Remember this our plan to heal our gut. Consult your doctor before beginning any program. Adjust to your own body and needs. We have done our own research and have come to these steps to help us in our journey to heal our stomach issues. Please do your own research before starting anything new. We are not really sure how long we plan to do this program. And over time we might be changing things depending on how our bodies are doing. We plan to share just about everything as we heal, so we apologize now if some things are TMI. We want to be honest as we are using our blog as our journal.
Hello Friends! Happy Sunday 🙂
Are you ready to talk about stomach bloats? aka the ‘pregnant belly’ feeling?
As we are sharing more of our gut healing journey we are getting more and more people asking about how to deal with bloating? Good question.
We already talked about poo so today is about bloated stomachs. (and updates on back acne/rash and more)
People say to us… “they never seen us with bloated stomachs… we always seem to have flat abs” We appreciate the sweet words. We do not always have flat looking abs. It’s not always fun and flattering to see a picture of someone with a bloated belly, unless pregnant of course. So that is why we don’t really share pictures like this much. But here we go…
Top picture of me (Michelle) was taken before heading out of town last week (taken first thing in the morning) and the other two pics of me were from various times last year. I wanted to show a side-by-side picture so you could see my abs do not always show.
This was me when I got up here to Orlando earlier this week.
So as you can see I do not always have good-looking abs, and sometimes the bloat is more extreme than other days. I know Lori and I are not the only ones that deal with a pregnant belly from extra gas in the body. Our friend Janetha has shared her journey with it as well. Plus, we get emails and comments all the time about others dealing with bloated stomachs.
“why does it happen?”
“how to fix it?”
These are hard questions to answer as everyone is different. We believe it has a lot to do with food (food is a lot different than it was a few years ago in terms of how it is made, etc). Plus us girls have a more complex system than guys. Our colon is squished, which causes a lot of complications. And another thing, girls seem to get more constipated around their period…just one thing we (us girls) have to deal with all the time.
Lori and I still are working on finding the reason behind our bloated stomachs. We do have some thoughts on why it happens:
– eating too fast (not chewing food well)
– eating too late at night (but sometimes that is out of our control)
– backed up system (gas built up from not going to the bathroom)
– lack of water
– too much fiber or fermented foods (or maybe not enough)
And we think every time we get bloated it is for a different reason, so really we cannot solve it. Frustrating!!!
BUT we are hoping with slowly taking the time to be more aware of healing our gut it will get better. Well we are here to find out 😉 We will keep you all updated with that journey as well.
I pretty much rolled out of bed at 6:30 to do my 5 minute #plankworkout and 2 minute bridge pose before getting ready for the last day of working the expo. I miss moving my body more but when I work these expo I stand for about 10-12 hours so my legs are tired (plus getting little sleep as we are up early and go to bet late). So doing 5 minutes of plank works for me right now.
I (lori) did 5 minute #plankworkout as well with some push-ups (about 25 reps) and bridge for 2 minute hold, for my morning workout yesterday. Plus went to the park for some hiking/walking.
Michelle Day 9 recap:
Yesterday was the last day of the expo, which meant another very long day. Not only was it the last day to sell, but we had to breakdown boothes and pack up cars. So my eats and water intake were not the ideal thing, but I made do with what I could.
Before having my breakfast I took my morning supplements – probiotic, l-glutamine mixed in water and fish oil pills. I also took a new product to help with my sluggish system.
I took one 1 teaspoon with some hot water.
Breakfast was cooked chard, 2 hard boiled eggs, and some bacon with 2 cups of black coffee.
Then it was off to work.
Enjoyed two bananas during the day and drank my water! Love my contigo water bottles.
My outfit from yesterday! Love my CEP compression socks, they saved my legs these past 4 days of standing! And Therefit shoes worked out great too!
I brought more food to eat, but as soon as the expo was over we immediately went to work on breaking down the booth. So I did not eat until we got home (which was was 8:30pm).
I enjoyed my bag of carrots and parsnips fries dipped in coconut oil as I waited for the rest of my dinner to cook.
