I’ve known several people who have done the Whole 30 diet and swear by it, too. I commend you for being able to do that. Eliminating a few of those things completely for 30 days takes a lot of willpower.
@LeastComplicated - thanks for the laugh! Yes, I was definitely meaning the brocolli, cauliflower, etc crunchies! No pines in my neck of the woods! I typed the above on my Iphone, all sorts of automatic corrections that I normally catch, but not this time!
Definitely pursue this with your doctor. DD (27) has been working through GI problems since she has been young. Testing included allergy (family history), endoscopies, colonoscopies, celiac, etc. Even though it was determined by endoscopy as a teen she has reflux and is lactose intolerant, she was still experiencing on/off extreme bloating after eating – for years. Within the past two years, she was tested further for H. Pylori, fructose malabsorption, SIBO and a few other GI tests that escape my memory. I won’t go into how doctors missed the positive results, but she was diagnosed with SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and was prescribed antibiotics. I also won’t go into how IMHO it has taken the medical community a seriously long time to recognize GI issues without the proverbial “you need to eat more fiber” – but I digress.
Most importantly, she has also pursued a FODMAP diet with success (garlic and onions trigger). Kate Scarlata (you can google) has a good site with basic/advanced info.
As an aside, GI issues/bloating were two variables of concern when she was married two weeks ago – her seamstress kept wanting to take in that waist, while my daughter literally wanted “room to breath”
We ended up making/bringing dairy free scrambled eggs and s/p baked chicken with RAO’s sensitive formula tomato sauce to the hotel for the day. All was well.
Sorry so long. Hopeful that maybe one thing may resonate. Good luck with your research and advocate!
I agree that dairy is not a generally unhealthy food group. The French eat large quantities of cheese and yet do not have the obesity levels we have here in the states. They eat a lot of carbs as well with all those wonderful baguettes and pastries. Yet they seem to keep the weight off. No idea why that is, maybe genetics or an increased metabolic rate in relation to certain foods they have historically consumed. Or maybe because they rarely if ever use high fructose corn syrup as a substitute for sugar. I have read often that high fructose corn syrup is one of the worse things you can consume if you are looking to manage your weight.
The problem with cheese and other dairy products is that for a segment of the population they cause inflammation. I am one of those unfortunate people as I will get a sinus infection within a day of eating more than a bite or two of cheese. I love cheese so have switched to a creamy goat cheese when I want an indulgence. Although I think goat cheese is technically still dairy, I have no side effects.
While I agree that the OP should consult her doctor, I agree with other posters that it is likely just a loosening of the muscles in the stomach and abdominal areas. When that elasticity is gone even small quantities of food are going to show. Sara Blakely nailed that one – sales of Spanx brand have made her a billionaire.
My stomach also bloats after meals, and has for years. Not enough that I look pregnant, though. Of course my stomach looks flatter when I wake up – I haven’t eaten or drank anything in 8-10 hours.
@romanigypsyeyes - we get the same kind of dietary advice for our ill son. My SIL is convinced that if we put him on the GAPS diet, it would cure him of schizophrenia. My son’s doctor, whom I trust implicitly and is always open to new ideas, looked at the diet and said it’s “snake oil.” I think people have finally given up giving me advice, at least I hope so.
Well, among the first questions the doc will ask (standard script,) is how often does this occur and have you experienced it in the past? (Did I miss this info here?) It’s rarely what you ate that morning, unless this is a one-time problem or one particular sensitivity.
It can be anything and nothing. We all bloat sometimes, based on a few days of eating patterns and what’s sitting in your digestive tract, dehydration, some random sensitivity based on recent eating patterns, etc. Even the weather, your recent exercise or not- and stress. Models and actresses, eg, have fretted about this forever. It can be gas, some elimination issue of the moment.
For it to be something worse, it’s usually some long standing issue. And even that is no certainty.
I would not change diet habits just based on some random info you came across, nor someone else’s sensitivities. You need the right balance.
See what the doc says.
