Part 6: Gluten Free With Fibromyalgia Series
I recently wrote about how I was facing my second dietary change in a year, and going low calorie on top of gluten free. I'm a couple of weeks into that change now, and I've had a few surprises along the way.
As I started checking labels for more than just gluten-containing ingredients, I realized that a lot of the foods I've become accustomed to are surprising high in calories. In some cases it's fairly obvious why -- for instance, I've replaced granola bars with fruit-and-nut bars, and fruits and nuts have more calories than grains. I've also noticed it in less obvious places, though, and I'm assuming more calories get added as manufacturers try to replicate the flavors we're accustomed to.
This has made me rely even less on packaged foods and more on whole foods, which I know is better overall. Instead of grabbing a snack out of a bag, I'm munching on cucumbers and tomatoes. Instead of eating gluten-free cereal for breakfast, I'm eating an apple. That leads to another problem -- needing to go grocery shopping more often, so I have fresh fruits and vegetables in the house. Fortunately, there's a great little store close to my house that has great produce. I can make a quick trip there between bigger shopping trips, and focus only on that section.
My efforts are already starting to pay off -- I'm down 4 pounds since the beginning of the year. I've still got a long way to go (I'm hoping for a total loss of 40 pounds this year), but I feel like I'm off to a good start.
Have you tried a weight-loss diet on top of being gluten free (or lactose free, or anything-else free)? What have the challenges been? What has worked for you? Share your stories below!
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- Part 1: Living Gluten Free With Fibromyalgia: An Emotional Hit
- Part 2: GF Grocery Shopping
- Part 3: Challenges of GF Cooking
- Part 4: GF Foods I Like
- Part 5: GF Eating Out
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Definitely lost a few pounds since going vegan! And it’s not for lack of access to vegan cupcakes! But with most things the vegan version has fewer calories. Plus, I’m eating more whole foods and feeling more full in general. It’s awesome!
There are some great health books out there which plan out a week’s worth of meals. I found this very helpful in forcing me to portion out lunch and dinner. I was eating almost a full onion a day, each meal was better than the rest. Good Luck!
I’ve been gluten-free for 6 months now, and I’ve lost 20 pounds and am not nearly as tired as I used to be ALL THE TIME.
Adrienne and all who read this comment – from a clinical nutritionist, Head of Southern Africa FM Network and holistic Private Practice – gluten is a most offending, sticky mess for our cells, so bravo in staying off it. Wheat converts immediately into sugar-allowing for high glycaemic levels, insulin resistance and furthers Reactive Hypoglycaemia (drop in blod sugar). So become wheatfree and gluten free. Read labels!! Spelt is the only seed converted to flour for the purpose of allowing in the correct BREAD, CRACKERS, CEREAL along with QUINOA AND MILLET CEREALS. There are 39 known types of foods,and drinks that convert down to CANDIDA, YEAST, SUGARS, which must be eliminated as soon as possible,. I hope you find the correct person to guide you through this life altering ‘diet for life’ – v able to do at hom, at friends, and at restaurants IF YOU ARE INSISTANT with yourself for the sake of your wellness. Sharon Levin http://www.fibromyalgiasa.co.za
A couple of grocery stores in my area provide a service where, for a small fee, they will do the shopping for you. You order online, tell them when you’ll pick up the groceries, and they come out to your car with the bags. It’s a way of making sure you have fresh food without having to expend extra energy to get it. Good luck with the diet Adrienne – and thanks for all you do.
I know what you mean about having to go grocery shopping more often when you’re trying to eat healthy, more fruits and veggies. I’ve been following a low-carb lifestyle change for about a year now. I don’t do Atkins or anything, just try to stay under 60-70 carbs a day. At first, I lost 40lbs, then got lazy, or rather was in too much pain to exercise, and gained 20lbs back. Recently lost another 10 lbs! Following low-carb, and also eating more fresh foods, organic foods, and doing lots of yoga!! Yoga has helped me feel a lot better. There’s a show on Oxygen, called Inhale, and it is an awsome 1 hour yoga workout. I could only complete half of the workout at first, b/c it’s extreme, but now, after just 2 wks, I can complete the entire workout! I have both Fibro and CFS, so they say, so it is VERY HARD for me to make myself workout, but when I do, I feel better, and don’t have to take as many meds. Another workout that is fun and REALLY works your legs is Flirty Girl Fitness. I tried a free episode on ON DEMAND, thinking it was going to be stupid, but it was actually fun, and did make me feel more sexy!! Hope my story helps someone else…I’ve tried many, many different things, so I try to let people know the things that work, and the ones that don’t.
I have fibro also, I am on low carb also to see if it helps. I was wondering if you have tried gluten free. I am wanting to try this to see if it will help. I have a hard time coming up with meals. I have been going downhill and need a change. Thanks
Hi, I was checking the web with fibromyalgia gluten-free, lactose-free and I just saw this site.
Actually we did not know which illness I suffered from yet, but certainly chronic fatigue (exhaustion more or less, with pains more or less) since 1 year and an half, with up and down, but really scary downs..
It is too early to be sure, but know that from eating all kind of food, I decided to become vegan some days ago only, a foolish idea maybe but it saved me, also I eliminated all diary products (that I was eating in large amount and I precise my blood tests say I am too low in calcium and iron, there is an inflammation with an increased sedimentation rate, albumine and gammaglobulines, etc..). All my energy came back the same day ! I swear it.. And it is not gone since.. But i am still eliminating foods from my diet, like gluten and wheat flour, that apparently caused me a belly pain (gut pain yes, but without lowering my energy and my clearer mind coming from the stop of diary products), but I am keeping quinoa, buckwheat, rice that I cook myself like the peas or lentils and I eat as much fresh as possible but sometimes it is frozen vegetables like sprouts or mushrooms, but no cans anymore as things are added in them. And no food quantity limitation. I am hungry now, I take pleasure to eat and my body seems to know what is good and not over-eat anyway. It has really worked for me. I suppose I will lose weight because all vegans do if they do not eat stupid things like fries, you see, but I would not mind if I don’t lose weight, my goal being to be fit again and have a good riddence from fibromyalgia !
I am sure my guts have been poisoned and fragilized by food, so toxic molecules passed through it to the blood stream and accumulated, I developped antibodies as well, all that was certainly staying in my joints, my tissues, and the production of antibodies was tiring me.
I hope it helped.