My second half of dinner was scallops and salmon (drizzled with more coconut oil) with 1/2 avocado and lots of sauerkraut. I enjoyed two margaritas last night too 😉
Forgot to put magnesium oil on legs.
Michelle: Day 9 recap –
Bathroom: very little success (as I did not have time to go)
Energy: good
Gas: yes a little with some bloating (stayed with me all day)
Skin: nothing new to report
Water intake – about 9 cups
I knew this past week and this week coming up my body would be struggling to heal due to the work schedule I have right now. I am doing my best and I realize once I get back home, I can change my eats and everything to help heal better than I am now. But I wanted to show you all that I am trying my best. This is not the ideal way I would recommend healing but sometimes life pulls you in all directions and you have to learn to go with the flow.
Lori: day 9 recap –
Took my morning probiotic, 1/2 tsp fermented cod liver oil/butter blend and l-glutamine
Breakfast was black coffee served with 2 whole eggs, 3 pieces of grass-fed bacon and some broccoli, topped with 1 tbsp coconut oil.
mmm egg yolk food porn… sooo yummy.
Next meal was about 16oz of fresh juice and handful of pulp veggie crackers. My juice was: 3 carrots, 2 apples, lots of romain, mint, fresh ginger, 6 radishes and 4 stalks of celery.
After juice it was time to head to the park. Jax’s favorite thing to do on the weekends.
Love seeing him run around – always puts a smile on my face.
We went for about 40-50 minute hike. We all had a great time and all enjoyed the fresh air!
Snacked on a banana for the car ride home.
Upon arriving home I made a mid-afternoon snack. Plate full of roasted broccoli, broccoli/carrot slaw with red onion and 4oz sweet potato with cinnamon and 1 tbsp coconut oil.
Saturday Gary and I went out with some of his friends/co-workers. I did not know what to do with my hair, I wanted to do something different. So I browsed pinterest and decided on a high ponytail with loose curls. I was pretty proud. Plus got to wear my favorite scarf.
Before heading out to have drinks with friends I made myself dinner.
One grass-fed burger with mustard on top, handful of chopped romaine, sauted green cabbage and radishes, half avocado, good cup worth of roasted cauliflower, dulse flakes, sauerkraut and 1 tbsp coconut oil. Delicious! For those that have asked where I get my burgers I get them from Whole Foods in their freezer department. I also took my pre-dinner pills: 1/2 tsp cod liver oil, l-glutamine, quercetin, licorice, digestive enzyme.
I took the night off from putting magnesium oil on my legs. Forgot to clean back due to getting back late and just wanted to go to bed.
Bathroom: very small bowel movement in the morning, stool was like a 1 and 2
Energy: pretty good
Gas: not much
Skin: no major improvements, still dealing with back acne and rash and itching skin from time to time
Water intake – 9 cups water (does not include juice)
Now onto some progress pictures: all the pictures are un-edited
My itchy stomach (yes I have a lot of moles, something else I am embarrassed about) a few days ago. I just start itching and getting these red spots. Happens on my legs too from time to time. Not every day it is like this, but a fair amount.
Here is what my back progress is looking like. At moments I feel it is getting better but then at times I feel it is the same! Frustrating. Just like my face, I know my back is going to take awhile to get completely better. I will continue to have faith that it will. Luckily, it is winter time and my back is not seen every day. It’s so embarrassing I must say. Never thought this would ever happen to me.
Here is my face (no make-up on, this is me in the morning) about a week ago. Face is still doing very well. Like I mentioned in the video few days ago I have been doing oil pulling on my face and loving it. I will give update on my face here this coming week and how I am oil pulling if you guys are interested.
Overall I am happy. Happy with some of my body improvements like my arms and abs, but still dealing with other body issues in terms of my skin and going to the bathroom. Oh the body can be so complicated at times. I know I will get through this struggle but hard at times.
Twins Question: Do you deal with pregnant bloated belly? What are your thoughts on stomach bloat? How do you track progress in your body?
til next time,
xoxo
purelytwins
PS: thanks as always for the support during this difficult time for us. We do get embarrassed sharing some of these pictures but it helps us to learn and figure things out.
