‘I Just Feel So Good!’ Carnie Wilson on How a Gluten-Free Diet Helped Her Lose 40 Lbs and Ease Pain
Learn how to try the eating plan for yourself with a few simple tips
Since undergoing live-streamed gastric bypass surgery more than 25 years ago, Carnie Wilson has often shared what it’s like to drop 160 pounds and then roller-coaster her way through life’s changes and curveballs. She’s gained and lost weight many times. Now, as she hits menopause—a time when many of us gain weight—she proudly shares: “I’m actually down about 40 pounds. I figured out how to adjust my eating habits and satisfy my cravings in a realistic way.” Read on to find out why the “Hold On” singer tried a gluten free diet for weight loss—and how experts say it can help millions of us shrink our waist and improve our health.
Carnie Wilson’s journey to eating gluten-free is so relatable
Carnie, 57, says her kids (Lola, 20, and Luci, 15) were still young when she first suspected wheat was triggering her intense cravings and making her lifelong GI issues flare. Her doctor ruled out an allergy but agreed she might be sensitive to the grain, suggesting she eliminate it to see if she felt better. But as Carnie started thinking about the many wheat-containing foods that were staples, the experiment seemed overwhelming. So she did what most of us would do: She ignored her symptoms until she couldn’t anymore.
Things caught up with her in 2023. “My hands would be so inflamed when I woke up that I couldn’t close them,” she recalls. Arthritis made her hips throb; her GI issues worsened. “It was like, ‘Why am I aching from head to toe? Why am I bloated and always in the bathroom?” A voice in her head told her wheat was to blame. “It was the catalyst for me to make changes.”
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Gluten-free diet swaps kick-started her weight loss
Like Carnie had done so many times in her life, she started her health journey by cutting back on sugar and aiming for smaller portions. Then she began to avoid wheat. “I never in my life was able to not eat white flour,” she shares. Twinges of joint pain kept her motivated to keep seeking out more gluten-free foods.
Skipping wheat flour, Carnie leaned on naturally gluten-free starch like rice, corn and potatoes. Quesadillas with corn tortillas became a new fave. She found tasty brown-rice pasta and a diner that makes tuna melts on gluten-free bread. As someone who loves to bake, she was happy to find gluten-free products like baking mix. To her amazement, “the substitutions were satisfying,” she recalls.
Wheat-free eating began to feel natural. “I have an emotional connection to food, and if I feel deprived, I’ll shift into ‘I don’t care anymore’ mode.” That didn’t happen this time. In fact, Carnie noticed her overall hunger decrease and her intense cravings for white-flour foods subside. She ate less without struggle. “The weight was just shedding off naturally,” she recalls. Her GI trouble and arthritis got better too. Carnie was shocked—but experts aren’t surprised at all.
Isn’t whole wheat healthy?
Wheat has changed quite a bit since humans first ate it 10,000 years ago. Today, we mostly eat “highly-processed wheat stripped of fiber and other nutrients,” explains Happy Gut author Vincent Pedre, MD. It’s also cheap and abundant, so we eat a lot. Dr. Pedre says this tends to cause blood sugar spikes that drive intense cravings, fattening hormonal issues and weight gain.
Another factor: Modern wheat has high levels of a compound called gliadin, and preliminary evidence suggests it may be a powerful appetite stimulant.
The problem with gluten
”Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye that’s also used to improve texture in processed foods,” says Dr. Pedre. For some, gluten triggers a serious autoimmune condition called celiac disease (get tested if you have GI issues and unexplained weight loss).
For everyone else, gluten has been shown to cause at least a little gut irritation, Dr. Pedre notes. This often leads to tummy trouble and, worse, it drives system-wide inflammation that’s been linked to everything from arthritis and diabetes to cancer. Inflamed tissue also wreaks hormonal havoc that “triggers your body to store fat and makes it hard to lose weight.”
How a gluten-free diet aids weight loss
Like Carnie’s doctor, Dr. Pedre believes giving up wheat for a while is the best way to see if it’s at the root of your health issues. He recommends a 28-day gut reset from his book Happy Gut. “People typically see energy and gut issues improve, and they lose about 10 pounds in two to four weeks—without counting calories,” he says.
Research backs him up: A study in the journal Nature Communications found that adults allowed unlimited portions of low-gluten food reduced bloat and improved overall gut health as they shed up to 11 pounds in eight weeks. A separate study on thyroid patients demonstrated that a strict no-wheat, no-sugar diet reduced inflammation while lowering body weight by five percent in three weeks.
That said, every body is different, particularly if you’re older and gluten has been damaging your GI tract for years. Your system may need time to heal. “I have patients who don’t see a difference until the three-month mark, and then suddenly, weight starts coming off without effort,” Dr. Pedre says.
For Carnie’s part, she shed 40 pounds over about five months. Nearly two years later, she’s still wheat-free. “This is the longest I’ve ever gone in my whole life eating really well.” Her weight still goes up or down five pounds, and she isn’t crazy strict about reading food labels. But her joints and belly are thanking her. Says Carnie, “I just feel so good!”
Carnie’s new passion project
Carnie still performs with her band Wilson Phillips, and she’s also continuing her work as a mental health advocate. Her latest project: teaming up with Neurocrine Biosciences, makers of the drug Ingrezza, to support people with tardive dyskinesia.
TD is an involuntary movement disorder associated with certain mental health meds. “You can see me interview people and hear their powerful stories about living with TD,” says Carnie, who does not have the condition. “We want people to be able to speak openly and seek treatment without embarrassment.” Learn more at ConnectINGwithCarnie.com.
A gluten-free meal plan, inspired by Carnie’s success
To test Carnie’s approach for yourself, simply aim to eat healthy foods, read labels and skip anything that contains wheat, gluten or added sugar. For speedier weight loss, get plenty of protein and limit yourself to one serving of gluten-free starch per meal (options include oats, beans, rice, quinoa, potatoes and corn). For great recipe options, check out LiveLoveNourish.com.au. For more from Dr. Pedre, visit HappyGutLife.com.
Here, a sample menu:
Gluten-free breakfast: A big bowl of cottage cheese or Greek yogurt with fruit and seeds is an easy, filling, nutrient-packed option
Gluten-free lunch: Carnie loves warm corn tortillas (which are naturally gluten-free) with healthy taco fillings
Gluten-free dinner: Pair lean protein with green veggies and mashed cauliflower or (naturally gluten-free) potatoes
Additional reporting by Deborah Evans Price and Cailey Griffin
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