Starchy carbs question/bloating

gingerbug · 09-02-2007, 07:21 PM

I have noticed that when I eat sweetpotatos, beans, or anything starchy, I hold water and bloat up around my midsection really bad. I could take a before and after picture. Abs look good before i eat them and abs arent visible after. It doesnt happen when I eat fruit though. Wondering if i should try keto and if anyone else has experienced this? What causes this?

gfundaro · 09-02-2007, 09:18 PM

When you eat carbohydrates, any excess glucose is stored as glycogen, and glycogen draws water, so you retain it. It's also what makes you look full after a carbup. If you're feeling gassy, it's just because sugars help the bacteria in your gut produce excess gas, and again that's nothing to worry about. Plus, beans contain a lot of fiber, which can cause gas as well. When I carbup I always bloat and feel pretty bad! You can try keto if you want, I've been doing it since March and like it a lot. If you want to stay on your current eating plan, try drinking a LOT of water with your carby meals and taking a probiotic like acidophilus, that might help as well.

gingerbug · 09-02-2007, 09:22 PM

I drink anywhere from 8-10 20oz. bottles a day. I stay pretty thirsty. Guess I could try a probiotic.

dvsness · 09-04-2007, 10:47 AM

You sound quite carb sensitive/insulin resistant. I'd look into some k-R-ALA.

marmadogg · 09-04-2007, 11:52 AM

I like Na-R-ALA better.

Superior Nutraceuticals has great prices.

gingerbug · 09-04-2007, 03:53 PM

What is that stuff? KRA? Really thinking about going keto. Tried it awhile back, and it was the only diet that got my abs back shredded. 12 days my lower abs were visible again. Seems like no matter how clean I eat, if starchy carbs are in my diet, the abs just wont show through.

gingerbug · 09-04-2007, 04:02 PM

And I have noticed that when I eat sweetpotatos, beans, anything starchy, my mouth gets dry and I get thirsty. Sometimes I have frequent urination also. Im 22 and around 13-13.5% bodyfat, could I still be insulin sensitive or resistant even though Im in great shape?

terracotta · 09-04-2007, 04:25 PM

I think you should go see a doctor - excessive thirst and frequent urination could signal a problem.

You may want to consider digestive enzymes (eg. NOW Superenzymes).

dvsness · 09-04-2007, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gingerbug

What is that stuff? KRA? Really thinking about going keto. Tried it awhile back, and it was the only diet that got my abs back shredded. 12 days my lower abs were visible again. Seems like no matter how clean I eat, if starchy carbs are in my diet, the abs just wont show through.

K-R-ALA is Potassium-R-Lipoate (potassium bonded to r-ala). It helps control blood sugar by clearing it more efficiently and increasing cell sensitivity to insulin.

Keto is definitely another option. I'm doing my own version of that now.

fitqueeen · 09-05-2007, 01:30 AM

That starchy stuff is converted to glycogen to be stored in the muscles, and it takes with it 3 times it's weight in water, so you will look "puffier" when your glycogen stores are over-filled and you get a little spill over. If you were draining your glycogen stores enough through your workouts, you probably wouldn't notice any bloating after eating it. When I'm doing HIIT and intense weight training, I can eat starch all day long and still look sharp. Sometimes you WANT to be in a positive-glycogen state though, like if you're trying to put on mass. If you're trying to lose weight however, a slight-glycogen negative state will get you shredded. (Notice I said "slight"...if you become too depleted, you will sacrifice precious muscle tissue and your workouts will suck. That's why most people don't go "keto")

fitqueeen · 09-05-2007, 01:43 AM

Oh, I didn't see the part about you only being at 13% bodyfat...well, no wonder! You're probably already depleted and thus dehydrated somewhat, which does tend to thin the skin out so you LOOK more cut...so when you eat something higher glycemic, the carbs are quickly sucked up, and since they take up 3 times their weight in water, they make you feel thirsty. Then, you think you look bloated, but it is actually just your body reacting to carb deprivation and is actually a more normal state. Remember, you can't always go walking around "stage ready" ripped without health repercussions, because the human body, especially a woman's body, is not designed to function optimally at extremely low bodyfat and glycogen levels. I once trained for a show and got the "body distortion" bug, and started expecting myself to look like that all of the time, feeling like that was normal. It's like we get all ripped and think, "I'm going to stay like this!" And then you freak out when you eat a piece of bread or something and you think you're "bloated" because your body gets some of it's normal water content back. That is why people on Keto diets have to drink so much damn water- if you don't you'll become severely dehydrated. In my experience, for most body types, the Keto diet causes muscle loss and impaired workout performance, although it can get you "ripped" faster. Even if you're not officially on a "Keto" diet, but you're still restricting your calories and carbs really low, you'll experience the same issues.

fitqueeen · 09-05-2007, 01:46 AM

Most fruit is comprised of fructose, which is processed differently in the body than starches. Fructose also does not require the insulin that starch does, and is metabolized more slowly.

gingerbug · 09-05-2007, 07:45 PM

I havent been excluding carbs in my diet, so when i eat them, my body has not previously been deprived of them. Im 100% positive that my glycogen stores are being depleted during workouts. Like when i work legs, Im pouring sweat like I have done cardio by the time I leave. Lift heavy in the 6-8 range. I have always had this problem with starchy stuff. Maybe Im carb sensitive or something. Not sure what to do. Dont like how I look when Im all puffy and bloated. Im not having a distorted image, it is very noticeable. Sometimes i look like im 3-4months pregnant, thats how bad it is. Wondering if a lower carb, higher fat and protein diet would be better?

juancarloscruz2005 · 09-08-2007, 12:18 PM

Hello: I have the same exact problem that u have. When i eat a moderate amount of starchy-carbohydrates in my diet such as white bread, rice, potatoes, cookies, etc. i would tend to get bloated, i get a puffy appearance, and my nose blows up like a clown's nose. But if i eat a high protein diet this problem disappears and i would look skinnier.

That's why i've been following a high protein diet lately. and the puffy, facial-swelling, nose-swelling problem goes away. I tend to get a puffy, bloated, swollen appearance around my face and nose if i eat alot of starchy carbs, my arms also tend to retain liquids

Juan Carlos

Quote:

Originally Posted by gingerbug

I have noticed that when I eat sweetpotatos, beans, or anything starchy, I hold water and bloat up around my midsection really bad. I could take a before and after picture. Abs look good before i eat them and abs arent visible after. It doesnt happen when I eat fruit though. Wondering if i should try keto and if anyone else has experienced this? What causes this?