59 comments
you guysss thanks so much for sharing..
i have the preggo belly too and ive been struggling with it for over 2 years. Its part of what triggered an eating disorder 🙁 it still isnt better and its usually much worse than it is in your pictures and 24/7. except for rare mornings where it is great until i drink water. lol. I cant wear anything fitted. it sucks. I want to cry a lot because of it… so if you guys figure anything out id love to know and hear it <3 ive spent so much money trying to cure this getting nowhere. I even did body ecology diet really strict w all the supplements probiotics etc for a while and no cure.
SO i can TOTALLY relate u guys arent alone <3
thanks Mariel! we feel your pain! our stomachs usually get worse than what is shown on blog, but slowly getting less and less intense at most times. It was started our eating disorder many years ago as well, as we hated feeling like it, so we cut back on eat, but that never helped. lessen learned it is something underneath (something happing inside) that is what is causing it. We will continue our journey here and yes as soon as we find things that work we will share!!! Hang in there! HUGS
If u don’t mind, can I throw in my two cents?
I have tried nearly every day known to man…. Scd, gaps, high carb, low carb, fruitarian and everything else in between. I’ve also done loads of supps, herbs, cleanses etc.
I’m concern is that I notice u lovely gals use a lot of Co oil. Many people tout it as being really healing and healthy, but newer research is showing the opposite. It basically has no nutrients in it…. Whole coconut at least contains vit/min but the oil is stripped of that…. It is just fat. Might it be more optimal to use whole sources of fats like from nuts, seeds, avos?
Another thing….. Coconut can be an allergen. It often doesn’t show on allergy tests (which are highly unreliable too) for me, coconut oil caused major acne. Oil clogs pores no matter what type u use
How is ur zinc level? Zinc plays a huge role in skin and digestion. If u r low in zinc then ur digestion is off too bc digestive enzymes rely on zinc. Even supplemental enzymes won’t work without adequate serum zinc. It also plays a role in sleep and mental function and lots of other things. B6 often is low too. Many people with lifelong gi and skin issues have a genetic defect with zinc. I highly recommend reading Nutrient Power By Dr bill Walsh. It is centered around how nutrient imbalances can cause mental health issues but also discusses how these can also affect physical health. Itwas really eye opening to me. I found out i am defdecent in some key nutrients and will soon start on a program. Even the best diet cannot fix severe imbalances.
Also, Dr Joel Furman has written excellent books on nutrition that have helped numerous people overcome immune issues and digestive/skin problems. Melding his diet and discovering ur nutrient imbalances can be key to solving issues that seem relentless.
Lastly…. Does ur constipation and bloat issue seem better or worse since adding meat and oils to ur diet? Which diet seemed best?
Stacy, rn and cnc
Thanks Stacy, we knew about the coconut being an allergen, we are making note in the back of our minds and will make changes if needed down the road. We haven’t had our zinc levels changed in a very long time. Lori used to take zinc for her acne a few years ago, maybe we should start it again? Thank you for the book recommendations. Our constipation/bloat issue seems to go through periods of not being bad at all and then really bad at times, its weird. we are trying to figure out if meat/oils or non is better for us, we are still taking it slowly to see if we can figure it out.
I really hope u gals can get to the bottom of this. I have the same issues as u and it is frustrating for sure
Another thing to consider is Fodmaps. There r loads of resources online and the book ” ibs free at last” explains it well. This could be a big help too
With zinc they are finding that the optimal levels should be at least 100 for serum zinc. Also ur copper zinc ratio is vital too. I can give I more resources and referrals if u want, including the most reputable lab and doctors to see if u are interested. There is a researcher who can explain this for free via email or phone too… He answered a lot of my concerns and guided me in the rigjt direction. Or I can guide u too thru this, as this has become my passion bc it has worked when everything else has failed
How did Lori do on zinc and what dose and type did she take?
Let me know how I can help….. I hate seeing others struggle
Hugs!
Thanks Stacy, yes any information would be great. Lori got her zinc tested a few years ago and it was low (not sure how low) and not sure what zinc she was taking. She did do a lot of research before taking it. Thanks for your help!
