Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

College Dating

DS29790bb

By DS29790bb
in Meet Up Room

Recommended Posts

DS29790bb Rookie
DS29790bb
Posted

I'm a college guy, a 19 year old sophomore with celiac disease (obviously). I have never dated before and celiac has been a major reason. That being said, there is a girl who I like and I want to ask her out. She knows I have celiac......she found out when we hung out in my room one time. Apparently, her sister is gluten intolerant.

However, when it comes to dating, I am so nervous. Especially when it comes to her. She's awesome, but she's like the type of girl who loves like those burger joints and small pizza places and stuff. She loves meat and stuff. Now, you may wonder why that matters. Here's why. We go to school in the city, and obviously, the city is full of those types of cool hole-in-the-wall places. Those places are obviously a nightmare to any celiac. When me and my friends are hanging out and they go to these places, I just can't get any food. At this point I'm used to it though, so that's not the issue.

But with a girl, it's different. Like I said, she's the type of person that is down for these types of places and I will be so limiting for her. I really want to ask her out on a date to this comedy club. The area is so nice, but it's like the area with all the bars and those types of places......not really many places for a celiac. Plus, we are both under 21 so we can't even drink. But I fear it will be like a tease for her to have all these cool places that I would love to eat with her at that I just cannot do.

I'm just being honest, I have no idea how I will ever be able to successfully date. It just takes so much planning and I am a very spontaneous person.......just the fact that if we are hungry together, my options are so limited in terms of going anywhere with just us two.

Any thoughts on how to deal with this? I just hate how there are so many awesome looking restaurants around that I cannot eat at.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


teruff Newbie
teruff
Posted

I know exactly how you feel. However, that is one HUGE downside of having celiac disease. It definitely sucks never being able to eat out anywhere but it will save you a ton of money, as you already know. I suggest cooking for her & then going to the comedy club. If she really likes you, food will be the last thing on her mind :)

  • 2 weeks later...
glutenfree015 Rookie
glutenfree015
Posted

I’m a 19 year old girl, and I worry about this a lot too. I’m nervous about going out with friends for day trips and things, because I don’t know where is safe to eat. I’m studying abroad next year and I’m really concerned about that too.

As far as the girl goes, not being able to eat at cool restaurants is probably not going to be a deal breaker. If she likes you, she likes you, celiac and all. Maybe you guys can have dinner in, and then go out, or bring a protein bar with you if you’re going to be gone for a while. Most of the guys I’ve been out with since being diagnosed have all been really understanding.

ButterflyChaser Enthusiast
ButterflyChaser
Posted

I am not sure if non-teens are allowed to post here - if not, I ask the mods to delete this.

 

But if we are, then here's my two cents. One of my Ex-s was celiac. Super-sensitive celiac, and lactose intolerant. I was not gluten intolerant at the time. And you know what - it wasn't a problem at all. I got myself informed, he picked the places where we could eat, and when I made something for him I was sure to use gluten-free-only utensils and pans. I became pretty good at gluten-free baking - which now turns out handy, and it got me used to reading labels.

 

I only had gluten-free food (and DF food, which probably didn't help with my current soy reactions) when I was with him so that he could take a bite if curious. I only wished he didn't feel like he had to apologize for feeding me Udi's bagels in the mornings - because I honestly couldn't care less for what was on my plate, since I cared about who was near me.

 

And no, we didn't break up because of celiac LOL :) but I don't speak behind people's backs -_-

 

Look for celiac-friendly places, go there in advance, and make your pool of "dating spots" to use when necessary. Learn to cook together if possible (assuming you're not in a dorm) - that can be a great date, actually. Speak up, and be confident. If she likes you, she'll want the best for your health and peace of mind.

  • 2 weeks later...
DerpTyler Newbie
DerpTyler
Posted

Just eat a steak! theres usually always a way around gluten at an actual restaurant, just make sure she knows that if she eats gluten shes not getting any lovin until those teeth are brushed :)

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

Just eat a steak! theres usually always a way around gluten at an actual restaurant, just make sure she knows that if she eats gluten shes not getting any lovin until those teeth are brushed :)

I tried to have a steak at a restaurant but failed - they were all pre-marinated according to the menu for the evening - gluten, soy sauce, whatever..... :unsure:

GottaSki Mentor
GottaSki
Posted

Welcome DS!

 

I've got two sons 18 and 19 that eat out all the time -- if it is a restaurant that they trust they order - if it is a new place they bring their food along. 

 

They have been gluten-free for over three years and both have found it helps them interact with girls -- teen girls - for good or bad believe eating gluten-free will help them lose weight -- understanding celiac disease and true facts of gluten-free eating has been a great conversation starter for the older/more shy of them.

 

Good luck and don't be afraid to say -- I can't eat this or that...but I'd really like to hang out with you anywhere you'd like to go :D

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


DerpTyler Newbie
DerpTyler
Posted

I tried to have a steak at a restaurant but failed - they were all pre-marinated according to the menu for the evening - gluten, soy sauce, whatever..... :unsure:

wow thats abit harsh. Have you looked around on the menu for anything that seems safe?

