Cause of Puffy Stomach By End of Day?

[georgiehopper]

Does everyone wake up with a flat stomach in the morning and a puffy one by the evening? My waist easily gains an inch during the day? I used to think it was water retention from salt, but I keep my sodium intake under 1300 mg per day.

I'm just curious as to if this is a common thing or not.

[hope2bme]

Does everyone wake up with a flat stomach in the morning and a puffy one by the evening? My waist easily gains an inch during the day? I used to think it was water retention from salt, but I keep my sodium intake under 1300 mg per day.

I'm just curious as to if this is a common thing or not.

Yep! Everyday. It happens no matter what (unless I don't eat for the whole day) but it is more prevelant for me when I eat potatoes, rice or pasta of any kind, then I get some serious "bloat" going on.

Pasta is the worst for me so I just don't eat it all at anymore, ever.

I love the feeling of that flat stomach in the morning though :0)

[Honey75]

All. the. time. I always figured it was normal.

[Nightbird573]

A lot of digestion happens at night while you are sleeping b/c your body can focus all of its energy on those processes instead of on you moving around a lot during the day. So, by the end of the day, a lot of the food you consumed during the day is still hanging around in your stomach and in the early processes of digestion. After a long night's sleep, digestion has progressed and you [usually] no longer have that bloated stomach look by morning. Additionally, drinking plenty of water will prevent you from retaining so much by the end of the day.

[aussiemommy]

Yep, I get it too

[kpettitt]

<------Plans all beach trips/photoshoots in am... hahaha! yeah- it happens to the best of us. Like NB said- digestion happens at night and your belly gets all empty and flat, then we fill it with Protein and gasy veggies... and by the end of the day we all look about 3-4mths prego... but I'm not giving up food to change it!

[sweetvanity]

this happens to me all the time! and the more i lose, the more visible my night bloat becomes. i have a tendency towards IBS like flare-ups so i am all too familiar with this issue. you can try taking a gas-x. or if you're a more 'natural' person, try taking peppermint oil capsules with your last meal of the day or sipping ginger tea.

also you can try avoiding gassy foods (broccoli, beans, etc...) at night.

hope that helps!

[queenofswords]

Yep i get this too! Still trying to figure out which food combos contribute to the puffiness at the end of the day. Its trial & error I guess.

[Amanda76]

Different things will cause it for everyone but this is how it goes for me:

I don't have much of a problem unless my consumption of dairy goes up (can get away with a serving of cottage cheese every night) or I start eating more processed grains than oats. It's not that I'm screwed if I eat one sandwich every so often, it's just when my meal plans start revolving around breads, pastas and cereals that I start having problems with bloating. I don't have an issue with this in the winter when I'm covered up anyway...but in the summer? Yeah. I'll stick to my plain-jane oats, rice and potatos.

Also, if my coffee consumption overtakes my water consumption for too long...I'll start to have issues.

If I stick to "proper" (for me) portions of whole foods, I actually have a tendency to look a bit better after I eat than when I first wake up after a long night's rest because my muscle will fill out a bit (I look more like I have abs after eating than before eating after sleeping in).

[kimi7986]

Different things will cause it for everyone but this is how it goes for me:

I don't have much of a problem unless my consumption of dairy goes up (can get away with a serving of cottage cheese every night) or I start eating more processed grains than oats. It's not that I'm screwed if I eat one sandwich every so often, it's just when my meal plans start revolving around breads, pastas and cereals that I start having problems with bloating. I don't have an issue with this in the winter when I'm covered up anyway...but in the summer? Yeah. I'll stick to my plain-jane oats, rice and potatos.

Also, if my coffee consumption overtakes my water consumption for too long...I'll start to have issues.

If I stick to "proper" (for me) portions of whole foods, I actually have a tendency to look a bit better after I eat than when I first wake up after a long night's rest because my muscle will fill out a bit (I look more like I have abs after eating than before eating after sleeping in).

