I get an email like this at least once a day:
Dear Amy,
I really love your blog. I’ve been gluten-free for 5 years now and I only eat sugar once in a while. I don’t put any sweeteners in my tea. I can’t seem to lose any weight. Can you tell me what your daily food plan looks like? Do you think you can help me?
Thanks in advance,
Jill Reader
Quite honestly, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been gluten-free. What matters is what you’re eating, how much you’re eating, and how active you are.
I used to think that I wasn’t exercising enough so I’d exercise more or in a different way hoping to drop some weight. What I found out, though, is that what I put in my mouth was way more important.
I didn’t diet. Instead, I had to cut out the junk foods, nourish my body, and after a month of healthier eating I started to be able to ‘hear’ what my body needed.
There is no one-size fits all weight-loss or healthy weight maintenance program. The foods and the way I eat may not work for your body. What my body needs changes over time, too.
Here’s 10 things I’ve learned over the years about weight loss and eating gluten-free and refined sugar-free that work for me:
- For me, eating wheat and white sugar eventually cause intense food cravings which lead to eating way more than my body needs. They caused other health problems, too, including migraines and depression. When I don’t eat them, I can actually make healthy food choices and the cravings, migraines, and depression go away.
- I had to discipline myself when it came to eating. No more all-day meals. I eat when I’m hungry and stop eating when I’m full, even if it means passing up dessert. Today, I typically eat 3 smaller meals and two to three snacks depending on how hungry I am. Some days I eat more and some days I eat less. I’ve learned to listen to my body and give it what it needs.
- Gluten-free does not equal healthier! If I only switched out my Wheat Thins for gluten-free crackers I’d be in trouble. Many gluten-free shelf products are made predominantly of white starch, which provide little nutrition and will send my blood sugar soaring. If you went grocery shopping with me, you’d see me fill my cart with fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, legumes, lean organic meats, lower-fat dairy, and non-dairy products. I rarely eat processed foods.
- I make a weekly menu plan that I shop from and follow. You won’t catch me standing in front of the refrigerator at 5:30 pm hungry and looking for something to eat. That’s the biggest set-up for failure. Instead, I have a plan and the groceries on hand to make a nutritious dinner.
- I only have white rice for my dogs in case they get an upset belly. We don’t eat it. Instead, we opt for nutrient-dense grains and legumes like brown or wild rice, quinoa, black beans, and lentils.
Come back next Friday when I post Part 2. I’ll share some other important things I’ve learned about maintaining a healthy weight and eating refined sugar-free and gluten-free.
What have you learned about the foods & habits that work for you?
Stop by ABCNews.com Good Morning America!
I’m on ABCNews.com Good Morning America sharing baking tips and recipes. They called me a Chef…I’m still blushing!!
- Chef & Blogger Amy Green Shares Her Baking Secrets: 9 Tips for Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free Baking Success
- Fig & Date Bars (Healthy Fig Newtons)
- Fudge Brownies (Lower-fat & delicious!!)
- Fresh Fruit Tart (the perfect summer dessert)
Insightful post, Amy. A gluten-free diet can still be rich in calories so one still has to make good food choices. Exercise is also a must.
Thanks for sharing.
Have a fabulous weekend 🙂
Congrats on being on Good Morning America!!!
I love this post – my boyfriend is going dairy free too now (he’s already gluten free) and so we’ve been revising our eating plans to include more nuts and he’s becoming open to more vegetables. Thanks for your insights.
I loved this post. I wish every single person could read it because it’s all truth!
Such a great post, emphasizing the need for developing your own individual plan and listening to your body. In our home, we do not count calories, but we do focus on eating raw, nutrient dense veggies when we feel like we may have overindulged. By over-indulging, I don’t mean with any sugar or refined goods. I have noticed, for me, that even when eating no sweeteners for several months (not even dates) I can over do it on the foods rich in natural sugars, bananas for example. Fruits are great, but everything needs to be in moderation for a balanced diet. So for us it’s all about balancing 🙂
I think it’s also important to really focus on vegetables. If you’re eating half vegetables (non-starchy), it’s pretty hard to eat too many calories. My favorite “plate” is 50% vegetables, with 25% lean protein, 25% whole grains/starchy veg, and then optional fruit and dairy in small amounts.
You can still overeat on olive oil and brown rice, but broccoli?
