Ways To Beat Holiday Bloating And Weight Gain
Christmas Day feasting can leave you feeling tired, bloated and heavy, but it is possible to enjoy festive fare without the food hangover. Try these simple tweaks from our dietitians.
For many of us, Christmas feasting turns into uncomfortable bloating and fatigue. Some experts estimate that average calorie intakes on December 25 spike from 1,500 to 2,200 calories to a whopping 3,000 to 6,000 calories . Unsurprisingly, itâs reported that the average Australian gains an estimated 0.8 to 1.5kg during the festive season.However, a festive food or weight blowout is not inevitable. Try these dietitian-approved holiday tips.
If youâre looking to follow up Christmas with a healthy eating overhaul, consider a new year consultation with an accredited practising dietitian , who can provide personalised advice to suit your lifestyle and set you up for optimal health.
Further Reading
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Downing Too Many Salty Foods Can Leave You Feeling Seriously Bloated
It starts out innocently enough. You sit down in front of the TV with a bag of your favorite chips. Or maybe its a big bowl of popcorn. Either way, before you know it, the whole thing is gone. The inevitable bloat that rushes over you afterwards isnt just the result of pigging out, though. Its also a sure sign youve taken in too much salt.
According to a study conducted at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, a high-sodium diet can increase a persons risk for feeling bloated by 27 percent . The exact mechanism behind the finding is still being studied, as of this writing.
Scientists already know that salt increases fluid retention, which may be partially to blame for the bloating sensation. However, the studys author, epidemiologist Noel Mueller, also hypothesized that a large intake of salt may alter levels of microbes in the stomach, increasing production of other compounds that can leave a person feeling bloated.
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Try An Abdominal Massage
found that abdominal massage is helpful in reducing malignant ascites, which is a buildup of fluid in your abdomen.
Press gently with your fingers to perform this abdominal massage:
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Does Creatine Make You Gain Weight
Creatine is one of the oldest bodybuilding supplements on the market. And youve probably considered taking it for muscle and strength gains.
But despite its popularity, there are many myths and misconceptions about creatine benefits and side effects. Like, does creatine make you gain weight and cause bloating?
These questions make it hard to decide if creatine is worth taking. So I will shed some factual light on these creatine concerns and help decide if its right for you.
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Does Your Stomach Look Different It’s Probably Bloated
When you’re feeling normal as can be , give your stomach a good look. Keep that image clear in your mind, because it’s going to help you determine when you’re bloating or not.
“Bloating typically happens after a meal,” says Michalczyk. “Notice how your stomach looks at that time how it usually looks to begin to determine if it’s bloating or weight gain.”
According to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, bloating will cause your stomach to wildly expand. Your stomach will feel kind of hard compared to your usual soft tummy, so give it a poke. If it feels different than normal, it’s probably bloating.
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What Exercises To Avoid
Below are the top three exercises to avoid when you have IBS:
Are You Fat Or Just Bloated Difference Between Weight Gain And Bloating
Typically, belly fat is considered the first sign of weight gain. However, a swollen abdomen or belly can often result from bloating and not necessarily fat deposition. Here are a few differences between them to identify whether you are fat or bloated.
| Bloating | |
| The body weight is unaffected. | The body weight increases. |
In some cases, stomach bloating can also be due to the consumption of excess salt, leading to water retention. You may even notice bloating right before your periods as the body retains water or due to constipation. How do you know if the weight gain is due to water retention? Lets find out.
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/5if Your Stomach Sizes Keep Changing
Do you feel big particularly after having your meal or on fixed dates like when you are menstruating? If yes, then it might not be weight gain, you are just bloated. If you have really gained weight, your belly will stay enlarged all the time. Your belly can swell when you are bleeding or when you have not pooped or even after consuming too much salt.
Can You Lose Water Weight Overnight
Once you employ one or more of the techniques above, your body will respond by eliminating the excess water through urine. Could this happen overnight? It depends.
Excess fluid will typically take a couple of days to flush out, but it depends on how much water youre retaining and what you decide to do about it .
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How Long Does It Take To Lose Water Weight
The length of time that it takes to lose water weight depends on how much water youre retaining, the cause of the water weight gain, and the action taken to lose it. If you have one high-sodium meal and then return to normal, healthy dietary habits, youll likely return to your normal weight in 1-2 days.
