Written by April Saunders, Blogger
April Saunders is a Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Public Health. She runs Eats by April - a website dedicated to helping busy moms easily break free from gluten so they can finally feel like themselves again.
In my years of experience as a Registered Dietitian and my own experience going gluten-free, there are some pretty common slip-ups I’ve seen and have done myself when people try to go gluten-free. Here are the top 7 mistakes people make and how you can sidestep them all.
1. They tell no one
This has got to be one of the biggest mistakes that I see people make when they first go gluten-free. (Honestly, it was one that I did too.)
The number 1 mistake that people make when they go gluten-free is that they don’t tell anyone they’re making this change. It would be like if you got a new car and told no one, or you got a new job and told no one. You would never do that!
So why would you start a whole new way of eating that affects so many aspects of your life, the food you buy, where you go out to eat, what you can eat when out with friends, and tell absolutely no one?
Here’s the thing: telling no one, i.e., not even telling your partner, spouse, kids, parents, or dog (Ok, maybe not your dog) that you’re going gluten-free doesn’t help the people you love help you! Because when you don’t give your loved ones a heads up about your new way of eating, it can be harder for them to adjust to your new way of eating.
Even if they aren’t themselves going gluten-free, if you don’t tell the people that you live with that you’re going gluten-free, it can be a bit of a shock and cause some disappointment in some cases too. Now, there’s a new kind of pasta in the house; soy sauce is off-limits, and that favorite pizza place doesn’t have a gluten-free crust, so forget about Friday Pizza Nights there!
Not letting your family or friends in on your new way of eating can not only throw a bit of a wrench into their ways of eating but can also mean you might have less support than if you just got them on board before you threw out all the Oreos.
What to do instead: tell everyone! Well, at the very least, let the important people in your life know that you are going gluten-free and why. Let them know that you might need their support along the way and you really look forward to discovering new foods with this dietary change.
Ask them if they have any questions or invite them to try along with you. It’s a lot easier to implement a new way of eating with the people in your household if they are doing it as well. But even if they’re not gonna go gluten-free, at least having them know that you’re doing it makes it a lot easier for everyone involved.
2. They don’t plan (not even a little)
The second biggest mistake I see people make when they first go gluten-free is that they declare they’re gluten-free one day, and then just jump right in. No gluten-free cold turkey.
This can be problematic for a few reasons, mainly because they feel like they have nothing to eat! Without any planning, you end up eating grilled chicken breast and iceberg lettuce meal after meal, and that can get tiring really quickly.
People will also feel overwhelmed because everything that they want to eat is off-limits, but they don’t know what to have instead.
And forget about going to a restaurant or someone else’s house. That’s something they can’t even get their head around because they haven’t chatted with the host (see Mistake number 1) and have no suggestions for what they could have instead of the Fettuccine Alfredo she’s planning on serving. So people just end up politely declining invitations, citing some lame excuse.
Bottom line: Not planning ahead, even a little, when you go gluten-free is a surefire way to be gluten-free for about a hot minute. And then throw in the towel because you feel like it’s way too hard (because that way is!)
What to do instead: When you’re first thinking about going gluten-free, figure out a few things before you dive in. Things like replacing the typical gluten-based starches in your diet. Think about the pasta, the bread, the cereals, etc. What will you eat instead? Buy a few brands and try them out to see which one you like the best.
It can also be helpful to go through your cupboards and your fridge and just get rid and give away any ingredients, condiments, sauces, dressings, and baking ingredients that contain gluten and replace them with gluten-free alternatives. That way you won’t be tempted to use any of those ingredients in a pinch. See How to Make Your Favorite Recipes Gluten-Free
Once you’ve gone through the foods in your house, think about any upcoming invitations to friends' houses that you have in the calendar. Can you chat with them ahead of time and see if they can accommodate you? If that’s not an option, you could take a chance and just eat the available gluten-free options or just make sure you have some food before you go.
For restaurants, if possible, look at the menu online and call ahead to the restaurant. Most rest reputable places will be able to let you know how extensive their menu is for gluten-free options and if they have other gluten-friendly practices, i.e., do they have a separate fryer for gluten-free items?
Getting your head about the implementation of going gluten-free with a little bit of planning will go a long way to set yourself up for success in the long run.
3. They make other significant dietary changes at the same time
So you’re having stomach issues, you find yourself running to the bathroom a lot, you have brain fog, skin issues, etc. and you think it might be gluten.
But you also wonder: could it be something else? Could you be sensitive to dairy? What about soy? You’ve heard nightshades are horrible for people.
So you figure, why not just cut out any and all possible offenders at once? Overnight! Efficient right?
Unfortunately, not so much.
What I see happen most often with this approach is extreme frustration with the whole process and people give up on or around Day 2.
And that’s because it’s really hard to not only make 1 significant change to your diet - but 2 (or 3 or 4 or 5). Cutting out, say, gluten, dairy, soy, onions, and garlic all at once takes planning, some prep, and definitely some support from someone who’s done it before.
Without that, you’re gonna quickly learn that there are so many potential offenders for your tummy troubles and trying to tackle them at once is not a walk in the park.
When you cut out not only gluten but other foods and food products that are just typical foods for you, it can be really challenging to get not only enough food but enough nutrition, too.
And if that wasn’t enough, if you cut too many things at once, you won’t know what’s causing your issue when you do end up reintroducing foods.