@Stephanie, I eat lots of veggies, too. I probably eat more fruit than you but it works for me. Plus, it’s loaded with good nutrients.
Out family is gluten free and I try to provide the most nourishing foods I can for us- so I think that is a great road to follow for long term health.
That said, sometimes you can just just eat a little too much, healthy or not.
Recently, to lose a few pounds I started tracking my food on DailyBurn.com . If you are not one to get too caught up or obsess about doing it, it can be a real eye opener to track your food and eating habits.
jen
There is one other factor to be considered when looking to lose weight. If a person is under an abnormal amount of stress they will gain weight under certain conditions. No diet or calorie count will be of any benefit to them but actually could be very harmful.
Each person will react differently to stress and during different life stages you will discover that your body will respond differently as well. For example when there is a fluctuation in hormone levels, dieting or calorie counting isn’t going to be of much help. Of course this doesn’t mean one should eat unhealthy either but that to be successful in losing weight one has to know what the cause is for the gain. Hormones are not limited to estrogen or progestron that effect weight gain. I recommend visiting a doctor that also practices non-traditional medicine with their traditional routine.
Thanks for the tips, Amy. I’m exactly the same way when it comes to refined. . . anything. A few bites seem to incite a few more, and a few more. . . totally addictive. Congrats on the ABC spot–how fabulous! 😀
Great post Amy and congrats on being on Good Morning America!
I wanted to share a couple of things that I have discovered on my path to losing a few pounds and feeling the way that I want to feel.
My alternative care Dr performed a test on me that determined I was not producing enough stomach acid at all. The test involved swallowing a capsule that contained something that measured ph all of the way through my stomach. That capsule communicated to his laptop computer and showed in real time what was happening in my stomach. About 10 minutes into the test they did a “challenge” to see how quickly I would re-acidify after they gave me some baking soda in a little bit of water. I was really slow and that helped explain why I don’t seem to digest carbs. They all make my stomach feel bloated after I eat them.
I also recently lost about 5 pounds because I have almost stopped eating corn products too. I am really down to just vegies and protein which is keeping my body very happy.
The third thing is stress. If we are really stressed, then our stomach is not going to digest food like it should which will lead to bloating and weight gain and maybe even more food allergies. I am in the process of divorcing and suddenly have gotten happier about making this positive change in my life. My stomach is happier and I know that is another reason I have lost more weight as well. I now weigh less than I have in at least 35 years.
You truly do need to listen to your body! (and your soul!)
Great post Amy! I can totally agree with your suggestions with a regular amount of exercise too. One addition I would also add is emotional healing. So many people turn to food for so many reasons. Caring for all parts of you- body, mind, and spirit can bring freedom and health on so many levels.
Definitely take in the praise Amy, you’re doing great things for so many people! Yeay! 🙂
Thanks as always!
Gluten sensitivity varies with the individual just as nutritional requirements do. You’re so right, Amy, in saying that we each have to find what works for us. For one thing, we each have our own, individual, ability to expel toxins from our bodies, some of our systems do it well and some do not and the build up of toxins can cause us to get sick (as with autoimmune disease) and it can affect our ability to lose weight. A great many people have hypothyroidism and that compounds the weight loss problem, but many doctors do not diagnose it properly or, even if they do, they don’t treat it well. It has become clear in recent times that autoimmune disease (and hypothyroidism is one of those) are linked to gluten sensitivity. What surprised me recently was to find out that ALL grains have gluten. I’d always read that rice, quinoa and some others did not. Apparently, that’s not so, they just have different kinds of gluten and don’t have gluten at the same levels as wheat. A truly gluten free diet would eliminate all grains, therefore. That makes me wonder about milk that is provided by grain-fed cows! How does that figure into the total equation? Anyone who wants to know more about hypothyroidism might like to look at Mary Shoman’s information (she’s one of the best!) at
http://thyroid.about.com/bio/Mary-Shomon-350.htm
I also found this very interesting about the genetics of gluten sensitivity by Dr. Osborne of GlutenFreeSociety.org:
http://thyroid.about.com/bio/Mary-Shomon-350.htm
@Anna, Where did you get your information on quinoa and rice? I’m not sure that it’s accurate. Rice is gluten-free, as is quinoa. And quinoa is actually a seed, not a grain. People call it a grain because it’s less confusing. There is no gluten in rice or quinoa unless it’s processed on equipment that also processes wheat, and then it’s cross contaminated. The same is true of oats, though some with Celiac can’t tolerate oats. I do know that some people can’t tolerate grains even though they’re gluten-free.
