Bloating Or Just Fat?

[jollydolly1212]

I'm not an official Celiac, but my doctor recently put me on the gluten free/casein free diet and has diagnosed me with Leaky Gut Syndrome. I have been reading the posts on this site for a few weeks and I feel like I'm reading about my life.

I've always been really thin, but during the last year, I put on 30 pounds despite exercising and there was no change in my diet, and it seems to all be in my stomach. I look pregnant, and I hurt alot, like I'm being stretched. I have to admit, I try to be good, but I'm new at this, and I admit, I have cheated...it's hard not to...I'm part Italian, cheese pasta and bread were big staples of my diet. I used to eat toast for breakfast each morning and now I'm lost.

It may be yeast in my stomach...my doctor has me on PB-8, Mag Tab SR, Flax Seed Oil, and now on Saccharomyces Boulardii. She's sparing me the cost of extensive testing based on symptoms and improvements. Last year, a dermatologist diagnosed me with yeast infections on my skin and toe nails. This let me knew doctor to believe that it's highly likely to be yeast in my digestive tract.

Anyway, I guess my most pressing concern is the bloating...it doesn't sound like it goes away. How do you know if it's bloating or just fat?

[blueeyedmanda]

Well. For me personally, I know mine is fat I have always had a little roll on my stomach area but it has grown since being on the diet and finding some pasta I liked. I was always average weight but I weigh more now than I ever did. I don't eat chips or junky food, but I still have gained. Have you gained/lost any weight recently?

[missy'smom]

[quote name='jollydolly1212' date='Jan 13 2007, 01:48 PM' post='256396'

Anyway, I guess my most pressing concern is the bloating...it doesn't sound like it goes away. How do you know if it's bloating or just fat?

[katrinamaria]

i'm pretty sure mine is bloating. i've always been a smaller sized person everywhere else (well...except the hips lol) and i workout everyday... but i still have this little like bulge in my lower stomach. it really bothers me and i don't know what do do about it. sometimes it will go away, but alot of times i still mostly have it... hopefully some others on here can share there thoughts/advice/remedies? thanks

[Nancym]

I get a lot of bloat, so does my Mom. Dairy does it to me as badly as gluten though. I'm really impressed how flat my stomach has gotten since I've really gotten good with my diet.

Stop cheating though or you'll never figure out if it is bloat or fat!

There are some gluten-free pastas out there, but I avoid all grains so I'm not an expert.

[emcmaster]

Hi there

I put on about 30 pounds in a few months before going gluten-free, too. I got (and still get, if I'm glutened) so bloated that I have to wear maternity clothes - literally.

If it's just in your stomach area, it feels like it's being stretched and it hurts, I'd say it's very likely it's just bloating. I went through a similar panicky period where I wondered if it was all fat, but it wasn't.

You might try an elimination diet (google it) and see if there is something else that is bothering you. For a long time, any fat over a few grams at a time made me bloat up almost instantly. Same with any dairy at all. Keep looking for answers - you should not have to deal with this.

[BRUMI1968]

If it's hard and it hurts when you push on it, it's probably bloat. If it doesn't make a good pillow - bloat. It you CANNOT stuff it into your pants - bloat. If you pass gass and think to yourself, "perfect, now just a hundred more", you've got bloat.

I've had it my whole life, and only recently have gotten it under control. Stick with the diet; watch dairy; consider giving up all grains; consider giving up nightshades; consider giving up beans -- all those at least temporarily to see if any of them contribute. Quitting gluten helped me a bit; quitting dairy helped me a ton; quitting most grains helped me the most...and beans too. Boo hoo.

Sherri

[sonja69]

hi!

for me it's definetly loat and I am so sick of it!!!

on good days, it's better, after meals I am very pregnant.

I was away over xmas and my stomach was to 80% of the time flat. No 'stuffed-like-a-turkey-feeling'. this was a rare but happy time.

now I am home again - and bloated again. do not why, I did not change my diet.

you can observe your stomach or even measure it: mine will grow about 4 -6 cm in diameter depending on time of the day (before meals or drinking something) and after meals in the evening.

it's disgusting, I hate my body for this.

but do not give up, if you find your right diet, it has to go away!!

good luck,

Sonja

[Aizlynn]

Hello all, this is my first post to this site, I just found it and am very excited to know there are other bloatees out there! The comments I have read on here have really helped to reduce the aloneness I felt with this strange food affliction. As I have had this problem since my teens, I thought it was just a daily part of life and would never go away. That is slowly starting to change.

