such a thing as a shrinking stomach?

indiebeats
indiebeats Posts: 18
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
in the past couple months I've been cutting down portion sizes and changing what I eat to less processed foods and more fresh stuff. Now though whenever I have a 'free' day and eat what I want (within reason) I find that the food I used to eat makes my stomach hurt and I can be full on just half a sandwich.

Anyone else had this? I'm not dieting, just eating differently. I know it's a good change, I just don't want my stomach to be messing itself up when it shouldn't be.

Replies

  • missmuertos
    missmuertos Posts: 15 Member
    I'm not sure if it's purely psychological for me, but I do find that I get fuller quicker than I used to. I can no longer eat big meals in one sitting, but then again this might be to do with the healthier choices I am making with the foods I eat. It takes more fat to give you a feeling of satiety than protein or carbohydrates, for example, so perhaps that's part of it. I do notice that I tend to get hungry again quicker after eating as well since I've started exercising a lot. Do you find the same?
  • jeccawest
    jeccawest Posts: 54
    If you are eating smaller portions more often that can help naturally shrink your stomach because it would usually expect a lot of food and youre not eating a ton lol. But yes the stomach does have the ability to stretch.
  • indiebeats
    indiebeats Posts: 18
    I'm not sure if it's purely psychological for me, but I do find that I get fuller quicker than I used to. I can no longer eat big meals in one sitting, but then again this might be to do with the healthier choices I am making with the foods I eat. It takes more fat to give you a feeling of satiety than protein or carbohydrates, for example, so perhaps that's part of it. I do notice that I tend to get hungry again quicker after eating as well since I've started exercising a lot. Do you find the same?

    I don't tend to find that I think. But today for instance I had chicken, parsnips and carrots for lunch and was incredibly full when last year I probably wouldn't be. Fast food (when I rarely have it) now also hurts my stomach so I've steered clear of it ever since.
    But yes the stomach does have the ability to stretch.

    is this affected by amount of cardio/stretches you do? weird to think of a stomach stretching!
  • JMarigold
    JMarigold Posts: 232 Member
    in the past couple months I've been cutting down portion sizes and changing what I eat to less processed foods and more fresh stuff. Now though whenever I have a 'free' day and eat what I want (within reason) I find that the food I used to eat makes my stomach hurt and I can be full on just half a sandwich.

    Anyone else had this? I'm not dieting, just eating differently. I know it's a good change, I just don't want my stomach to be messing itself up when it shouldn't be.

    Yes your stomach can shrink. It's happened to me lots of times. Then I just eat a couple huge meals in a row and it stretches right back out . . . .DON'T be me! Don't stretch your stomach back out. You really want your stomach to stay small so that you feel full on smaller portions.

    But then again looking back at your post . . . half a sandwich?? I guess it depends on the sandwich.
  • JMarigold
    JMarigold Posts: 232 Member
    I'm not sure if it's purely psychological for me, but I do find that I get fuller quicker than I used to. I can no longer eat big meals in one sitting, but then again this might be to do with the healthier choices I am making with the foods I eat. It takes more fat to give you a feeling of satiety than protein or carbohydrates, for example, so perhaps that's part of it. I do notice that I tend to get hungry again quicker after eating as well since I've started exercising a lot. Do you find the same?

    I don't tend to find that I think. But today for instance I had chicken, parsnips and carrots for lunch and was incredibly full when last year I probably wouldn't be. Fast food (when I rarely have it) now also hurts my stomach so I've steered clear of it ever since.
    But yes the stomach does have the ability to stretch.

    is this affected by amount of cardio/stretches you do? weird to think of a stomach stretching!

    No, it's effected by eating larger meals.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Your stomach does not shrink if you eat less - once you are an adult, your stomach pretty much remains the same size without surgery. . Eating less won't shrink your stomach but it can help to 'reset' your appetite so you won't feel as hungry.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    The actual, physical, size of your stomach cannot shrink without surgery. It's more of a psychological retraining of what constitutes "full" or a complete meal to you. Also, eating better for you, more nutrient dense foods will help you to feel fuller than empty calories.

    Personally, I can hit a buffet line three or four times and fill my plate to the brim each time before I start feeling full. But I can also make a meal packed with tons of veggies and lean protein that's the equivalent of one of those plates of food and a small fraction of the calories and feel full.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Yes, absolutely your stomach stretches to accommodate a lot of food. That's not to say your stomach really "shrinks", it can only stretch and go back to normal size. And usually, it is within a matter of hours or days. So if you had previously been eating VERY large portions, and are now eating less, you will experience a stomach that seems to have "shrunken".
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
    I thought that the stomach could shrink over time, but apparently not so much . . . .
    2. Myth or Fact: If you cut down on your food intake, you'll eventually shrink your stomach so you won't be as hungry.

    Answer: Myth. Once you are an adult, your stomach pretty much remains the same size -- unless you have surgery to intentionally make it smaller. Eating less won't shrink your stomach, says [Mark Moyad, MD, director of preventive and alternative medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor,], but it can help to reset your "appetite thermostat" so you won't feel as hungry, and it may be easier to stick with your eating plan.

    From "9 surprising facts about your stomach."
    http://women.webmd.com/pharmacist-11/stomach-problems

    I learn something new every day. I have now learned something new today, and I'm going back to bed!
  • MissCheese
    MissCheese Posts: 195 Member
    I find the same but put the full feeling down to being more aware of the signals your brain gives to say that you are full. I used to just eat past that feeling of being full but no longer do, if my body tells me I'm full I stop eating.

    I do find that I cannot stomach food high in fat these days for which I am very grateful.
  • indiebeats
    indiebeats Posts: 18
    thanks for all the interesting answers.
    I'm definitely grateful that my stomach now feels full on smaller meals and is rejecting bad foods. just found it strange and didn't know if something was wrong with my stomach or not because of the workouts I'd been doing
  • freckledrats
    freckledrats Posts: 251 Member
    This definitely happens for me as well. After a couple of weeks of eating less than normal, I find that I get uncomfortably full if I regress at all.
  • JMarigold
    JMarigold Posts: 232 Member
    I thought that the stomach could shrink over time, but apparently not so much . . . .
    2. Myth or Fact: If you cut down on your food intake, you'll eventually shrink your stomach so you won't be as hungry.

    Answer: Myth. Once you are an adult, your stomach pretty much remains the same size -- unless you have surgery to intentionally make it smaller. Eating less won't shrink your stomach, says [Mark Moyad, MD, director of preventive and alternative medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor,], but it can help to reset your "appetite thermostat" so you won't feel as hungry, and it may be easier to stick with your eating plan.

    From "9 surprising facts about your stomach."
    http://women.webmd.com/pharmacist-11/stomach-problems

    I learn something new every day. I have now learned something new today, and I'm going back to bed!

    ^^^^Well I submit that my stomach is mutated. The end.
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