<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Out of 40 responses, there was overwhelming consensus that most people gain weight on the GF diet. The range was between 10-65lbs depending on how long they have been on the diet. Only two people lost weight. The weight gain is due to (a) increased absorption of nutrients that were previously passing through the body, (b) the increased use of commercial GF products and GF baking in their diets, (c) most of GF flours have no nutritional value to them and there is too much sugar and fat, and (d) overeating habits which carried over from before they were diagnosed. Here's some other helpful information:
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It is far more common to gain weight when you go on the diet, once you start replacing the missed carbs. The myth of going gf and losing weight is just that...a myth. If you are giving up wheat and substituting it with rice, corn and potato products, they are much higher in the glycemic index and will cause weight gain. And they have emptier calories. You have to use the healthier flours to increase fiber and have more nutrition. (I happen to hate sorghum and bean flours, so I'm not practicing what I'm saying. But I also don't eat a lot of baked goods at all.) Also, if you actually have celiac, it is a malabsorption disease, which means that when you are eating gluten, the body isn't absorbing nutrients, and the body is malnourished. So once you go gluten-free and the body now processes and absorbs food in a normal manner, the body retains more of it....a healthier thing. But the opposite of weight loss.
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Not really. I didn't lose weight until I read the book "Eat to Live" by Joel Fuhrman. Grains are not where it's at. Grains don't have the nutrition to live and yet lose the excess weight. Suits me just fine. For me, grains are a habit. I am trying to need them less.
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If you are following the caveman diet: fresh veggies, fresh fruit, nuts and fish, then you will probably loose. The GF diet isn't for losing weight; it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle and not having your small intestines destroyed and not developing stomach cancers.
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If you are looking to lose weight, check out the Rosedale Diet by Ron Rosedale. He's a diabetic doctor in the Denver area. It's the first explanation of how the body grows that makes sense to me since it's how I see my grandkids growing--Eat like monsters, THEN don't eat but sleep & grow. Just limiting carbs help. The high levels of omega 3-s are natural anti-inflammories which will help you shed water/inches. It may take celiacs a while to gain--especially kids, since they need to rebuild the body from the inside out, strengthening bones & muscles, & more energy for increased activity.
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Thank you for all the information! Michelle (Portland, OR)
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