I'm Celiac and Losing Weight

I had the same thing just after my Celiac diagnosis. After some time, my body began to even things out and now I'm back at a healthy weight. I can't say for sure the same thing will happen for you, but it seemed to me like it was just the body's way of adjusting to new ways of eating and the sudden changes in diet and body chemicals (being Celiac and not knowing it leads to malnutrition, which takes time to heal).

I absolutely love quinoa! It's filling, has a million ways you can eat it and cooks just like rice. Try it with a favourite salad dressing or a little bit of gluten free soy sauce or mix it in with vegetables. It's wonderful stuff that's full of protein.

You can also try millet and barley (not the pearled kind which has little nutritional value, but the hulled kind), which also can be cooked just like rice, and seem to be Celiac-friendly.

Here's a Diet Blog article on quinoa: http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2007/08/09/5_great_reasons_to_try_quinoa.php

A healthy and great way to maintain your weight would be potatoes (both sweet potatoes and white potatoes) as well as avocados, using full fat butter and dairy products.

Thank you to those who have taken the time to reply to my question.

Quinoa is now on my list of foods to investigate further, it sounds promising.

I've looked into barley as a wheat substitute and tried a cereal called Digestive (based on barley) but it had the same effect on me as wheat. Although barley does not contain gluten, it does contain something similar.

I like the suggestions of EEEF. They appeal to my palate because I grew up eating a lot of those foods in New Zealand many years ago.

Thank you again for the suggestions and I hope that Jillian is correct and that the weight loss is just a temporary thing as my body adjusts to a new diet. However I will continue to explore new foods. I've been given a gluten free cookbook so that has also given me some ideas.

After I stopped eating gluten, I experienced the same thing. However, I'm a person who ALWAYS needs to lose weight. Unfortunately, for me, it just took some time to find substitutions that are GF. There's a lot of pretty yummy stuff out there, sadly, that's just as junky as anything we could eat before -- LOL.

And, yep, the reason I haven't posted to my blog in almost a year now is because I have so much trouble losing weight -- and think I'll probably abandon that in favor of other GF foodie topics. :-)

If you are looking for bread ... since you will be on this diet the rest of your life -- I strongly suggest investing a brand new bread machine (you will not be able to use one in which gluten bread has been cooked). There are many excellent recipes online for homemade bread, as well as simple mixes (Pamela's is excellent), that make for much better bread than pretty much anything you will find in the store, pre-made. I have a Breadman (which is cheaper), but most celiac folks recommend Zojirushi Bread Machine.

Just be sure it has a gluten free setting. You will NEVER regret this purchase!

Seriously,
Make bread in a bread maker using "Pamela's gluten free bread mix." It is amazing. Also as you investigate more and more you will find many stores and eateries cater to celiac. It gets easier and easier. Also you should get a endoscopy test. A blood test is not sufficient.

You might try switching cuisines. The problem with "The Modern American Diet" is that it is HIGHLY based on wheat. So replacing the wheat doesn't taste right.

Some stuff can be replaced pretty easily though. Tinkyada pasta tastes like wheat pasta. It's pretty easy to make or buy a pizza crust too (just get a pizza pan with sides, so you can press or pour it in, rather than rolling it).

Also, for gaining weight, meat works better than chocolate. You may be somewhat low in iron, which is one thing that can keep your weight down.

However, that wasn't so in the old days, and it's not true in much of the world. So you can eat Mexican, Thai, Japanese, Chinese ... even most of the "gourmet" food on the cooking shows. Some of our favorites:

-- Tacos
-- Stir fry over rice
-- Steak and potatoes
-- Fried chicken (usually oven-fried, it's easier)
-- Tinkyada spaghetti and meatballs, with Ragu sauce
-- Tuna fish cassarole
-- Red beans and rice
-- Spareribs
-- Chicken soup (you can make dumplings easily with rice flour, or use Tinkyada noodles, if you want).

The problem most people have is that they have relied on packaged foods most of their lives, and can't cook. But once you get past THAT hurdle, you'll find food is a lot yummier than it used to be. Watching cooking shows helps a lot!

I would suggest trying Udi's brand pre-made GF bread. It's very popular around the U.S. now and everyone who's tried it likes it a lot or loves it. It's soft and pliable like wheat bread and doesn't have to be frozen right away like other GF breads. Udi's also makes pizza crust and muffins. All can be ordered from their website or if you're lucky enough to have it available in your grocery store, it will be in the freezer section.

Hey -
Look at this website: http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/
Absolutely every recipe is gluten-free... and they all sound/look gorgeous.
Shauna, the blogger, is a great writer, too, and has plenty to say about gluten-free living.
ENjoy!