  • 2 months later...
glutenfree7562 Newbie
glutenfree7562
Posted

I'm a 18 year old college girl, and have celiac. I think any girl would prefer a guy cooking for them rather than just going out anyways. It's so much more romantic and shows more effort! I have never met a guy who really had a problem with my celiac, I know it's harder, but I'm sure she will be fine with your celiac and every thing that goes along with it :)

taynichaf Contributor
taynichaf
Posted

I think your worrying too much about this! If she likes you, she likes you... not for what you can or cant eat. And if her sister is gluten intolerant, thats a plus! She understands what you can and cant eat. Let her go get burgers with her friends or something, you two wont be together 24/7 anyways, ya know?

GottaSki Mentor
GottaSki
Posted

I think your worrying too much about this! If she likes you, she likes you... not for what you can or cant eat. And if her sister is gluten intolerant, thats a plus! She understands what you can and cant eat. Let her go get burgers with her friends or something, you two wont be together 24/7 anyways, ya know?

 

I agree....you are a bit nervous and over-thinking this.  If she likes you and also has some knowledge of gluten already from a family member...sounds like a great choice.  My son's girlfriend carries digestive enzymes and charcoal in her purse for him -- since they have been dating he does eat a fry or two at these types of restaurants if he feels safe -- he's been gluten-free for four years so is very confident in what he can and cannot have.  

 

If she is worthy of you...your being celiac will not be important.

 

Ask her out :)

 

edited....this thread is a few months old...not sure our OP checked back to see these posts.

  • 3 weeks later...
MissHaberdasher Apprentice
MissHaberdasher
Posted

Yep, same problem. I ended up meeting a cool (at the time) guy that was very supportive of my dietary needs, despite my anxieties and major fears of being glutened and then being around him. He actually went as far as to refuse to eat if there was nothing safe for me to eat and even cooked for me a few times after letting me read all of the ingredients. 

 

It's tough and awkward at times, but it seriously helps weed out the "bad" ones that aren't willing to try new things. 

 

I'm on a dating site now and have had a lot of positive feedback by just putting "Please don't contact me if you have a problem with my gluten/dairy free diet". Apparently a lot of people are into the paleo diet these days, which, for some reason, they confuse with gluten-free. But hey, it works out to my benefit. Kind of. 

  • 3 weeks later...
gabechevarrieta Newbie
gabechevarrieta
Posted

I'm a college guy, a 19 year old sophomore with celiac disease (obviously). I have never dated before and celiac has been a major reason. That being said, there is a girl who I like and I want to ask her out. She knows I have celiac......she found out when we hung out in my room one time. Apparently, her sister is gluten intolerant.

However, when it comes to dating, I am so nervous. Especially when it comes to her. She's awesome, but she's like the type of girl who loves like those burger joints and small pizza places and stuff. She loves meat and stuff. Now, you may wonder why that matters. Here's why. We go to school in the city, and obviously, the city is full of those types of cool hole-in-the-wall places. Those places are obviously a nightmare to any celiac. When me and my friends are hanging out and they go to these places, I just can't get any food. At this point I'm used to it though, so that's not the issue.

But with a girl, it's different. Like I said, she's the type of person that is down for these types of places and I will be so limiting for her. I really want to ask her out on a date to this comedy club. The area is so nice, but it's like the area with all the bars and those types of places......not really many places for a celiac. Plus, we are both under 21 so we can't even drink. But I fear it will be like a tease for her to have all these cool places that I would love to eat with her at that I just cannot do.

I'm just being honest, I have no idea how I will ever be able to successfully date. It just takes so much planning and I am a very spontaneous person.......just the fact that if we are hungry together, my options are so limited in terms of going anywhere with just us two.

Any thoughts on how to deal with this? I just hate how there are so many awesome looking restaurants around that I cannot eat at.

 

I'd suggest looking up the menus online for any bars/clubs that seem appealing, find one that has at least one thing that looks celiac safe and suggest that you guys hang out there, and if she says yes, and if you wanna be extra certain- call the restaurant before hand and have them describe the ingredients in any of the dishes to you. That way when you go out you're not in a tight situation or stressing out about what you're eating, and you can enjoy spending time with her!

 

And I'm sure if she actually likes you and if she already knows someone with the same problem, she'll understand and be patient. If not you don't need to be in someone's company who doesn't appreciate your health concerns!

  • 5 months later...
Nick-incollege Rookie
Nick-incollege
Posted

hey, I'm 21 and sorta have the same problem. usually I just look up places beforehand - you can usually get really good mexican or something that is gluten free! it's still sometimes restricting, but worse case scenario, i just get a salad or something which most places have. not all places do i guess, and it is definitely hard sometimes, but once you get used to it I think it's a lot less awkward. i always just joke about it and am like, "hey, i can't go there lol". it's a ton easier once you turn 21, since you'll tend to go to pubs when you go out, rather than to a small cheap hole in the wall place. 

 

we're definitely in the same place! usually i just get a few drinks to make up for a lame salad or whatever i have. alcohol is pretty awesome :)

  • 3 weeks later...
ktylizbth Newbie
ktylizbth
Posted

At burger joints you can ask for "protein" style, that is wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun. Hope this helps you.