If youre returning from a vacation of over-indulging and are retaining a higher amount of excess fluid, it may take longer.
Is It Possible For An Umbilical Hernia To Create Digestive Problems
Umbilical hernia complications are uncommon in youngsters. If the umbilical cord is imprisoned, however, extra difficulties may emerge in both infants and adults. When intestines cant be pulled back through the abdominal wall, they dont always receive enough blood. a protruding bulge in the stomach
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Gaining Weight From Drinking
Drinking frequently can also result in excess fat or weight gain. Often referred to as the beer belly, your stomach after copious amounts of alcohol long-term will probably be bigger than if you werent drinking.
This occurs because alcohols high carbohydrate and sugar levels can trigger weight gain. In addition, youre more likely to eat heavier foods after a night out drinking and are less likely to feel full, requiring you to eat more than normal, according to the Better Health Channel. Finally, alcohol has to be burned first by your body, leaving the food you consume to be turned into fat tissue.
A study published in Current Obesity Reports in January 2015 found that people who drank heavily were more likely to be at risk for obesity and weight gain than people who drank lightly or moderately. So while it may not be necessary to cut out drinking altogether, you may need to stop binge-drinking entirely if youre hoping to lose weight, prevent alcohol bloating and start a healthier lifestyle.
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How Are Constipation And Weight Gain Linked
Having infrequent bowel movements does not cause weight gain, but there’s definitely a connection between the two.
That’s because the most common constipation culprits poor hydration, poor diet and lack of exercise can also lead to weight gain. These behaviors slow your metabolism and lead to excess body fat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Proper nutrition is so important because it allows our bodies to be the most efficient, which means more regularity and more energy,”Casey Chapman, MD, gastroenterologist at Baton Rouge General’s Crohn’s & Colitis Center, tells LIVESTRONG.com. “More energy means we can be more active and, in turn, burn even more calories. Look at it as a positive feedback loop.”
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Bloating Is Painful While Belly Fat Is Painless
Due to the excess accumulation of fluid and gas in the abdomen, bloating is often accompanied by physical discomfort. Belly fat, on the other hand, is painless.
Although there are a few things you can do to shed off excess fat and reduce loose skin, such as proper nutrition and exercise, in certain cases, you may need to undergo a body contouring procedure.
Whats The Difference Between Belly Bloating And Excess Fat And Skin
Posted March 01, 2021 in Body Contouring, Liposuction, Tummy tuck
3 Minute Read:
Are you feeling bloated and heavy? Many people often confuse the terms bloating and excess abdominal fat. Whenever they see the slightest change around their abdomen, they often rule it out as fat accumulation. Many times it is however, fat is not the only thing that can cause an expansion in the stomach. It may be belly bloat.
So, how do you determine the difference between the two?
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Increases Risk Of Infection
Granted, probiotics are relatively safe and beneficial to most individuals. However, there is a small percentage of people where consuming probiotics does more harm than good. For some people, albeit in rare cases, the bacteria and yeast found in probiotics make them susceptible to infections .
For instance, people with suppressed immunity or those who have undergone prolonged hospitalization periods may not be able to contain probiotics in their bodies safely. This group also includes those using a venous catheter and those fresh from surgery . If you have acute pancreatitis, avoid taking probiotics as they may increase the risk of death .
If you dont fall into one of those categories, you need not worry as the risk of developing an infection is very low. To put your heart at ease, consider the following statistics. Approximately only one person in eight million who takes probiotics daily will develop an infection. It gets better, the risk is almost negligible for probiotics containing yeast. Here, only one person in 5.6 million people can get an infection .
Firstly What Exactly Are Fibroids
Fibroids typically affect women in their thirties and forties and are benign tumors that grow in the uterus. While that may sound serious, fibroids arent cancerous or life-threatening, theyre just uncomfortable and inconvenient. Whats more, these tissue growths can come in many sizes and numbers you may have just one small uterine fibroid, a small cluster of fibroids or one large fibroid.
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Can A Prolapse Make You Feel I Ll
Symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse a feeling of heaviness around your lower tummy and genitals. a dragging discomfort inside your vagina. feeling like theres something coming down into your vagina it may feel like sitting on a small ball. feeling or seeing a bulge or lump in or coming out of your vagina.
