Gluten-Free for Weight Loss can be possible for some but not for everyone.
Gluten-Free for Weight Loss
Often, people hear about people going gluten-free and losing weight. If you’ve read my bio, you will see I had weight loss. Going gluten-free for the purpose of weight loss may or may not happen for you. Now you are probably wondering why? Well, when you have a food allergy or some other health issue that is related to gluten, then you remove that from your diet your body will go through changes. If you are looking for a weight loss plan that will work, there are many out there – going gluten-free is not a magic diet for weight loss.
The basics of weight loss are calories taken in vs calories spent. If you sit down and eat an entire loaf of garlic bread, switching to a gluten free loaf isn’t going to be a magic cure. This gets to portion control and moderation.
Weight Loss Keys
The key to any weight loss program is your entire diet which means that is the choices you make. If you go to fast food daily, drink lots of soda (huge calories no nutritional value), and don’t exercise (or move), then you need to look there first. There is no magic pill or diet that will fix a weight issue.
If weight loss is your goal, then I’d recommend talking to your doctor about the best way to lose weight. I know gym memberships and personal trainers can be pricey – but search YouTube for some clever work out plans. Take a health class at the local junior college and learn about your body and how it works. Most of all you must find what works for YOU and your lifestyle.
People will tell you cut out the carbs – which mostly contain gluten. I don’t recommend this. If you do not have Celiac or an allergy to gluten, then you need the vitamins and minerals from those grains. It gets back to food choices and moderation. Cutting out carbs but drinking 2 or more sodas (even if it’s diet) a day isn’t going to do you any good.
Moderation is key to life
Another key to weight loss is lifestyle change. The word diet has come to be this bad word that means you are not eating certain foods. The word diet means what you consume. You need to be honest with yourself and what you are consuming. Look at the calories on everything you eat, add them up every day for a week. I would bet the number will shock you. Changing little choices, you make can be HUGE in your lifestyle and health. Learn to read labels – consuming chemicals is not what we are meant to consume.
Moderation is the key to life in general. It’s ok to enjoy a desert or have a cheeseburger now and then. It’s not ok to bake a cake and eat the entire thing in one sitting. If you do that, that’s an issue with food and going gluten free isn’t going to help you.
There are people with celiac or a gluten allergy that are very thin – almost anorexic looking and others who are heavy. When the human body is deprived of nutrition it can cause you to drop weight or gain weight. The first is what most people think of because of seeing starving kids on TV. The latter is triggered by a flight or fight syndrome where your body goes into starvation mode and stores everything because it’s not getting what it needs. Therefore, for those with celiac or gluten allergies that are heavy, they lose weight. The body isn’t busy fighting the “food poisoning” and is getting actual food that it needs.
Bottom line
The bottom line, going gluten free to simply lose weight is not going to be a magic cure for you. Some of you may lose some weight initially and some of you may not. Those that don’t will get upset and say it’s a crazy diet or something. Those that do will eventually say it’s too expensive or difficult. Remember there are those of us with allergies who don’t have this choice – this is not a “diet” for us – so please be respectful of that.
If weight loss is truly your goal – I wish you success in achieving your goals!