At least 30% of all celiacs are overweight at the time of their diagnosis. When I was diagnosed at age 61, I weighed less than I did in high school but that occurred only during the last 6 months of my pre-celiac existence. For the vast majority of my life, I have been overweight.

 This article is Paul’s Personal Perspective, as are all the articles I publish on Sunday. During the week I like to stick as close to the facts as I possibly can, but Sunday seems like a great day to relax and say what's on my mind.

  Several months ago I wrote an article titled “Gluten Free Weight Loss Diet”, in an effort to summarize the available facts. Today I will focus on my feelings and invite you to do the same. Please leave a comment at the end of this article or send me an e-mail at gfceliac@gmail.com. Anyway, here are my personal feelings on the subject:

  The gluten free diet is hard enough to handle! I can’t even think about adding an additional diet. Weight loss diets are at least as complicated as the gluten free diet.. At least there is some consensus about what the gluten free diet involves. There are dozens of weigh loss diets around and some of them contradict each other.

  Even if I could juggle both diets, the idea of more restrictions on my food intake really turns me off.

Gluten free food tastes so much better than it did when I was first diagnosed.Gluten free food tastes great!  Start over again, avoiding anything gluten toxic and/or high in calories???? I don’t think so!

  Please share your thoughts with me and with our gluten free community. I’ll write a more positive and hopefully useful article as soon as possible. I realize that there are also celiacs who are trying to gain weight. I hope to hear from you as well.

 Published 06/29/08