ALWAYS Bloated!

swanny320

No matter what happens, when I eat things, especially grains (wheat bread, brown rice, etc), I bloat to the point of looking 5-6 months pregnant! I don't eat soda and have eliminated refined sugar so I don't know what the deal is. I've read about digestive enzymes. Does anyone take them? Do they help? Any ideas on what the problem is?

AlsDonkBoxSquat

you may want to try a gluten free diet and see if that helps you.

emilymiesel

Sodium and too much carbs will bloat

flamnfrekelz

I have the same problem and I don't eat much dairy and have up'd my fiber....curious people suggest.

swanny320

I don't eat a lot of carbs, generally. I am never anywhere CLOSE to my carb limit. I feel like there has to be more to it than just carbs.

MinnieInMaine

I agree with allabtim, I think you may have a gluten/wheat sensitivity. I'd check with your doc about it...

The only digestive enzyme I've ever taken is papaya enzyme tablets that you can get at GNC. My family has been using these for years and they do help with indigestion but I'm not sure if they'd help with your situation.

VeganGal84

Talk to your doctor and see if you have IBS.

RaeannePemberton

i take digestive enzymes in my shakeology every morning... i have found that it really helps keep things more "regular." and i don't eat bread usually.... but i do have oatmeal everyday. i keep my fiber pretty high too. i do not consume dairy regularly either....

i agree with the others, may be gluten... but with all food allergies it's going to take about 1-2 months to really see a difference once you remove this from your diet. i found i had an allergy to dairy and it took me that long to see the results...

good luck to you!!!

swanny320

I agree with allabtim, I think you may have a gluten/wheat sensitivity. I'd check with your doc about it...

The only digestive enzyme I've ever taken is papaya enzyme tablets that you can get at GNC. My family has been using these for years and they do help with indigestion but I'm not sure if they'd help with your situation.

I may try a gluten free diet for a week or two and see if it resolves things. It's worth a try. Honestly, last night after I ate, my stomach swelled up and I looked like I was going to pop a baby out. It's alarming when you generally have a very flat stomach.

anewattitude

You could be sensitive to wheat or gluten. Try eliminating breads from your diet for a few days or a week ( not sure exactly how long it will take) and see if the bloatiness goes away. If you notice a difference start to slowly integrate breads into your diet again. you may want to try gluten free bread. If gluten free bread doesn't bother you then you know it was likely that ingredient that was the trigger. Write everything down and record any symptoms. You may also want to consult a nutritionist or natural path for advice.

Zeromilediet

Agree with this ... I gave up all grains and immediately lost the balloon belly as well as gas and intestinal gymnastics. My diary is open--you can see I survive just fine without them (although giving up pasta was (sob) hard--now I eat zucchini noodles).

JDMPWR

First and foremost what MFP lists as your carb allotment for the day is WAY too high for quality weight loss without retaining the skinny fat look. You should alter your settings to 40/40/20 protein/carbs/fat, then also open up your diary so I can see your sodium intake, also how much water do you take in in a day? Lastly for everyone 1 part carbs you retail 4 parts water!

swanny320

First and foremost what MFP lists as your carb allotment for the day is WAY too high for quality weight loss without retaining the skinny fat look. You should alter your settings to 40/40/20 protein/carbs/fat, then also open up your diary so I can see your sodium intake, also how much water do you take in in a day? Lastly for everyone 1 part carbs you retail 4 parts water!

Okay, I will change it so you can see sodium right now..

Madgiebee

I am not a doctor yet but I am in medical school and have received lectures on this topic.

Before making drastic changes to your life like going gluten free etc, I would HIGHLY recommend that you take Probiotic supplements. I've used them personally and they have really helped my digestive issues (bloating, crampyness after eating etc.)

How to take them: look for a supplement that includes at least 2 different types of probiotic organisms like acidophilus and saccaromyces, biffidobacterium etc. More than 2 organisms is fine but at least 2. Amazon has a great selection and I have found that it is significantly more affordable than drug stores or health food stores. It's important to take probiotics with prebiotics (foods that feed the organisms in probiotics) like bananas or oats and little else in your digestive system. You should take 8-10 billion organisms daily.

If this helps: you should start feeling better in about 2 weeks or so. It absolutely can't hurt but you must take enough organisms. Eating yogurt or probiotic fortified foods generally do not have enough organisms to be effective.

Hope that this helps!

swanny320

I am not a doctor yet but I am in medical school and have received lectures on this topic.

Before making drastic changes to your life like going gluten free etc, I would HIGHLY recommend that you take Probiotic supplements. I've used them personally and they have really helped my digestive issues (bloating, crampyness after eating etc.)

How to take them: look for a supplement that includes at least 2 different types of probiotic organisms like acidophilus and saccaromyces, biffidobacterium etc. More than 2 organisms is fine but at least 2. Amazon has a great selection and I have found that it is significantly more affordable than drug stores or health food stores. It's important to take probiotics with prebiotics (foods that feed the organisms in probiotics) like bananas or oats and little else in your digestive system. You should take 8-10 billion organisms daily.

If this helps: you should start feeling better in about 2 weeks or so. It absolutely can't hurt but you must take enough organisms. Eating yogurt or probiotic fortified foods generally do not have enough organisms to be effective.

Hope that this helps!

Thanks! I will look and see what I can find.

BARBIED0LL

I have a very low tolerance for sodium based products.
What works for me is not adding salt and avoiding products with high sodium. Also drinking plenty of water and not eating before bed works just fine.
*edit*
If your stomach is bloated to the point of extension I highly suggest a bowl of fiberous cereal. It REALLY works well!

milaxx

you may want to try a gluten free diet and see if that helps you.

i was going to say the same thing. Try going gluten free or cutting back on gluten.

TK421NotAtPost

Honestly, I would take it a step further and slowly elminate all starchy carbs, not just gluten. You mention that rice makes you bloated as well, and rice does not contain gluten.

Make the change slowly, lest you go into a mental fog or get a bad case of the carb-flu. This way you can monitor how your body reacts.

Starchy carbs make me a little bloated, gluten gives me heart palpitations, and yeast makes me feel as if a fire has started in my esophagus...so imagine how I feel after eating some wheat bread. Even so, I still like to get in a little starchy stuff here and there.... mainly rice-based.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

IDK, I'm gf (went to my allergist, was confirmed with an allergy . . . awesome) and don't get that bloated feeling anymore EXCEPT when I eat to much rice (like more than 1/2 cup cooked). But I'm also allergic to soy, so I get the same feeling from eating most processed foods and many sauces that I get from eating a slice of wheat bread.

I think our resident future doctor gave some great advice. Start with a probiotic, and see if that helps. If not, move on to gluten just because it is such a common issue for people and they don't even know it. This means, however, reading labels very carefully so you con't accidentally get anything. Then try something else (for my that next something else was the soy also confirmed during the allergy test).

Wouldn't be bad to go visit an allergist and see what they have to say if it's really bothering you.

swanny320

Great advice, everyone! I definitely appreciate it. I will try some different things and see what works!