Gluten free & appetite

[Levo50]

I’m just a few weeks in to trying Gluten free, and wondered if it was normal to have an insatiable appetite abs watching calories is near impossible? Or am I imagining this?

[shaws Administrator]

I am not qualified but if you've gone gluten-free I wouldn't bother watching your calories. Just eat well and avoid anything with flour (except one that may be gluten-free) and you wll find that you will probably lose weight without dieting.

[Levo50 in reply to shaws]

Thank you, I look forward to that, I am not overweight but I don’t want to gain and have always subconsciously monitored my calories to maintain, it’s great advice as trialing gluten free is challenging enough without restricting myself 😀

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Increased appetite might have more to do with recent dose increase in levothyroxine

Likely to settle

[Levo50 in reply to SlowDragon]

That makes sense! Hopefully it will settle 😀

[Xheila]

Yes, I had an insatiable appetite the entire year I was GF. I thought about food all the time. It never went away. I got really thin, but that was not my goal.

I may not be the typical example though. I have a very high metabolism and generally consume 2,800-3,500 calories per day. I have never been overweight, and have a hard time keeping weight on if I don't eat constantly.

[Levo50 in reply to Xheila]

Blimey that’s a high calorie intake - are you hypo? Do you eat gluten again now? it’s early days for me but can’t say I’ve noticed much change as yet

[Xheila in reply to Levo50]

Yes, I am hypo. For the years when I was very symptomatic from it, I probably only ate 1/2 of that because I was too anxious to eat. But now I'm back to mega appetite. I never really noticed any change from being GF, I only tried it because I thought it would help with the Hashi's. But most people notice a significant improvement.

I started eating gluten again 3 years ago. I broke the diet by consuming nearly a whole large pizza (probably the worst idea, but I was just so hungry). Didn't upset my stomach at all!

[Jacs in reply to Xheila]

I have to avoid gluten in order to be well & help my hashis, but I never suffered from stomach issues/upset whilst eating gluten - in fact I was tested to rule out gluten as a problem & was gobsmacked by the result - so I’d suggest gluten does not always result in obvious tummy symptoms

[Levo50 in reply to Jacs]

It’s odd as everything I read suggests I avoid gluten but I’m not sure what’s changed if anything I feel no different, I am sleeping better and toilets habits have improved but this could well be the recently introduced magnesium

[Levo50 in reply to Xheila]

I’m the same not noticing much change - apart from improved sleep and toilet habits improved but that could be the magnesium 🤷‍♀️