Tuesday, 07 July 2009

  • Running Vs Bloated Belly


    (source)

    These days, I feel a lot stronger physically and that my endurance to go the extra mile has certainly improved. However, still being quite new to this new lifestyle of mine, it does take a bit of effort for me to get out of bed and drag my lazy and half asleep self to warm up and begin the daily run. My friends have been asking me how I have kept to this running plan because I used to loathe running. It used to tire me out terribly, while I would look uber unglamorous trying so hard to gasp for air as my breathing became heavier and harder.

    But I have been a pretty good girl, determined to keep up with this for various reasons:

    1) Weight loss (water, followed by fat)

    2) Improvement of cardiovascular health

    3) Improvement of my mood (I am not sure why, but I get less moody and feel more energized after every run and I feel)

    I know that I should take it easy because I have a relatively weak left knee but there is one more particular reason why I am addicted to running now. I have a terribly digestive system and I too, tend to eat quickly which results in me feeling bloated and uncomfortable after most meals.

    No, I am not talking about having a fat or flabby tummy but a BLOATED one. Ever felt like it was just hard and full of air? Ever felt the discomfort that it would even bother you when you were trying to fall asleep?
    I used to have really horrible water retention even from just drinking a cup of water; but all that has changed. Someone once advised me that the easiest and quickest way to get rid of bloated feeling was simply to go running. I never really put much thought into that but I realized that these few months, there were only a few occasions where I had that uncomfortable feeling in my stomach.

    There are many factors attributing to why I get the bloated feeling. It could be the food that I consume (apparently noodles are one of the worst!), my lifestyle (stress related which leads to eating too quickly or unhealthily) and even premenstrual symptoms. But yes, I have found out that running does help with all of that, even with the premenstrual bloating. I hardly suffer from that and even if I do, it is a relatively mild discomfort that goes away within an hour.

    How about you guys? Do you suffer from this bloated belly issue? What other remedies do you guys have to recommend?


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Comments (28)

  • PenaltyLife@xanga

    yeah, i get really bloated after i eat.

    the worst thing about running is if you take a break, you can't get back into it easily, and you feel like a fat slow slob because you can't run as fast or as far as before :( and lately i've had shin as well as knee problems, so it's hard to stay motivated. but i think you've inspired me! i might go running today. haha
  • likenvrbefore@xanga

    when i'm bloated (i don't have a big problem with it, but it happens to everyone sometimes) i prefer walking. it usually only takes about  a 10 minute walk for most of the discomfort to go away. generally if i'm bloated a run doesn't sound like the best thing (i like to run, but i have to start out feeling well to end that way).
  • likenvrbefore@xanga

    @PenaltyLife@xanga - i'm having shin splints, too. it's lame. i biked this morning but it's not the same :(
  • PenaltyLife@xanga

    @likenvrbefore@xanga - the thing is, i don't know what's wrong with them. it definitely used to be shin splints, but that was back in May. MAY! i've taken a huge break, but whenever i run, they still hurt. i think it may be because of muscle weakness, but it could also be a stress fracture. they hurt after i've walked a lot, too.

    boooooo :(
  • crushediamonds@xanga

    @PenaltyLife@xanga - DO IT! Go for the run!! : )


    @likenvrbefore@xanga - I've done the walking thing before especially if I overeat, but it doesn't help. I used to just be bloated even after a 6'' sub, but I don't get it these days after I started running on a daily basis. : ) Hope your shin feels better!
  • likenvrbefore@xanga

    @PenaltyLife@xanga - that sucks, have you been to a doctor? physical therapy works wonders for things like that. i used to be able to run thirty minutes, now my tops is twelve (broken into 3 minute segments) so my shins don't try to kill me. bleh.
  • PenaltyLife@xanga

    @likenvrbefore@xanga - no, i feel like i should, but i'm just too lazy. and i always make big deals out of nothing so i don't want to go and the doctor say that nothing is wrong.

    and i've already been to PT for my knees. i feel like such a wreak, i'm really not meant for running. haha (i'm very hyper-extensive so my knees hyper extend, causing high impact on my knees and shins, and my feet collapse, causing my legs to flip out to the side when i run, placing the impact on my knees in the wrong spot) i feel like i should pick up swimming or something, because it's very low-impact.

    @crushediamonds@xanga - but i sweat like crazy and i just took a shower! maybe i will after dinner. i can watch tv while running on the treadmill. treadmills are amazing! :]
  • myskinnyfiles@xanga

    are you allergic to gluten?


    I find that I'm sensitive to dairy and eggs, so I get that bloated feeling when I have it.  Eat cleanly, monitor what you eat and see what is causing the bloating and decrease it in your diet.  Try a afew meals without gluten, see if that's the culprit.  Or try a week without dairy.  You get to know your body a lot better that way.
  • likenvrbefore@xanga

    @crushediamonds@xanga - thank you :) do you sip water when you eat meals? i've found that doing that makes me a lot more comfortable after i eat. it makes me eat slower, too, which always helps.
  • crushediamonds@xanga

    @PenaltyLife@xanga - I think the sweating while working out is sooo damn gratifying. Haha, it makes me feel like I've done my part for the day! I love working out on the treadmill especially during winter where I can look out and see the snow falling while staying in all nice and toasty :)

    @likenvrbefore@xanga - I do drink quite a bit of water, but I was told to not drink so much cold water because it's not good for digestion (according to my accupuncturist, not sure if it's true though) I used to eat real quick too which was definitely bad.. but for a while, my mum dragged me for accupuncture sessions and the times that I did go, it seemed to relieve a little of my discomfort. But it was an ongoing process, once I stopped, the problems came back again.


