Suggestions/advice needed

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I recently started to increase my protein but have come to realize I am lactose-intolerant. I am bloated beyond belief and I think it's starting to keep me from seeing my abs peek.

My goal for this week was to cut sugar and try lactaid along with probiotic gummies. If I didn't see a change in my mid-section I was going to schedule an appointment with my GP to see if my digestive problem maybe keeping me from seeing the results I think I should see.

Yesterday I took a lactaid along with my protein shake (labeled lactose free) and I was still bloated.

Don't get me wrong, I know my cardio and way I do abs need to be improved but I just want some personal advice from others.

Is my goal a good one? Should I see my gp sooner? Any advice/tips to reduce this bloat?

Replies

  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I'm confused... Are you sure you're lactose intolerant? If you took lactaid and your protein shake was lactose free, how could lactose be causing your bloating? That just doesn't add up. I'm thinknig something else might be causing that bloating.

    Making your diary public would help us to give advice.
  • soupandcookies
    soupandcookies Posts: 212 Member
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    Open your diary, and maybe we can help you come up with other ideas! Also, what type of protein powder do you use?
  • desirez131
    desirez131 Posts: 72 Member
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    I apologize for not being clear. I get bloated/gasy after having dairy but I've never had an official doctor tell me. I'm thinking of going to the doctors since the lactaid did not work yesterday. I just am not sure if I should give it awhile or not. I don't want to go to the doctors for something I can "fix" myself.

    I just started logging again to track my protein intake but I will make my diary open.
  • desirez131
    desirez131 Posts: 72 Member
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    Gnc Pro Performance - Lean Muscle Meal Strawberries and Cream, 1 bottle ( 14oz. )
    Open your diary, and maybe we can help you come up with other ideas! Also, what type of protein powder do you use?
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Well, to be honest, nothing you do for a week is going to make a massive difference in your body profile. These changes take months to achieve and sometimes years.

    Cutting sugar is never a bad goal, but probiotics and removal of lactose may or may not have any affect on your physical appearance. My opinion would be to focus on your energy levels and how you feel when you cut these things out.

    Curious though, what does upping your protein have to do with it? Protein levels shouldn't really effect your abs all that much unless you're eating far below the recommended levels.
  • desirez131
    desirez131 Posts: 72 Member
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    I increased my protein to help build and recover muscles after my workouts.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    I increased my protein to help build and recover muscles after my workouts.

    OK, but the question remains. Were you low on protein to begin with? Increasing protein may or may not help your situation at all. If you weren't deficient in protein levels to begin with, increasing it won't do anything as extra protein is used as energy just the same as carbs (although the process by which energy is extracted from protein is different and slightly slower).
  • desirez131
    desirez131 Posts: 72 Member
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    Honestly, I don't know which is why I started logging. I wanted to see if I was doing what I should be doing nutritionally to assist my fitness goals.

    Are you suggesting that I go under my recommended protein levels to see if that maybe the cause of my bloat?
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    Honestly, I don't know which is why I started logging. I wanted to see if I was doing what I should be doing nutritionally to assist my fitness goals.

    Are you suggesting that I go under my recommended protein levels to see if that maybe the cause of my bloat?

    Well, no, I'm simply wondering why you chose to increase your protein in relation to your current situation. If you're following the MFP guidelines then you're protein is probably pretty low, because MFP set's the protein ratio on the low end, so there's no issue with increasing your calorie percentage that comes from protein, but I don't think it would have much effect one way or another with your issues of bloating. Unless you have some kind of intolerance to protein, which would be rare in the extreme.
  • newlife888
    newlife888 Posts: 83 Member
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    I am lactose intolerant. I am managing it, mostly by limiting dairy, and by taking psyllum husks fiber. I definitely do best on days I avoid dairy. Some observations I've found with my own body.

    I do better with solid cheeses. The more creamier the thing the more problems I'll have.
    Fiber is your friend. I've also had success with peppermint tea with settling my stomach.
    Soy milk is just as bad as regular milk.
    Butter seems to pose no problems.

    Some alternative protein sources:
    Eggs- are magical.
    Meat. Seafood is even better.
    Tofu
    Peanuts, treenuts, edamame.
    Beans but I've never really gotten into them.

    Hope this helps. Pretty sure lactose intolerance is really common. That's what the doc told me anyway. Good luck!
  • desirez131
    desirez131 Posts: 72 Member
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    Have you tried lactaid? If so did it work for you? Just curious of anyone elses experience with it, since it doesn't seem to work for me.
    I am lactose intolerant. I am managing it, mostly by limiting dairy, and by taking psyllum husks fiber. I definitely do best on days I avoid dairy. Some observations I've found with my own body.

    I do better with solid cheeses. The more creamier the thing the more problems I'll have.
    Fiber is your friend. I've also had success with peppermint tea with settling my stomach.
    Soy milk is just as bad as regular milk.
    Butter seems to pose no problems.

    Some alternative protein sources:
    Eggs- are magical.
    Meat. Seafood is even better.
    Tofu
    Peanuts, treenuts, edamame.
    Beans but I've never really gotten into them.

    Hope this helps. Pretty sure lactose intolerance is really common. That's what the doc told me anyway. Good luck!
  • soupandcookies
    soupandcookies Posts: 212 Member
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    I am lactose intolerant also, and Lactaid does not seem to work for me consistently. I'm not sure why, but sometimes it works better than others. I find that it's much worse when I eat dairy on an empty stomach. Also, Lactaid does NOT work for me, when it comes to a cup of actual milk. I just can't tolerate that, no matter what. Are you taking Lactaid pills, or actually using Lactaid milk in your shake? Is it possible that your stomach doesn't like whey protein? Never know.
  • pattycake118
    pattycake118 Posts: 44 Member
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    Probiotics require time to take effect. You need to take them fairly consistently and it can take months to take effect (varies per person).
    Also take a prebiotic if possible, or at the very least ensure that you're getting enough fiber. This will encourage all the happy bacteria in your gut to flourish over the unwanted bacteria.

    I have IBS and get crazy gas sometimes. I have felt it rumble my entire body before. For me it is often because of too much sugar in my diet - for some reason when things are travelling through my intestines the bacteria there have a field day. I eat a lot more fiber (but not sugar-rich) and that helps.

    What works for you will be very personal. Some people have issues digesting fiber, fruit, types of sugars, etc. If dairy is an issue for you, consider changing the brand of milk you drink (that helped my mother) or the type of cheese you eat (hard is often easier to digest than soft) or switch from sweetened/artificially sweetened yogurt to natural. There is some trigger for you that will require trial and error to find.

    How much sugar is in your protein mix? What type? Some brands of protein powders give people the "protein farts". (Google it for fun.)

    Record not only your food intake, but also when the bloating starts. You may be able to find a correlation, or at least come armed with information when you visit your doctor (ask for a referral to someone who does more than one day of studying nutrition, like a Registered Dietitian, if you can).

    Beans as a protein source will initially cause an increase in gas if you don't eat them much. If you slowly increase your intake your body (bacteria in your gut) will get used to it and it will be a prebiotic to promote the healthy bacteria and you won't bloat in response to it.

    The body is a crazy thing...

    I hope this helped a little, and wasn't too disorganized.