Curious about how many here have tried or considered wheat-free diets

[highplainsdem]

I first heard about Dr. William Davs's book Wheat Belly here at DU, in topics about news stories on the bestselling book. I got his book and related cookbook then, and followed his http://wheatbellyblog.com blog.

But what's impressed me most about the wheat-free diet's potential as a weight loss diet are the personal testimonials and photos Facebook users are posting on his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wheat-Belly/209766919069873

Lots of really stunning improvements there, some that could be called transformations.

For what it's worth, my personal experience: I used to LOVE wheat products. Whole grain bread -- and I'd sometimes do my own baking, and add raw wheat germ from health food stores or co-ops to cereal. Really loved cereal with breakfast. Snacked a lot on crackers. But I'd noticed, too, that snacks like crackers wouldn't satisfy my appetite at all, and often I'd feel hungrier afterward.

I used to be about 30 lbs over what I considered my ideal weight, my weight in my 20s. My weight had kept creeping up despite occasional diets. I finally managed to lose about 20 lbs of that over a year by exercising a lot more and cutting back on carbs and desserts at lunch and dinner (breakfast still almost always included a lot of cereal or toast as well as protein and fresh fruit...and I'd usually be starving again before lunch).

Cutting out wheat took off another 10 lbs effortlessly.

I haven't used Dr. Davis's cookbooks (he has two out now) very much. I've ignored his recommendations on restricting dairy foods, for instance, since I love milk, cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt. I haven't cut potatoes, including sweet potatoes, out of my diet. I think the low-carb recipes I've found online for oopsie rolls

http://yourlighterside.com/2009/05/gluten-free-low-carb-buns-aka-oopsie-rolls/

are better than his recommendations for bread subsitutes, and when I just HAVE to have pizza, I'll use a gluten-free tapioca flour recipe for the crust since it holds up well when you pick up a slice, even though it's starchy and high in carbs. I still have ice cream at times (as long as it's wheat free; no more chocolate chip cookie dough flavor), and I also make paleo-diet "fat bombs" at times to replace calories lost by giving up wheat. (I do try to keep my intake of refined carbs within limits, though, and I'd be limiting it more if I needed to lose more weight. And I wouldn't recommend just switching processed snack foods high in wheat for commercial gluten-free snack foods that are also high in refined starches. Dr. Davis is right to warn against those.)

I've found that I still feel better without wheat, even though I'm not following every detail of the Wheat Belly diet. I sleep better, I've had only one migraine in over a year when I used to get at least a couple of days-long migraines a month, my skin is better, and I don't have the almost uncontrollable craving for food I used to get after eating wheat products.

I didn't have a lot of weight to lose, but judging by that Facebook page, giving up wheat has helped a lot of people succeed in losing a lot of weight. And many of them say it improved their health in other ways.

When I first read about Davis's book here at DU, I noticed some long-time DUers posting about how their health and weight had improved since they gave up wheat.

Which is why I've been surprised not to see more about it here. And I'm wondering how many people in this group have tried or at least seriously considered going wheat-free. (And yes, I do realize what a huge change in diet this can be for many people, especially if they do think it's necessary to follow all of Dr. Davis's guidelines very strictly. And of course our food industry makes it extremely difficult to go wheat-free.)

[Lisa D]

1. I'm eating grain-free

and feel so much better physically. I'm not hungry all the time and it's helped my acid reflux. Now I'm cutting out sugar in my diet too.

Thank you so much for including the Facebook link in your post. It's nice to see all the before-and-after pictures, as well as read about different experiences.

[highplainsdem]

2. Thanks for the reply, Lisa! I'm so glad to hear that going grain-free helped with your acid reflux

as well as your cravings. Helping with cravings is especially important to dieters.

And with acid reflux so common now, and so many prescription and OTC meds with harmful side effects being taken to deal with it, it's been wonderful to hear about all the people whose acid reflux was helped by cutting wheat and other grains out of their diets. That was one of the more common benefits I noticed people reporting, as soon as I started reading Dr. Davis's books and blog and Facebook page. I haven't suffered from acid reflux myself, but I've been telling people I know who have acid reflux, some of whom have tried everything including surgery, about how wheat-free diets helped other people with that problem.

The gluten in wheat can cause mood problems, too, including depression, and that helps sabotage diets that still include gluten, in addition to being a serious problem in itself.

Unfortunately it's really, really difficult for many people to give up wheat and other grains. Especially after decades of misguided food pyramid recommendations urging people to eat more and more grains, particularly whole grains. I've had some friends ask me just what is left to eat, if they don't eat wheat products. They're so used to bread or pasta or cereal at every meal that they can't imagine life without wheat. And in the meantime they're struggling with acid reflux, cravings, diabetes (something else that can often be controlled by giving up grains), and lots of other health problems in addition to being overweight. I wish they'd try going wheat-free for just a few weeks, but they're reluctant to make even that much of a change to see if they're feel better and lose weight.