I have found a few things to help with the bloat. 1st, I read a book about a "Anti-Inflamation Diet" or lifestyle. I follow's along similar to the gluten free diet but also discusses other food items that irriate your body, thus causing bloat. Such as corn, tomatoes etc. My Doc described the bloat to a bee sting. If you get a bee sting, which is poison to your body, it swells up and gets red, as a message to you that something is wrong. Well we can't see the inside of our tummy, but when we get something in there that is a "posion" to us, we react. Now I think my body has just gotten conditioned to expanding out of habit...it fills out the stretch marks! That helped some.

As for the uncomfortable subject of being bloating due to gas ( I wish I had $3.00/gallon for my gas) I found one trick that helps but is a bit embarassing.... I get on the bed or floor tummy side down on all fours (like a doggie), I put my chest all the way to the floor and stick my arse in the air and try to relax... don't do this around others, they will be shocked at the "music" you release. I then lay down on my right side for a moment, on my belly, and then on my left side. I call this my "Rotation" It sounds odd, but it really helps with the gas/bloating. Rinse and repeat as needed. It is a sensative subject, but now I know why I get it, and find that it really happens when I slip on my diet. hope this helps.

[ArtGirl]

It you CANNOT stuff it into your pants - bloat.

That's too funny.

[jollydolly1212]

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for all the responses. Just reading this and knowing I'm not all alone in this makes me feel better. I was surprised by the number of responses too.

I'm fairly certain that about 80% of my problem is bloating. I think there's some weight gain or possibly water retention too. My stomach was huge the last two days, but today it's gone down quite a bit...at least the top portion of it has.

I'm going to look into the elimination diet. I have a doctor appointment next week so I'll probably discuss these options with her then. It'll be tough to cut more stuff out but after the last two days (I was in tears because I couldnt' even sit anymore without pain because everything was being pushed all up from bloating) it may be worth it. Hopefully I'll get this all figured out soon because I'm getting married later this year and I certainly don't want to be the Bloated Bride...

Thanks for the support

Heather

[BRUMI1968]

As for the uncomfortable subject of being bloating due to gas ( I wish I had $3.00/gallon for my gas) I found one trick that helps but is a bit embarassing.... I get on the bed or floor tummy side down on all fours (like a doggie), I put my chest all the way to the floor and stick my arse in the air and try to relax... don't do this around others, they will be shocked at the "music" you release. I then lay down on my right side for a moment, on my belly, and then on my left side. I call this my "Rotation" It sounds odd, but it really helps with the gas/bloating. Rinse and repeat as needed. It is a sensative subject, but now I know why I get it, and find that it really happens when I slip on my diet. hope this helps.

My mom taught me this when I was small...I've had bloating issues since I can remember. Another alternative is to get on the excercise ball with your hands on the floor, and your butt in the air. Woooooeeeeeeee.

[sspitzer5]

I'm not an official Celiac, but my doctor recently put me on the gluten free/casein free diet and has diagnosed me with Leaky Gut Syndrome. I have been reading the posts on this site for a few weeks and I feel like I'm reading about my life.

I've always been really thin, but during the last year, I put on 30 pounds despite exercising and there was no change in my diet, and it seems to all be in my stomach. I look pregnant, and I hurt alot, like I'm being stretched. I have to admit, I try to be good, but I'm new at this, and I admit, I have cheated...it's hard not to...I'm part Italian, cheese pasta and bread were big staples of my diet. I used to eat toast for breakfast each morning and now I'm lost.

It may be yeast in my stomach...my doctor has me on PB-8, Mag Tab SR, Flax Seed Oil, and now on Saccharomyces Boulardii. She's sparing me the cost of extensive testing based on symptoms and improvements. Last year, a dermatologist diagnosed me with yeast infections on my skin and toe nails. This let me knew doctor to believe that it's highly likely to be yeast in my digestive tract.

Anyway, I guess my most pressing concern is the bloating...it doesn't sound like it goes away. How do you know if it's bloating or just fat?

I hear ya! I have the same problem and it's making me crazy. I hate feeling bloated. I may have gained 5 lbs or so, but I'm pretty sure it isn't fat. It doesn't seem fat on the rare days when I am not bloated. I think it is all diet related, as others have said. My stomach is a lot less bloated when I eat fewer carbs. The weird thing for me is that I don't usually get gas, just a big stomach. I hate it!

S