painful bloating? TOO much Fiber?

flatbellybella
flatbellybella Posts: 303 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I noticed that most of my time at work is spent bloated and sometimes it's really painful. It's also super discouraging and a huge hit to my self-esteem when I feel puffed out like a blow fish and look like a beach whale in scrubs lol (I'm a nurse... 12 hour shifts)

Anyways, I'm lactose free, gluten free, I watch and keep my sodium low and ALL I drink is water or herbal teas...
My diet is pretty clean. I eat probably way too many fruits and a ton of veggies
I've also had to cut back on my protein drinks because whey was bloating me out like crazy :(

I think my problem is the fiber...lol my fiber intake must be through the roof...

Or maybe IBS or something. I've also become super sensitive to certain foods.

Anyways, I usually go to the gym after work and I hate going there looking bloated
Anyone in my shoes or have any tips to help?

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Incredibly difficult to say considering there is nothing filled out in your diary. It could be fiber...usually causes a problem if you're 40 grams or more per day. Could be about a gazillion different things too.
  • flatbellybella
    flatbellybella Posts: 303 Member
    haa smart *kitten* forget I asked
  • MG_Fit
    MG_Fit Posts: 1,143 Member
    Hey flat...out of curiosity what do you eat? Raw or cooked?

    This happened to me (IT WAS PAINFUL) with a quinoa dish that I made.
  • DaughterOfTheMostHighKing
    DaughterOfTheMostHighKing Posts: 1,436 Member
    try upping your water intake to match the fiber. if there's not enough liquid to move it it will sit and rot. hence the bloating and possible gas...
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    haa smart *kitten* forget I asked

    tumblr_m19jbiYf3O1r3uw24.gif
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member

    Anyways, I'm lactose free, gluten free, I watch and keep my sodium low and ALL I drink is water or herbal teas...
    My diet is pretty clean. I eat probably way too many fruits and a ton of veggies
    I've also had to cut back on my protein drinks because whey was bloating me out like crazy :(

    [/quote]
    Incredibly difficult to say considering there is nothing filled out in your diary. It could be fiber...usually causes a problem if you're 40 grams or more per day. Could be about a gazillion different things too.

    [/quote]

    I think you answered your own question in the first part, and the guy who answered...I do not think he was being a smart *kitten*, he was just giving you his answer to your question?
  • haley6251993
    haley6251993 Posts: 41
    I have this problem too, but I've found its a side effect of IBS. If you arent getting an absolutely ridiculous amount of fiber, it could be that. I was at my wits end with it because, like you said, I looked like a whale and it was too painful to wear anything but yoga pants. I've been taking Align for a month now & I no longer have that problem. Maybe it will work for you.
  • lisamarie2181
    lisamarie2181 Posts: 560 Member
    I agree about the water, i get about 60-90g of fiber a day usually (especially if eating beans or legumes) and I don't usually have bloating issues, and I do drink a ton of water, so that could be why :)
  • likepepsicola
    likepepsicola Posts: 117 Member
    You may have IBS and fructose intolerance. I have this problem, along with lactose intolerance, so my life is fun. I love fruits & veggies but I get really sick when I eat them (indigestion, bloating, a lot of painful burping and gas, diarrhea, etc). Even in small portions...one apple hurts me...but it gets worse if you keep going. One apple hurts a little. One apple & one banana hurts more. One apple, one banana, and one cup of green beans and I'm not leaving the house for the rest of the day.

    Protein drinks, protein bars, or protein powders will tend to cause GI distress as well.

    Also watch out for chicory root/inulin. It's in a lot of things like some fiber one cereals, most kashi products, some granolas, kind bars, even some low calorie ice creams. It's the one thing that if I accidentally consume I want to go to the ER until I realize that OH WAIT I probably ate chicory root/inulin.

    Stay away from artificial sweeteners & sugar free products too....the only artificial sweeteners I can have are aspartame and stevia/truvia. Splenda, malitol, etc = BAD TIMES.

    eta: DON'T DRINK ANYTHING CARBONATED EITHER.
  • flatbellybella
    flatbellybella Posts: 303 Member
    I personally do think he was being one... I didn't ask anyone to critique my diet... I asked if anyone had a similiar problem.

    There are many people who want to post questions on the forums here but it's hard to get any decent answers when people state everything besides what was asked.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    haa smart *kitten* forget I asked

    It is you who has the issue here, not him. His response was perfectly civilised and acceptable.
    How you can intelligently expect anyone to give tips when they cannot see what you eat, I do not know. As a nurse, I am surprised you had not gathered that ? There would be no point in people simply posting 'oh hey, I have that too! This is what causes it for me' because you are not them.
  • ami5000psu
    ami5000psu Posts: 391 Member
    I personally do think he was being one... I didn't ask anyone to critique my diet... I asked if anyone had a similiar problem.

    There are many people who want to post questions on the forums here but it's hard to get any decent answers when people state everything besides what was asked.

    Your diet is what is causing the bloating...

    You also asked for tips NOT just for people who have a similar problem.
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    Have you been to the Dr to discuss? It could be diverticulitis which the pain can be exasperated by fiber in the diet.


    ETA you can prevent diverticulitis by eating enough fiber in the first place... :-)
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    I personally do think he was being one... I didn't ask anyone to critique my diet... I asked if anyone had a similiar problem.

    There are many people who want to post questions on the forums here but it's hard to get any decent answers when people state everything besides what was asked.

    But somebody with similar issues might be able to look at the food you do eat and say "Oh it could this, did you know it has a lot of x,y or z". Like a few posts ago girl gave you a list of things it could be -- if she could see what you eat, she might know something more about a food frequently eat than you do -- and that could be causing your symptoms.

    You seem to maybe just want people to say "Yes too much fiber can do that". So I guess I'll say --- yes, too much fiber can do that is the answer you wanted? So can many other things -- included some more serious diagnoses.
  • tibeaux12
    tibeaux12 Posts: 1
    I found this because I just had an incident that has me scouring the internet for answers. I believe I get an ample supply of fiber as well but had a occurrence where the bloat was incredibly and devastatingly painful. I was gonna go to the ER. I did a couple of things out of the ordinary that I'm not sure if it had an effect or not. I've read before that you need to make sure you have a lot of water with your fibrous diet or you'll plug up. I haven't taken a real dump in 36 hrs, which is out of the ordinary for me. I have to do further research

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