Getting Rid of the Bloat
Posted on: June 15, 2016 in Category: Wellness Guide
Getting Rid of the Bloat
All too often losing weight feels like an uphill battle. As soon as you think you have something figured out, another obstacle steps in the way. Working with a medical weight loss doctor can help you to power through many of these daily struggles. Things like food choices and activity monitoring become a lot easier to manage when you have the support of your weight loss clinic behind you, supporting and guiding you about what step to take next. But even then there are times when issues will come up that you weren’t expecting. For many people, this includes bloat.
Bloating is different from traditional weight gain. While traditionally bulge around the stomach is a result of fat build-up, bloating can come from a combination of water retention and gas. As many as 25{3a67f89bac1171c18e820b20ccfae70caa2d827bbb8a608d0d78300311666665} of people otherwise considered of a healthy weight will experience bloating. This means that despite your general success with your medical weight loss program, you may experience the frustration of sudden stomach bulge even as you are approaching your ultimate weight loss goal. All too often when bloating occurs, the go-to steps that have helped you to lose stomach fat aren’t going to help. That is because bloating is a totally different sort of issue.
Bloating develops as a result of one of the following issues:
- Constipation
- Gas build-up
- Overconsumption
- Retaining fluids
How to Reduce Bloat
Reducing bloating often comes down to making a few fundamental changes in your diet. Foods that are otherwise healthy can contribute to gas build-up and water retention, and so if bloating is an issue you may need to make several dietary adjustments. Before you make any of these changes to your medical weight loss diet it is important that you first check-in with Dr. Sand. Your medical weight loss doctor can help determine the cause of your bloating and will give you steps to help reduce the bloat as you continue towards your weight loss goal.
To reduce bloating, you’ll first want to reduce your consumption of foods that contribute to gas-build up. This includes legumes, as well as many high-fiber foods that may otherwise be recommended in a typical weight loss diet. Furthermore, you’ll want to cut out soda if you haven’t done so already, and despite it being low calorie, even sparkling water can contribute to unwanted bloating.
Secondly, there are certain eating behaviors that you can adjust. Don’t eat too fast, for one thing, as this may prevent your body from properly digesting your food. Then, make sure that you are properly hydrated. Your body will retain water when it feels its storage is not sufficient. Drinking water regularly throughout the day can help to alleviate bloating.
Bloating is uncomfortable, but it isn’t the end of the world. Losing weight takes a lot of commitment and hard work. Apply a bit of that dedication to eliminating your bloating problem and you’ll feel better in no time at all.