When Your Stomach Feels Hard
The next time you overeat, do feel your stomach. If it feels hard and tight, then you’re definitely bloated. The stomach, under usual circumstances, feels soft. It remains even after gaining weight. If you are able to gasp an inch of your stomach, then it can be because of excess fat.
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Can Digestive Health Conditions Make It Hard To Lose Weight
Though most digestive health conditions cause weight loss, a few can lead to weight gain or bloating.
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Everyday Health: It makes sense that there are connections between digestive health and weight loss because some digestive conditions cause people to unintentionally lose weight. Are there any digestive health conditions that actually make it more difficult to lose weight?
While most gastrointestinal conditions are associated with weight loss, a notable exception includes severe liver disease and liver cirrhosis. In severe liver disease, patients can look very thin but gain weight because the liver normally makes an important protein known as albumin. As liver disease progresses, it can no longer make much albumin. Since albumin keeps water and other liquids in the bloodstream, its loss results in leaking of fluid from the blood to the belly and legs, causing these parts of the body to increase in size, sometimes by a lot. Even though advanced liver patients appear very ill along with thin faces and arms, they actually gain weight due to the fluid in the legs and abdomen. While weight gain is rare, some patients with duodenal ulcers receive relief by eating more to neutralize the acid made by their stomach, although this appetite rarely leads to weight gain.
Kenneth Brown, MD
Christine M. Esters
Lisa Ganjhu, DO
Lisa Pichney, MD
Sutha Sachar, MD
Albert Snow, ND
AA Starpoli, MD
William Chey, MD
Jacqueline Wolf, MD
Is Bloating A Side Effect Of Ovulation
Do you bloat during ovulation? Youre not alone, and its all your hormones fault.
When your body is getting ready to ovulate, your estrogen levels climb as the egg ripens in your ovary. Estrogen is then overtaken by the luteinizing hormone , which tells your body to release the egg. After ovulation, estrogen climbs again for the rest of your cycle, and its joined by a dose of progesterone too. This rollercoaster of hormones is the reason that your stomach feels like a balloon.
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Severe Bloating During Ovulation
Although you can expect some gassiness as your hormones rise and fall, new or severe bloating can sometimes be a symptom of ovarian conditions such as cysts, polycystic ovary syndrome , endometriosis, or ovarian cancer.
If none of the home remedies are making a difference, if bloating persists through your whole cycle, or if you have any other symptoms like pelvic pain, bleeding in the middle of your cycle, changes to your period, difficulty peeing or pooping, you may need an ultrasound to check that there isnt something more serious going on. Your healthcare provider can help.
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Is It The Time Of The Month
Nature doesn’t think it’s torture enough to experience period cramps and bleeding out of your vagina. Your body needs to experience water retention too, just in case you need that extra dose of insecurity about your weight.;
According to this study, bloating is most prevalent before and during the menstrual period. The main culprit? Your fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels.;
Because of this hormonal imbalance, youre more likely to retain water and salt, which will make your abdomen swell up like a balloon.;
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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.
Being Pregnant Can Leave You Feeling Bloated
We all know that things like a missed period and nausea can point to pregnancy, but according to;What to Expect,;bloating is another common and very typical sign of a new pregnancy and impending baby bump.
“You can blame on the hormone progesterone, which helps slow down digestion, giving the nutrients from foods you eat more time to enter your bloodstream and reach your baby,” the site explained. “While progesterone is essential for maintaining a healthy pregnancy, it also triggers that oh-so-delightful trio: bloating, burping and passing gas,” another What to Expect article revealed.
The reason for this bizarre occurrence? Progesterone relaxes muscle in your stomach and intestines, slowing digestion. This gives your body more time to absorb nutrients from the food you eat but also increases pressure throughout your digestive system leaving you feeling seriously uncomfortable and bloated. For many pregnant women, bloating usually starts to show up at around 11 weeks into a pregnancy and can unfortunately continue all the way up to the time of delivery.
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The Verdict: Water Weight Isnt As Real As Weight From Muscles And Fat But It Does Exist
Look, theres no way youre going to suddenly gain three pounds of fat overnight. “Water weight is real for some people,” says Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D., a specialty nutritionist and dietician with the Mayo Clinic and coauthor of The Mayo Clinic Diet. “Having too much salt or sodium in the body is a big factor, and so is being sedentary and not moving around enough.”