First, thank you for sharing this journey of yours! I am also in the healing-my-gut-business right now, doing a whole30 🙂
But I don’t really document my progress like you guys, but I wish I did, cause it is an eye opener with black on white and all those pics.
Second, that bloated belly thing.. I noticed my belly don’t like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and such. And onions. Hm. I can have a little of them all, but when I overeat them (as I often do) my belly reacts with that food baby look. And that’s too bad, cause I looove cabbage. And broocoli. And cauliflower. Aargh.
Good luck to you!
Thanks Ealina, we are the same way when we overeat those veggies as well, we notice a discomfort in our bellies, and like you we LOVE them. Grrr.
Really cooking these cruciferous veggies often helps. Although, sometimes it still happens. I wonder if it depends on the crop.
Definitely check out the fodmaps diet. I started having major issues after a stomach infection from unwashed fruit. Fodmaps has been the one diet that has seemed to make sense. It has to do with fructose and other sugars that some people don’t absorb very well which in turn causes extreme gas and bloating.
Again, you girls are not alone. I get the bloated belly, too! I notice it most often after lots of broccolli. I pretty much eat it every day, but it seems to cause me to bloat more when it’s been cooked (if that means anything). And obviously, when I drink too much water with one meal I most definitely have a belly. Thank you girls for being brave and sharing your healing journey (and thanks for the shout-out, too. Expo was wonderful!).
Thank you for continuing to blog about your health journey. The bloated belly (prego belly) is something I am very familiar with as I am suffering from the same thing. I have gone through periods of a normal stomach and bloated stomach for years. I was diagnosed with celiacs disease and thought that was the answer to my bloat. Unfortunately it was not. I have eliminated dairy, and some FODMAP foods from my diet. I feel better now, but still not 100%. I have started taking probiotics, drinking peppermint tea, and decreasing grains from my diet. I see my GI MD this week and have been writing a food journal documenting my eats and symptoms. We are going on our Caribbean honeymoon this week!!!! And I know i will not have as much control over my diet, so when we return I plan on eliminated grains 100% for at least 1 month. Do you ladies still drink peppermint tea? Do you feel as if it is helping your digestion? Also, what brand probiotics do you take? Thank you again for sharing your health journey on your blog! This will be really helpful to me to look at upon my return for meal ideas!
Keep up the great work! yes we still drink peppermint tea, sometimes I feel it helps, but all the time. we switch off brands of probiotic, as we like to get variety. Brands we like MegaFoods, Dr ohhira, Rainbow light, and HMF Forte.
Thank you so much for sharing! You are really inspiring me. I struggled for years with what I thought was adult acne before finding out it’s actually sebhorreic dermatitis. I found Dr. Cynthia Bailey’s info really helpful and I started using her Calming Zinc soap twice a day and today is day 4 with excellent results. It is all natural.
I am definitely going to have to work on gut repair. I have a short waist, extra weight, and find that my bloating level fluctuates like crazy.
I found your blog last night and made your soft, thick chocolate chip cookies and they were incredible! Thanks!
thanks Jen! Glad you enjoyed the cookies, one of our favorites!!!
Thanks for sharing your journey! This is so interesting! Have you guys tried apple cider vinegar and water after eating? Always seems to get rid of any bloating for me.
Pregnant bloat belly is story of my life. It’s so frustrating!! Some days it is fine and I don’t have it or it’s not too bad, but others it looks like I am literally pregnant ha ha. It is usually when I have gas or haven’t gone to the bathroom consistently.
same here Brittany! we are the same way! grr frustrating
I have found huge skin benefits from drinking warm lemon water and cayenne each morning when I wake up. I used to have adult acne and doing this plus washing my face every night and after workouts really seems to help:)
Good luck!
tomach bloat is very difficult and it can just make you feel so blah. ope we can all find a great way to deal with it!
Keep up the great work!
Do you measure your sweet potatoes before or after cooking?
