HeatherM Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 I'm on Day 15 today and I've been following the program according to the meal planning template. For the past several days I've been feeling very bloated. My clothes aren't fitting right and I have a lot of pressure in my stomach. After reading several posts on this forum I went out last night and got some Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics. I took my first dose of each with dinner last night and relieved some gas but woke up this morning feeling just as bloated. This has gotten progressively worst over the past week and at this point it's painful and I feel terrible. Does anyone know how long the digestive enzymes should take to help with this issue (assuming that they will)? Prior to Whole 30 I was drinking far too much alcohol and having regular week-end treats in the form of eating out or junk food, I've read that even a little alcohol increases the acid in your stomach. I had been living that lifestyle for a long time so I'm wondering if my body found balance with it, and now that I'm not taking an "acid supplement" in the form of alcohol my body needs to find a new balance. This makes sense to me and I'm hoping the supplements will help me in the meantime. Any thoughts from others who may have experienced this? Up until this bloat increased I was feeling pretty incredible but now I'm feeling like crap. It's tough to go work out when you're belly feels like a beach ball. I strongly suspect that this is a side effect of the program and that I'm just going to have to wait it out. My worst fear is that I end 30 days more bloated than ever or that I've created a monster and now I'm going to have to live with chronic stomach upset and bloat. If others have experienced this bloat can you tell me when yours went away? I know we're all different and our bodies will progress at different rates but it would be good to have some benchmarks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CortneyT Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Have you read the timeline? I'm thinking this is a "normal" feeling around that time... (I'm a newbie & just happened to read the timeline this week) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amberino21 Posted September 16, 2013 Share Posted September 16, 2013 Have you checked out the timeline? http://whole9life.com/2013/08/revised-timeline/ It may be taking your body longer to readjust, but there could also be other factors involved. Could you perhaps post a few days worth of food/activity to help us understand what you're doing? I also started taking digestive enzymes, and ate more sauerkraut/kombucha etc for their probiotics during my whole 30 - the digestive enzymes helped within a day or so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallulah Wolf-Angel Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Early on I got into big trouble with broccoli! I'm doing AI protocol, which severely limits food choices. I felt like the only green veggie I could have was broccoli (I have since figured out some other ones). So I was eating broccoli 3 times a day, and it was very uncomfortable. Digestive enzymes didn't help me with it. I finally figured it out and laid off the broccoli, and it took about 3 days to get back to normal. Now I'm careful to have it no more than once every couple of days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherM Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 Thanks for the timeline Cortney and Amberino, I have been following the timeline but I expected that the bloat would be over by now. It has been uncomfortable for longer than a week. After taking the digestive enzymes and probiotics I have noticed a difference. It's not longer unbearable, but the bloat is definitely still there. My stomach is still distended and when I push on it I have to burp. The good news is the gas is moving since yesterday's supplements. Tallulah, I've always been able to eat whatever I want with little effect. I really hope that I don't have to eliminate more foods. I appreciate the advice, however. Broccoli isn't a regular for me but I'm sure that I'm eating other high offenders. I have also noticed since taking the supplements that I'm not starving all the time. Last week I couldn't get enough to feed me. There were days that I had to leave spin class at the 45 minute mark because I was so hungry and getting light headed. I addressed this by eating a mini meal pre workout or 1/2 larabar and an extra egg and more sweet potato with my breakfast right after my workout and it helped a little. Yesterday I wasn't hungry except for meal time (and then not starving) at all. I also toned back the workouts because of my bloat and discomfort so that may be contributing to my reduced hunger level. Generally my activities consist of the following: Monday - Spin Class (60 minutes), Tuesday - Bootcamp (60 minutes) & Yoga (60 minutes), Wednesday - Run 10km, Thursday - Bootcamp (60 minutes), Friday - Spin Class (60 minutes), Saturday - Walk & Yoga, Sunday - Long Run. Last week I had difficulty with my workouts due to bloat and hunger, prior to that it was no problem. A few sample days: Saturday Wake up - Coffee with coconut milk, pumpkin puree, and cinnamon am - Walk 8km Breakfast - 2 eggs fried in coconut oil, mixed baby greens, 2 strips (no sugar) bacon, baby cucumber, 1/2 sweet potato baked in coconut oil Yoga at Noon Lunch - 1/2 steelhead Trout fillet fried in Olive Oil, 1/2 Delicata Squash baked with olive oil & sea salt, 1 cup of strawberries with raw