To be clear, were talking about water weight as “bloating” and not chronic water retention, which indicates a malfunctioning of your kidneys or hormones. Bloating is sporadic, usually triggered by diet or lifestyle, and can be remedied without a trip to the doctor — though the kidneys do play an important role. “The kidney is a dynamic organ,” says Zeratsky. “It decides whether to hold on to water. If youve had too much salt the night before, then your kidneys will hold on to more water to dilute or correct that salty imbalance… Then they flush it all out.”
Extra water is typically stored all over your body in the tissue or between blood vessels, and tends to pool in the extremities . It may seem counterintuitive, but your body also tends to store water when youre dehydrated: If youre not drinking enough, your salt/water ratio becomes unbalanced and your body will hang on to any extra fluids until the balance is restored.
Continued
Since fooling the scale is no longer an option, here are some better ways to ditch that water weight fast:
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 it’s a big bowl of popcorn. Either way, before you know it, the whole thing is gone. The inevitable bloat that rushes over you afterwards isn’t just the result of pigging out, though. It’s also a sure sign you’ve 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 person’s 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 study’s 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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You Drink Too Much Booze
The Dietary Guidelines recommend that men have two alcoholic beverages or fewer each day, if any. If youre a big beer drinker, you may notice that the bubbles in the drink make your stomach bloat, says Rizzo.
On top of that, alcohol has unnecessary calories that may lead to weight gain and alcohol also dehydrates you, which means that you will retain water and feel bloated, Rizzo adds.
Having a drink every now and then is perfectly fine, but try and keep it to a minimum if you want to fight bloat.
The Rumor: Water Weight Isnt Real Weight
Chances are you’ve been tempted to try to cheat the bathroom scale at some point, especially on those mornings when your fingers are swollen, your ankles are puffy and your pants feel a little more snug than usual. Clearly thats just water weight, not real weight, right? So whos really going to blame you for subtracting a few extra pounds from your total to bring your number down a notch? Can this type of bathroom-scale math be messing up your fitness goals? What’s the skinny on water weight, anyway — and is there anything you can do to avoid seeing the extra pounds it creates?
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You Increase Fiber Too Fast
If you’re working on fiber intake, do so slowly. Large increases in fiber intake, which can come when following fad diets, doing a 180 with your food choices, or taking fiber supplements, can shock your system, leaving you bloated and even crampy, says Jones. You’ll also want to be sure you’re hydrating while increasing fiber rich foods in your diet, so drink plenty of water.
Causes Of Pms Weight Gain
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Womens Health, up to 90 percent of women report having premenstrual symptoms of bloating, headaches, and moodiness. Weight gain before your period is also referred to as PMS weight gain. This weight gain is related to hormonal changes that occur in the luteal phase, which is the phase just before you get your period.
The luteal phase is the second phase of your menstrual cycle. It begins right after ovulation and ends when your period starts.
Researchers arent entirely sure what causes the symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome . Some of the most popular explanations include:
- Cyclic changes in your sex hormones;
- Pituitary hormone fluctuations;
- Cyclic changes of certain brain chemicals, including neurotransmitters like serotonin
The most common symptoms of PMS are mood swings, bloating, fatigue, hot flashes, and headaches.
These behavioral and physical symptoms can be mild to quite severe and can interfere with everyday life.
Some people who experience weight gain before their period also report that their breasts get slightly larger and more tender. Some experience constipation, while others crave certain foods. These cravings are often for sweet, salty, or high-fat foods, but unfortunately, these types of unhealthy foods can actually make your PMS symptoms worse.
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Do U Lose Weight When U Poop
You can lose weight from pooping, but its very, very slight. Most stool weighs about 100 grams or 0.25 pounds. This can vary based on a persons size and bathroom frequency. That said, poop is made up of about 75% water, so going to the bathroom gives off a little bit of water weight, says Natalie Rizzo, MS, RD.
What Causes Period Weight Gain
Period weight gain is most commonly linked to the hormones oestrogen and progesterone which rise and fall throughout your cycle.
