Really uncomfortable bloating -- should I push myself?

coffee_fiend

I am recovering from an eating disorder and upping my calories. I hit an extremely rough patch / scare recently and it made me feel very motivated to recover. I am 5'10 and 110 lbs and desperately wanting to hit the healthy weight range.

I'm slowly upping my calories and am at a goal of 1,700 right now. (Tomorrow I hope to raise it to 1,800 and so on until I can get to 1,900 at minimum.)

But I get really terrible bloats. I am guessing my body isn't used to this much food.

Halfway through a bowl of cereal I started struggling because my stomach started hurting. I forced myself to finish it which totally didn't help, and I'm only at 1,466 calories. I plan to have a snack later. (Even if it's just some spoonfuls of PB because of the low quantity but high calories).

I guess my question is -- is it healthy to push myself when I feel this bloated? Or should I listen to my body and take it as a warning? I'm trying to learn how to listen to hunger cues but it's just making me extremely anxious..

Kymmu

I can't absorb Fructose. I bloat and feel unwell if I eat Special K breakfast cereal as it contains HFCS.
perhaps you need to check this out?

ebayaddict0127

You should talk to your doctor. Perhaps it's just excessive gas? But if it's painful and you're forcing food in, that doesn't sound good. See a doc to be sure. Good luck!

dakotababy

How high is your fiber intake? that can always cause excessive bloating and discomfort.

I would suggest you maintain your calories at 1400-1500 for a week or so. Then perhaps add 100 calories per week instead of per day. This will allow your body to adjust easier.

IIIIISerenityNowIIIII

It could just be what you are eating. Maybe the milk is causing the bloating?

rww59

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julieanngriffin1969

It may be in the choices of food that you make. There are a lot of people that respond to dairy this way- with bloating. Try using soy milk or almond milk and see if you get the same result with your cereal. Again, it could be the choice in the cereal itself. There are many foods that create bloating & gas. Try to avoid fried foods, sugars, high fructose corn syrup, & dairy products for a.while & see if you notice any difference. I am more inclined to believe it is food choices rather than your stomach not wanting to tolerate the calories but it is a good idea to slowly and gradually up your calories until you reach the healthy weight for your height.

SimplyMicheleR

Both milk and wheat can cause terrible bloating for me. My husband has Celiac, and if he gets exposed to wheat, he can gain 5 lbs in water weight overnight!

Try avoiding junk foods like cereals, and maybe eat more dense, protein rich foods (like eggs and a meat side) instead. bet you feel better! WE do!

coffee_fiend

Thank you all !!!

Papillon22

I think you should listen to your body; and since no one has mentioned it, probiotics could help (they helped me when I increased my fiber intake)

nikki0753

I think you should listen to your body; and since no one has mentioned it, probiotics could help (they helped me when I increased my fiber intake)

yeah probiotics help a lot!

u should only push yourself as far as u can go! if u start to feel sick or uncomfortable its a sign to stop.

smanning1982

First, I am so proud that you are recovering from your eating disorder and taking care of yourself. I would probably say don't push yourself too far. It will take a while for you to fully recover and going slow is okay, as long as your going in the right direction. Maybe you could maintain 1500 or 1600 calories for a few weeks then up it to 1700 for a week or so then 1800. Let your body adjust.

Ulwaz

im having the same problem and im the same height, add me and message me, i get bloating all the time its painful sometimes just try and push past it

rww59

You may want to be looking at gluten intolerance.

QuietBloom

I think you should listen to your body; and since no one has mentioned it, probiotics could help (they helped me when I increased my fiber intake)

Yes, I was going to suggest probiotics as well. OP, until you can get it sorted out, have you thought about trying some kind of anti-gas tablets? I have IBS and get terribly bloating as well sometimes.

sarafischbach9

First of all, I am glad you are recovering from an eating disorder. I suffered from anorexia and bulimia off and on for five years. My 2009/2010 relapse was anorexia and since then, I've been doing really well. It does take a really long time to fully recover from an eating disorder. And you need to do things slowwwwly. The first time I was in recovery ( 2006 ) I had a problem where I would get super bloated after meals and i was consuming 1500/1600 in the beginning. My water weight was also going up and down like crazy according to my nurses. I have really bad water retention too.

I think you're body is getting used to all the new calories and is responding with the bloating. If this is the case, then eventually the bloating will filter out once your body gets used to the new calories.

Or, like others have said, it could be something you are eating. I agree with the Probiotics approach. That may help a little bit.

If this painful bloating continues, I would talk to your doctor or other health professional.