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What Is Spironolactone
While it may sound like a prehistoric dinosaur, spironolactone did not roam the earth battling the T. rex for turf. Sorry to disappoint.
Fantastic name aside, spironolactone is actually an oral medication that healthcare professionals may prescribe to treat many conditions, including hypertension , heart failure and edema.
Spironolactone also has off-label uses.
Off-label is a term used to describe medications that have shown clinical promise in the treatment of things other than what they originally gained approval from the FDA for.
Healthcare professionals will sometimes prescribe medications off-label if traditional treatment methods prove ineffective, if patients experience certain side effects or if there are other issues at play things like an increased potential for an allergic reaction to traditional treatments or other external issues like drug interactions.
Weve talked more about how and why certain medications get prescribed off-label in our article, A Patients Guide to Off-Label Drug Use and Prescribing.
In the case of spironolactone, off-label uses include the treatment of bloating and weight gain due to PMS, polycystic ovary syndrome, hirsutism and, perhaps most popularly, acne vulgaris.
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Youre Lacking In Fiber
Men need to eat 38 grams of fiber per day. If youre not meeting that amount, there is a chance that you might be constipated, which can cause gas and bloating.
Many men who follow restrictive diets, like keto, tend to skimp on carb-rich fruits, veggies, whole grains and beans, and they often miss out on some of their daily fiber needs, says Natalie Rizzo, M.S., R.D.
To fix it, its as simple as adding more whole foods into your day. Think about trying to get some sort of fruit and vegetable at every meal.
Did I Recently Have A Lot Of Salt Or Carbohydrates
Both can cause tissues all over your body to retain water, says Davis, noting that just two cups of water weighs one pound. And while theres nothing wrong with the fluids that your body naturally holds onto when it stores carbs as glycogen , if youre used to a low-carb eating approach, youll definitely have more fluid in your system post-pasta.
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Other Possible Side Effects Of Probiotics
Too much of anything is dangerous, and this includes probiotics. Even though they promise weight loss and other health benefits, probiotics need to be taken in moderation. You will not lose weight faster by drinking several bottles of yogurt at a go. What you will get is a bloated stomach.
Do you know what will happen to your body and your digestive system if you take too many probiotics?
Below is a list of the possible side effects of taking too much probiotics.
Does Creatine Make You Gain Muscle
Yes, creatine with resistance training increases muscle gain compared to training without it. Studies suggest that taking creatine results in up to twice as much muscle gain compared to a placebo4,5.
Moreover, the muscle gain benefits appear similar for both men and women. But keep in mind that some of the apparent muscle gain is due to water stored within the muscle cells. So the true effect may be somewhat less.
Figure 6. Average weekly increase in lean mass with and without creatine supplementation. Adapted from Amirsasan et. al. and Lim et. al. .
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What Causes Period Weight Gain And Bloating
As with most side effects relating to your period, weight gain and/or bloating is caused by a change in hormones which occurs around 5 days before you start your period.
As your hormonal balance varies throughout your menstrual cycle, so does this bloated feeling, meaning that these symptoms usually go away during the first few days of your period. If you are constantly feeling bloated or have a swollen abdomen, you should always check in with your GP for a medical opinion.
Remedies For Belly Fat
While a simple diet change helps get rid of bloat, belly fat takes a bit more work. Try for at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. Following a healthy diet filled with lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and lots of water can also help shed those pounds. It is important to remember that everyone gains and loses weight differently, so be sure talk to your doctor about what fits best for you.
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What Can Someone Do If Their Ibs Is Causing Weight Gain
Since the bloat, pain, and discomfort are the main reasons why some people are disconnected from their body’s natural hunger cues leading to overeating, Wong said that learning to manage their IBS is the first step to stopping the weight gain.
Oftentimes, people are told to just live with their IBS, but in reality, there are effective treatments that can help you identify what is causing your IBS, and you can learn to manage it, she said. “It usually requires dietary and lifestyle changes, and sometimes working through the FODMAP protocol to identify personal food triggers,” Wong said.
Try this:
This isn’t something you have to deal with on your own! “If you suffer from IBS and are struggling with weight loss or weight gain, it’s always recommended to work with a dietitian who specializes in gut health to help you with weight management,” Wong said.