Thank you so much for including the Facebook link in your post. It's nice to see all the before-and-after pictures, as well as read about different experiences.

You're welcome! I'm glad you checked out the Facebook page. The before and after pictures from people who've gone wheat-free are often amazing, and it's great, too, that since these are regular Facebook users, they're posting in the comments below their photos, answering questions and explaining their own experiences. I noticed two more success stories posted there in the last 24 hours, with the photos first posted under Davis's Wheat Belly account -- one was from Lauren, who's been wheat free and sugar free since November 2012 and has lost nearly 100 pounds, has seen her blood pressure and pulse and body fat return to normal, and has gone from a size 18/20 to a size 6/8. The story has had over 1600 likes and over 200 comments in the last 20 hours. And right below that are photos of Kym, who's lost 15 lbs and two pant sizes since going wheat-free just a couple of months ago, and that post is already up to nearly a thousand likes and over 70 comments. There seems to be a lot of interest in the diet on Facebook, which is one reason I was surprised not to see it mentioned more here.

[phylny]

3. Funny you should mention this.

I just got Wheat Belly from the library. I'm 215 pounds, should be about 145-150, I suppose. I haven't been that weight for over 25 years. I've been on Weight Watchers, did a liquid fast that got me down only to 178 a few years agp, and recently tried Qsymia with no luck, except that when I stopped using it, I gained 20 pounds.

I came here for some ideas, since I'm out of them!

[supernova]

4. I've been completely grain free

since last summer.

I actually follow a low carb high fat diet. I only eat about 20 carbs/day, mostly in the form of cruciferious veggies like broccoli, brussels sprouts, or avocados.

But wheat free is very amazing. Before that I did have gi distress, a form of itchy dermatitis that looks a lot like eczema (on my back and scalp, sometimes as "acne" on my face), and a kind of brain fog or chronic fatigue. I will never go back to eating wheat products again.

[sense]

5. I'm grain free.

About 2 1/2 years ago I stopped eating grains, sugar, soy and processed foods. I had type ll diabetes and following my doctor's recommendations about diet only made that worse. I'm no longer diabetic, have lost weight, lowered my blood pressure, increased my energy and gotten off depression meds. I take no medications now and would never go back to the standard American diet (SAD). I eat a high fat (just the good fats), medium protein, very low carb diet and feel great. My labs are also really good.

Sweden has recently changed the advice they give their citizens about what a healthy diet is. I follow their advice.

http://www.examiner.com/article/sweden-replaces-low-fat-diet-guidelines-with-high-fat-low-carb-diet

[TexasBushwhacker]

10. Check out Dr. Terry Wahls

She reversed her progressive MS by eliminating grains and following a modified Paleo diet.

[ShinyElena]

6. Never tried wheat-free diets

First, thank for the post! It was very interesting to read these thoughts. Well I never kept wheat free diet because I refused baked goods few years ago. I may eat a piece of bread once a month and that's enough for me. Also I don'r eat junk food and that's ok for me. I tried Atkins diet before but I must say it was very hard for me to keep that diet. I consulted a service, FatLossReviewFactors Program, I've found a lot of helpful material there and chose healthy lifestyle. I think it's the best way to stay slim and healthy. Just consume as much energy (of course, eat natural poducts only and home made) as you need every day. What else should be done? Drink as much water as possible every day and sleep 8-9 hours, so you won't have time to eat something unhealthy XD

[jambo101]

7. Read "Wheat Belly"

And be prepared for the realization of how addictive wheat based products are and how Monsanto has genetically engineered/modified todays wheat product to be that way.
After reading the book i no longer eat bread and pasta.
"Grain Brain" is another eye opening book describing the negative aspects of eating wheat based products.

[NMDemDist2]

8. hubby went wheat free about 4 months ago

less allergies, better digestion, lost 27# so far......

he's sold!

[PennyK]

9. I'm also a low-carber

I do, once in a while, eat a processed low-carb snack or bar (which may have a bit of wheat in it), but in general, no grains, potatoes or other starchy vegs (how I miss peas), no sugar...and those bars are the only processed food I ever have. I indulge in fatty foods, protein, and tons of vegetables. I have a great recipe, from cookbook genius Dana Carpender, for strawberry yogurt popsicles, and have one for my nighttime treat.
A fun side effect of low-carbing is no gas (by which I mean no tooting)!

[get the red out]

12. Gave it up this summer

Along with sugar, and a lot of other carbs. I don't follow any specific instructions from anyone, but in giving up these foods, while reading various sources and finding foods that work for me, I have lost weight and feel good. My knees don't hurt anymore, which is wonderful since I am a very active person. I even noticed that the little irritating bumps I had always gotten on my arms aren't showing up now. I think my skin looks better overall.

I was completely addicted to sugar and wheat. My diet was healthy except for including copious amounts of these foods.