Bad Mood... Really Discouraged.

[Newbie]

What do you do when you have a day where all you want is to eat anything WITH gluten and are so sick of gluten free foods just for the simple fact that they are gluten free? I know this may sound strange... but I'm new at this and I get so fed up at times. There are days where I don't mind eating gluten-free food, but then I have days where I'm just so sick of it and don't want to eat anything that is gluten-free! I feel like I have been gluten-free FOREVER and it's only been since december 24th, 2003. Not even one month! And because of celiac, I'm also very low on my vitamins and calcium especially... So everyday I take like 5 pills for this (recommended by my specialist). I'm just in such a bad mood right now. I do realize it could be so much worse, but it still manages to get me down a lot of times. My family is cooperative in the sense that they watch for cross contamination and all. And I don't wish for any of them to have celiac, but there are times when I wish I could just forget about this and eat like them. I don't of course say that to them because I wouldn't want them to feel bad eating around me or anything. I'm truly happy they don't have to go through this... I just wish I didn't either. I know that in the end I will feel much better, but not a day goes by where celiac disease hasn't entered my thoughts. I try to forget about it, but I feel like I can't. When I try to forget about it, I accidently grab a piece of bread and then quickly drop it back into the bag remembering about the celiac. It is just constant reminders everywhere. I just want to forget about it but it's like it overwhelms my thoughts so much of the time. I'm not obsessed or anything, don't get me wrong... I'm just sick of it I guess and wish I could forget about it but when I try to, I slip up... And I hate the days where I crave anything that is NOT gluten-free! I haven't let myself indulge of course... but does anyone else feel like that? Sorry for the long post I just reallllly needed to vent. Thanks.

~Newbie

[seeking-wholeness]

Newbie,

I can totally understand where your feelings are coming from. For me, it's not so much that I wish I could forget about celiac disease as it is that I wish I were further along the learning curve, and thus better able to see other aspects of myself and the world beyond celiac disease. It will get better, I know, but unfortunately the only cure for this problem is time. I sometimes wish I didn't have to think about food ALL the time, that I could just wait until I get hungry and then decide what I want to eat (the way it used to be), and that I could look at a salad bar or a friend's kitchen without automatically seeing all the possibilities for cross-contamination! And while I have never actually grabbed a slice of regular bread by mistake, I HAVE had nightmares in which I eat something that I know contains gluten.

I have actually found a new sort of "comfort food" that is commercially available and just happens to be gluten-free. I don't know if you like Asian food, but SOME of the Thai Kitchen instant rice noodle bowls are gluten-free. When I am craving something "normal" that is high in carbs, I fix myself one of these and really enjoy it! Maybe this sort of trick would be helpful to you, too.

Hang in there, and keep the faith that things will improve. You are doing a fine job adjusting, and your feelings are normal. I hope you feel better soon!

[Guest TESTinME]

The first couple of months, it is a major adjustment getting used to the diet. For me, it is not worth how I feel when I digest. There are also a lot of great gluten-free products out there. Last night I had some rice noodles with meat sauce and gluten-free toast. My wife eats the rice noodles with me as she really doesn't notice the difference. You can supplement most of your favourite foods with gluten-free products.

[Newbie]

Thanks a lot. I'm feeling a bit better today. It's on and off I guess. Some days my mood is just fine, other days, I'm just so down about all this. I hope the good days outnumber the bad for everyone. Good luck and thanks!

~Newbie

[wclemens]

Newbie, I can certainly identify with what you are saying! I spent so many years sticking to the diet, then feeling better and thinking I could go back to eating "normally." In time I learned how much better I feel when I am as gluten free as possible.

I noticed recently after eating in a restaurant, that the next day I was moody and irritable beyond belief, and since I had what I thought was a gluten free meal, I had to finally admit that there must have been hidden gluten somewhere. That is why I find it much easier to cook all my own food at home. The depression and bad feelings that set in after getting gluten are definitely not worth the experience of eating out, though there is one Mexican restaurant and two chicken places at which I can eat.

When examining where those feelings are coming from, have you thought of milk, dairy, egg whites, yeast, maltodextrin, yeast, etc.? Maybe you are getting foods to which you are allergic even though they aren't gluten.

I hope you see improvement as time goes by. The energy and stamina level which this diet provides are so worth the effort. Best wishes. Welda

[Lily]

Hi Newbie,

I know how you feel I am going through exactly the same things. I am in the beginning stages of being gluten free so still have the terrible pain in my side and my headaches, etc. etc.. I was watching my co-workers last week partake in Pizza and boy did it look good! Some days I wake up and think it's ok, I'll get better and I can do this. Then I had an accidental ingestion on Saturday (I had something with modified food starch in it ) and it gets really discouraging. I realize as I heal and get better I can add some things back into my diet, but for right now I'm going on the allergy elimination diet so I can completely figure out once and for all what I'm allergic to. I know once my sensitivies die down I might be able to get some things back (dairy, tomatoes, etc.).

Good luck and email me anytime you need support. It gets lonely sometimes.

