Day 30 & Still Bloated

[Missy8]

Hi!!

This is my fourth round of Whole30 over the past four years (but this is my first time posting on a forum!). Generally, I eat fairly close to Whole30 but in FF I enjoy baked goods, candy, and alcohol. Throughout the past 2 years I have felt generally bloated no matter what I am eating or doing and was looking forward to this round of Whole30 to readdress that issue and nail down exactly why I am always bloated. I have a variety of food allergies and food sensitivities (peanuts, tree nuts, legumes, bananas, avocado, and eggs that are not fully cooked). Stomach pain and bloating is something I have had since I was little, though round 1 and 2 of Whole30 helped heal my gut and decrease bloating. There are no added stresses to my life as of now (rather, my stress levels have probably gone down this summer month).

During this round of Whole30 my NSVs include that I am sleeping better, my skin is clearer, my anxiety is lower, my running shorts are much looser (I do not feel like I have lost any weight though), but my stomach is more bloated than ever (or at least it feels that way). After I eat, I can immediately feel my stomach dissenting and it usually takes 4-5 hours to go down. This has been going on for about two weeks, but even during the first two weeks of whole30 I was bloated just in a more constant state. I cannot tell if this always happened and I just was not as in tuned with my body, or if this is a new outcome of this round of Whole30. Though, I have not experienced this in previous rounds of Whole30. Also, I generally have almost no appetite. I don't get hungry until around noon and then if I am lucky will maybe be hungry for dinner around 6:30 pm.

Sitting at day 30 of this round of Whole30 I am unsure of how to proceed. I am not sure if I should continue and just let my gut heal, if I should change what or how I am eating (asking: am I doing something wrong/am I the problem), or if there is a larger issue at play greater than my diet. I would so appreciate any feedback or general insight. I have listed general information about my level of activity and body type and with a food log below for four days. Thanks in advance!

Body/Exercise:

Body: 5'6'', 160 lbs., 20% body fat (Size 4/6)

Exercise: Active, runner (3 miles/day min), 14,000 steps a day, workout 6 days a week (4-5 HIIT workouts, 1-2 distance runs). (Half and full marathoner, but I am not currently training for a race so my mileage has been down this month.)

Food Log:

Day #1

M1: 2 eggs, white potato, zucchini, 2 piece Pedersen's bacon

Snack: Chomps beef stick, 3 pieces dried mango

M2: Spinach salad, greenbeans, brisket, watermelon

Drinks: 1 cup coffee, water 50 oz., 8 oz. kombucha (whole 30 compliant)

Exercise: 5 mile run, 1 hour walk

Day #2

M1: Leftover brisket, green beans, watermelon

Snack: Chomps beef stick, 2 dried figs, 1 Bubby's pickle 

M2: Turkey bolognese (ground turkey, Rao's marinara, summer squash, zucchini, red peppers), salad

Drinks throughout day: 1 cup decaf coffee, 2 cups herbal tea, water (40 oz...not enough), 8 oz. kombucha (whole 30 compliant)

Exercise: 5 mile walk

Day #3

M1: Left over turkey bolognese, clementine

Snack: 2 chomps beef sticks, apple

M2: Sweet potato, flank steak (4 oz.), grilled peppers

Drinks throughout day: 1 decaf coffee, 2 cups herbal tea, water (50 oz...not enough)

Exercise: 1 hour walk, 30 min HIIT workout

Day #4

M1: 2 eggs, 4 piece Pedersen's bacon, one whole cooked zucchini, honey-crisp apple

M2: 2 Grilled Chicken thighs, mixed green salad, green beans 

Drinks throughout day: 1 decaf coffee, 2 cups herbal tea, water (82 oz water)

Exercise: 1 hour walk, 30 min HIIT workout

 

[laura_juggles]

The main thing that strikes me is you're eating only two meals and a fair amount of salads. 

[Missy8]

@laura_juggles Would you recommend less salad? I also normally do eat 3 meals but the past week have not had the appetite because of bloating.

[ShannonM816]

In general raw vegetables are more likely to cause bloating than cooked ones, so you might try cooked vegetables for a few days and see if that helps, then you'll just have to play with the amounts of salad and raw veggies  you have going forward to find an amount you can have without getting bloated.

If that doesn't seem to help, it could be something like fodmaps (https://www.thepaleomom.com/modifying-paleo-for-fodmap-intolerance/) or nightshades (https://www.thepaleomom.com/what-are-nightshades/). Either of those can be a lot to try to eliminate, but some people find relief from eliminating one or the other.

And of course, it could be something not food related at all, so it might be worth talking to your doctor about just to rule out any medical issues.