Anyone gluten free and/or watching carbs?

[yomama]

Thought I would throw both questions in one thread, instead of starting two different threads. I'm curious about possibly making my diet gluten free, or at least gluten reduced, and I'm also intersted in watching my carb intake. I've needed to lose 40lbs - give or take 5lbs, for quite a few years now. I seem to be stuck at my current weight. My increasing lack of mobility due to physical ailments hasn't helped. Due to some recent surgeries, that will hopefully be changing for the better, soon. My diet is less than perfect. Not that I eat alot, because I don't. More that I eat the wrong things. I love crackers, breads, granola bars, and of course, chocolate- all things that are packed with carbs and gluten. On the other hand, I don't really care for many fruits and hardly any veggies. I like meat, but don't eat a ton of it. Don't like fish either. I think that shows why most of my diet has been comprised of carbs.

I've gotten to a point where I am just sick of always feeling like crap, and being overweight. I've been doing alot of research into watching carbs, as well as reducing gluten in my diet. I've done Weight Watchers, which worked, I just can't afford it anymore. I've done calorie counting. I have to stay at about 1000 calories a day to lose anything. I have a hard time with that. I can't seem to stay below 1100 -1200 on a good day. While reading about gluten, I fit the symptoms of being gluten sensitive. I don't have an allergy, but do feel pretty bloated and sluggish after eating things with wheat in them. Since most of the things I eat have wheat in them, I generally feel bloated and sluggish most of the time. I've also noticed that most of the things that have gluten in them, have alot of carbs, at least the things in my cupboard, lol! Anyway, I would love to hear from those that have been able to reduce the gluten in their diets, and or people that have been able to reduce the carbs in their diet. Was it a hard thing to do? Have you seen good results, not just in weight, but in your general overall health? Yesterday was the first day that I really started watching both gluten and carbs. It hasn't been that easy, but mostly because my house is stocked with all the wrong things. I know that I most likely won't be reducing all gluten out of my diet, but I'd like to try to get alot of it out. As for carbs, I read that sticking to about 100 carbs a day, for a non athelete or avid exerciser, is about where I need to be to see weight loss results. I would greatly appreciate any advice or telling how you were able to stick to it. I know its possible, just need to know how to get the ball rolling. Any websites, or references you use would be very helpful too.
Thanks!

 

[NixNoodleNumbat]

I'm gluten intolerant!
I didn't need to, but I lost a bit of weight once I started not eating gluten.
If you would like help, PM me!
Some things I discovered:
Most gluten-intolerant people can't eat oats, even though it doesn't have gluten in it.
Glucose doesn't have gluten in it.
There are a LOT of glute-free recipe books out there.
Glutenless stuff costs more.

Some other stuff about weightloss:
A good way of eating that I have heard of is eating nuts and fruit when you're hungry, until dinner time, and then you eat a normal dinner. Once a month or so, for a whole day, you can eat whatever you want, until you are full. THe once a month thing is so that your body doesn't go into starvation mode. That eating-habit has worked for a few people I know. The thing is, you must stick with it, or stay with it until you have lost the amount of weight you wanted to, and then eat healthy. The hey is to eat healthy!
Also, it can help to eat until you're not hungry at dinner. You may get a little hungry, but after 3 or so days, you will not feel it. Your stomach stretches to the size of what you eat. After 3 or so days, your stomach gets smaller, and you feel full quicker.
I do not recommend weight watchers or anything like that, it is better to cook your own food. Then you won't be reliant on 'meal replacements', and cooking is fun!
It feels strange to be giving weightloss advice to someone older than me. I am a teenager, and, being a girl, they put extra enphasis on how to lose weight properly(to avoid anorexia).
Good luck!

 

[SourRoses]

Maybe I should.... but no... BUT... I have started using this great new pasta!
I don't like whole wheat stuff... AT all! This is white wheat stuff (

) ... but like 30 out of 35 or something carbs are "protected carbs" and the box says something about that being healthier. I think it's called harvest fields or something similar. It's really great pasta... and I like that after having a big meal of spaghetti (linguine actually).... I don't get that sugar rush that fades out so fast. The box lists more vitamins and stuff on it too... I think it adds to the better feeling after a big pasta night

Only it is 1.50 a small box compared to 1.25 for muellers. But def worth it to me.

All I have to contribute

 

[newfoundland]

Eating only 1000 calories a day is very low. This can be counter productive as the body can easily go into starvation mode in order to protect itself. Eating 1200 to 1400 calories a day is far healthier. It may take a little longer to loose weight, but not necessarily as if the body goes into starvation mode, weight loss stops anyway. Do you not like vegetables in any form? For example, would you make soups out of vegetables? These can be a tremendous boost to weight loss. Ones that are particularly good are the Japanese, Chinese or Thai type soups. If you flavour your food well with herbs and spices, you feel somehow your have eaten more. Also drinks lots of plain water. It is cleansing and filling.

There is a great TV programme on here at the moment called the Food Hospital, where people with various health problems have made amazing recoveries by changing their diets, maybe eliminating certain foodstuffs and substituting with other foods. One thing that was highlighted in this programme was the difference between food allergies and food intolerances. If you feel better from reducing you gluten intake then go right ahead and do that. Always making sure of course that you still have a balanced diet. Potatoes and rice could be your carb eliment for example. Good luck to you!

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

Hi there

, last January I started doing a reduced carb plan, I stuck with it strictly for about 2 weeks, then started incorporating extra carbs only once a week. I never was hungry, so it was really easy to stick with for the entire year. My base calorie intake was between 1200 and 1400/day, sometimes more. I lost 37lbs.
Then I went on Holiday to Scotland in Nov. and happily gained 10lbs. To much good beer and fish & chips!

