Why am I always bloated after dinner...!!!???

Skipper111

Hi guys,

I would like some of your awesome advise. I have my work Christmas party on Saturday (and yes I believe they are aware it is now January but anyhow) and I wanted to wear a nice dress however I don't want to look like I was sewn into it!!! It seems that after my evening meal I always feel and look bloated.

Is there something I should be trying to avoid in my diet which may be causing this? And do you have any recommendations for dinners to prevent feeling bloated after? I think my portions are ok and really do not think I am overeating....

Any help is greatly appreciated!!!

Em

JoanaMHill

Different things can make different people feel bloated. If there's a food you know gives you gas, that's an obvious one. High levels of salt without a lot of water to break it up can lead to water retention, which can also lead to you feeling bloated.

soupandcookies

Could it be dairy? Lactose intolerance can cause that, if you are eating a dinner that has lots of cheese.

daniellabella986

Try having green tea WITH your meal - it helps reduce bloating some

Skipper111

Try having green tea WITH your meal - it helps reduce bloating some

Thanks, I will try that tonight.

Hmm, I do not have much dairy in my evening meals (though I do love cheese) but do for breakfast so not sure it is that.

_sam125

a lot of people find that gluten makes them bloated, maybe thats part of it?

trogalicious

it's gonna be really hard to answer this with a closed diary.

Skipper111

A lot of my meals are either pasta or potato based, can this cause it?

Thanks for your help guys

Skipper111

it's gonna be really hard to answer this with a closed diary.

Sorry how do I open my diary? :-)

Fenrissa

What has helped me with bloating is tea with ginger root or ginger root capsules.

chani8

It's something that you're eating and not digesting well. I was bloating up from cooked pumpkin of all things. You need to try to figure out which food/s are causing this. As well, it might help to take a probiotic.

Skipper111

Ok I think I have made my food diary public, no mocking please I only started tracking a few days ago!!!

trogalicious

Ok I think I have made my food diary public, no mocking please I only started tracking a few days ago!!!

1. you're eating the same yogurt every night. that could be the problem.
2. you're certainly not eating enough.

also, here:
I put this together a while back. It seems to have helped some folks. It worked for me and tons of others.

1. don't trust the initial setup that MFP provides. If you put in the wrong/inaccurate information, it'll tell you to eat an amount that may not be applicable.
2. Make sure you eat enough.
3. Figure out what works for you and is sustainable/healthy/long term.
4. avoid fads. don't buy in to any "Hey, try the twinkie and vodka diet"
5. Don't cut out anything now that you don't plan on literally giving up forever.
6. GET A FOOD SCALE. Weigh everything. No, seriously.
7. Get an HRM with a chest strap. You'll at least have a better idea of what you're burning. It'll be more accurate than the generic info in the exercise database.. and even more than the cardio machines. This is great for steady state cardio (run/walk/etc)
8. Don't go balls out. You'll burn out. I see 300 lb people show up here, instantly start working out and cutting their intake SEVERELY... trying to cut out all of their carbs at once.. whatever. Take it slow. Figure out how much you need to eat FIRST in order to lose.. then incorporate exercise.
9. Don't cardio yourself to death.
10. Take the information on the forums with a grain of salt. A lot of people that have been here for a while.. and have been successful, may seem jaded. They give out GREAT advice day after day, only to be met with people that refuse to listen.
11. Eat real food. Not diet food. Not "low fat, sugar free, now without X." It's easier to get/find/count.
12. don't set time restrictions.
13. measure yourself weekly. Don't just weigh. Measure and take pictures.
14 BE PATIENT.
15. Avoid forum topics that have "1200" in the title. It's just full of butthurt. Lots of it.
16. This isn't a game, it's about changing your lifestyle. Do that.

pretty much that.

...and don't fall into the "1200 calorie" vertigo of suck because of:

the typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.

Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.

I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.

Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.

Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

soupandcookies

Is your food diary accurate? If so, you are really not eating enough...

Also, I notice you barely eat any snacks. I think that's totally fine (even great), but some people get bloated when they have big meals. Would you consider eating small meals throughout the day, instead of 3 big meals? I have stomach issues, and I do much better with 6 small meals, because my body gets really bloated and I retain water, when I eat 3 big ones... Just a thought.

ckspores1018

Is your food diary accurate? If so, you are really not eating enough...

Also, I notice you barely eat any snacks. I think that's totally fine (even great), but some people get bloated when they have big meals. Would you consider eating small meals throughout the day, instead of 3 big meals? I have stomach issues, and I do much better with 6 small meals, because my body gets really bloated and I retain water, when I eat 3 big ones... Just a thought.

Aside from your obvious love of gluten (me too!) I was going to suggest eating smaller meals during the day and incorporating snacks. This helps me feel satisfied most of the day without ever getting a bloated feeling.

Also, please eat more.

flab2fit_30

I find that if i eat carbs (potatoes, rice, pasta, etc) for dinner, im much more bloated then if i dont eat them. so i have tried to stop eating that for dinner so much. maybe thats what it is.

Skipper111

Ahhh I had not thought about the yoghurt. Good point, I will change my evening treat and see if that helps matters.

Thank you for your help :-)

Massive THANK YOU for the tip sheet, I will save it.

I know if does not seem much food wise but I used to be a massive snacker and that is where everything went wrong. Now that I have stopped that this is what is left....

trogalicious

I know if does not seem much food wise but I used to be a massive snacker and that is where everything went wrong. Now that I have stopped that this is what is left....

If you're accurately logging, it isn't that it seems like much food wise... it isn't much food wise. You need to feed your body properly in order to lose weight. Engines that are low on fuel don't perform very well, eh?

jayrudq

A lot of my meals are either pasta or potato based, can this cause it?

Thanks for your help guys

It causes it for me. And I usually can't move, feel slightly sick and hurt! But I have eaten too much also. Seriously, when I eat higher amounts of starchy carbos, as opposed to green vegetables and protein, I feel very bloated. If I do have starchy carbs (pasta or sweet potato - I rarely eat white potatos or rice) I balance them out with a lot of protein and veggies.

Goodluck

Skipper111

[/quote] You need to feed your body properly in order to lose weight. Engines that are low on fuel don't perform very well, eh?
[/quote]

Haha, I like this. Ok, I will try and increase my portions, or maybe a snack to help maintain my "Engine" - good analogy btw!!!

Thanks again for all your help.

STC1188

I want to second that on caloric deficits, I bloat with meals. My belief is that caloric deficits encourage water loss (usually), while meals encourage water gain (for digestion purposes). Thus, the bloat is the shift from one state to another (before the water is properly allocated or expelled).