Hello, While I am thinking most people who find out they need to gluten-free find it restrictive, I have found it to be liberating. I found myself eating products I stayed away from for years because they had flour in them. Now I am buying gluten-free pasta and pizza crust and food bars and waffles. This is wonderful! I feel a difference every day with my depression. Each day is a bit lighter and the despair when I wake is gone. Its been 2 1/2 weeks only!
My problem is this.. I am eating out of control. I was hoping being gluten-free would balance out my system and I would lose weight. I have over 100 pounds to lose. I have not really gained weight eating all this and am wondering if my body is trying to replenish itself. I am still feeling sluggish and aching joints. I don't know if I should attribute this to some sort of detox or that I am still eating some gluten somewhere or from eating to many carbs!

I hear many people talk about hidden gluten in cosmetics and other products. I am not sure what to look for. Is there a site to read about this?

Also I am dairy free now for a few weeks and a vegetarian. I stay away from refined sugars but use Stevia and Agave mostly and some products are fruit juice sweetened. I read some stay away from sugar all together. I guess thats a trial and error process.

I am so glad to see the light with my depression. I haven't been able to work and feel hopeless about finances since I feel so powerless. I am waiting for that to return. I hope that will happen soon.

All in all it was important for me to begin writing here. I have gotten so much from reading many of your entries. Thank you.

I welcome any advice and support especially in regard to losing weight. I feel I research nutrition and know much. But I am feeling overwhelmed with all this overeating. I eat mostly organic and very healthy food. Just way too much. some say becoming gluten-free just naturally balanced it all out. Did that happen to anyone out there?

Thanks

D.

Hi D, I had the same happen when I first went gluten free, I couldn't stop eating!

I had a clear feeling that my body needed the food so I just decided to go with it...I lost weight! You're probably deficient in some nutrients and vitamins at this point if you haven't been able to absorb your food properly because of the celiac. So your body is telling you it needs nutrients.

A few months later it started to even out and I didn't feel like I needed to eat so much any more. Nowadays (two and a half years gluten-free) I eat three-four times a day and my weight stays even.

The only thing is I would make sure that most of what you eat is very nutritious food, vegetables and fruit if you can digest them, good fats, enough protein and not only carbs.

Note that gluten is a protein, so when you cut out gluteny food, you need some other source of protein!

Hope this helps.

Pauliina

Thank you Paulina. This was very comforting to know I am not alone. Beneath the upset over this I feel like I should be patient and it will subside. So I needed to hear that. I feel like I AM finally getting some nutrients I haven't in a while. I still need to have more balance but that will come as well. Thanks again
D.

Definitely make sure you're getting enough protein. I think that most people need more than they actually eat....and they fill in the void with carbs (often empty ones, gluten-free or not.) That leads to wildly fluctuating blood sugars, necessitating more food....it's a vicious cycle! When I eat enough protein, I feel full for much longer and I don't crave carbs so much.

I had to do a mental reset this weekend - I was enjoying indulging in the gluten-free donuts way too much, all in the name of not wanting my daughter to feel deprived (she went gluten-free, then I followed.) I remembered that I didn't let her eat donuts every day before she went gluten-free (nor did I eat them often), so why would I do that now? I guess adjusting to this diet is a process, but the basics of a healthy diet don't really change, gluten-free or not.

Rho

Thanks Rho. I am REALLY overdoing the carbs. I have GOOD carbs like brown rice or quinoa and include gluten-free chocolate food bars or dairy free ice cream and I try to make sure I put in a bean sprout or a cup of veggies here and there. I need to reverse that. But I am so enjoying the combination of eating the carbs I love and waking without depression. Its so exciting still that I feel like I almost deserve it. I know eating balanced and working out will allow for another kind of pleasure as I start to feel better physically because I am achy and full. I just don't seem to take the plunge. Part of me says to buck up and the other part says, enjoy for bit and then you will naturally find your balance. But will I really? I feel so optimistic on this plan but I read about others who keep gaining or don't actually feel as good as they would like. I am really banking on feeling the best I have ever felt as time goes on. I hope I am not kidding myself.
I research nutrition and food addiction and sensitivities and I feel like I know much about them. And for me, when I discovered celiac disease (or it discovered me) I felt like I found home when it came to food. And I fully embraced it. I just want to find my best physically now that the emotions seem to be in alignment.

Thanks

Delilah

If you eat for emotional reasons (boredom, stress, loneliness or sadness) or even fatigue, you will overeat on ANY kind of diet. Consider whether you are truly physically hungry before you start to eat. Then listen to your body to notice when you feel satisfied or 'just enough' full, so you STOP eating before you overeat. While you have painful celiac symptoms of bloating, gas, cramps or other kinds of indigestion, recognizing hunger and fullness may be more difficult. However as you abstain from gluten (and any other food allergies), your symptoms should lessen so that you can sense true physical hunger and satisfaction. Also choose a wide variety of gluten free foods, not just low fiber, high calorie carbs. If you eat more fruits, vegies, beans, nuts and whole grains, you will feel satisfied and full sooner than if you eat high sugar, low fiber treats. Weight loss requires consuming less and exercising more. When you only eat for physical need, you will eat less, but you may need to add some exercise. Good luck!
BURDEE