Stomach bloat after eating ANYTHING.

Not sure if this was the right forum or not, but oh well. So my stomach always looks good in the morning. But as soon as I eat something or drink something (no matter what it is) my stomach blows up. I finally took some photos this morning. The first two are before I had my breakfast which was; 2 chocolate crunch rice cakes, 2 tbsp of peanut butter and about a 1/4 cup of Bob's Redmill granola & NOTHING to drink. That's clearly not a lot of food, but the the 3rd and 4th photo clearly show how much my stomach blew up after. Obviously the more I eat, the bigger my stomach gets, then the next morning it starts all over again. help ? /:
BEFORE:
before1_zps759d43fa.jpg
before2_zps6622f75a.jpg
AFTER:
after1_zpsfe9db53c.jpg
after2_zps97326f2f.jpg
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Replies

  • misscharleygirl
    misscharleygirl Posts: 66 Member
    I'll be curious what people say, because I feel like I have the same thing happen. I was curious if this would be less of an issue if I strengthened my core with crunches and similar exercise?
  • HealthyLeeLee
    HealthyLeeLee Posts: 97 Member
    Ooh, I had the SAME problem a few months ago! It was miserable and didn't matter WHAT or how much I ate, I always looked 5 months pregnant after eating. If it's what I had, it was some kind of bug (or my Dr. said some sort of food poisoning that lingered?) and I started taking probiotics and within two days, my digestion was almost back to normal. I took probiotics for about a month and haven't had the problem since!
  • haaaleyx
    haaaleyx Posts: 83 Member
    I'll be curious what people say, because I feel like I have the same thing happen. I was curious if this would be less of an issue if I strengthened my core with crunches and similar exercise?
    I go to the gym almost every day and have my own ab routine. In my before you could kind of see my abs starting to come in a little, but i guess maybe I just need to keep going until they're strong enough to hold in my bloat ? I hate it though. I feel like if I wanna go to the beach this summer I can't eat beforehand, which isn't good, I hate skipping meals.
  • haaaleyx
    haaaleyx Posts: 83 Member
    Ooh, I had the SAME problem a few months ago! It was miserable and didn't matter WHAT or how much I ate, I always looked 5 months pregnant after eating. If it's what I had, it was some kind of bug (or my Dr. said some sort of food poisoning that lingered?) and I started taking probiotics and within two days, my digestion was almost back to normal. I took probiotics for about a month and haven't had the problem since!

    Yeah this has been happening for most of my life, maybe I'll try taking some probiotics. I hate pills though, the only pill I can take without feeling like I have to gag is my birth control because they're so tiny, ahaha.
  • ahult87
    ahult87 Posts: 18 Member
    I usually have that too; stomach all flat and stuff in the morning and after eating looking all pudgy. Then I did the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and am almost done with her Ripped in 30 video and have noticed a big decrease in stomach bloat, even after eating. I have IBS too so I take probiotics as well which also helps I think
  • RobynLB83
    RobynLB83 Posts: 626 Member
    It's a classic food sensitivity / IBS symptom. Only way to stop it is to identify all food triggers. You can try something life FODMAPS, where you eat a very limited number of foods that produce no symptoms, then add other foods back 1 at a time. I've been doing this for a few months. It's a painstaking process. At least now I know there are a few foods I can eat without symptoms. I was becoming afraid of food altogether.
  • misscharleygirl
    misscharleygirl Posts: 66 Member
    I'll have to try probiotics again...it makes sense that they would work (and a whole lot easier than crunches!)
  • babsbod
    babsbod Posts: 29
    I get that if I eat gluten. Try going gluten free for acouple weeks. I also find if I eat alot of sugar my stomach is sore and hurts throughout the day.
  • haaaleyx
    haaaleyx Posts: 83 Member
    ugh I was afraid it'd be an IBS problem or gluten issue. Bleh I'll give both a try though, because I'm so sick of this.
  • lalaland82
    lalaland82 Posts: 176 Member
    In for advice - think I'll try probiotics first though, seems like the easiest change to make :smile:
  • ApocalypticFae
    ApocalypticFae Posts: 217 Member
    I would guess that it's some sort of digestion issue. The probiotics are a great suggestion. Trader Joe's sells some chewable digestive enzymes for like $2.99 that might be worth a try too! I would try to up my veggie intake and reduce gluten and sugary foods, which could definitely be contributing to some inflammation.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    Same thing happen to me. Thank you for asking
  • macybean
    macybean Posts: 258 Member
    A second on the gluten...I never knew anyone could eat something without bloating! I feel so much better, can eat without bloat AND can wear a belt!
  • 2aycocks
    2aycocks Posts: 415 Member
    Try more protein for breakfast and less grain stuff. I have found that really makes a difference for me. Maybe a protein shake with Almond milk.