Many gluten-free companies have their products ELISA tested to be gluten-free, which means it has less than “x” parts per million.
@Amy, I found this post about quinoa very interesting. I find that I can not eat it. When I first when gf, I ate it regularly, had no effects that I’m aware of.. for whatever reason, I stopped, wasn’t intentional. After a few weeks, I had a bowl for breakfast and just about passed out… After a good nights sleep, I was out for another 2 hours!!!
My apologies! My copy and paste didn’t work! Here is the correct link for the genetics of gluten sensitivity, if anyone would like to watch it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-mcvvxEsVw
I’m SO glad you posted this! I (finally) went gluten-free about six months ago after years of suspecting it would help me. I naively expected to lose weight! I happily ate all the “natural” gluten-free products I could find and learned how to bake gluten-free goodies. Instead of losing, I gained about 7 pounds (and climbing), despite my increased workout schedule. I analyzed my new diet with my personal trainer/nutritionist and learned that I was eating too FEW calories (go figure), WAY too much fruit/sugar/corn/rice and not nearly enough protein and veggies. With just a few minor changes, I’ve been able to reverse the gaining and look forward to getting to a happier, healthier place with my diet and my body.
Along with these tips, which are GREAT, here’s what’s I’ve learned can be barriers to weight loss:
1) There can be medical issues that are untreated or undertreated:
a) thyroid issues (stopthethyroidmadness.com)-hypothryoid, Hashimotos, Reverse T3 are the most common
b) adrenal fatigue– which is related to stress. (http://www.adrenalsweb.org and the Yahoo group: NTH adrenals)
c) other food intolerances– as mentioned, we can have other food intolerances (such as corn and dairy), and this can inhibit weight loss.
d) vitamin/mineral deficiencies can slow down weight loss, or make you not feel good so you have trouble staying motivated. Vitamin D, iron, and magnesium can be culprits here. The “normal” ranges for these vitamins/minerals isn’t always optimal, but a good integrative or functional doctor can help. Also, getting an RBC (red blood cell) count of magnesium instead of serum is important.
These problems can mess with metabolism and blood sugar.
I started this crazy journey with thyroid problems. I had no appetite but started to really gain weight. I also noticed that exercising was getting harder and harder. It took a while, and I kept digging under these medical “rocks” and finding problems-such as adrenal fatigue, low iron-magnesium-D. The final piece of the puzzle has been the gluten intolerance, and simple sugar intolerance (my doctor is testing me for Lyme disease just to rule it out, but I think we’ve gotten to the bottom of things– I HOPE!) I’ve lost 15 lbs in 3 months and feel like the fog is finally lifting. Last Fall I could barely get out of bed. This year has been about a lot of lifestyle changes, which I thought would be hard, but because of the way I feel, it has really been easy! I just got back from the doctor, and found out my iron is (finally) coming up, and that my glucose is (finally) normal. Hope this helps someone. 🙂
@Dana, I felt the same way when I was finally told to stop eating white sugar and wheat. It was like a huge weight was lifted and I could finally function normally again. So glad you’re on the road to recovery!
I don’t know if anyone mentioned this already, but getting enough sleep is very important to reducing stress hormones like cortisol and running on too little sleep will cause weight gain or inability to lose weight, not to mention that it can contribute to coming down with an autoimmune disease…or two. 🙁
@Anna, My understanding is that it’s often the increased cortisol, increased appetite & overeating, and lack of exercise that leads to weight gain.
@Amy, No doubt it does increase appetite and cravings, plus sleep deprivation is a stressor and we know that women often reach for sweets (often chocolate) when stressed. However, I’ve read over and over again that cortisol specifically makes abdominal fat, so there is even more to it than just cravings and appetite.
@Anna, If I were having weight gain issues due to excessive stress, I would do everything I could to mediate the stress. I have been under excruciatingly stressful periods over the last seven years and have remained responsible for what I eat, my activity level, and how I deal with what happens in my life. If I don’t take responsibility for myself and my health then I don’t have a chance of maintaining a healthy weight or leading a productive life.
