Feels like I can’t eat anything

[SargeMaximus]

Hi guys, hope you’re all doing well.

I’m 34 and am starting to feel like I can’t eat anything. Tried giving up gluten but I need carbs. I weigh 155lbs and am 6 feet tall. I don’t do anything but sit around and eat as much as I can but it seems like it’s never enough. Something doesn’t add up there. I eat really healthy (beef/pork, coconut oil, olive oil, oatmeal, beans, Greek yogurt, pineapple juice). 
 

problem is, too much oatmeal and I get hella constipated. Also I’m worried I will end up getting too much potassium what with all the beans and oatmeal.

any tips? I’ve never been diagnosed for celiac but I got off gluten years ago and I felt great so I’m assuming that is the answer. Problem is I’m always hungry now and oatmeal is giving me constipation so I need a better carb. I also want to avoid rice if at all possible. Thanks for the help

[cristiana]

Hi SargMaximus

Welcome to the forum.

It does sound as if you burn off calories very easily - I'm the opposite!  Your diet certainly sounds very healthy to me.

With regards to constipation and oats, you have said you haven't been diagnosed with coeliac disease but let's just say that you do have it, for arguments sake, you could be one of the minority of coeliacs who cannot tolerate oats, even the pure ones that are free from gluten contamination, that could be contributing to your constipation symptoms.

Is your inability to put on weight a new issue, or something that you have had all your life?  If it is new, it would be well worth speaking to your doctor as there are some health issues that could contribute to unwanted weight loss.

I've just tried to enter your height, weight etc into an online daily calorie counter and it seems that in order to maintain your weight you need to consume 2,000 calories a day.  It sounds a bit low to me so  I'm not sure if this is correct, but have you any idea how many calories you might be consuming a day compared with that figure? Is it possible that you do need to eat a lot more?

Anyway, a few thoughts.  

I've got to go offline for a few hours now but hope to be able to pick up any posts later.

Cristiana

 

 

 

 

Edited December 22, 2022 by cristiana

[trents]

About 10% of celiacs react to oats (even gluten free oats) like they do to wheat gluten. A high percentage of celiacs cannot tolerate dairy, either the lactose or the protein casein. There are other grains besides oats you should be eating. Can you do corn? What about buckwheat,, tiff, quinoa?

[SargeMaximus]

9 hours ago, cristiana said:

Hi SargMaximus

Welcome to the forum.

It does sound as if you burn off calories very easily - I'm the opposite!  Your diet certainly sounds very healthy to me.

With regards to constipation and oats, you have said you haven't been diagnosed with coeliac disease but let's just say that you do have it, for arguments sake, you could be one of the minority of coeliacs who cannot tolerate oats, even the pure ones that are free from gluten contamination, that could be contributing to your constipation symptoms.

Is your inability to put on weight a new issue, or something that you have had all your life?  If it is new, it would be well worth speaking to your doctor as there are some health issues that could contribute to unwanted weight loss.

I've just tried to enter your height, weight etc into an online daily calorie counter and it seems that in order to maintain your weight you need to consume 2,000 calories a day.  It sounds a bit low to me so  I'm not sure if this is correct, but have you any idea how many calories you might be consuming a day compared with that figure? Is it possible that you do need to eat a lot more?

Anyway, a few thoughts.  

I've got to go offline for a few hours now but hope to be able to pick up any posts later.

Cristiana

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the speedy reply

it has always been hard for me to put on weight. I’ve always been skinny. I haven’t talked to my doctor about it.

i do track my calories. I try to hit 4000 every day but usually fall somewhere between 2700-3200 each day. 
 

7 hours ago, trents said:

About 10% of celiacs react to oats (even gluten free oats) like they do to wheat gluten. A high percentage of celiacs cannot tolerate dairy, either the lactose or the protein casein. There are other grains besides oats you should be eating. Can you do corn? What about buckwheat,, tiff, quinoa?

Hi. No penalty I have a bad reaction to corn and quinoa (just feel like my testosterone takes a nose dive I get weak and sore as well)

 

I’ll check those others out, thank you

[trents]

Sorry, I misspelled one of those grains. It's teff, not tiff. Rice should be okay as well. And sorghum.