Do you bake, steam, or sautee your sweet potatoes?
we measure the sweet potato after we cook it, we usually steam it. sometimes we roasted in oven but usually steam
ahhh as you know, i feel your pain. been loving these gut healing posts, by the way. been reading them but not commenting. thanks for all the effort put into them 🙂
thanks Janetha for your support!! xoxo
Hi girls,
Here are some resources you might be interested in:
http://www.paleoforwomen.com/hormonal-acne-where-its-coming-from-and-what-to-do-about-it
http://www.westonaprice.org/digestive-disorders/how-to-restore-digestive-health
Let me know if you have already read this!
thanks Zosia we read those articles before, always good to keep re-reading them!
Can I just say how much I appreciate you ladies talking about the bloated pregnant belly publicly? I have tried to talk to other women about this but it’s so taboo, or so it seems! I have been having the same problem, but my belly shows up if I go more than 3 hours without eating. Doesn’t matter what it is or if I feel hungry or not, if I don’t eat, I get the more horrendous lower intestinal pain and bloating. Lying on my stomach is the only thing that seems to help, and relieve everything. But even then sometimes that doesn’t work, and I just have to go to bed and wake up better in the morning (it’s always gone when I wake up, no matter how bad). Have you ladies ever experienced that? A time constraint to your bloat?
thanks Melissa, xoxo
lying down in a ball is what usually helps us!! I hope more women talk about it, as it (we think) is a serious issue. Yes usually in the morning the bloat and pain is gone.
Hi love all that you do on your site and so open and honest. Have you tried taking Coffee out of your diet , I was getting itchy all the time and since taking coffee out it has gone,
yes two years ago we took coffee out for a whole year, and still had many of these issues still
You girls are amazing for sharing all this and I’m sure it will help so many!! My bloated tummy seems to have gone away now that’s I’m grain and bean free! Yippy! Again, good luck and looking forward to reading more on your tummy success!
There are several things that I have taken out of my diet to deal with my bloat issues – gluten, soy and dairy. I can always tell when one of those sneaks back in. Bananas and apples are also harsh on my digestive tract – so eliminating those has helped a tremendous amount! As soon as I stopped eating banana (that I love) I was able to have a more “normal” digestive function. I too have horrible acne breakouts (I’m 37) and notice that when I do it’s that something has gone wrong in my diet, like one of those 3 ingredients above. I have to say I love that the two of you are so open about this journey! It has helped me think more about has gone wrong and what has gone right. I look forward to reading more about what is working for you both!!
Yes! I get that at night sometimes and it’s really bad when I don’t have a bowel movement that morning. I have been taking prebiotics and probiotics for a while now and it really does seem to help. Love that you two are documenting this for others. Curious, how much sleep do you two get? I noticed that I have a harder time with bloating when I get exhausted. I’ve also been taking melatonin at night to help my body relax more.
Our bloating usually happens at night as well, and yes we are finding from not going to the bathroom in the morning, but then some days no bloating and no poo, so weird. We tend to get 6-8 hours of sleep, average I would say 7 hours.
Another thought…
Does the bloat ever make you self conscious? Before I realized it was bloat it did a number on my thinking.
Do you ever obsess about your “pregnant” belly even though you know it is bloat and will pass?
Do you ever notice your “bloat size” (or at least perception of it” changes depending on the lighting?
How do you deal with the discomfort?
you are so flipping amazing.
raw honest and wiling to share and HELPING SO SO MANY.
xoxo
thank you Carla, scary to show these pictures but it helps 🙂
I’m going to echo the comments by stacey earlier. I highly recommend you look into taking the ALCAT test ..it’s a high level allergen blood test. I had many of the same problems and felt I was doing everything to combat them..food combining, juicing, vitamins etc etc. I couldnt understand how one meal could change my entire body. You might just be allergic to something as simple as bananas or a spice and not know it. It’s pricey but worth the investment.
I dont recommend alcat…. Very expensive and very unreliable and inconsistent. Igg iga ige tests might be useful but they have an extremely high rate of false results.
Hi girls!
I take the natural calm too, 1 tsp before bed, it has been very helpful for me!
I have a question for you, where do you buy your sunflower lecithin?? I am looking for it and trying to find it in liquid form to add to my homemade nut/seed milks, but can only find the sunflower lecithin in softgel forms. (and I don’t want to use soy)
I remember you guys used it in liquid form, so I wanted to as where you got/get it.
