I've struggled with my weight for a long time, well really bad since I was 8 years old. I'm 24 now. I am married work and a full time college student. I was bulemic for geez about 7 years I suppose and had my weight in the 120's but since stopping I have gained a lot I am at 185 and unhappy. I quit smoking though because I got tired of not being able to walk a flight of stairs or go hiking..I lost 24 pounds in 6 weeks last year but since then I was diagnosed with celiacs disease meaning I can't have wheat or gluten, rye or barley, and it's looking like no oats also. So no healthy turkey sandwiches or stuff like that. I feel very unmotivated. I have good intentions I'm just not good at commitment for long periods without fast results. I hope by joining this forum I can gather some type of support to get my bottom moving more!

Welcome! I'm not sure if there is a gluten-free board here, but even if there isn't, you'll find a lot of great support from the wonderful 3fc community.

You might also be interested in checking out Mark's Daily Apple, which is a site devoted to a "primal" (which is also gluten-free) lifestyle. I've found that he (they, really) have great ideas about how to make tasty, healthy meals without grains... and lose body fat. There are some actual recipes on MDA, but there are also links to blogs that are devoted to "primal" recipes.

That being said, without a commitment to a long-term lifestyle change, no diet will have long-term results! You've already taken one major step toward a healthier lifestyle by quitting smoking, so you can definitely succeed at other steps as well. Take 'em slow, if you need to, but take 'em!

Welcome again and

//be strong
K

I completely disagree with your assessment of yourself. You are one of the most motivated people I know. You stopped smoking, which is one of the most addicting drugs there is (nicotine) and you have somehow managed to stop being bulimic. That's two fantastic accomplishments at your young age.

Now you discover you can't eat wheat, gluten, rye or barley, and possibly oats. OUCH! I'll bet there is something out there what could be used as a substitute to make what seems like bread for a turkey sandwich.

You didn't mention rice or white flour. I'm coming back on tonight and would love for you to do some research if you have the time to find out how you can make bread without using the ingredients you can no longer eat. Anyone out there is encourage to find a recipe.

At the least, you can place a slice of turkey between dark green lettuce or spinach and voila! Very low cal sandwich.

I admire you as I know the cycle of bulimia all too well. I also quit smoking, but wish I had when I was as young as you are. CONGRATULATIONS!

We've all been there, lacking motivation and feeling terrible about ourselves! There are a variety of diets discussed here in the forums so get stuck in and ask questions and you'll soon find good resources for gluten free recipes (the paleo diet is great for gluten free and very healthy) x

I am a little bit older than you but I've been through what you have, most of it anyway.

Once I started eating gluten free I found I really just needed to take a break from obsessing about food for a while and just be. I'm just now ready to start dieting and for me, it's all about being accountable, keeping a food log, and not trying to take any shortcuts or go on any outrageous diet plans. I just started a blog as well, to help me stay motivated.

Gluten free bread is kinda not worth the calories, IMO. I try to make sure I always have healthy food on hand and plan my day of food in advance. Usually that means lots of brown rice, beans and vegetables.

But you know what? If you're not ready for it right now give your body a break until you are.

OK on to motivation.... Will this help? You are only 24 and so young that your skin has lots of elasticity. I don't know if you thought about this aspect of losing weight, but thought I'd toss it out there after watching the Oprah show yesterday.

I don't know at what age or how much weight loss will equal hanging skin, but I would suspect that you can lose 50 pounds and tighten up your skin quite well. I look at it this way. I had three children in my 20's and my abdominal skin went back without any hanging or sagging.

Perhaps this will at least be a motivation not to gain any more weight. Let 185 be your highest weight. It's so easy at this stage to say: "The heck with it," and continue to put on a few more pounds.

Yes, you have made some very wise choices. Yes, you'll miss your 45 calorie bread.

But just by being here, I'd say you are preparing yourself to lose your weight and that's a big big deal. You have the strength as evidenced by what you've accomplished in your young life so far.

You could do this..... Buy a darling little dress or a pair of jeans in the size that you'll be when you get back to the weight you want to be and look at it once a day. Tell yourself that you will fit into it. And you will. By what you wrote you know that only you can do it.
Theresa

HI, I second marksdailyapple. I'm not celiac (that I know of), but I do have a wheat allergy. So, I've gotten into eating grain free recently. I'm trying new recipes to motivate myself to eat better. I've made coconut flour biscuits and last night made a pizza crust using cauliflower, eggs, and cheese. Then, I added sauce and more cheese. It was really good. Even my picky kids liked it.

I think it's really stressful at first to overhaul your diet. I know that I love sandwiches. Once you get used to it, it all becomes your new norm.

There are a couple other girls here that are gluten free, maybe you could talk with a moderator about getting a new forum set up for people on gf diets. Wheat/gluten intolerance is finally being taken seriously in the last 15 years and I think it's great that the medical world is finally seeing that gluten is the cause of many serious conditions....instead of medicating.

I have a 17 year old son who has been on a gf diet for over 10 years now. When he started he was quite chubby. He's now a fit and normal weight teen....and he eats a lot. He never really cared for the gluten free breads so we have lots of other replacements. He loves white and sweet potatoes as his carbs of choice. Anyway, welcome to the forum!