Blessings,

Lily

[donnalois]

Dear Newbie,

Don't concentrate on what you can't eat but what you can! You can have any type of fresh fruit or veggies you want! Make yourself a Fruit/sorbet (gluten free sorbet) fancy drink in the blender, add a fancy straw and pull up a seat to start reading. Go thru the junk food allowable lists posted at Celiac.com and make a list of all the allowable junk food you can eat (eg some Hershey chocolate bars - see listings for more details). Join the local celiac group and ask fellow members where it eat out, what they like to order and why (I keep this list in the glove compartment of our car). Take a gluten free cooking course. Try making Nanimo bars but use 1 cup gluten free crushed corn flakes and 1/4 cup brown sugar to substitute for the graham wafers and indulge! Poke your nose into oriental or South American supermarkets, you don't know what rice based, half decent tasting specialty you might find! Stock up on gluten free potato chips for those 11:00pm junk food moods, indulge in a popcorn making machine. Be happy, your gluten intolerance was discovered before anything like diabetes or cancer set in! Think of it as being able to eat the frosting out of the bowl without having to finish the cake!

Life will get easier with time.

Donna

[Newbie]

Thanks so much for your replies everyone. It's weird, some days I'm just fine being gluten-free, other days, I can't stand it. I was also just diagnosed with osteoporosis a couple of days ago... and I'm only 20 years old. I'm trying very hard to be upbeat, but it seems that everytime I go to the doctor, he just gives me more bad news. Well I guess everything happens for a reason, right? I'll try the suggestions you all mentioned. Once again, thanks a lot, and God bless you all.

~Newbie

[weebitts36]

Lol, I know how you feel, especially since I had no major sympthoms in the first place, and my diagnosis was made through a routine blood test. I have been a celiac for a little over a month now, so a lot of adjusting. Every weekend is spent visting different natural food stores, experiments with different recieps, bought a pasta maker, bought a bread machine (with little sucess), tried different pizza crusts, joined a support group, even arranged with different resturants to use some of my gluten-free foods to prepare dishes for me. There are still some days I feel like screw this gluten-free diet, days I fel so hungry, and days I do not even notice. So I live each day, and figure eventually it will all work out.

[lesleyag]

Hi,

I was diagnosed in December 2003, and I found it tough going Gluten free - especially with the bread. However, I feel so much better, I am 54 and wish I had been diagnosed years ago. I found a bread I love (Flax Seed Bread from Glutino). Broke down and ate Cream Puffs that a client made, and felt lousy for a couple of days (still not sure it wasn't worth it - they were so good!!!) I use Whole Foods Supermarkets - they seem to have a good selection of Gluten Free. I love eating out and have no problem cross-examining the chef! I was so happy for someone to finally tell me I wasn't crazy and there was a reason I felt so bad. Some days I wish I could eat anything I want and I get a litttle down but remind myself there is so much I can eat and how much better I feel. It's a state of mind. This message board is wonderful and there are many knowledgeable people that freely give advice and support. Good luck to you hang in there, the end result is worth it!

Lesley

[shendler]

I've been gluten free four months and most of the time I don't crave gluten. However when I do crave gluten I find myself wanting food I did not like before I went gluten free.

[TotalKnowledge]

What do you do when you have a day where all you want is to eat anything WITH gluten and are so sick of gluten free foods just for the simple fact that they are gluten free? I know this may sound strange... but I'm new at this and I get so fed up at times. There are days where I don't mind eating gluten-free food, but then I have days where I'm just so sick of it and don't want to eat anything that is gluten-free! I feel like I have been gluten-free FOREVER and it's only been since december 24th, 2003. Not even one month! And because of celiac, I'm also very low on my vitamins and calcium especially... So everyday I take like 5 pills for this (recommended by my specialist). I'm just in such a bad mood right now. I do realize it could be so much worse, but it still manages to get me down a lot of times. My family is cooperative in the sense that they watch for cross contamination and all. And I don't wish for any of them to have celiac, but there are times when I wish I could just forget about this and eat like them. I don't of course say that to them because I wouldn't want them to feel bad eating around me or anything. I'm truly happy they don't have to go through this... I just wish I didn't either. I know that in the end I will feel much better, but not a day goes by where celiac disease hasn't entered my thoughts. I try to forget about it, but I feel like I can't. When I try to forget about it, I accidently grab a piece of bread and then quickly drop it back into the bag remembering about the celiac. It is just constant reminders everywhere. I just want to forget about it but it's like it overwhelms my thoughts so much of the time. I'm not obsessed or anything, don't get me wrong... I'm just sick of it I guess and wish I could forget about it but when I try to, I slip up... And I hate the days where I crave anything that is NOT gluten-free! I haven't let myself indulge of course... but does anyone else feel like that? Sorry for the long post I just reallllly needed to vent. Thanks.

~Newbie

Bake up a big batch of gluten free brownies with exlax in them. The results will be similar without all the extra damage.

Seriously eating gluten will only make you feel worse. If you wouldn't do the above, why would you eat gluten?