Good luck!

hlm711

Hi, as a previously recovered sufferer of anorexia (and unfortunatly recovering from a relapse over the last 4 months) I would say dont forget the part anxiety has to play in this. When I started off in my first recovery when I was increasing from a very low weight I used to become very anxious during breakfast and lunch meals (I think it was the prospect of a whole day of food on top of my calorie dense breakfast). I used to get terrible stomach gripes bloating and wind.
Of course the increased bulk of food your having will be alien to your stomach at the moment, and its NORMAL to feel uncomfortably full ect.
I would recommend a probiotic such as yakult to support your digestive system, but please please please dont get hung up on food intolorences ect!! It is too easy in the intial stages of recovery to convince yourself that you cant eat 'this food group' because of a possible intolerence. Recovery is confusing and as hard enough as it is! Although what your experiencing is not pleasant, it will pass with time. Your goal is normalised eating & increased calories. Once you have reached a healthier weight, if the problem persists you can explore alterantives.
If it really is getting you down and having a negative effect on your calorie intake, go for small calorie dense options- Flapjack with a piece of fruit/ granola with yogurt/ bread with Peanut butter/ Muffin and fruit....
Lastly, well done for all your progress so far!! Be brave and keep going!! Please feel free to message me if you want to discuss anything further

helen8328

I too have had an unhealthy relationship with food in the past. I think started because I had a pot belly from bloating. I didn't realise that I was intolerant to some foods and so cut down on all foods to beat the bloat when all I really needed to do was cut out a certain few and not try to survive off a 100 calls a day (I wish I had known earlier)

Your body may also have some intolerances that you are aware of. It may be beneficial for you to stay away from the main culprits, dairy, gluten & soya, and after a while reintroduce them one at a time and see how they affect you. This way you'll know exactly which one if any, are affecting you. I've cut out dairy, gluten, refined sugar and caffeine and can't believe how flat my stomach is now even though I still eat a lot.

I also think you're right though about your stomach not being used to large amounts of food. It's got used to digesting a limited amount and now needs to be re-trained to cope with higher volumes. Little meals more often would probably be best to start. It can also be psychological though, maybe your sub conscious is going to take a little longer to deal with large amounts of food than your body, at least that's how I felt at first.

Do you like avocados? A large avocado can be up to 400 cals and they are amazingly healthy for your brain, skin, hair and nails (which don't fair so well after a long calorie deficit). I have a healthy recipe for a chocolate spread which could help you gain weight.
The ingredients are: 1 large ripe avacado, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 2-3 heaped tbsp maple syrup, pinch of rock salt.
Directions: Either blend all the ingredients or mash them really well until smooth. I like to eat it spread on some crackers or toast, delicious! :-)

I wish you all the best of luck in your recovery x

Fenrissa

Hi, as a previously recovered sufferer of anorexia (and unfortunatly recovering from a relapse over the last 4 months) I would say dont forget the part anxiety has to play in this. When I started off in my first recovery when I was increasing from a very low weight I used to become very anxious during breakfast and lunch meals (I think it was the prospect of a whole day of food on top of my calorie dense breakfast). I used to get terrible stomach gripes bloating and wind.
Of course the increased bulk of food your having will be alien to your stomach at the moment, and its NORMAL to feel uncomfortably full ect.
I would recommend a probiotic such as yakult to support your digestive system, but please please please dont get hung up on food intolorences ect!! It is too easy in the intial stages of recovery to convince yourself that you cant eat 'this food group' because of a possible intolerence. Recovery is confusing and as hard enough as it is! Although what your experiencing is not pleasant, it will pass with time. Your goal is normalised eating & increased calories. Once you have reached a healthier weight, if the problem persists you can explore alterantives.
If it really is getting you down and having a negative effect on your calorie intake, go for small calorie dense options- Flapjack with a piece of fruit/ granola with yogurt/ bread with Peanut butter/ Muffin and fruit....
Lastly, well done for all your progress so far!! Be brave and keep going!! Please feel free to message me if you want to discuss anything further

Thisssss.

I've been going through the re-feeding process over the past month and a half and was in the same boat as you were, OP. I thought I had food intolerance because of the bloating and discomfort after eating but that IS normal. You will have that for a few weeks (or possibly a few months) until your body adjusts. I don't necessarily agree with increasing your calories by only 100 more a week, that seems counterproductive to me. In inpatient, my calories were upped 100-200 calories every few days until I reached the amount that was needed. Anorexia recovery is uncomfortable and scary but it is worth it and once you push past this, it gets SO much easier!

During the first few weeks of re-feeding/recovery, I had really bad bloating, discomfort, nausea, gas, etc. but it got better as I kept up with the process. It got worse when I let my anxiety take over and went back to eating less. The more time you stay in your comfort zone with this, the harder it'll be to get out of it. Try not to let your anxiety about the process hold you back. Try your best to keep moving forward and remember that it will pass and that you are doing a wonderful thing for yourself. Recovery takes a lot of courage.

But! I do have some suggestions to make it easier to deal with. Try laying down after meals, putting a heating pad on your stomach, ginger root tablets are great for nausea (or gravol if you can't find ginger), wear loose fitting shirts and pants, get enough fluid to drink, and tums. Those are some things that have helped me.

I wish you all the best. Please feel free to message me if you'd like to talk.