    But just for the record, when I saw your after pictures of what you think is a big belly, I want to SCREAM and rip my hair out!!!!
    I would KILL for my tummy to be that flat again!!!!! :sad:
  • haaaleyx
    haaaleyx Posts: 83 Member
    Yeah i'm going to try to limit some of the foods I eat a lot that i saw on the FODMAP list, but definitely going out & buying some probiotics as well. Thanks everyone ! I should of asked this awhile ago but I would always forget to take photos of before, haha.
  • haaaleyx
    haaaleyx Posts: 83 Member
    Try more protein for breakfast and less grain stuff. I have found that really makes a difference for me. Maybe a protein shake with Almond milk.

    But just for the record, when I saw your after pictures of what you think is a big belly, I want to SCREAM and rip my hair out!!!!
    I would KILL for my tummy to be that flat again!!!!! :sad:

    haha believe me it's usually a lot worse than that because I usually eat more than what I ate this morning, but thanks that makes me feel a little better. I've always had a love/hate relationships with my belly more than any other part of my body anyways :p
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    bump
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
    Is what you put in your body supposed to magically disappear instantaniously?
  • paintlisapurple
    paintlisapurple Posts: 982 Member
    This happens to me too. Funny thing...if I happen to skip a meal it happens too! (which has not been too recently as I'm trying to be healthy)
  • HealthyLeeLee
    HealthyLeeLee Posts: 97 Member
    Yeah, I cut out gluten a while ago because I have so many digestive issues. It might be worth it to try cutting it out for a few weeks and see if it helps. I tried not eating ANY gluten or dairy for a few weeks to see if that was the source of the excessive bloating, but it didn't stop. That's when I tried the probiotics. Also, an alternative to swallowing pills-- I like to buy the probiotic capsules so I can open them and pour the contents into my smoothies :) You can also buy yogurts and kefir with probiotics in them. TJ's has a really good probiotic kefir that is yummy :)
  • Tishrei
    Tishrei Posts: 86 Member
    this happens to me too, I assumed it was normal and just looks so bad on me because my abs are weak.
    thanks for asking here, I'm going to try the probiotics.
    it happens to me no matter what I eat. it can be just some watermelon or a handful of almonds and instantly I look 4 mo pg.
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
    I have the same problem. Reducing gluten helped a lot, but still get it sometimes. Like another poster said switching to high protein breakfasts also seems to help. I eat almost exclusively eggs now with veggies, or sometimes bacon or sausage (be careful though because most brands have tons of sodium, which also makes you bloat). If I eat anything in the morning like cereal or oatmeal I look preggo all day.
  • haaaleyx
    haaaleyx Posts: 83 Member
    Is what you put in your body supposed to magically disappear instantaniously?

    No, but I think the point is that it's not supposed to make you bloat or shouldn't with a healthy digestive system.

    It's even more noticeable on a very slim frame.

    I used to have that problem a lot too but haven't had it in a long time. I think it helps to drink a lot of water.

    I never identified any "trigger" foods (used to think it was butter or cream but was never sure).

    yes, thank you. I know my stomach will expand a little after I eat a meal, but I know that it shouldn't be expanding as much as it does. hahah I'm not one of those girls who are like 'omg I can't eat ANYTHING because my stomach is SO fat'.
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    pretty much happens to everybody..this is extremely common...when u get down to seeing your abs this will be a thing of the past!
  • NavyKnightAh13
    NavyKnightAh13 Posts: 1,394 Member
    In for the advice.
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    First off...the flatter your stomach is, the more it will stick out with the more food you eat. But I used to get that bad when I had severe problems with my IBS. It's gotten better now that I found the right blend of probiotics for me, but when I eat all day it still sticks out at night...that's just anatomy lol
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    pretty much happens to everybody..this is extremely common...when u get down to seeing your abs this will be a thing of the past!

    No, because I have abs and mine sticks out a little after I've eaten all day lol She shouldn't be bloating that much after a small meal like that. Chances are it's the fiber in the PB and she may have some digestive issues.
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    really? i am looking at her pics and she is not bloated
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    Bump
  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
    This is definitely a food intolerance issue, it's just a matter of figuring out what intolerance you have. Gut instinct (no pun intended haha) is gluten or dairy. What is in the rice cakes? Bob's Red Mill products are usually GF but not all of them are so check that. Cutting out gluten could be a good first step to see if it helps with your bloating though. If I eat gluten/dairy I bloat right up but have a worse reaction than just bloating so I'm familiar with how frustrating it can be.

    And to people saying she isn't bloating...yes she is. Her stomach is very puffy in the bottom 2 photos. Even though she is thin her stomach shouldn't poke out that much after eating a simple meal that she suggested.