Amy,
Way to go on being showcased on GMA! Yes, you are a chef! Also,on teaching in Dallas! I sure wish I could come there and meet you in person! I’m in Lafayette. Huh, only 8 hrs away! Maybe, one day I can do that!
Blessings,
Jeanie (Jeanene)
@Jeanie (Jeanene), Thanks! I appreciate your support. Are you going to IFCB in New Orleans this August?
Hugs,
Amy
@Amy,
What is IFCB?
@Jeanie (Jeanene), International Food Blogger’s Conference. It’s in New Orleans this year.
thanks for this post. I am working towards the goal of not standing in front of my fridge at any time, wondering what to eat. I started my GF/DF/SF journey as part of a 30 day cleanse that felt wonderful bc I was getting great guidance about the trifecta of exercise/nutrition/lifestyle change.
While I am not gluten-intolerant, now that the cleanse is over, I am trying to follow a GF/DF/SF diet 90% of the time. Of course that 10% of the time that I do eat gluten, dairy or sugar, I have to be careful because it can lead to some serious tummy pain and those sugar cravings later on.
Such a great showcase for you on Good Morning America — congrats! As far as your diet advice is concerned, in my experience you are right on the money! While I don’t follow exactly the diet you’ve described, I try something pretty close to it…because when I don’t, I’m sorry. I just can’t cheat my body…it always knows what I ate.
I was having problems with feeling full, eating less and losing weight.
I also have pcos and insulin resistance which compounds my efforts to loose weight.
Upon finding out I was gluten sensitive I also found out that I was vitamin d deficient. That was like a miracle for me and I thought I would share that info.
I dont get alot of sun and dont certainly dont eat enough vitamin d for my body.
I learned that if you are overweight your body soaks up the vit d that you are getting, that overweight people have less vit D than normal weight people and that Vitamin d works in your body with a hormone called leptin.When your body has enough vit d it creates a hormone called Leptin. Leptin is what tells your body you are full. IF you are low on vitamin d that cycle isnt working.
So I went out and bought some vitamin d for me and hubby and I can say that a couple of days later we are both eating much less food and not hungry all day and certainly not overeating anymore. It was like someone flicked on a switch for me.
I thought I would share that, below is the research info I found.
Researchers at Aberdeen University found that obese people produced less vitamin D than people of average weight. The study also found that excess body fat absorbs vitamin D, stopping it entering the bloodstream.”
The study found that low levels of the vitamin in blood interfered with the function of a hormone called leptin, which tells the brain when the stomach is full
Ha ha, I just looked at that brownie recipe and thought they’d misprinted – 11 and 1/3 cups of flour?!
Then I realised… 🙂
Hi Amy!
I won’t gush too much about your blog-I’m sure you’ll blush….
I took control of my weight and serious digestive issues last year and cut both gluten and sugar in all shapes and forms. The long story short; i am a child of the 90’s….low fat = good. Such a horrible lie! I’m 28 now but 6 years ago my ‘iron stomach’ took a turn for the worst. All of a sudden I was having all sorts of issues coupled with pain as well as weight gain.
Last year, I took control and eliminated both wheat and sugar…..I lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks….my digestive issues subsided for the most part.
I have since lost far more weight (went from a size 12 to a 5), gained energy and discovered that I have been suffering from a massive candida growth in my intestines. I used to eat and feel exhausted. I feared dinner because I knew I would be done for the night. Things have changed because I have changed several mentalities;
1: Fat doesn’t make you fat-SUGAR makes you fat
2: Weight is a number-it’s all about the measuring tape to see your success. As a dense Germanic girl, I have to be realistic….
3: You can take control. Nothing is telling you other than yourself to eat another bowl of ice cream. To quote Ferris Buhler….”life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once and a while-you could miss it”…… take pleasure in life and stop being chained to your own selfish image.
Thanks again Amy!
Xoxo
Melissa
Drinking alkaline water and consuming alkaline foods
does cause the stomach p – H to go up temporarily. Initially, these Companies sold their
water in glass bottles, but after the plastic revolution in the mid 20th century, plastic became the more fashionable choice.
However, to see results, you need to aim to burn more calories than your
normal activities.
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Stand naked in front of the mirror and start eating. I think you will not want to eat much in this case.
But you need to go to doctor to stable your metabolism