  • 3 months later...
gerbilgirl Rookie
gerbilgirl
Posted

I have a lot of trouble eating out due to multiple food intolerances plus I'm a vegetarian.  A lot of pizzerias by me now offer gluten-free pizza, perhaps it's worth looking into in your area.  And going on a date doesn't always have to involve food, could be movies, mini-golf, or just hanging out. 

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      128,308
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Cindy Lou who
    Newest Member
    Cindy Lou who
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.1k
    • Total Posts
      70.8k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      I’m terrified it’s too late for me😭

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @Cathijean90! I went 13 years from the first laboratory evidence of celiac disease onset before I was diagnosed. But there were symptoms of celiac disease many years before that like a lot of gas. The first laboratory evidence was a rejected Red Cross blood donation because of elevated liver enzymes. They assume you have hepatitis if your liver enzymes are elevated. But I was checked for all varieties of hepatitis and that wasn't it. Liver enzymes continued to slowly creep up for another 13 years and my PCP tested me for a lot of stuff and it was all negative. He ran out of ideas. By that time, iron stores were dropping as was albumin and total protein. Finally, I took it upon myself to schedule an appointment with a GI doc and the first thing he did was test me for celiac disease. I was positive of course. After three months of gluten free eating the liver enzymes were back in normal range. That was back in about 1992. Your story and mine are more typical than not. I think the average time to diagnosis from the onset of symptoms and initial investigation into causes for symptom is about 10 years. Things are improving as there is more general awareness in the medical community about celiac disease than there used to be years ago. The risk of small bowel lymphoma in the celiac population is 4x that of the general population. That's the bad news is.  The good news is, it's still pretty rare as a whole. Yes, absolutely! You can expect substantial healing even after all these years if you begin to observe a strict gluten free diet. Take heart! But I have one question. What exactly did the paperwork from 15 years ago say about your having celiac disease? Was it a test result? Was it an official diagnosis? Can you share the specifics please? If you have any celiac blood antibody test results could you post them, along with the reference ranges for each test? Did you have an endoscopy/biopsy to confirm the blood test results?
    • Cathijean90
      I’m terrified it’s too late for me😭

      By Cathijean90 · Posted

      I’ve just learned that I had been diagnosed with celiac and didn’t even know. I found it on paperwork from 15 years ago. No idea how this was missed by every doctor I’ve seen after the fact. I’m sitting here in tears because I have really awful symptoms that have been pushed off for years onto other medical conditions. My teeth are now ruined from vomiting, I have horrible rashes on my hands, I’ve lost a lot of weight, I’m always in pain, I haven’t had a period in about 8-9 months. I’m so scared. I have children and I saw it can cause cancer, infertility, heart and liver problems😭 I’ve been in my room crying for the last 20minutes praying. This going untreated for so long has me feeling like I’m ruined and it’s going to take me away from my babies. I found this site googling and I don’t know really what has me posting this besides wanting to hear from others that went a long time with symptoms but still didn’t know to quit gluten. I’m quitting today, I won’t touch gluten ever again and I’m making an appointment somewhere to get checked for everything that could be damaged. Is this an automatic sentence for cancer and heart/liver damage after all these symptoms and years? Is there still a good chance that quitting gluten and being proactive from here on out that I’ll be okay? That I could still heal myself and possibly have more children? Has anyone had it left untreated for this amount of time and not had cancer, heart, fertility issues or liver problems that couldn’t be fixed? I’m sure I sound insane but my anxiety is through the roof. I don’t wanna die 😭 I don’t want something taking me from my babies. I’d gladly take anyone’s advice or hear your story of how long you had it before being diagnosed and if you’re still okay? 
    • trents
      diagnostic testing variance

      By trents · Posted

      Genetic testing cannot be used to diagnose celiac disease but it can be used to rule it out and also to establish the potential to develop celiac disease. About 40% of the general population has the genetic potential to develop celiac disease but only about 1% actually develop it. To develop celiac disease when you have the genetic potential also requires some kind of trigger to turn the latent genes "on", as it were. The trigger can be a lot of things and is the big mystery component of the celiac disease puzzle at this point in time with regard to the state of our knowledge.  Your IGA serum score would seem to indicate you are not IGA deficient and your tTG-IGA score looks to be in the normal range but in the future please include the reference ranges for negative vs. positive because different labs used different reference ranges. There is no industry standard.
    • Scott Adams
      diagnostic testing variance

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Since nearly 40% of the population have the genes for celiac disease, but only ~1% end up getting it, a genetic test will only tell you that it is possible that you could one day get celiac disease, it would not be able to tell whether you currently have it or not.
    • KDeL
      diagnostic testing variance

      By KDeL · Posted

      so much to it.  the genetic testing will help if i don’t have it right? If theres no gene found then I definitely don’t have celiac?  I guess genetic testing, plus ruling out h.pylori, plus gluten challenge will be a good way to confirm yes or no for celiac. 
×
×
  • Create New...