Many looking into the gluten free diet are skeptical at first. This young man was no exception to the rule. Fortunately, he overcame his doubts because going gluten free for him led to remarkable changes. Prior to the diet he was losing weight (16 pounds total). The dietary change led to ability to regain weight, improved stamina, enhanced swimming, and clearing of facial acne.
Gluten Weight Gain Vs. Weight Loss
Many of those going gluten free lose weight, but as you can see in the example above, this young man was able to put the lost weight back on. There are multi-factorial mechanisms behind weight loss and weight gain. The diagrams below illustrate some of these mechanisms. It is always important to remember the law of biochemical individuality – people can have different responses to gluten (or anything for that matter). Some will gain and some will lose weight. It is this phenomenon that leads to the misdiagnosis of gluten sensitivity in many individuals. Most doctors are trained to look for wasting and severe weight loss before making a diagnosis of gluten intolerance.Click on image to see enlarged version
So when it comes to the big question – will I lose weight on a gluten free diet? The answer is complex. Some lose weight, some gain weight. My general clinical experience is this. For those who are overweight, we see weight loss occur with a gluten free diet. For those who are wasting, failing to grow, unable to put weight on, we see weight gain.