No!!!!! Gluten free foods contain just as many calories, carbs, sugar, and fats as wheat based food. This article from The Wall Street Journal does a great job of debunking the myth that the gluten free diet is a panacea for people who go gluten free for the sole purpose of shedding pounds. (I suggest that you read and possibly copy this article as soon as possible. My experience is that The Wall Street Journal does keep its articles posted on-line very long.)
The Wall Street Journal is not suggesting that celiacs can’t lose weight on the gluten free diet. There are certainly foods that are both gluten free and helpful in losing weight. A person living gluten free must identify those foods that are both “safe” and low in calories (or fat or carbohydrates or sugar) but there is no need for non-celiacs to place that extra burden on themselves.
My Power Page “The Gluten Free Weight Loss Diet” summarizes all the information I have about losing weight while maintaining a gluten free diet. You can also get information by scrolling down to the bottom of this page (past the advertisements) and click on the red tag that says lose weight gluten free. Clicking on that tag will take you to a page giving brief excerpts from my articles on this subject. Click to read the entire article.
Thanks for the clarification and referring to the WSJ article. It is one of the best coverages of who needs a gluten-free diet (not someone who primarily wants to lose weight) I’ve seen in mainstream media thus far.
You are absolutely though that it is possible to lose weight on a gluten-free diet. It might be more of a placebo effect though, because guess what happens if you cut out burgers, pizza, beer, …
I have tried several weight loss diet programs over many years with varying levels of achievement. The most effective diet programs for me have been the high protein diets, they can work well however I don’t believe you ought to stay on them for a extended time because of the additional strain it can place on your system. I am as well looking into the GI and the Zone weight loss plan as I know a number of people who have lost a lot of weight with these diets. In the end your diet regime should really be a natural way of eating and not something you come off and go back on.