cashews and coconut milk. Dinner - Rib eye steak, Mushrooms, Onions, Squash, and Asparagus fried in olive oil, on about a cup of spinach. About a cup of Mango Slices GT Dave's Kombucha Sunday am - Walk 8km Coffee - same as above Breakfast - Same as above Lunch - Chicken Leg and Wing with Skin, Baked 1/2 Delicata Squash with olive oil,about a cup of Grapes Dinner - 3 small lamb chops grilled with about a cup of spinach and 2 large roasted beets GT Dave's Kombucha Monday am - Run 4km, Walk 1km Note: I put off my long run (planned 18km this week) on Sunday because of my bloating and discomfort, attempted it on Monday but couldn't do it for the same reasons Black Coffee x 2. Breakfast - 2 eggs boiled and mashed with 1/2 avocado on bed of mixed baby greens and chopped cucumber with 1/2 sweet potato based in olive oil Lunch - Chicken breast Salad with mixed greens, cucumber, strawberries, and grapes plus Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar. 10 Olives stuffed with almonds. Green Tea & Peppermint Tea. Dinner - Pork Butt roast (about 1 palm) with roasted apples (about 1) and Green Beans (about 2 cups), Grapes (about a cup). Day 16 today - hopefully the digestive enzymes continue to have a positive impact and things normalize. I am heading to bootcamp this morning and I feel up for it but I still have a big belly (though not as big as yesterdays). Thanks to all for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Strathdee Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Heather - I'm glad to hear things are improving. It may take some time for that gas to... move on out (it can't just disappear)...but I think you're on the right track with the enzymes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherM Posted September 17, 2013 Author Share Posted September 17, 2013 Update: Things got worst this morning before they got better. I wasn't able to complete my workout and the bloating got pretty bad again. Took digestive enzymes with breakfast and started to feel better. Now, after taking digestive enzymes with lunch, I'm feeling much better. No burping when I press on my belly and no pain. I think the digestive enzymes are working Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 The digestive enzymes helped me a lot once I started upping them and taking two with each meal. I worried I'd be dependent on them, but I didn't really care because it was nice to not be so bloated. About two weeks ago, I forgot to take them and I was relatively okay. Around that same time I began probiotics and have continued to be okay - not great mind you, but okay. Tom (and many others) push the use of fermented foods so we've upped our sauerkraut and kimchi, but we're not consistent. I don't notice a difference at all when I drink kombucha. I don't know much about this entire digestive world other than my own system which doesn't seem to absorb things well. I liken my intestines to a house plant sitting in a pot of dried out soil and when you try to water it, the water just passes by. I think (but am not certain) that the consistent "seeding" of the probiotics is starting to help. I sure hope so. I'll continue to take them consistently and when I travel and know I'll be eating other foods, I plan to have those digestive enzymes close by. Good luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBentley Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 Heather M - I feel the exact same way and am SOO uncomfortable. Have to take my bra off I'm so bloated and have basically the same exact lifestyle before Whole 30 - and workout similarly. What did you take to help relieve symptoms? this is awful!! I thought the diet was supposed to reduce such ailments??? I'm on day 16 and ready for my tigerblood. Please help... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcbn Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 33 minutes ago, EBentley said: I thought the diet was supposed to reduce such ailments??? Not if you're eating something to which you are sensitive - and there are a number of potential (compliant) culprits... Do you have a food log we can take a look at? Or can you list out a few days worth (say 3-4) of typical meals, giving specifics on types of veg, portion sizes, liquid intake etc? That way we'd be better equipped to help you troubleshoot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ShannonM816 Posted May 18, 2017 Moderators Share Posted May 18, 2017 30 minutes ago, EBentley said: Heather M - I feel the exact same way and am SOO uncomfortable. Have to take my bra off I'm so bloated and have basically the same exact lifestyle before Whole 30 - and workout similarly. What did you take to help relieve symptoms? this is awful!! I thought the diet was supposed to reduce such ailments??? I'm on day 16 and ready for my tigerblood. Please help... HeatherM hasn't been online since 2013, so it's unlikely she's going to see this. Could you list a couple of days' of typical meals? Include approximate portion sizes as they relate to the meal template, and specific vegetables. In general, things that could be causing this kind of bloating include eating a lot of raw vegetables, eating a lot of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage, or cauliflower, eating too many nuts/seeds or things made from them, not drinking enough water, or drinking a lot of carbonated water. For some people, it turns out that certain types of foods cause issues, like FODMAPS or nightshades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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