What to do instead: pick one food (or ingredient) to eliminate at a time. If you suspect gluten, start there. Track your food intake and track your symptoms. Do this for two weeks. Then re-introduce just that one thing: you cut out gluten and notice if any of your symptoms change. Do this for each of the foods that you think might be causing you an issue.
4. They ignore their mindset
OK, you might wonder why someone would have to consider their mindset when going gluten-free. It’s something that doesn’t get talked about enough, but it’s so important because it’s true what Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.”
In my experience, ignoring how you actually think about the dietary change, tends to throw a wrench into even the best-laid plans.
The mindset can go both ways; either extreme can be a problem.
Here’s what I mean: a lot of people I’ve seen who try to go gluten-free will go through the motions of going gluten-free. They might tell a few people, they might even do a bit of prep, but in their heart of hearts, they honestly think it’s not gonna work. They really don’t think it’s something they’re gonna be able to stick to.
They might not say this to themselves, but the truth is, even though they feel overwhelmed, they feel like they should at least give it a try.
On the other hand, and this was the case for me, people sometimes think it’ll be super easy!
So for people with this mindset, they don’t tell anybody, they don’t prepare and they don’t set themselves up for success because they take for granted how going gluten-free successfully does take a little bit of preparation (see points above).
But in either scenario, whether you think it’s gonna be too hard or you think it’s gonna be too easy, your mindset is so important and can make a big difference in whether or not you’ll be successful in implementing a gluten-free diet.
What to do instead: before you even think about changing out that bread and buying new pasta, honestly ask yourself: how do you feel about going gluten-free right now? Is it the right time to implement this change in your life? What do you need to put in place before you start so you can set yourself up for success? Who do you need support from spouse, kids, or friends?
And how can you get some early wins to keep motivated? Start by getting rid of the major gluten offenders with this PDF Cheat Sheet List of Foods to Cut Out
5. They don’t do a trial run
Our neighbours are campers. They have this huge RV that they use.
And every year in the spring, they go for like a 2 or 3-night trip. They don’t go far from home, but they do all the work: the planning, the packing, the cleaning, all. The. Things.
So why do all that work for only 3 nights? Apparently, it’s called a “shakedown”. A way to get all the kinks out of RV life – find out what’s working, what’s not, and what you need to fix before a BIG camping trip.
If they didn’t do this, they could be deep into Algonquin Park, up to their eyeballs in pine trees, and suddenly realize their propane tank has a leak and their awning is busted.
This trial run sets them up for success in the long run.
And because most people don’t apply this same concept when going gluten-free, it makes going gluten-free in the long run much harder than it has to be.
What to do instead: do a trial run of gluten-free. Do your own “gluten-free shakedown”. Try going gluten-free for 3 days. It will automatically have you looking at your cupboard, fridge, and meals for the week. You’ll learn a lot, trust me.
Check out this article for more, and grab a Gluten-Free Diet Plan to get started.
6. They don’t know why (exactly) they’re doing it
Your friends are doing it! Your mom’s friends are doing it! Your old high school friend is doing it! Everybody seems to be going gluten-free these days. With all the hype, it’s natural to be curious and wonder if you should also kick that Kraft Dinner to the curb. And who doesn’t like a good old-fashioned bandwagon ride!?
But if you’re going to do this actually to go gluten-free and stick with it you gotta have some sense of why you’re doing it.
Most often, people who go gluten-free on a lark tend to get a burst of motivation at the start but then tend to fizzle out pretty quickly.
What you should do instead: Stay with me here: take a minute and find somewhere relatively quiet. Ask yourself: why do I want to go gluten-free? Try to filter out the automatic “should” voices that aren’t really yours. Get an answer from you. We’re trying to tap into your intuition here. Having a clear idea of why you want to do something can help you stick to the plans that you make.
7. They get no support and guidance about gluten-free
Here’s the last of the biggest mistakes that I see people make when they first go gluten-free: they get absolutely no support.
They try to cut out a few gluten-filled things but then don’t really know what to eat. And then if they’re trying to figure out if they should reintroduce gluten, they don’t know how to do that either.
So they naturally feel frustrated, overwhelmed, and done with everything, including cauliflower crusts.
Unless you feel 100% confident based on your own experience or expertise in this area, you’re probably going to benefit from getting the support of a professional. I even found it challenging to implement gluten-free eating and I’m a dietitian!
What to do instead: Get some input early on before you go full throttle into gluten-free. You’re gonna 10x your chances of success this way. Getting some legit help from a professional also saves you energy and money because you can get advice before you go buy a bunch of products that you don’t need. And it can also save you time by helping you figure out if gluten is, in fact, what’s causing your issues in the first place.
Bottom line
Going gluten-free isn’t the easiest thing to do. But if you know what to watch out for, you can skip all the mistakes that so many people make (myself included). Get started with a PDF Cheat Sheet List of Foods to Cut Out.
Read more from April Saunders
April Saunders, Blogger
April Saunders is a Registered Dietitian and runs Eats by April: the place to BE when you first go gluten-free. Fueled by her own experience with years of undiagnosed gluten intolerance which caused daily stomach cramps, painful bloating, unsightly burping and brain fog, April finally freed herself of all it once she went gluten-free. Now she’s on a mission to help busy moms end their symptoms from gluten intolerance by finally going gluten way faster than she did so they can feel like themselves again.