I’m curious if those who have noticeable bloating are also small chested? I ask because I think for me that because I have little on top it is extremely noticeable. My friend who has a similar bloating doesn’t get nearly the amount of comments and still looks great in clothes due to the fact she has a more substantial bustline.
^^^ So true.
@MaineLonghorn I’ve finally starting responding to these people by asking how those diets work. Normally, people know what Rheum Arthritis is but very few people who do not directly know someone with lupus know what it is/what it does… and even those who do often don’t know. So I ask them what about the diet works for lupus and what, specifically, it does. No matter what they respond with, I always ask some variant of the same question: “Fascinating, and how does that work?”
Eventually most people catch on that I’m being a sarcastic brat.
Yes, I am smaller chested with a long waist. I have read that long waisted people tend to pooch lower in that area, so that might just be part of it too. However, with the need to urinate more this past year, I think it warrants a discussion for sure. I can’t even go for more than a 2 mile walk now. This has just been happening the last year…the bathroom issue not the pooch.
bloating and need to urinate more - make sure the doc rules out ovarian issues.
One thing with the kefir, take it on an empty stomach and start with a small serving, increasing the amount each day. Your body will need to adjust to the new probiotic beasties in the gut.
What prospect said. It could be a number of gyn issues… Only a teeny-tiny portion of which are malignancies. So no need to panic and think of deadly diseases! But do mention all of these issues to your doctor. Your family doc will likely punt and send you to a gyn, so if your insurance allows it, make an appointment with a urogymecology specialist and don’t wait for the referral - for your peace of mind.
Thank you all, I learn so much. Never even hear of a urogynocologist before. I also read bloating and urinary issues could be signs of ovarian problems, so I’m glad I came to this board with this question. I know there is no need to jump to conclusions, but I feel more aware of things. Will report back.
I am a card carrying member of the ‘why the blazes am I bloated like this’ club.
From personal experience and experimentation I know that there are certain foods which, although ‘healthy’, simply do not work for my constitution. I have known this for years. A meal of steak, baked potato with sour cream and/or butter and a bunch of steamed broccoli will leave me feeling like a million bucks. A dinner of consisting of a ‘healthy’ plate of salmon and risotto = bloated belly. Certain foods - often those touted as the healthy darling of the day - simply don’t work for a large number of people.
A number of friends have gone on "The Plan’ diet and discovered very surprising things about themselves. For example, red wine might be your friend, white wine might send you to your loosest and most wash worn yoga pants. A dinner of white pasta with chicken alfredo results in a happy camper. A dinner of whole wheat pasta, marinara sauce and basil results in bloat.
According to "The Plan’ some of the currently most healthy foods - such as oatmeal - cause an inflammatory reaction in a good portion of the population. White rice is better than brown… and asparagus is not your friend. Tuull farns out the full fat yogurt is your friend while the non fat greek version is not.
Who knows if this makes any more sense than other ideas.
I do think experimenting with ideas presented in ‘The Plan’ are worth the time and effort.
Years ago I went on a very straight forward ‘diet’. No sugar (of any variety), no wheat, no deadly night shades, no substitute sugars and no vinegar or soy sauce. Felt like TWO million bucks. Something in that elimination list was a no-no for me.
I ate a modified Atkins diet (without knowing that was what I was doing).
Broke the diet with a ‘healthy’ granola bar. Within 10 minutes I looked pregnant and had brain fog.’
Spelt flower bread and true sour dough - the stuff that takes 48 hours to ferment without dough conditioners - is my friend."Healthy’ sprouted bread is instant bloat.
I think the problem - and solution - is very very individual.
I think it takes time to discern your particular problem items.
I don’t think any of the current ‘drop this item and you will be happy’ plan works for each individual.
I also think once you find what works, and what doesn’t work for YOUR individual biological system…it’s not all that hard to implement and make it your normal. No need to be the PITA at the restaurant asking the waiter whether it’s ‘grass feed beef coated in butter hand churned by the Amish and served on a bed of greens harvested during the full moon’. You can know beef works (or doesn’t), butter works (or doesn’t) and that you do better with white potato than with mixed greens.