<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Many thanks to ALL who responded to my first post. I also apologize for listing the wrong address for the site on GF Inns. The correct address is www.1-888-inn-seek.com . (I am not affiliated with this site!) Although nobody had tried using this site, many welcomed the info for future reference. One response said they had never had a problem staying at any Inns, and that InnKeepers are usually accomodating. How long does it take for this diet to become second nature? Not until you start cooking for yourself. It's not so bad after you get used to it. You have to get all the flours bought and other specialty items to keep on hand that you need for most recipes. It took about six months. I just found out 9 months ago and am still having diet problems. I do pretty well at home, but dining out time is a problem. My main problem is catching all the little things that contain gluten that sneak into foods I believe to be GF. You probably don't want to hear this, but after 20 years I'm still struggling with it! This diet takes a while to kick in before you feel better. It never is easy to eat out. I am on this diet 27 years and am still learning. It takes about 3 months to get the hang of this diet then you have to keep working on refining it from now on. But it gets much, much easier as you go along. Six months were spent adjusting or searching for recipes that I could cook at home, the last 6 months how I can adapt to going out to eat and going on long trips. It always takes some effort. But it gets easier as you learn all the sneaky hiding places that gluten traps await you. HOW DO YOU KEEP FROM LOSING WEIGHT? I gained 10 lbs the first year so I don't think you need to worry about not gaining weight. It should go up in no time. I have not had a weight loss problem (probably because I still have my dish of ice cream at night!) I went from a bloated 130 to 119 within 5 weeks of going GF. I was worried that it wouldn't stop, but it did, and I am back up to 121. I lost 5 pounds the first month but I have now gained them back. You will lose weight and keep your weight down if you stay off all of the junk of the "normal" american diet. If you want to gain weight and stay GF, you can eat nuts and nut butters for added pounds. I lost 15 lbs when I went GF and I like the lower weight. I don't have to work at keeping off either. I lost weight at first, then started gaining again. I guess when I started to heal and food digested again. ARE THERE ANY CHINESE FOODS THAT ARE GF? (Sorry, only 2 replies to this question, but MANY requests for the summary. MORE INFO on this subject is welcomed!) I would get all chinese foods steamed. If you do find out that there are some sauces that are gf, such as a white garlic sauce, please let me know. It's sometimes hard to communicate at restaurants, so I just avoid it. I assume all sauces mostly have flour or soy sauce.....Please summarize about the chinese food. Several of their dishes are GF, if you ask them to leave out the soy sauce (almost all it has wheat) and MSG, much of which may have gluten. Moo Goo Gaipan is often a safe choice if they leave that stuff out. But Thai food is a much better bet. They use very little wheat or flour in their cooking, but still ask about the soy sauce and the MSG. Food from India is also a good bet. Many indian restaurants will have wheat on in their "Nan", the bread. IS THERE A GOOD SANDWICH BREAD OR RECIPE FOR ONE? I'd say that most of us buy either Ener-G's tapioca loaf (it's pretty good if toasted), or Nature's something or other nut bread. Each is good in a different way. My favorite bread recipe is for "Cornstarch Bread", p. 92 in Bette Hagman's "The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy". I am a big fan of the Gluten Free Pantry's Favorite Sandwich Bread mix for the bread machine. For pizza crust and cheese flavored pita bread, I use Chebe bread mix. If you like dessert type breads, Gluten Free Pantry has a Cranberry Orange bread mix (add nuts) that is good and an oreo-type cookie that is good. I bought Ener G Foods bread until I learned how to use my bread machine. Others like the oven. I think that the best-tasting commercial bread is Ener G white rice bread. If you keep it frozen, it will last quite a while. Just take it out of the freezer and put in the mivrowave for 30 seconds, then toast until brown. It makes good sandwiches and is great for toast. Search the archives for messages 6254.1 through 6254.7 and msg 6063.27 through 6063.56. You'll find the best sandwich bread recipes. 2 replies included personal recipes. Thanks to ALL who responded, and to those who shared their own beginning experiences with CD, your ups and downs and thoughts of encouragement. It's nice to know that I am NOT alone in this! Again, many thanks! Pat V. in NJ