[DRose]

So I read in another thread some people who are eating a gluten free diet? I just haven't heard much about this and was wondering, what are the health benefits? what exactly about gluten are you trying to avoid? and what do you eat instead?

[mazza]

I used to live gluten-free.
I found that after cutting it out I was much less bloated and feeling generally 'heavy' in my gut. Many people are gluten intolerant and avoid it for that reason. In some cases, people who are intolerant can feel constipated and have indigestion, diarrhea, bloating, and cut it out for that reason.

[Jelbb]

I've been doing the wheat/gluten-free thing.

I'm sure a lot of people think this is extreme, and as a result won't want to give it a shot... but it's really not that hard.

My mother was the one who talked me into trying it. She cut out wheat and gluten from her diet as a result of digestive issues... she did it by switching to rye or gluten-free breads, and eating rice pasta, and avoiding baked goods, and without a change to the amount of exercise she puts in... dropped about 60 lbs over about... maybe 8 months? And has kept it off successfully for over a year. Which is nuts. No one's ever yo-yo'd more than my mother dieting-wise. Obviously, she also portion controls her sugar intake, and doesn't tend to eat fried foods, but... she found that what really kick-started her metabolism was the lack of gluten-infested foods. She looks, and feels better, and it turns out that her digestive issues were in fact a gluten intolerance.

So, despite not having a wheat/gluten intolerance myself, she managed to convince me to give it a shot. Cutting out wheat and gluten hasn't actually been that big of a deal for me. I instantly started dropping in weight, and my food cravings haven't been half as intense as they used to be. Essentially, I've stopped eating baked goods from the coffee shop where I go everyday for lunch, I replaced bread with rye, or gluten-free bread, and I now eat rice pasta instead of regular. I'm allowed to eat rice, and potatoes (things you can't eat if you're on something restrictive like Atkins..) and I don't ever feel like I'm deprived.

I think the fact that I know that there's a lot of junk that I COULD eat without going "off-plan" makes it better. I can still have the occasional small thing (I had a small fry from McDonald's the other night ) and just knowing that I don't have to beat myself up over the little things has helped keep me on-track.


What I eat.. well, firstly, there's a lot of debate as to whether or not oats have gluten in them, and the consensus seems to be that they have a different kind of gluten protein in them, and the real concern is for cross-contamination for people who have severe gluten allergies... either way, they don't tend to bother peoples' digestive systems as much apparently, and I don't have severe allergic reactions, so on an average day I eat:

Breakfast:
Organic Oatmeal with blueberries, and about a teaspoon of organic honey to sweeten

Lunch:
Sandwich (gluten-free or rye bread) with calorie-reduced peanut butter and sugar-free jam
Rice crackers (cheddar flavoured, yumm) with a bit of light cream cheese
Grapes/other fruit
Fruit/Nut bar called "Larabar." Love them. They literally.. are good for ANYONE. These things are sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy free, vegan, and kosher... and they taste AMAZING.

Dinner:
Big pile of steamed veggies (whatever kind I'm in the mood for) mixed in with spaghetti (made with rice pasta, and organic primavera sauce)

Snack:
Rice crackers. Oh for the love of god, do I ever love rice crackers.


I'm trying to find the link for the website I was spreading around earlier... will edit when I find it. But I suggest giving it a shot, if only for a week or two to see how you feel!

*EDIT*
Ah, okay, here we go. This is essentially the mentality behind me giving the no-wheat/gluten thing a shot:

http://weight.insulitelabs.com/Addiction.php

[DRose]

The one thing that would make this really hard for me is that I live on campus in the dorms. So I eat at least one meal on campus a day, generally it will include rice so that isn't too much of a problem. But on weekends, or when I go home I go out to eat a lot... What would be a good way to make sure I can stay OP there?

[Jelbb]

Well, I haven't yet found a place to eat out where I haven't found SOMETHING to eat. Even at like... Subway I can just grab a salad. At other restaurants (like steakhouse type places) I tend to get a chicken dish, and steamed vegetables on the side...

Like any other plan, I'd suggest checking out menus before you head to places if it's not a huge hassle for ya. Planning things out in advance can be really helpful too. Also, having healthy or gluten-free snacks on ya can be a good way to make sure you don't ditch the plan in a moment of weakness.

If you're gonna try it out, lemme know how it goes! And if you're a college student, Coors Light is apparently a gluten free beer.

[DRose]

Haha Thanks I think I am going to try it out. Thanks also for the tip on beer, but I don't drink