So I kept cheating throughout the holidays and did not gain nor lose, now it is Jan. and I am again ready to stick to my reduced carb plan! I still have 26lbs I would like to shed, and have started tracking my intake online.
I am using a site that links to my phone and allows me to even scan my food. It really helps knowing exactly what I am putting in my mouth! The site is www.Loseit.com and the app for the phone is loseit!. the app is free and very useful.
If you want to use it look me up, I am Laura Harlan.
Good luck, you can do it!

 

[Oregon Blues]

If going completely gluten-free helps you, you will know pretty quick. Feel better within a couple of days, and really see a huge difference by the end of 2 weeks.

You are really going to have to do some eating changes if you don't like fruits and veggies. I am always surprised when I meet people who don't like vegetables, until I see the way that some folks cook veggies. I wouldn't like them, either, if that is what I'd grown up with.

If you want to eat gluten-free, you are going to have to cook. There really isn't any way around it. I've been gluten-free for over 6 years and there is very little I can't make. Bagels aren't going to happen, and my crackers aren't so perfect, but at least I can buy crackers. Just about anything else, I can make at home.

Lots of gluten-free stuff is not low carb. I cook with brown rice, quinoa, potatoes, oats, and rice noodles. So if you want both low carb and gluten-free, you'll have to be even more creative. I suggest that you figure out how to cook veggies.

 

[Hinotori]

My mom has celiac and a wheat allergy so I'm always on the lookout for different foods for her. She also cannot tollerate the gums (xantham, guar) so most prepackaged stuff is out.

I scour the asian markets for things for her since they aren't as stuck on wheat.

The specialty flours tend to be much cheaper at asia markets than health food stores. The rice flour is also finer quality. I've found sweet rice flour that's like cornstarch texture. Mom uses it a lot in baking since no gritty texture.

I also found rice pasta shells that can pass for wheat in texture at one of the asian stores. We had to try a dozen different pastas to find one. Sweet potato pasta does not work.

Glutinous rice does not contain gluten, it's just sticky. Name is because of texture.

If you like fried stuff, use cornstarch. It's light and fries well.

Mostly mom just eats veggies and meat. Potatoes are her starchy food. She misses bread a lot. We've found no good substitute that she can tollerate.

 

[Blonde]

My lil' brother is gluten free...

 

[StupidBird]

I'm really gluten sensitive and allergic (true allergic) and then sensitive to just about everything in modern civilization. And my blood sugar gets wonky.

Regular corn meal is not good for me; I find my gut does best on the certified gluten free cornmeals, like BobsMills "gluten free" corn meal (not just their regular cornmeal even!) Don't know general corn has a little of wheat, or soy, or whatever. If you've ever seen a silo full of grain, you know how easy it is to have something else to. Even feilds aren't pure stands of grain.

I learned to cook. It took awhile. I recommend the vegetarian times magazine, their index for recipes makes it easy to find and then just add lean beef, eggs, or chicken. I don't seem to be tolerating pork well, but that could be that's the last meat I'm not getting from private sources.

I find it is a challenge to keep my weight UP enough when sticking to this; I bloat up and retain - gut swelling - when I cheat, like over the holidays!

 

[booker81]

I've been low-carb since July now, and it's become habit. Luckily, that habit has me losing 0.5 to 1lb a week, which so far has added up to 20lbs lost with zero exercise or anything (severe joint issues make any repetitive motion a bad idea). I have another 20lbs I'd like to lose, and I think I'll get there at this nice, steady rate. I feel better, and the weight loss is helping my lower joints as well.

I now avoid most grains and starches - very little eaten in the way of bread, pasta, cereal, and the like. I do NOT watch or count calories or fat - in fact, most mornings I eat breakfast at our work cafeteria and have a small cup of scrambled eggs with cheese and three strips of bacon. I eat a lot of bacon

I love my butter on everything, use olive oil liberally, don't trim the fat on my meat, on and on. I did get my cholesterol checked last month with very good results - total was 142 with a ratio of 3.5.

I started out hardcore, following the new Atkins book closely. I think the first part only has you taking in 20 "net" carbs (pretty much carb count minus fiber count) a day. I did that for about a week and then relaxed a bit on it, but still make choices that mean that if I'm taking in more carbs than I want, I better be getting a lot of fiber with it too. I'm not sure how much I consume now calorie or carb wise, but like I said, I'm still losing weight every week. We have a weight loss tracking program at work, and I weigh in every Friday. Neat part is it takes a picture each time - the change of only 20lbs is really noticeable, not sure if it's because I'm losing a lot of body fat or what, but I'm down almost 3 sizes now.

Most of lunches are some sort of salad with veggies and meat and cheese, and dinner is usually a meat, veggie and a starch for my husband (who works outdoors and can afford to eat lots of carbs and calories). I mix things up with the veggies - sometimes steamed, sometimes baked (asparagus baked with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil is delish!!!), sometimes in some sort of casserole (I make creamed spinach a lot). I take an extra portion of meat if I'm hungry, and leave all the starch for hubby. Rarely, if I'm really craving it, I'll allow myself a small spoonful of it.

If I want something crunchy and salty, pork rinds are a good low carb/no carb snack, and crushed up actually make a good coating when frying fish or chicken

This is a really good site for low carb recipes, and this particular link might be really helpful for new ways to cook veggies:
http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/side_dish_recipes.html