bodies are all different to a point. I know certain foods make others bulkier. It depends on the exercise, too. I am pear-shaped, and found out rollerblading, ecliptical trainers, stairclimbing, and similar things will bulk me up, not slim me down. I had been doing those and could not figure out why I could not lose any in my trouble spots.

Sincerely,
NoGluGirl

I have just started the Gluten free diet due to acid reflux and I am losing weight. In the past I have always had success with weight loss following a high Alkaline low acid diet. I have always hated counting calories and carbs so this diet is great. I eat as much as i want on it. It works and I always feel healthier on it. You can lose a pound a day. They say if your body has an alkaline level of 7 that not even cancer could survive. Here are some good links to a guide to go by. It tells you which foods are high acid and low acid. All household chemicals and medications are high acid. Check shampoos and soaps etc. I use kiss my face soap and natures gate shampoo I buy at vitacost.com. I also have a shower filter. The chlorine in the water lowers your alkaline ph levels. Your body hates high acid and builds fat cells around your organs to protect them. From experience the quickest way to raise your alakaline to 7 (healthy) is to take epsom salt baths(alkaline of 12) 3 days a week. I used to eat something acid and go up about 3 to 4 pounds right after eating it not realizing it was a high acid. Now I have a high alkaline food or drink after eating (low to moderate acids)and this does not happen.

Lemon, watermelon, sea salt
Rice flour, millet flour, tapioca starch and flour, buckwheat, potato, arrowroot(regular corn is man invented and a high acid sweet corn is natural and an alkaline)
chicken
turkey
lots of fruits and veggies
Ragu organic spaghetti sauce
Polaner all fruit jam and homemade tapioca pudding
homemade mayonaise and salad dressing or buy at health food store
Haagen Daz ice cream low acid for dessert
Splenda for sweetner lowest acid sweetner(stevia sweetner alkaline)
Coffee Put a cal/mag vitamin in coffee filter to neutralize acid
I switched to Borax, oxy clean and seventh generation dish soap everyone in my house lost 5 to 10 pounds without dieting.

Candida Diet Foods to Raise PH in The Body(scroll down the page to foods)
http://www.yeastinfectionadvisor.com/alkalinediet.html

Lose 20 lbs easily raising your alkaline ph levels
http://mysite.verizon.net/felipe2/id26.html
He says to put baking soda in all your beverages to alkaline them. I use lemon or lime. I heard baking soda is not safe to digest frequently.

CUREZONE.com
http://www.curezone.com

Here are some high fiber food ideas.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582

Lentils are great with rice. Add some shredded carrots and little soy sauce. Can be a good lunch if you have leftovers.

Dear princeoli,
I am so glad you posted this! I am suffering from Candida something awful! This could really help! I have had to drink tap water for days now due to our water filter breaking. Payday is not until tomorrow. I do not like how I feel drinking tap water. I know it is full of toxins and bad for me.
Alkalinization looks like it could really help me. Thank you for the info! I have those web addresses in my favorites now!

Sincerely,
NoGluGirl

This is me right now. I have been gluten-free since July. At first it was great and I lost weight which was good. I had been struggling with overweight issues all my life. Then I started to try out all these gluten-free foods and recipes I was finding. Now I find that my HypoGlycemia is back with a vengance, and I have GAINED 5kg in the last month !!!!!!!! Obviously I have to drastically change my diet and eat more meat and veges, but .... 'what' ? What are some good lunch ideas ? I am dairy free too at the moment. I am sooo hungry after meals now. Eating a gluten-free slice of cake makes me feel good ! I need someone to YELL at me and tell me to eat a boiled egg or nuts as a snack and not gluten-free cake I may even have Polyglandular Autoimmune Syndrome and be high risk for Diabetes. Help !!!