Help! Bloated!

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sarah8352
sarah8352 Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So background on me I Was under eating for about six years to a very scary point beforei found flexible dieting. This has been a game changer for me and I am so grateful for finding it. My current macros are 100 protein 75 fat 180 carbs. I currently work out very mildly for 30 minutes a day approximately four days a week. I am 5’4” 32-year-old female. With these macros sorry for the TMI I go to the bathroom once every day in the morning however I feel extremely bloated and heavy throughout the day as if I just needed to go to the bathroom one more time. I’ve been having a lot of bloating and diarrhea in the morning with my food really not broken down and digested. Is this just too much food for me should I scale back? I did just start taking a probiotic to see if that would help as well. Thanks everyone for all the love and support!

Replies

  • suzanne6094
    suzanne6094 Posts: 104 Member
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    Would give us a better idea if you could maybe list what you are eating Sarah, i know red meat can leave me feeling extremely heavy and full, The trick is also when you are under eating to gradually build up to more and more calories, trust me I know, otherwise the digestive system takes such a big hit, how long do you wait in between meals?

    PS, diets don't work but a healthy meal plan that includes most food groups does. Please try to delete the word dieting from your mind... forever...
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,049 Member
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    Most often, the key variables in digestive throughput are enough fiber, enough fluids, enough fats. You mentioned your fat intake, which sounds more than adequate. You'd usually want 25g or so of fiber daily (some combination of soluble/insoluble, with the ideal ratios seeming to have some indivicual variation), and enough fluids to keep your urine a pale yellow color (not dark).

    Some people do better with probiotic foods (kefir, yogurt, miso, kombucha, etc.), and some are aided by exercise (which you're already doing).

    Another possibility is a food sensitivity or allergy. Have you noticed any difference in how you feel, when you vary what you eat? Logging your food and routinely noting symptoms (good/bad days) may help you see a pattern, or you could consider asking your doctor for a referral to a dietitian to follow a formal elimination diet.

    All of that said, the exact symptom set you're reporting leads me to ask: Have you discussed this with your doctor? There are various health conditions with digestive effects, and it might be well to check that out.

    Best wishes!
  • Peyswarbowski
    Peyswarbowski Posts: 2 Member
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    I agree with AnnPT77. I work under a gastro/colorectal surgeon and 9 out of 10 times bloating is usually due to lack of fiber, constipation or decreased water intake.

    To regulate your bowel habits: you can try Docusate 100mg 1-2 tablets daily, increase your water intake and increase daily fiber.

    As suggested previously, you should track your fiber intake (between soluble and insoluble) and increase as needed. Doc I work for recommends to consume at least 35 grams of fiber a day for optimal GI health. If you aren’t eating a fiber-rich diet, try Metamucil or Benefiber as a supplement. I would keep taking the probiotics daily though as it has been proven to be very beneficial for overall health and not just your gut. **Make sure probiotic pills are kept refrigerated.

    If you don’t feel better one to two weeks after making lifestyle/diet change, you should definitely see your doctor to seek other causes.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,961 Member
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    Peyswarbowski wrote: »
    I agree with AnnPT77. I work under a gastro/colorectal surgeon and 9 out of 10 times bloating is usually due to lack of fiber, constipation or decreased water intake.

    To regulate your bowel habits: you can try Docusate 100mg 1-2 tablets daily, increase your water intake and increase daily fiber.

    As suggested previously, you should track your fiber intake (between soluble and insoluble) and increase as needed. Doc I work for recommends to consume at least 35 grams of fiber a day for optimal GI health. If you aren’t eating a fiber-rich diet, try Metamucil or Benefiber as a supplement. I would keep taking the probiotics daily though as it has been proven to be very beneficial for overall health and not just your gut. **Make sure probiotic pills are kept refrigerated.

    If you don’t feel better one to two weeks after making lifestyle/diet change, you should definitely see your doctor to seek other causes.

    https://www.journalofhospitalmedicine.com/jhospmed/article/193136/hospital-medicine/things-we-do-no-reason-prescribing-docusate-constipation
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    Peyswarbowski wrote: »
    I agree with AnnPT77. I work under a gastro/colorectal surgeon and 9 out of 10 times bloating is usually due to lack of fiber, constipation or decreased water intake.

    To regulate your bowel habits: you can try Docusate 100mg 1-2 tablets daily, increase your water intake and increase daily fiber.

    As suggested previously, you should track your fiber intake (between soluble and insoluble) and increase as needed. Doc I work for recommends to consume at least 35 grams of fiber a day for optimal GI health. If you aren’t eating a fiber-rich diet, try Metamucil or Benefiber as a supplement. I would keep taking the probiotics daily though as it has been proven to be very beneficial for overall health and not just your gut. **Make sure probiotic pills are kept refrigerated.

    If you don’t feel better one to two weeks after making lifestyle/diet change, you should definitely see your doctor to seek other causes.

    https://www.journalofhospitalmedicine.com/jhospmed/article/193136/hospital-medicine/things-we-do-no-reason-prescribing-docusate-constipation

    I hadn't read this yet, but we had been discussing the findings the other day after noticing some widespread changes in prescribing PEG rather than docusate. Interesting, considering how long and frequently it's been used. Regardless, OP shouldn't be regularly taking stool softeners without discussing it with her doctor first.

    @sarah8352 it might be worth having a conversation with your doctor. For me, I find that benefibre will leave me feeling bloated, whereas psyllium husk does not. Some changes in diet, such as eating too many beans in a single sitting will also leave me feeling uncomfortable. Those are my specific triggers. Have you been keeping track to look for patterns? Keep some notes for a while and take those to your doc, or seek guidance from a registered dietician. They will better understand your health history and be able to give advice that is specific to you.

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