Gluten free diet

How many of you out there are on a gluten free diet? My surgeon suggested that I might consider switching to a gluten free diet. How difficult will this be I'm wondering.

I have been since my revision 2 1/2 years ago and it's the best thing I have ever done.  Being a die hard refined carb addict and truly convinced that wheat has some kind of magic addictive properties over me, it has freed me from my obsession to constantly eat things like bread, cake, cookies, crackers, pasta and all the other things that contributed to my downfall.  Refined carbs played a big part in my failure with my first WLS and the miseries I suffered with it.  They have not brought one good thing to my life and I am glad to no longer being beholden to them. 

Of course, being the addict I believe I am, I could start eating them any time and most likely have the same problems so I am glad today that they don't have the hold over me that they used to.  I feel physically better, emotionally better and my weight is lower then it has ever been in my adult life.  Maintenance has been relatively easy without trying to convince myself that now I am cured and can eat those things in moderation when past experiences have proven without exception that I can't.

I can, and do, eat whatever I want, as long as it is gluten and sugar free.  I am completely satisfied with the way I eat and don't feel deprived one bit.  

As an aside, just my own personal observations, many who come back after a few years complaining of not reaching their goal weight and of regain often state that their problem was eating too many carbs.  Of the many qualities I have noticed in long term successful post ops are that they either limit or eliminate refined carbs depending on whether they are comfortable in having a small amount on an occasional basis or if they feel it is too hard to limit them

I really should be.  I have a genuine allergy to wheat and unfortunately I tend to ignore that fact.  I did go gluten free for a year when I lived in MA, but I've had a harder time living in NH and finding what I need to be gluten free.  I did feel so much better during that year, and I need to go back to it.

The good thing now is that not only is there a better selection of gluten free products out there but most labels now indicate whether or not a product contains wheat, which was real eye opening for me.  So many products I assumed were gluten free weren't.  It seems wheat is in most everything.

Gluten free products are helpful but can be very expensive.  I buy things on sale or from Grocery Outlet but mainly the best thing is just to make things myself.  That way I can control what is in there.  Also, mainly eating things like meats and fruits and vegetables I know there isn't any thing with gluten in them.  But if I do want something like bread I can find it at my local bakery outlet for about $1 a loaf.  Of course, it goes without saying that gluten free breads, pasta and crackers (and the like) still have a lot of carbs and should be used sparingly.  And many gluten free things are loaded with sugar, which for me is just as bad.

Also, may restaurants and fast food places have gluten free menus, which are very helpful if you are eating out.  We went to Olive Garden recently and I was able to get a child size meal with chicken breast and gluten free pasta.

I have been gluten-free for almost 12 years due to celiac disease. Trust me, it is still possible to binge on gluten-free breads, cakes, etc. The issue is that they are more expensive, tend to be heavier due to the lack of gluten, have more carbohydrates, and don't taste as good as foods with gluten. There are also lots of gluten-free foods (most potato chips, cheetos, chocolate, etc) that are great binge foods.

However I'm all for anything that works for weight control. Saying "I don't eat gluten" is a great way to get out of eating pizza and birthday cake. But it's severely inconvenient. It's a part of my life but it certainly has not made things very easy for me.