Weight Loss/Maintenance

as well as your cravings. Helping with cravings is especially important to dieters.

And with acid reflux so common now, and so many prescription and OTC meds with harmful side effects being taken to deal with it, it's been wonderful to hear about all the people whose acid reflux was helped by cutting wheat and other grains out of their diets. That was one of the more common benefits I noticed people reporting, as soon as I started reading Dr. Davis's books and blog and Facebook page. I haven't suffered from acid reflux myself, but I've been telling people I know who have acid reflux, some of whom have tried everything including surgery, about how wheat-free diets helped other people with that problem.

The gluten in wheat can cause mood problems, too, including depression, and that helps sabotage diets that still include gluten, in addition to being a serious problem in itself.

Unfortunately it's really, really difficult for many people to give up wheat and other grains. Especially after decades of misguided food pyramid recommendations urging people to eat more and more grains, particularly whole grains. I've had some friends ask me just what is left to eat, if they don't eat wheat products. They're so used to bread or pasta or cereal at every meal that they can't imagine life without wheat. And in the meantime they're struggling with acid reflux, cravings, diabetes (something else that can often be controlled by giving up grains), and lots of other health problems in addition to being overweight. I wish they'd try going wheat-free for just a few weeks, but they're reluctant to make even that much of a change to see if they're feel better and lose weight.

Thank you so much for including the Facebook link in your post. It's nice to see all the before-and-after pictures, as well as read about different experiences.

You're welcome! I'm glad you checked out the Facebook page. The before and after pictures from people who've gone wheat-free are often amazing, and it's great, too, that since these are regular Facebook users, they're posting in the comments below their photos, answering questions and explaining their own experiences. I noticed two more success stories posted there in the last 24 hours, with the photos first posted under Davis's Wheat Belly account -- one was from Lauren, who's been wheat free and sugar free since November 2012 and has lost nearly 100 pounds, has seen her blood pressure and pulse and body fat return to normal, and has gone from a size 18/20 to a size 6/8. The story has had over 1600 likes and over 200 comments in the last 20 hours. And right below that are photos of Kym, who's lost 15 lbs and two pant sizes since going wheat-free just a couple of months ago, and that post is already up to nearly a thousand likes and over 70 comments. There seems to be a lot of interest in the diet on Facebook, which is one reason I was surprised not to see it mentioned more here.