Here, this should help: https://gluten.org/2019/10/17/gluten-free-grains/

It's important to realize that just because something is naturally gluten free doesn't mean it remains gluten free by the time it gets to you. Cross contamination with gluten can occur in the growing, transport, storage and processing of many naturally gluten free food products. That's why it's important to focus on buying food products that that are labeled "gluten free" or better yet, "certified gluten free" since they have been tested at then end of the chain of processes that leads up to the point of sale. Now, this doesn't mean that all food products not labeled "gluten free" will contain gluten but it does mean you have to be careful. Obviously things like eggs, potatoes and bananas will be gluten free by the nature of what they are and their skins will shield them anyway. You kind of have to ask yourself, "What is the likelihood of this food item coming into contact with a gluten containing grain or grain product at some stage of growing, storage or processing?" As an obvious example, you should feel safe with a cantaloupe.

Edited December 22, 2022 by trents

[trents]

Have you had your thyroid checked? Hyperthyroidism can cause low weight.

Edited December 22, 2022 by trents

[SargeMaximus]

1 hour ago, trents said:

Have you had your thyroid checked? Hyperthyroidism can cause low weight.

Thanks for all the tips. Yes I have been tested for hyperthyroidism many times and they always tell me I’m normal 

[trents]

Have you been checked for parasites like tape worms?

[SargeMaximus]

3 hours ago, trents said:

Have you been checked for parasites like tape worms?

No but I was under the assumption you only get those from pork and I’ve been this way my whole life but have only eaten pork in the last few years

[trents]

"Six types of tapeworms are known to infect people. They are usually identified by the animals they come from -- for example, Taenia saginata from beef, Taenia solium from pork, and Diphyllobothrium latum from fish." https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tapeworms-in-humans

[SargeMaximus]

7 minutes ago, trents said:

"Six types of tapeworms are known to infect people. They are usually identified by the animals they come from -- for example, Taenia saginata from beef, Taenia solium from pork, and Diphyllobothrium latum from fish." https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tapeworms-in-humans

Damn, ok I’d better see the doc tomorrow then. That would be a relief actually if that’s all this was. I could take some meds and be done with it

[trents]

It's a long shot but just something that occurred to me. The only reason I can think of some who is consuming 4000 calories a day losing weight is that something else is benefiting from it instead of your body or, possibly, you have dumping syndrome and it's just passing through.

[patty-maguire]

On 12/22/2022 at 3:01 AM, SargeMaximus said:

 

First of all get tested for celiac before you go gluten free. 

Untreated celiac disease is the simplest explanation for your being underweight.  Your body is not absorbing nutrients  Many people find once they go gluten-free and the gut starts to heal they put on weight  

Oats are not gluten-free unless you buy certified gluten-free oats That’s likely why they bother you.  Many people with celiac can’t handle oats at all  

You don’t need gluten to get carbs. There are several other gluten-free grains like amaranth, millet, tiff, buckwheat, corn, etc.  Bobs Red mill makes a good gluten-free 8 grain cereal. There are lots of options in breads, pastas etc and many don’t contain rice either. You can also get carbs from naturally gluten-free sources like potatoes, carrots, squash, beans, chickpeas, corn, bananas.  Look up keto or low carb and anything they say to avoid will be high carb. Should give you some ideas. 

[SargeMaximus]

10 hours ago, trents said:

It's a long shot but just something that occurred to me. The only reason I can think of some who is consuming 4000 calories a day losing weight is that something else is benefiting from it instead of your body or, possibly, you have dumping syndrome and it's just passing through.

Yeah it doesn’t make sense for sure but because I eat so healthy and eat a lot of fibre, I kind of assumed my body was spending more energy digesting than I was getting out of the food

2 hours ago, patty_maguire said:

First of all get tested for celiac before you go gluten free. 

Untreated celiac disease is the simplest explanation for your being underweight.  Your body is not absorbing nutrients  Many people find once they go gluten-free and the gut starts to heal they put on weight  

Oats are not gluten-free unless you buy certified gluten-free oats That’s likely why they bother you.  Many people with celiac can’t handle oats at all  

You don’t need gluten to get carbs. There are several other gluten-free grains like amaranth, millet, tiff, buckwheat, corn, etc.  Bobs Red mill makes a good gluten-free 8 grain cereal. There are lots of options in breads, pastas etc and many don’t contain rice either. You can also get carbs from naturally gluten-free sources like potatoes, carrots, squash, beans, chickpeas, corn, bananas.  Look up keto or low carb and anything they say to avoid will be high carb. Should give you some ideas. 

Thanks I’ll look into those, that cereal sounds like it might be just what I need

2 hours ago, patty_maguire said:

First of all get tested for celiac before you go gluten free. 