Amanda you just read my mind! I never even thought of the coffee thing until you said that, I get the same thing. Actually some painful bloating by the end of the day w/too much dairy/too little water. And for some reason my occasional coffee in the afternoon with skim milk (LOVE LATTES) might be doing it as well. I think the cause there is less the milk but more the artificial flavoring if I get sugar free vanilla. Or dunkin donuts peppermint mocha tends to bloat me as well.

[Amanda76]

Amanda you just read my mind! I never even thought of the coffee thing until you said that, I get the same thing. Actually some painful bloating by the end of the day w/too much dairy/too little water. And for some reason my occasional coffee in the afternoon with skim milk (LOVE LATTES) might be doing it as well. I think the cause there is less the milk but more the artificial flavoring if I get sugar free vanilla. Or dunkin donuts peppermint mocha tends to bloat me as well.

In my case, I think it's the coffee dehydrating me (I normally drink it black)...but in yours, it could be either the artificial sweetener or extra dairy. There is a lot of milk in a latte. With Starbucks being the example, their grande (16 oz) latte contains two shots of espresso. A shot = 1 ounce. If only two ounces are coffee and the rest are milk...you gotta figure on there being at least 12 ounces of milk in there.

You could try trading some of the lactose (the likely culprit if it's the milk bloating you) in milk for fat by ordering breve lattes (made with half and half or whole cream -- my favorite!) but it'll jack your calories up immensely!

Other things you can do are ask for another shot or two of espresso in your drinks, order a smaller drink with an extra shot, or order cappuccinos (more foam, less steamed milk) instead of lattes. Or settle for drinking your coffee black a greater deal of the time, like I do (just don't let it get in the way of your water!).

[kimi7986]

In my case, I think it's the coffee dehydrating me (I normally drink it black)...but in yours, it could be either the artificial sweetener or extra dairy. There is a lot of milk in a latte. With Starbucks being the example, their grande (16 oz) latte contains two shots of espresso. A shot = 1 ounce. If only two ounces are coffee and the rest are milk...you gotta figure on there being at least 12 ounces of milk in there.

You could try trading some of the lactose (the likely culprit if it's the milk bloating you) in milk for fat by ordering breve lattes (made with half and half or whole cream -- my favorite!) but it'll jack your calories up immensely!

Other things you can do are ask for another shot or two of espresso in your drinks, order a smaller drink with an extra shot, or order cappuccinos (more foam, less steamed milk) instead of lattes. Or settle for drinking your coffee black a greater deal of the time, like I do (just don't let it get in the way of your water!).

Most of the time the coffee is black, I can't believe I used to order 6 and 6 at dunks...ick! But I actually prefer the black now. In the morning I have to force myself to drink a bottle of water before I drink my first cup because I know I'll sip the coffee for a while.

You're right though, whenever I have half and half I don't notice the problem as much, now that I'm bulking I can get the good stuff

[Ally_Cat]

I look so good in the morning! I always look forward to waking up and flexing in the mirror lol! But i figured it was normal that that happened. I always figured it was from all the food and liquids I was consuming. 90 something oz of water and 4 protein shakes yesterday certainly gave me a puffy tummy

[Glamorous]

You're right though, whenever I have half and half I don't notice the problem as much, now that I'm bulking I can get the good stuff

I really prefer Half & Half whenver I can - and avoid milk for the most part. I use a bit of Half & Half in my black coffee with no sugar (if you buy a good coffee it tastes amazing by itself!), and then sometimes I add it to my oatmeal. I DO measure it with a measuring spoon because I know it would be WAY too easy to get carried away with the "good stuff" :P

[Amanda76]

Most of the time the coffee is black, I can't believe I used to order 6 and 6 at dunks...ick! But I actually prefer the black now. In the morning I have to force myself to drink a bottle of water before I drink my first cup because I know I'll sip the coffee for a while.

You're right though, whenever I have half and half I don't notice the problem as much, now that I'm bulking I can get the good stuff

I do the same thing...Water with breakfast and then I'll sip the same coffee through lunch (will have more water with M2, though). I'm NORMALLY better about water through the afternoon and evening, but sometimes I go coffee crazy.

