Going Gluten-Free To Lose Weight? Read This Now.
Going gluten-free to lose weight is easily one of the biggest diet trends of the last decade. We hear people saying things such as “I am going gluten-free for my health” or “I am dropping the wheat to drop the weight.” And while there are variations to these statements, they all point towards the same thing: going gluten-free equates to weight loss.
But why is this the case? Well, on the surface, there are many contributions to this thinking. We have seen celebrities swear by going gluten-free to lose weight, we have seen restaurants update their healthy menus to include gluten-free options, and we have seen tons of people coming online who state that when they stopped eating gluten, their bodies changed for the better.
Naturally, many people are quick to follow such trends. But truth be told, the results are not always as impressive as they appear online. In fact, many people spend a lot of money on gluten-free options such as bread and pasta only to feel like they are eating cardboard. Worse still, many of them do not see a change on the scale. In some instances, the scale even goes up!
So, do you need to go gluten-free to lose weight? Does it even work? Let us dig into this growing trend.
If you would like to jump straight to the video I made on this, you can use the link below:
My Story on Going Gluten-Free To Lose Weight.
Before I go further with this guide, I have a confession. I went gluten-free some time back during my undergrad, and I lost so much weight that people asked me how I was doing it. It even got to a point that my own doctor was worried that I was veering towards the lower end of the BMI scale and getting too close to the underweight category. My journey was that transformative!
So, I understand why going gluten-free to lose weight gets so much hype because not only did I get the results I wanted, but I also hyped it up to the people who asked about it. But do these effects show in everyone?
When Going Gluten-Free to Lose Weight Can Work.
Based on my own experience with going gluten-free to lose weight, as well as the many other accounts online, I would be lying if I said that people do not see results with gluten-free diets. But why does this work?
Well, the thing is that when most people go gluten-free, they do not just cut out gluten. Instead, they also end up accidentally cutting out foods such as:
Pizza
Donuts
Beer
Fast food breading
Giant bowls of pasta.
But why does this matter? When you cut out these foods, you essentially cut out thousands of calories of refined fats and sugars. As such, it is not the absence of gluten that causes the weight loss. Rather, it is the absence of the surplus calories that usually come with gluten. For example, if your idea of a snack was donuts and you are now having fruits, you will likely enter into a calorie deficit just because of these swaps.
How Going Gluten-Free To Lose Weight Can Cause Weight Gain.
The blanket statements regarding going gluten-free to lose weight are that, as long as you are not eating gluten, you will lose weight. But that is not always the case. Why is that?
The Nuance of Calorie Balances.
The idea that you will lose weight gluten-free hinges on the idea that your meal swaps will put you in a calorie deficit. But that is not always the reality. Let us think of it this way.
Suppose person A was maintaining their current weight by consuming 2,000 calories in a diet that comprised foods with gluten. Say they cut out the gluten and replace these meals with alternatives that still have them eating 2,000 calories a day. In this case, they would be eating at maintenance and would thus not see a difference in their weight.
It is also quite possible that they could start eating more than 2,000 calories because they think that going gluten-free to lose weight gives them more leeway as to what they can eat. If they did so, then they would be in a calorie surplus and would gain weight.
As such, the people who see weight gain despite going gluten-free to lose weight can benefit from looking at their overall calorie balances.
The Gluten-Free Health Halo Trap.
Beyond calorie balances, many people who go gluten-free to lose weight get stuck in the gluten-free halos. You see, marketers know you think “Gluten-Free” is healthy. But to make gluten-free bread or snacks taste good without the stretch of gluten, manufacturers often have to add extra fat, extra sugar, and extra starches (like potato or tapioca starch) to their products.
Therefore, on average, many gluten-free versions of popular snacks have 20% to 30% more calories than their gluten-containing counterparts, which again predisposes people to eating at maintenance or at a surplus, thus hampering their weight loss efforts.
Check this table out:
| 1 Serving | Regular Version | Gluten-Free Version |
| Chocolate Chip Cookie | ~130 Calories | ~160 Calories |
| White Bread (2 Slices) | ~140 Calories | ~180 Calories |
| Brownie Mix | ~120 Calories | ~150 Calories |
These are but some examples of the ways in which gluten-free foods can actually have more calories than the regular versions. That means that even if you are eating gluten-free foods because you think they are the less calorific items, you could actually be eating more calories than in the original versions.
The Fiber Aspect.
Gluten is a protein, but it is found in whole grains like wheat, barley, and rye. When you cut those out completely, especially if you are not making swaps to account for this, then you cut out a massive source of fiber. As we talked about in our fiber video, fiber is the secret to staying full. That is why going gluten-free to lose weight without a swapping plan in place often leads to people feeling hungrier, which leads to overeating other foods later in the day. Once again, this can result in eating at maintenance or at a calorie surplus, and this negatively affects your weight loss journey.
Want To Go Gluten-Free To Lose Weight? Here Is How.
As much as I once cut out gluten to stay lean, I know better now. In fact, some of my favorite foods are bread and rotis, and I love banana bread as much as the next person. That is why in my Better in 90 program, I advocate for people not to cut out gluten unless they have a medical reason to do so or have a preference that makes them lean in that direction.
That said, here are the three strategies we use for those who opt to cut out gluten:
Choose Whole Over Processed.
Instead of buying expensive, highly processed gluten-free bread, I would advise you to go for whole grains that are naturally gluten-free if you want variety. Think of options such as quinoa, brown rice, oats, or sweet potatoes. These have the fiber and nutrients that actually support weight loss.
Consider the Extras.
People often blame gluten for weight gain, and they somehow forget what they had it with. My advice to you is not to blame the bread for what the butter did. What do I mean by this?
A slice of sourdough is about 100 calories. But if you heap three tablespoons of butter on it, then the calories increase dramatically. So, even as you eat gluten, keep your portions moderate and watch the toppings.
This advice also extends to people who opt to go gluten-free. Even when eating whole foods like sweet potatoes, it is important to keep an eye on your condiments and account for their calories.
Read the Nutrition Label.
It is easy to see the gluten-free label and assume that a food is healthy. But given the decisions that go into making visually appealing and tasty gluten-free products, it is much more effective to look at the actual nutrition label. If you are buying gluten-free products, compare the calories and sugar to the regular version. This way, you will not let the health halo trick you into a calorie surplus.
Get Better in 90.
Going gluten-free is a lifesaver for people with Celiac disease. But for everyone else, it is not a necessary approach to lose weight. And that is because weight loss is all about achieving a consistent calorie deficit and eating foods that make you feel good.
If you would like to learn more about how you can achieve this balance and see weight loss results with or without going gluten-free to lose weight, I invite you to check out my Better in 90 program, which was designed to help women lose weight and keep it off sustainably.