<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

<<<anyone on the list was struggling with gaining
weight even though they were eating a strict GF diet.  I had reviewed
my own food diaries and could not determine a reason for it.>>>

Sorry to jump on this subject at the tail end. But I saw a Nutritionist on
Tuesday who is very well informed in CD and she gave me the following helpful
tips. (although this was tailored to my situtaion, I am sure it applies to
most of us)

At some point your body has healed and is now absorbing properly - this is a
good thin- no matter how much the extra pounds are unwanted- your body is
telling you a message- it's once again restoring to  ahealthy conditon. But
as I complained I feel like I barely eat anything (or anything so appealing)
yet as I watch my co-workers gulp down muffins, donuts, pizza, etc. I'm the
one with the bowl of steamed rice and veggies- so why am I as fat as I've
ever been and they haven't gained a pound? Unfortunately it seems everyone's
body works a bit differently but there does seem to be some theories that
make sense in a condtion such as ours.

1. Portion control is very important. a single portion size of a potato is
the size of a golfball. Pasta or rice can fit one portion size in your hand
and a normal portion of cereal is 3/4 of a cup (We figured out that my cereal
bowl consisted of about 4 servings and at 210 calories a serving- it adds up)
Just like my quart of white rice with veggies is theoretically about 6
portions of rice. Carb's seem to store up and don't burn off as well as
proteins.

2. Which leads me to pt 2. I seem to crash after lunch and only wish my boss
would let me take a nap but since that won't happen in this lifetime. The
nutritionist suggested I cut the carb's out of my lunch and go instead for
high proteins along with vegetables and fruit for desert (by the way, a half
a watermelon I am told is not one serving size- more like 4)

3. Never eat out of a bag- it is dangerous as we tend to eat and eat and
before you know it- the bag is gone. Take out one portion size and put it in
a bowl and when it's gone- your done eating.

4. Fat free does not mean calorie free- A big bag of baked tortilla chips may
have only 1 fat gm per serving but 9 servings usually make up a bag- now add
up the calories and sodium and you just ate your day's worth in a snack.

5. Never eat on the run or while you are on the phone or busy doing
something. Sit down at a table with your dinner plate in front of you with
your set portions placed on it. Chew slowly, number one so that you don't get
off the phone and wonder how you ate your whole plate but didn't remeber a
minute of it and two so that your brain gets a chance to register that it has
received a feeding. Often we gulp down food and before we give ourselves a
chance to feel full- we are back for 2nds or 3rds or already into the cookie
jar for dessert.

6. Plan ahead so that you can make sure your daily diet will consist of the
various set amounts of cal's, fat, protein, carb's, sugars, etc. If you have
to grab something at the last minute, guaranteed it won't be balanced
correctly. Also, she recommended variety. Up untill now I make a big tuna
salad and eat it for lunch every day that week. Next week something else.
This she suggested get's you bored quite quickly and not excited about your
meals.

7. Drink lots of water- your body needs plenty and especially if you still
get the runs- you must replenish your system or risk getting dehydrated.

8. Getting the runs often may deplete your body of the healthy bacteria in
your intestinal tract- thereby letting the bad bacteria cause havoc- in my
case she suggested that this may be the cause for constant gas and bloating
after eating fruits and veggies as my body does not have the bacteria it
needs to break these items down. She recommended acidophilus pills to get the
normal flora back into the intestinal tract (this one I may hold off on for a
while as I wouldn't take any medication without my GI's approval)
and last but not least:

She also suggested that the feeling of always being hungry still even after
decent sized meals is partially a mental thing. When you are on a restrictive
diet such as ours, you may not be eating the items that you truly want to be
eating that used to give you so much pleasure. Now we may just be eating
because your body needs food- not because there's this wonderful dish that's
your favorite and you feel satisfied once eaten. Unfortunately, we decided
this one is a tough one. As it would truly satisfy me to eat a box of dunkin
munchkins but since that is no longer an option, I may be pleased that I can
make sunstitute my own gf donuts at home- but they are still just that- a
substitute- but let's not make this a negative- it sounds like she was trying
to say it's about acceptance and moving on- make your diet as exciting as
possible so that you can once again obtain that satisfaction you once had in
dining!

Sorry this turned out to be a novel but thought it was important to share. If
anyone would like the Nutritionist's# (She's located in NYC)- please send me
a private e-mail at
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