Gluten-free eating, whole foods, and weight loss

[Guest guest]

Though everyone's experiences are by nature individual, it seems like these

are three of the popular trajectories for those of us who go

gluten-free/allergen-free while being overweight.

 

1. A person who doesn't have a particularly healthy diet gets a diagnosis

of, or self-diagnoses, gluten intolerance or food allergies. The person cuts

out the offending food(s), initially panics about what to eat (especially

with gluten and/or multiple food allergies), and initially begins to lose

weight on the diet. Then the person figures out alternatives for most of

the tasty treats, and the weight creeps back up. The person's diet doesn't

change significantly, except for the lack of the particular offending

food(s). The person still wants to lose weight but struggles with it,

perhaps especially with the emotional difficulty of not being able to eat

the foods others get to have.

 

2. A person who doesn't have a particularly healthy diet gets a diagnosis

of, or self-diagnoses, gluten intolerance or food allergies. The person

cuts out the offending food(s), initially panics about what to eat

(especially with gluten and/or multiple food allergies), and initially loses

weight on the new diet. The person gradually figures out alternatives for

some of the tasty treats and regains some of the weight. But the person has

immersed himself or herself in research on holistic issues of diet and

health in the meantime, and the person begins adopting a diet centered

around more whole foods and fewer treats. Gradually, the person loses some

weight.

 

3. A person tries a gluten-free diet as one part of a holistic plan for

eating better and/or having better health. The person adopts the habit of

eating whole grains, lots of veggies, and other healthy foods, while making

the choice to cut way back on refined flours, sugar, etc. The person loses

weight through this process.

 

In the past two years, I've gone from a size 18 to generally wearing a size

8. I had adopted healthier eating habits, exercise patterns, and emotional

care techniques (which I bundle together under the concept of self-care) for

about six months when I got the gluten intolerance and food allergy

diagnoses. The diagnoses threw me for a loop initially; then I realized I

could apply the same principles of self-care to getting joy out of what was

available to me instead of focusing on what wasn't. And it changed

everything for me. I'm writing an article about gluten intolerance, food

allergies, and weight loss right now, and I'd love to hear from other people

(on the board or through private emails) about their experiences with weight

and how gluten intolerance or food allergies has played into that---whether

you fit one of the above trajectories or have had very different

experiences.

 

To be clear, I was overweight from the time I was eight years old until the

second half of last year (at the age of 28). According to the BMI, I still

*am* overweight now, though I don't put much stock in BMI. I am saying that

I am not judgmental of people about their weight or struggles with weight,

and I don't think it's my place (or anyone else's) to tell you " if you'd

just ____, you'd be fine, " because I know for many people, it's not that

easy. Then again, if it has been easy for you to lose weight after

diagnosis, I'd be fascinated to hear about that, too. In general, I'd love

to have a conversation on this topic.

 

Sally

http://aprovechar.danandsally.com

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

When I went gluten-free, I gained weight quickly. All of the

experimenting with baking bread, buns, pizza crusts, cookies and

treats (of course I chose November, pre-Christmas, to go gluten-free),

etc. and with buying various commercial goodies was *not* good for me!

 

Finding a balance of what to eat took time, though I was able to lose

about 25 lbs post-Christmas. Then my weight-loss stalled. In the

nine months since then, only minor fluctuations up or down a couple of

pounds, no real progress. I am eating a healthy, whole-foods diet,

loosely based on Fuhrman and Ornish, pretty much everything from

scratch, and you would expect that I would slim down to my " ideal "

weight, but no luck so far. I am trying to be more vigilant on oils

and sweets (still have to make cookies and such for DS's various

activities), portion sizes, and evening snacking. I also know I need

to get more exercise, and am trying to slowly work that into my

routine. No outdoor activities right now other than my after-work

walk, and our public pool changed their times to times that we can't

get there, but I need to work more into my routine without sacrificing

cooking and cleaning time . . .

 

Pam

 

On Thu, Mar 12, 2009 at 9:21 AM, Sally Parrott Ashbrook

<sally.parrott wrote:

> Though everyone's experiences are by nature individual, it seems like these

> are three of the popular trajectories for those of us who go

> gluten-free/allergen-free while being overweight.

>

> 1. A person who doesn't have a particularly healthy diet gets a diagnosis

> of, or self-diagnoses, gluten intolerance or food allergies. The person cuts

> out the offending food(s), initially panics about what to eat (especially

> with gluten and/or multiple food allergies), and initially begins to lose

> weight on the diet. Then the person figures out alternatives for most of

> the tasty treats, and the weight creeps back up. The person's diet doesn't

> change significantly, except for the lack of the particular offending

> food(s). The person still wants to lose weight but struggles with it,

> perhaps especially with the emotional difficulty of not being able to eat

> the foods others get to have.

>

> 2. A person who doesn't have a particularly healthy diet gets a diagnosis

> of, or self-diagnoses, gluten intolerance or food allergies. The person

> cuts out the offending food(s), initially panics about what to eat

> (especially with gluten and/or multiple food allergies), and initially loses

> weight on the new diet. The person gradually figures out alternatives for

> some of the tasty treats and regains some of the weight. But the person has

> immersed himself or herself in research on holistic issues of diet and

> health in the meantime, and the person begins adopting a diet centered

> around more whole foods and fewer treats. Gradually, the person loses some

> weight.

>

> 3. A person tries a gluten-free diet as one part of a holistic plan for

> eating better and/or having better health. The person adopts the habit of

> eating whole grains, lots of veggies, and other healthy foods, while making

> the choice to cut way back on refined flours, sugar, etc. The person loses

> weight through this process.

>

> In the past two years, I've gone from a size 18 to generally wearing a size

> 8. I had adopted healthier eating habits, exercise patterns, and emotional

> care techniques (which I bundle together under the concept of self-care) for

> about six months when I got the gluten intolerance and food allergy

> diagnoses. The diagnoses threw me for a loop initially; then I realized I

> could apply the same principles of self-care to getting joy out of what was

> available to me instead of focusing on what wasn't. And it changed

> everything for me. I'm writing an article about gluten intolerance, food

> allergies, and weight loss right now, and I'd love to hear from other people

> (on the board or through private emails) about their experiences with weight

> and how gluten intolerance or food allergies has played into that---whether

> you fit one of the above trajectories or have had very different

> experiences.

>

> To be clear, I was overweight from the time I was eight years old until the

> second half of last year (at the age of 28). According to the BMI, I still

> *am* overweight now, though I don't put much stock in BMI. I am saying that

> I am not judgmental of people about their weight or struggles with weight,

> and I don't think it's my place (or anyone else's) to tell you " if you'd

> just ____, you'd be fine, " because I know for many people, it's not that

> easy. Then again, if it has been easy for you to lose weight after

> diagnosis, I'd be fascinated to hear about that, too. In general, I'd love

> to have a conversation on this topic.

>

> Sally

> http://aprovechar.danandsally.com

>

>