That bloated feeling

Jthanmyfitnesspal

I'm 60+, and I think this is related to age.

I often feel bloated even after modest meals, by which I mean my stomach feels uncomfortably full even after eating meals I've had for years.

Anyone else get this? It seems like a new phenomenon for me and I'm wondering what causes it.

Hiawassee88

No. We can't diagnose anything, so get a checkup to assure yourself the pancreas and gallbladder are operating smoothly. They're connected.

corinasue1143

I’ve had that ever since my hysterectomy. Probably not your problem. Lol

AnnPT77

No, not me. Talk to your doctor: Various things more common with age can have digestive system symptoms, and you want to rule out any that might be truly worrisome.

Do you notice any patterns, of specific foods being triggers? Allergies or sensitivities can occur at any age. What about timing of the eating: Any patterns?

Jthanmyfitnesspal

It doesn't seem to matter much what I eat. It's making me want to eat smaller meals. I've been cycling to work recently, which requires me to eat more (like +800kcals-- a significant amount!). It just seems like I feel a bit "more than full" after meals. It's a new thing.

spiriteagle99

First off, I would see a doctor to rule out anything serious. Then look at what you are eating and see what triggers the bloated feeling. It may just be that as you get older, your ability to tolerate certain foods becomes less. For me, it's mostly fats. I used to be able to eat a full rack of ribs; now I'm more than stuffed on a half-rack. Ice cream often upsets my stomach these days though I was always able to eat as much of it as I wanted. I can't eat a half pound hamburger without suffering for it later, though I never used to have a problem with restaurant burgers.

Hiawassee88

Make an appointment. You have to. That is all.

jtechmart

I get the feeling I feel fat and bloated sometimes, and I'm lean, probably around 15% bodyfat. If I'm doing plenty of cardio and other exercise it fixes it. I always thought of it as undigested food. Especially high fiber foods, they can have a large food volume. Not sure if this is the same thing OP asked, but I think its fairly normal.

MikePfirrman

I found out I was likely celiac at age 52 or so. I say likely because I haven't officially tested. Hard enough already to get reasonable health insurance being self-employed with that label attached to my health charts (my wife had Fibro and is nearly uninsurable now as a result -- don't want that X two when shopping next year for health insurance!).

What happens, when you're either Celiac (or allergic to dairy, the next likely culprit for most) is that your stomach immediately swells up, fills up with water, feels like a tight drum and you have a hard time eating anything else. It also tends to cause IBS as well. Here's the thing -- I went for likely decades not knowing. I quit all gluten for my wife to support her for her Fibromyalgia pain (her doc recommended she go gluten free). We accidentally ate gluten in Mexico and I was sick for a week. Ironically, she was fine!

Since then, it's crystal clear when I eat gluten. Immediate swelling in my gut. One time, for instance, I made Oatmeal Choc Chip cookies at home with Organic Oats, and for some reason, I swore they were Gluten free. Ate one, was immediately sick. Read the label and, sure enough, they weren't Gluten free. A different time, went out with the wife and daughter to a Happy Hour that had $5 Margaritas. Three Margaritas in and I'm sick as a dog. Though Tequilla is fine, the mix had gluten in it! Same happens with beer (though I stubbornly did that for a few months to myself because I love cold beer!). I'm much, much more careful these days.

My guess would be you likely have a food allergy you don't know you have. Most likely gluten or dairy. See if it's worse after bread, pizza, hamburgers, pastries, pasta. If so, very likely it's gluten.