Sympathetic though i am to those who have problems loosing weight on a gluten-free diet many of us actually have the opposite problem.


I know my issues are complex, involve not eating regularly etc. but also some adsorption issues. Heck, I'm typing this now wondering if I should go out and if I can be bothered to eat knowing full well if I don't it will be 8PM before i do...

I fully understand you dilemma. For many years I found myself unable to gain weight and, at between 155 and 160 and just under 6' tall, I was more than a tad thin.

Earlier this year, I finally quit smoking and that seemed to signal metabolic changes that allowed me to gain weight. I have gained nearly 20 pounds in just 11 months, which is a miracle.

All I can say is hang in there, try to eat healthily and, of course, gluten free, and try to get some exercise regularly. It might not make overnight changes, but you will probably feel better both physically and mentally.

One thing to do is to eat regularly, even if it is just a small amount, and to get plenty of liquids (water) to stay properly hydrated.

Hi Steve.

I was having problems keeping my weight up, so I was eating several times per day. I don't see how you can gain weight, or even stabilize it, if you don't eat until 8PM. Maybe you can carry snacks with you ... I know you are a very good cook and like cooking, but perhaps you like to "dine" so much that you don't find it worth the bother to make a snack or a "lesser" meal.

I was resorting to whey protein shakes ... well, still am twice per day. I just take whey protein powder, water (or juice), and frozen fruit. Blend. I use BioChem vanilla whey. It tastes great ... the "natural" flavor is nasty though.

I know you've mentioned eating raw/undercooked meat. I'm not going to say you shouldn't as I like a rarish steak myself ... but I recently tried a product called Humaworm for a bacterial problem I had in my intestines. Ended up I had a rather large beef tapeworm! What a shock that was!

Anyway, you might see if you don't have the same problem. I'm finding it's not so hard anymore keeping the weight on now that the tapeworm is gone ... I haven't gained much, but I'm not having to eat twice as much as someone twice my size anymore.

I am SO glad to find other people with this problem. Pre dx, I was 6'3" and almost 200 lbs, healthy etc. By the time the doc figured out my "problem" I was down to 155 lbs and fading fast. I was afraid I would disappear.

Since then, I am one of about 4 people that he local dietician has told to actually ADD fat to their diet. It's all supposed to be good fat mind you, but still. I am allowed to eat as muach nuts and cheese as I can handle. I eat my three meals a day as I'm supposed to, but I'm still having at LEAST on snack before bed, and some nights, hungry before midnight.

Just over one year since my dx of "gluten intolerance" I've managed to put back a little over 7 pounds.

Is there anything I'm missing? The doctor doesn't want to call it a fast metavolism, but there has to be something else. Suggestions?

Hi Steve:
It took me about 3 years to put on weight, part of that was being sure everything I ate was gluten free and I think part was just my body adjusting to the years of not getting nutrients, but it has finally come back and now I could stand to lose 5 pounds, be careful what you wish for!

Thank you to CarlaB!!!! I'm a 20 year old female college student, and have in the past 2 semesters gone from wearing a size 6/7 to now having size 0 clothing fall off me (andd i'm 5'9"!!!) I have only been on the gluten-free diet for about half a year, but have had a lot of trouble with keeping my weight up. When I first started to loose it I went to a nutrition store and bought that same whey protein shake powder, however I have to force myself to drink the drinks down with milk or water added to the vanilla powder... it tastes horrible!! I saw below that you add juice and frozen fruit to yours to make a vanilla smoothie type of shake, and let me tell you that tastes sooooo much better than my way!!! Hopefully now, I'll have an easier time drinking it! Do you have any other suggestions on how to gain back my weight while on the gluten-free diet... I doubt I can go around drinking shakes all day long!
-Still very new to this!

Lots of good fats helps, too. Coconut oil, almond butter, butter, olive oil, etc.

I'm glad the shakes help.

Hi. I am new to this list. I just was diagnosed about three months ago. I lost about 30 lbs as a result of eating all those glutens when I didn't know about the intolerance. Since then, I have been pretty good about being gluten-free, but I have not gained any weight. I have mixed feelings about it. I don't want to gain all 30 back and there are some things in my closet that look better on me now than before the weight loss. People either make comments about my weight loss that are getting annoying, or when I talk about my clothes not fitting any more, I don't get much support because most everyone else wants to lose weight. So I don't talk about it.