Bloating

Lskennedy1967
Lskennedy1967 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi I'm 54 and 204 pounds and have been going to the gym, biking, walking, eating somewhat better and less. I'm losing but not much yet. My problem is bloating. My stomach hurts so bad and I feel bloated most of the time. Just had all kinds of tests done and I'm healthy. I drink lots of water. I don't know how to get rid of this.

Replies

  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,205 Member
    Did you introduce a new food to your diet that now you eat regularly?
  • Roxy_317
    Roxy_317 Posts: 4 Member
    Diet snack bars that have chicory root in them are known to cause bloating - not sure if this is something you are eating but worth a mention - took me a long time to work out the bars were causing this for me
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,734 Member
    Roxy_317 wrote: »
    Diet snack bars that have chicory root in them are known to cause bloating - not sure if this is something you are eating but worth a mention - took me a long time to work out the bars were causing this for me

    RIP Fiber One bars. You were truly the best of the best.
  • Carriehelene
    Carriehelene Posts: 178 Member
    Ugh, Fiber One bars…taste so good, caused such pain 😱
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,409 Member
    edited July 2022
    When I started "eating better" - for me that meant a lot more vegetables and fruit and that caused digestive issue for a while.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    How many calories do you meals average? I have digestive issues with large meals, so eat many small meals and snacks.

    Do you know your fiber intake before you started eating better? What is it now?

    Fiber is healthy, but is notorious for causing digestive issues if you ramp it up too quickly.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,160 Member
    Do you perceive the bloating to be gas, water retention, or constipation? Sometimes people use the term "bloating" to refer to any of that.

    If gas, it can be a food sensitivity/allergy, or - more common - your body (and especially gut microbiome) adjusting to a very different way of eating.

    Research suggests the gut microbiome my adjust as fast as a couple of weeks (-ish). I always suggest that people gradually increase veggies/fruits/grains, if starting from a way of eating that includes little of those things, to minimize the negative effects. You could consider backing off radical changes you've made, to a more moderate change, then gradually implementing the rest of your planned changes.

    If it persists longer, look for patterns that could indicate a food sensitivity or allergy, but don't make a radical change in eating based on assumptions . . . it would be better to be tested, and if you test after entirely stopping the problem food(s), the sensitivity/allergy might be harder to detect. See your doctor/allergist, if you suspect that, unless that's among what your doctor tested for.

    If water retention, it's likely to settle soon. I'm thinking that water retention is a less likely interpretation in your case, because I think that's a little less likely to cause pain/discomfort, as long as clothi.ng isn't too tight.

    If it's constipation, a somewhat common possibility - believe it or not - if fiber intake has increased dramatically. Drinking water helps many people with that, but since you say you're already doing that, how is your fat intake? Sometimes people trying to lose weight will dramatically cut fat intake (because it's calorie dense), and simultaneously increase fiber-rich foods like veggies, fruits and whole grains. That's a recipe for constipation, in my (uncomfortable) personal experience. Try to get around 0.35-0.45 grams of fat daily per pound of body weight, or at least pounds of goal weight. If you're not there, that may help. Fats are an essential nutrient, and one thing they affect is "throughput".

    For constipation or other digestive symptoms, some people are helped by increasing probiotic foods like live-culture yogurt and kefir, raw (unpasteurized) sauerkraut or kimchi, and that sort of thing. There are also probiotic supplements, but those are not as time-tested as probiotic foods.

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