I am also in a long pathway of healing and things are not easy, have been through allergy treatments and supplements for a few months and there are some hard times to go through. However, I have been feeling much better lately so, even though slowly, things are progressing.
Stay strong and everything will be well, for all of us 🙂
Ana
we get our sunflower lecithin from blue mountain organic
http://bluemountainorganics.com/CatalogueRetrieve.aspx?ProductID=2089865&A=SearchResult&SearchID=5975433&ObjectID=2089865&ObjectType=27
I have not followed this whole thing but I know when I was younger, chewing sugar free gun killed my tummy – bloating from the sugar alcohols. I don’t chew it any more & eat any of the sugar free gum or products with those in them.. or if I do, minimal! All those sorbitol & the itol sugar alcohols bloat me like no tomorrow!!!
Hey, guys thanks so much for sharing. I can’t wait until you can share how to ‘cure’ the ‘pregant belly.’ I have always had digestive issues/sensitive stomach since child hood, but they became more evident when I started doing Figure competitions and became really lean (through a basic eating disorder). Gas, indigestion and serious bloat! Almost like the bloat, made up for all the weight I lost in my stomach because it stuck out so much. Now, I am no longer eating disorderly, but literally am so sensitive to EVERYTHING. There are very few foods I eat that won’t trigger a digestive issue, so I basically ‘live with it’. I use digestive enzymes and probiotics. I tried using ACV before I eat which sometimes make my stomach burn so bad I have to go in fetal position. I’ve tried cutting out grains and that seems to work the best, but when in a social situation and I have some carbohydrates it’s literally havac on my stomach.
Thanks so much for sharing! Embarassing share: sometimes I look in the mirror and pretend I’m a pregant fit model because my belly is so rediculous but everything else looks good!
Did you guys read Angela’s post at Oh She Glows about carageenan and how its causes irritable bowel and bloating symptoms? Quite an eye opener. Apparently its in many of the foods we eat. She gives a list of what products have it (most) and what don’t.
http://ohsheglows.com/2013/01/07/carrageenan-in-our-food/
Thank you Barb for sharing, we do not eat any of those foods listed, but always a good reminder to check as from time to time we do have coconut milk.
i tend to get bloated as the day goes on. i am trying to figure out what triggers this and eliminate it from my diet. juicing has really helped me with bathroom issues. does it help you?
We just like juicing for the taste and the way it makes us feel, we notice no difference in the bathroom. But glad you found what works for you!
I have tried Natural Calm before, and it worked sort of. I found because I was backed up, my gut would store it and then I would have too much in there before it began to work! So it was a bit unpredictable. I eliminated bloat by limiting vegetable intake. Drinking water from cooked kale gives the vitamins of the greens without the gas. It’s worth subbing this for eating the veg, you could do it every now and again without giving up vegetables completely. I still eat some, but not a lot. Constipation is still an issue, and I think it is just congenital colon shape, it began when I hit my teens, so probably when the internal lady bits grew and took up more space!! I use an anthroquinone laxative a few times a week, it’s the only thing that makes me go normally. Otherwise I get impaction- not nice.
thanks girl for the tips! Very interesting about kale water, just might have to give that a try here soon.
I am so loving these posts. I didn’t think I had similar issues, but reading about your experiences with bloating make me wonder. I have the same problem. I go from flat tummy to starving Ethiopian distention in what seems like seconds. Thanks for being so brave and open about this issue!
xoxo Laura!!!
amazing the response we got back sharing our bloated stomachs, how many girls suffer from it. crazy.
Oh boy do I ever suffer from pregnant belly. I can seriously look 9 months along some days. I can go for weeks at a time without it if I eat a gluten free vegan diet eliminating all gas producing foods, but it gets really difficult if I want to go out for dinner – everything contains onions! And I really miss apples and pears.
Yay we are taking a break from apples and trying our best to avoid onions, we miss those foods too.