Untreated celiac disease is the simplest explanation for your being underweight.  Your body is not absorbing nutrients  Many people find once they go gluten-free and the gut starts to heal they put on weight  

Oats are not gluten-free unless you buy certified gluten-free oats That’s likely why they bother you.  Many people with celiac can’t handle oats at all  

You don’t need gluten to get carbs. There are several other gluten-free grains like amaranth, millet, tiff, buckwheat, corn, etc.  Bobs Red mill makes a good gluten-free 8 grain cereal. There are lots of options in breads, pastas etc and many don’t contain rice either. You can also get carbs from naturally gluten-free sources like potatoes, carrots, squash, beans, chickpeas, corn, bananas.  Look up keto or low carb and anything they say to avoid will be high carb. Should give you some ideas. 

The only issues with all those carbs you mentioned is they are high in potassium

[trents]

Sarge, is there some reason you are trying to limit potassium in your diet?

[SargeMaximus]

1 hour ago, trents said:

Sarge, is there some reason you are trying to limit potassium in your diet?

Yes. As I said, I’m trying to avoid gluten. Most of the carbs I can tolerate have high levels of potassium. I don’t want to overload my system.

[trents]

Sarge, have you actually had your potassium levels checked? Do you know if they are high? Have you had a CBC (Complete Blood Count) and a CMP (Complete Metabolic Panel) done in recent history?

[SargeMaximus]

12 minutes ago, trents said:

Sarge, have you actually had your potassium levels checked? Do you know if they are high? Have you had a CBC (Complete Blood Count) and a CMP (Complete Metabolic Panel) done in recent history?

No I just like to air on the side of caution. 

[trents]

11 minutes ago, SargeMaximus said:

No I just like to air on the side of caution. 

I think you may be placing unnecessary restrictions on yourself by making assumptions without lab data to support it. You really do need to get some basic lab work done, at least to start with, and find out if there is something obvious that is preventing you from gaining weight.

[SargeMaximus]

17 minutes ago, trents said:

I think you may be placing unnecessary restrictions on yourself by making assumptions without lab data to support it. You really do need to get some basic lab work done, at least to start with, and find out if there is something obvious that is preventing you from gaining weight.

Meh, I always air in the side of caution.

anyhow I’ll talk to my doc about this

[Wheatwacked]

The dietary requirements for potassium is 4.7 grams per for all over 4 years old. On a 2000 calorie diet you should be eating 2.5 mg potassium per calorie and sodium less than half that. Unless you are on potassium saving diuretics or kidney disease. Surprisingly, even salted potato chips fit this ratio. The WHO considers potassium deficiency a health concern, as do many developed countries.

Quote

The intracellular concentration of potassium is about 30 times higher than the extracellular concentration, and this difference forms a transmembrane electrochemical gradient that is maintained via the sodium-potassium (Na+/K+) ATPase transporter [4]. In addition to maintaining cellular tonicity, this gradient is required for proper nerve transmission, muscle contraction, and kidney function... This, combined with other obligatory losses, suggests that potassium balance cannot be achieved with intakes less than about 400–800 mg/day... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) developed DVs to help consumers compare the nutrient contents of foods and dietary supplements within the context of a total diet. The DV for potassium is 4,700 mg for adults and children age 4 years and older...  Dietary surveys consistently show that people in the United States consume less potassium than recommended, which is why the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans identifies potassium as a “nutrient of public health concern” 

Insufficient potassium intakes can increase blood pressure, kidney stone risk, bone turnover, urinary calcium excretion, and salt sensitivity (meaning that changes in sodium intakes affect blood pressure to a greater than normal extent)

Magnesium depletion can contribute to hypokalemia by increasing urinary potassium losses [1,33,34]. It can also increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias by decreasing intracellular potassium concentrations.

Potassium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals

 

[SargeMaximus]

2 hours ago, Wheatwacked said:

The dietary requirements for potassium is 4.7 grams per for all over 4 years old. On a 2000 calorie diet you should be eating 2.5 mg potassium per calorie and sodium less than half that. Unless you are on potassium saving diuretics or kidney disease. Surprisingly, even salted potato chips fit this ratio. The WHO considers potassium deficiency a health concern, as do many developed countries.

 

Yes I did. Did you know that 1 cup of white potatoes has 305mg of potassium and only 166 calories? Making a ratio of 2.69 

[knitty kitty]

@SargeMaximus,

I hope you read this article.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8533683/

It explains how eating a diet with lots of carbohydrates requires more thiamine than is being consumed. 

Thiamine is needed to turn carbohydrates into energy.  Without sufficient thiamine, our bodies burn fat and muscle for fuel for energy instead, thus making weight gain difficult.  

