Bloated when eating less?

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SuccessHere
SuccessHere Posts: 240 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Why do I always get a bloated feeling, almost as if I’m getting fatter when I eat less and healthier calories? What should I do to combat that?

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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Are you getting more fiber than you're used to?
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
    edited June 2018
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    Did you up your intake of vegetables/fruit?
  • SuccessHere
    SuccessHere Posts: 240 Member
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    L1zardQueen wrote: »
    Did you up your intake of vegetables/fruit?
    Not really
  • SuccessHere
    SuccessHere Posts: 240 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Are you getting more fiber than you're used to?

    I don’t think so. More eggs. I had salmon for lunch.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,978 Member
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    SuccessHere wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Are you getting more fiber than you're used to?

    I don’t think so. More eggs. I had salmon for lunch.

    Upping protein does it to me. Takes a couple weeks to balance out.
  • SuccessHere
    SuccessHere Posts: 240 Member
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    kami3006 wrote: »
    SuccessHere wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Are you getting more fiber than you're used to?

    I don’t think so. More eggs. I had salmon for lunch.

    Upping protein does it to me. Takes a couple weeks to balance out.
    So in time it can go alway?
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,978 Member
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    SuccessHere wrote: »
    kami3006 wrote: »
    SuccessHere wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Are you getting more fiber than you're used to?

    I don’t think so. More eggs. I had salmon for lunch.

    Upping protein does it to me. Takes a couple weeks to balance out.
    So in time it can go alway?

    Yes, similar to upping fiber, it takes time for your body to adjust. I just have to up those things slowly.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    How's your sodium intake? Often times, that is the culprit when it comes to bloating.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
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    When I'm really hungry, I feel extra bloated. I think it's because being really hungry makes my acid reflux worse.

    But it could just be something you're eating that you didn't eat before.
  • SuccessHere
    SuccessHere Posts: 240 Member
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    Rocbola wrote: »
    How's your sodium intake? Often times, that is the culprit when it comes to bloating.

    I haven’t been eating a lot of salt in years
  • SuccessHere
    SuccessHere Posts: 240 Member
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    I’ve been thinking, maybe the reason I feel so bloated when I eat less or more healthy, is because my stomach is shrinking but the fact is not being reduced. So if that’s the case, it’s probably a good sign that at least my stomach is shrinking and I’m feeling the fact that must be burned off. Might this be the case?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,369 Member
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    Often, "bloating" is a euphemism. Different people mean different things when they use the word.

    If the bloating is water weight, drink enough water, stay at a consistent carb level, and stay at a consistent sodium level. (In premenopausal women, the answer to hormone related water weight is patience, but your avi doesn't look like a premenopausal woman ;) .)

    If you've started exercising alongside eating differently, water weight is a potential explanation, since bodies temporarily retain water for muscle repair.

    If the bloating is constipation, eat enough fiber, get enough water, get enough fat. Around here, fat is often the one that's the problem. Exercise, especially exercise that moves the midsection, can be a help, too.

    If the bloating is a "food baby" (like you'd feel from a big meal), first wait 60-72 hours for nature to take its course. Doesn't sound like this is what you have, though, unless you've gone from mostly highly-processed foods/fast foods to whole foods. If the latter is true, patience will probably resolve the situation.

    If the bloating is gas, simethecone is as good a short-term expedient as any.

    If you'd dramatically increased fiber recently, and become gassy as a result, I'd say it would've been better to have ramped fiber up gradually, and it might help to add some probiotic foods (live culture yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kim chi, kombucha fermented pickles, . . . ). I understand that you didn't increase fiber, but the probiotic food idea still might have some merit, especially if the "more whole foods" thing above applies. When you change your eating, your gut bacteria can go through an adaptation, and make you temporarily uncomfortable.

    Consider whether your bloating tends to occur after consuming certain specific foods or types of food. It could be a direct effect (from something like carbonated beverages) or a food sensitivity/intolerance. Take a hard look at your food diary, and look for patterns. If you suspect intolerance, see a registered dietician or allergist as appropriate. Don't just assume you have some commonly-touted food sensitivity: Take steps to find out for sure.

    If the bloating is none of those, please be more specific about what you're experiencing, rather than euphemistic, so we can give you more tailored suggestions.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    SuccessHere wrote: »
    I’ve been thinking, maybe the reason I feel so bloated when I eat less or more healthy, is because my stomach is shrinking but the fact is not being reduced. So if that’s the case, it’s probably a good sign that at least my stomach is shrinking and I’m feeling the fact that must be burned off. Might this be the case?

    No. Shrinking your stomach requires surgery and cannot be accomplished by eating less.

  • SuccessHere
    SuccessHere Posts: 240 Member
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    It’s the end of my day and I’m feeling the bloating a lot. I have to make sure to eat low fat for dinner.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,369 Member
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    SuccessHere wrote: »
    It’s the end of my day and I’m feeling the bloating a lot. I have to make sure to eat low fat for dinner.

    Why low fat? Absent food allergies, too much fat seems like one of the least likely reasons to feel bloated, at least if one is within calorie goal.

    Fat is low in calories for its physical volume, tends to reduce constipation not increase it, doesn't much relate to water weight retention, and isn't one of the common causes of gassiness.

    I didn't understand your previous post . . . are you feeling that when you lose fat, the lost fat is somehow filling your stomach or intestines on the way out? Most of your lost fat is burned in your body to create energy that you use to do things (burned in a chemical way, not a fire way). Most of the resulting chemical end products leave your body via exhalation (as carbon dioxide, CO2) and to a lesser extent as water.

    Explanation of where fat goes:

    https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/12/16/371210831/when-you-burn-off-that-fat-where-does-it-go
  • SuccessHere
    SuccessHere Posts: 240 Member
    edited June 2018
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    Thank you for the awesome response. I will look into the link. I guess by bloatedness I mean my stomach is really sticking out a lot and that’s even when I do crunches during the week.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,369 Member
    edited June 2018
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    SuccessHere wrote: »
    Thank you for the awesome response. I will look into the link. I guess by bloatedness I mean my stomach is really sticking out a lot and that’s even when I do crunches during the week.

    Have you already lost some weight? As we get thinner, all the normal sources of "belly inflation" - water weight, food baby, constipation, etc., etc. - show more than they used to.

    When I was fat, I didn't understand why thin people fussed over "belly bloat" - fussing over how bad it looked, changed fit of clothes, etc. Now that I'm thin, I still think stressing over it is unnecessary, but I now understand that those minor differences are visible (the fat used to mask them). It's still no big deal.

    Honestly, in your case, if it's something temporary, and it doesn't make you feel ill, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Bodies are weird. ;)

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