Oh my gosh! I stumbled across your page and I have the same exact problem! I was starting to think I was the only one and I had to resort to doctors and hospitals. I am still going to keep track of my body since on top of the bloating my stomach hurts to any poke/pressure. My abs show but not as definite on most days basically I have to flex/strain for it to show but lately I’ve had the “alien” belly. haha For your back acne did it start when you started working out? I NEVER had back acne and about a year ago it came up once in a while but now it’s full on massacre back there and it IS embarrassing. My boyfriend asked me if it hurts one night and I was at a loss of words- I felt like the ugliest thing in the world! Anyways, do you have any suggestions on how to help the back acne situation? You girls are fabulous for sharing your personal stuff!
Hey Guys,
Not sure if you’ve managed to figure it out yet but I’ve been suffering with similar issues on the bloating side since the beginning of the year and the only thing that seems to work for me is to eat virtually the same thing everyday. Whilst my diet is super clean and high protein (I weight train so need it) I couldn’t find any food(s) that triggered my bloating it just happened with anything but since starting with a new trainer (who also writes my diet) and sticking to it exactly (it’s very similar everyday but I do carb carb; mon, tues, thurs and sun are low, wesd + fri medium and sat high carb day) I get very little bloating now and the only thing that makes sense (and seems to be proven when I do eat something new / different) is the consistency of it. I think my gut / body gets use to the amount of gas it needs to produce to handle those foods and because I don’t confuse it by giving it something different too often it seems to calm down and chill out mostly! Give it a try for 1-2 weeks and see how you go? It’s been a total break through for me(a bit annoying and boring but at least I know I can control it a bit!)
Hope this helps and thanks for sharing,
Hayley
Just a random recommendation to try with bloating/skin issues (I suffer from both even from having been on lots of different diets) if you are up for trying something else!
There is an elimination diet I have yet to try called FODMAPs (recommended by my doctor). They have to do with short chained carbohydrates found in different foods (including whole fruits and vegetables). There is also just a limitation of portion control when it comes to certain things that I had never considered before (like limiting banana consumption to 1/2 at a time and up to 1 a day).
I’m sure you can still eat whole healthy foods that are grain and sugar free while incorporating your diet around the restrictions.
Thanks Christina we do our best with a low fodmaps diet.
i just came by your blog by searching bloated all the time. I am 31, 4 kids and married. i havent had a normal stomach and some what of a flat tummy since before i got pregnant in 2004. After i had her my stomach did go down. I have had 3 c-sections and 1 natural birth. not in that order. My stomach looks like im 6 to 9 months pregnant. i suck it most of the time. especially around husband or out in public. Im bloated all the time. no matter how healthy i eat or how much water intake it doesnt go away. i have used the green wraps around your stomach. spent so much on it and it never worked. Today i had 1 bottle of Suja juice drink. its cold pressed juice. i bought it at costco for 28 dollars. its a 3 day juice cleanse but i dont follow there menu plan. for one i didnt know it had one. and two i already bought food for 2 weeks so i wasnt going to spend more money. then i had coffee, then i had a green smoothie. 1 banana, 1 half avocado, some water and almond milk. i added 1 fig for sweetness and a handful of mixed greens (chard, kale, spinach) then i did have some garlic bread but they where super small pieces. i am still drinking water. i had some salad and rissotto i made earlier. and im back to 132lbs. i was 127 a few weeks ago. Around 2 1/2 weeks ago. I am on my period too lol. but i dont see why it has to make a difference. Im nursing my 15 month old so basically when i nurse her i lose calories but i end up hungry again. i do 30 mins cardio when i feel like it. i dont have a schedule. i cant always do it every day because of how i feel. i dont think anything is making a difference either. i cant do more then 30 mins! Im constantly bloated, my stomach hurts when i let it all out. i cant wear cute clothes because of my stomach. since i had a c-section my stomach has love handles and it just looks so weird when i wear jeans and shorts. i dont think i have IBS. I am constipated at times but i dont know what is going on.
Natural Calm is a HUGE lifesaver for me. I have recently been dealing with this problem more and more. I’ve heard papaya enzymes are good for this issue, but haven’t tried them yet, but I do find adding yogurt into my daily routine aids a lot. Thanks for the great post and new ideas to try 🙂
Glad it helped.