Thiamine is found in meats.  Plants don't have much Thiamine, but oats are a good plant source of thiamine.  Gluten free facsimile foods are not usually enriched with vitamins and minerals.  Gluten containing products are enriched with Thiamine Mononitrate which our bodies cannot assimilate well.  Thiamine Mononitrate is added because it doesn't react with much, making it have a long shelf life.  But thiamine mononitrate is difficult for our bodies to use.  

Forms of Thiamine that are easily absorbed and used are Benfotiamine and TTFD (Tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide), or Allithiamine.  Thiamine Hydrochloride is another form that is inexpensive and widely available.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic.  Any excess is excreted easily by the kidneys.  

Hope this helps!

[SargeMaximus]

2 hours ago, knitty kitty said:

@SargeMaximus,

I hope you read this article.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8533683/

It explains how eating a diet with lots of carbohydrates requires more thiamine than is being consumed. 

Thiamine is needed to turn carbohydrates into energy.  Without sufficient thiamine, our bodies burn fat and muscle for fuel for energy instead, thus making weight gain difficult.  

Thiamine is found in meats.  Plants don't have much Thiamine, but oats are a good plant source of thiamine.  Gluten free facsimile foods are not usually enriched with vitamins and minerals.  Gluten containing products are enriched with Thiamine Mononitrate which our bodies cannot assimilate well.  Thiamine Mononitrate is added because it doesn't react with much, making it have a long shelf life.  But thiamine mononitrate is difficult for our bodies to use.  

Forms of Thiamine that are easily absorbed and used are Benfotiamine and TTFD (Tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide), or Allithiamine.  Thiamine Hydrochloride is another form that is inexpensive and widely available.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic.  Any excess is excreted easily by the kidneys.  

Hope this helps!

I already eat a ton of meat since I can't do veganism (I literally feel like I'm dying and get weak if I go without meat)

As for this website, who do I report issues with the mobile version to? I tried to reply to this 6 f*cking times (excuse my french but I'm frustrated) on my phone but it never showed up even tho I hit "Save and Reply". So I had to track down my laptop at home.

[Wheatwacked]

Sorry about the delay on your posts. 

You might look at Dr Hyman's "Pegan Diet". It's a combo of Paleo and Vegan. He is head of the Cleveland Clinic Functional Medicine Department. A Celiac antibody screening might make sense if only to prove gluten is not an issue.

On 12/22/2022 at 3:01 AM, SargeMaximus said:

I weigh 155lbs and am 6 feet tall.

Me too, but I am 71, 6' 2". Maxed out at185 but that was all belly fat. I always felt 155 was my optimum. According to Dr Fuhrman when you are eating enough nutrition your body will gravitate to optimum. The problem with wheat is that the modern wheat, 80% of the market, that has replaced the wheat I grew up with, has added chromosomes to enhance unending growth, insect and disease resistance and fat storage.

"For a healthy adult, there’s no significant evidence that potassium from foods can cause hyperkalemia (16). For this reason, potassium from foods doesn’t have a tolerable upper intake level. This is the most a healthy adult can consume in a day without negative effects (6Trusted Source). Hyperkalemia generally affects people with poor kidney function or people who take medications that may affect kidney function."  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-potassium-per-day#TOC_TITLE_HDR_8

On 12/22/2022 at 3:01 AM, SargeMaximus said:

Tried giving up gluten but I need carbs.

Don't. You'll thank me later. 😀 Eat anything but.

On 12/23/2022 at 10:21 AM, patty_maguire said:

irst of all get tested for celiac before you go gluten free. 

On 12/22/2022 at 3:01 AM, SargeMaximus said:

I got off gluten years ago and I felt great

On 12/22/2022 at 5:48 PM, SargeMaximus said:

I try to hit 4000 every day but usually fall somewhere between 2700-3200 each day. 

Quote

The Green Revolution   The strategies developed by the Green Revolution focused on fending off starvation and was very successful in raising overall yields of cereal grains, but did not give sufficient relevance to nutritional quality.[90] High yield-cereal crops have low quality proteins, with essential amino acid deficiencies, are high in carbohydrates, and lack balanced essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and other quality factors.

 You could make a spreadsheet to track your intake. Here is an example of what I made for myself.  http://nutrientlog.doodlesnotes.net/. The National Nutrition Database is an excellant source of information. I used it real time to track my intakes. Increasing my iodine intake by eating Nori definitely helped my muscle tone.

Edited December 24, 2022 by Wheatwacked