Why am I Waking up with a Stomach Ache?

[WholeinKorea]

Hey all - 

I'm on day 4 of the whole thirty and I just need some re-assurance that "this too shall pass." I am waking up with really, really bad stomach aches. Not in the middle of the night, fortunately, but when I get up in the morning I'm pretty bloated and my stomach aches. It takes a while to go away and it's literally (pardon the pun...) cramping my style!

Is this just my body adjusting and detoxing? Is it the sudden increase in fiber? What's the deal? I think I'm eating enough but to be honest this is the first time I'm not counting calories and just going by "am I still hungry? Y/N" to decide if I should eat more since I was a child and I'm used to more carbs, carbs, carbs, particularly because being athletic drilled that into me. You know, pasta nights before high school soccer games and all that...

Food has been the same all four days - I cook for myself so I cook about every four days and just eat the same thing in a row:

Breakfast - 8:00: 4 eggs - two whole, two egg whites, 1 cup of coffee, black

Post Workout - 11:00: Smoothie of Strawberries, Blueberries, Salad Greens, Water

 

Lunch - 1:00: Chicken Breast, Steamed broccoli, Bell Pepper

 

Dinner - 7:00 : Tuna Steak, More Bell Pepper and Broccoli, Apple

 

Exercise: Pilates 6x a week, Endurance Runs of about 40 min - 1 hr 3x a week (so some days that means I work out almost two hours a day, sorry can't skip that...got goals  

 

Hydration: 3 liters water, 1 cup coffee, sometimes a cup of green tea around 3:00 to get me through the rest of the work day. 

[GFChris]

Several things pop out for me.

First, have you seen the recommended meal template? http://whole30.com/downloads/whole30-meal-planning.pdf For best results, design each meal to follow the template of protein, veg and fat. Your meal 1 has no veggies and I see no fat in your meals.

Post wo recommendation is protein and optional veg for carb. No fruit.

Smoothies are discouraged on a Whole30. The idea is to chew your food vs drink it, as chewing is more satiating.

Broccoli can cause bloat/stomach distress, as can raw vegetables. Try dropping the cruciferous veggies and have all cooked vegetables to see if that helps.

[ladyshanny]

Green peppers give me a somach ache like nothing else. Stabby and awful. Besides the great advice from Chris, you might consider leaving off the bell peppers for a few days and then test them again.

[SpinSpin]

I would eat whole eggs -- the good stuff is in the yolk! 

[Emily T]

Hi WholeinKorea!

 

I have the same issue! I often wake with a stomach ache and bloat. It can be super painful. Is this your first whole30? I think you are probably still adjusting to the massive increase in fiber-containing fruits and vegetables. It's a HUGE change for your system and it can take a long time to adjust! 

 

My advice?

 

1. Cook your vegetables fully for a while, it makes it easier to digest and will help you during this period.

 

2. Peppermint essential oil. I keep a tiny bottle next to my bed. When I wake in the morning, I drop a few drops on my belly and massage it in. It's a cooling sensation and feels kind of weird (apply with a cotton pad, wash your hands after, and don't touch your eyes if there is any oil on them!). Peppermint helps gas and bloat, and applying this way will absorb it through your skin and right into your GI tract! It actually works pretty quickly to help dissipate gas. For me, it sometimes makes me have to go to the bathroom pretty quickly. 

 

3. Echoing what others said, follow the meal template and eat more fat. Fat is  super important to healthy digestion.