[BarbellBeauty]

My stomach always gets very bloated when I eat the wrong combination of foods. I have figured out through trial and error what makes it better and what makes it worse. For me its usually dairy, artificial sweeteners, eating fruit with other foods and veggies like broccoli. But the 2 things that I have found to be tremendously helpful, to the point where I rarely have that yucky bloated feeling are 1) Taking a daily digestive enzyme(the brand I use is called Bio Align. Its great because it has enzymes that help your body digest and break down protein, fat, carbs and dairy. 2) Eating a probiotic yogurt daily. (I either eat Activia or Trader Joe's nonfat brand. Yes they may have more sugar than a yogurt such as greek yogurt but for me, I'm a girl who can't eat dairy and that I actually can eat. Plus they have Acidophilis and Bifidius in them as well. Good Stuff Those things seem to work well with me.

[Downwthesicknes]

I always would get bloated when I drank coffee... then just the other day I was watching Dr. Oz (not sure if you're familiar, but he's a heart surgeon with his own talk show to educate America)..

but anyways.. He said that the caffeine in the coffee relaxes the stomach muscles instead of keeping them drawn together in a tight formation. This relaxation contributes to bloating and a feeling of being hungry (cuz your stomach is bigger... so you want to fill it).

Hope this helps

[Holly2710]

I find creatine has made me soo bloated! I feel like I have gained 5 pounds. I thought coffee was suppose to make you look skinny? Because it acts as a diarhretic?

[Amanda76]

I find creatine has made me soo bloated! I feel like I have gained 5 pounds. I thought coffee was suppose to make you look skinny? Because it acts as a diarhretic?

You should have gained a couple of pounds if you've been taking creatine...it causes you to hold more water within your muscle fibers. If you feel like it's making you actually bloat (hold water outside the muscle), increase your water intake and see if that helps. If that doesn't help, switching types might.

Coffee can (not "will") make you look leaner if it's not used to the extent that you become dehydrated (letting caffienated beverage intake overtake water intake), as dehydration will cause you to hold water under the skin.

[petitpowerhouse]

This used to be my problem since forever, but I finally figure out how to get rid of it. It will of course vary from person to person but this can help everyone-
Drink as much water as possible
Don't eat sugars, salts, empty carbs
Take fiber and or eat sufficent fruit and vegetable
My problem was that although I was drinking quite a bit of water, it truly wasn't enough as I found out from my doctor.

[vmandric]

Hi guys, there is a single solution as the stomach to stay flat during the day! Eat less amount of food as meal for 4 times to 6 times per day instead eating a big amount for 3 times/day. The stomach is designed to support a small amount of food/meal to have time of digestion, otherwise it will be bloated for whole day. Pay attention at what you eat as well. If you want to eat fruits, do it before half an hour tonhave your meal. If you want to drink water, do it before 15 mins to eat food or half an hour after food. Try to stop eating 2 hours before bed otherwise you could eat something light as a snack. Avoid to eat starches and sugar during the evening time. Usualy the amount of carbs, fat and sugar is done to be eaten before dinner. Also MyFitnessPall application could help everyone to control the calories intake during the day....

[anandagirl]

Hi guys, there is a single solution as the stomach to stay flat during the day! Eat less amount of food as meal for 4 times to 6 times per day instead eating a big amount for 3 times/day. The stomach is designed to support a small amount of food/meal to have time of digestion, otherwise it will be bloated for whole day. Pay attention at what you eat as well. If you want to eat fruits, do it before half an hour tonhave your meal. If you want to drink water, do it before 15 mins to eat food or half an hour after food. Try to stop eating 2 hours before bed otherwise you could eat something light as a snack. Avoid to eat starches and sugar during the evening time. Usualy the amount of carbs, fat and sugar is done to be eaten before dinner. Also MyFitnessPall application could help everyone to control the calories intake during the day....

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