Higher levels of oestrogen can lead to you retaining more water causing you to feel slightly puffy or more bloated, explains Dr Ellie. Whilst changes in progesterone during your cycle can cause your gut to slow down, leading to you become constipated which can also affect your weight.
Nutritionist Alison talks us through the different phases of our period and how weight gain can vary at differing points:
After youve ovulated: Firstly, as levels of the sex hormone progesterone rise, they influence the amount of a fluid-regulating hormone called aldosterone. If your diet is quite high in salt, this can tip you over into retaining fluid. Leaving you bloated and tired.
Last week of your cycle : Next, as levels of the mineral chromium fall, you may experience food cravings for sugar or carbs. A sudden influx of refined carbs will add bloat and show up when you weigh in. You are also more likely to experience constipation. A couple of days of reduced bowel movement will have a surprising amount of effect on the scales.
Just before your bleed: You may feel extra-tired, as levels of the sex hormone oestrogen fall. Inspiring yourself to rush out and exercise may be tricky at this point, and less exercise may mean more poundage .
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Signs That Will Reveal Whether You Are Gaining Weight Or Just Bloating
There are times when the actual weight gain is in the mind and not on the body. It may happen that you feel you have gained weight but it can just be basic bloating. Heres to all the signs one should know about<
Mind Body
Do you think your party pants dont fit anymore? Are you feeling a little fat on your belly? There could be many reasons except weight gain. No, you dont always gain weight, sometimes you bloat. It is very common in people to get mistaken between weight gain and simple bloating. You often feel that you are gaining weight, but in reality, you are just suffering a little bit of belly bloat. There are several reasons due to which you may experience bloating. These signs will tell you if you are gaining weight or it is some belly fat trouble, so you should be able to find a fix for it. Go ahead, read.
Have You Changed Your Lifestyle
Have you been eating out more than usual? Did you get an injury that made you less active than you were? Or are you taking a medication that can cause a lot of extra bloating?
Even the most minute lifestyle change can cause the biggest difference in how your figure looks. Stress, insomnia, and unhealthy habits are all factors that can contribute to extra weight or bloating.;
Bloating can be caused by irritable bowel syndrome and certain food sensitivities. Other times, you might have eaten one too many broccoli. When you are aware of how your lifestyle affects your body, you can catch hidden red flags in your body or tweak your lifestyle to get rid of that uncomfortably tight waistband.;
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What Are The Signs Of Bloating And How To Deal With It
Is your stomach is hard?If your tummy feels hard and tight, then you may be bloated as otherwise, our tummy feels soft.
Is there a constant change in stomach size?The constant switch in stomach size is another sign of being bloated too often and poor digestion. Many women get bloated before their periods and during the days of heavy flow. Constipation is also one of the reasons. So, keep a check on your food intake, constipation and belly size.;
Only the stomach is bulgy?Another way to know if you are just bloated or gained weight is to see if you have more bulges in other parts of the body like under your arms, at your back and legs. If yes, then it is definitely the time to lose weight. But if you have just tummy bulging out then you have to work on releasing the extra gas.;
How to deal with bloating?Manage stressManaging stress and anxiety with the help of yoga and meditation should help you as they can cause bloating. Stress can adversely affect digestion and can lead to gut-related issues including bloating. Stress puts pressure on digestion and imbalances hormone and neurotransmitters. This leads to an environment where foods that could normally be digested easily end up being digested poorly, leading to the production of gas and bloating.
Keep a check on your salt intakeToo much salt can lead to an excessive build-up of water in your stomach. So, try and avoid water retention by drinking more water and avoid salty foods.;
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 weren’t drinking.
This occurs because alcohol’s high carbohydrate and sugar levels can trigger weight gain. In addition, you’re 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 you’re hoping to lose weight, prevent alcohol bloating and start a healthier lifestyle.
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You Have Lactose Intolerance
For some people, dairy products like milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream can cause bloating, because they cant digest the dairy sugar lactose, says Schapiro.
If you are lactose intolerant, avoid these foods. You can always take a lactaid pill that helps you to digest dairy, too. There are also so many non-dairy alternatives to choose from so you dont feel like you are missing out!