    @myskinnyfiles@xanga - I did suspect that before, because I used to feel bloated right after eating a lot of yellow noodles. Hmm, thanks for the advice! I might try weaning off some food slowly and monitor my body. : )
  • methodElevated@xanga

    I get bloated from gas and can't run right after I've eaten (especially fresh fruits and vegetables) because the movement exacerbates it and becomes not only uncomfortable, but painful.
  • myskinnyfiles@xanga

    @crushediamonds@xanga -   Yeah...I had to see a naturalpath to figure it out.  Certain foods cause headaches, certain foods cause gas and bloathing.  I was on a sensitivity diet for 3 weeks.  Most people don't realize they are allergic or sensitive to some foods...espeically the common ones ...like eggs, gluten, dairy...because in some shape or form, they are in everything we eat.  I still eat eggs and dairy...in smaller quantities and I'm now more picky about the quality rather then the quantity.  It better be worth it if I'm going to pay for it physically later.    Good luck!
  • k_md@xanga

    Seriously? PMS too? Oh goodness, I'm gonna have to try this then. I've been searching forever for some sort of relief for what seems like a chronicly bloated belly, and have found nothing. And I don't mean mild bloating, I'm talking sometimes I look almost like I'm pregnant! I figured out that it starts about 2 weeks before my period, when I'm ovulating (sorry for TMI). And that sucks because it means 3 out of 4 weeks of the month I'm bloated! Agh! So if this works, I will owe you big time =]] But boy, I hate running...haha
  • TheScaleDiaries@xanga

    I take Diurex when I feel bloated and drink plenty of water too (mainly when I'm on or about to start my period). I'm not a huge fan of running, though I get on the treadmill when I find the motivation (I prefer floor exercise and free weights hehe).
  • kawasaki_saiyan@xanga

    eat slowly; the reason why you feel bloated is because you eat too quickly, there is a time lag of when food enters your mouth and when it enters your stomach...  and it takes time for your stomach to send a signal to your brain which tells you, you're full...  of it..   but if you're eating too quickly, you're too busy stuffing food in your mouth and before you realize your stomach is full and you already added ten extra scoops than you actually need...

    chew your food, sometimes it's not about how much you eat but the quality of what you eat...  take the time to appreciate and savor the food you're eating...  this helps you with digesting your food...  if the food is broken up, by the time it enters your stomach, your stomach doesn't have to work as hard...  also, if you're focused with tasting your food, you won't be eating as much...

    and then there are times when the food is just too good to be true, and you just have this craving to eat more and more...  well, that is more of a psychological thing and only you can help yourself with it...  but if you've taken economics, you'll probably learn something called "diminishing marginal utility"; this is when your additional satisfaction decreases for each consumption you take...  i guess you can apply this to...  nevermind, i'll keep that to myself...  lol..

    but yeah, hope that helps...  don't forget to thank me..

  • just__one__me@xanga

    I too somewhat have this bloated belly issue. I do have a two suggestions though:
    ~eat more slowly
    ~use a heating pad
  • smonki@xanga

    my stomach is also always bloated. even if i only just had lunch it still pokes out haha.. i try to eat smaller portions seperately and eat them slowly. so the food can digest better and i can enjoy the food even more.. honestly, i'm not into exercising much. i only go walking/jogging on the treadmill 2-3 times a week. but better than nothing, i use to not exercise at all, and i feel a lot energized and better mood now. : )
  • DistantStarlight@xanga

    Cool!

    I used to run a lot. I noticed a slight reduction in premenstrual bloating, but my cramps were just as killer and if I ran within a day or two of my period starting either before or after they were actually quite a bit worse. Running is good for bloating, though. It's amazing.


    Have fun running!
    I must say, though, the reason I started running less and don't run as often these days (Once a week or less) is my that my knees had started really hurting chronically. They could only take so much, I guess. So, be careful with your knee, of course, and enjoy your running while you can! That sounds really grim. Um, enjoy running. And I hope you have better luck with your knees than I did with mine, because running a lot is freaking awesome and I kind of miss it.
  • aiinos@xanga

    I walk it off if I'm bloated. It goes away soon, and then I just start running again =] 
  • PixelDOT@xanga

    I have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and am constantly bloated. Uncomfortably bloated, exactly how you described. On bad days I'm forced to wear stretchy pants because my stomach doesn't fit in jeans.

    But I'm the opposite with running, usually. My IBS flairs up so bad that I usually need to stop halfway through my run to get to the bathroom, and my bloating is way worse the next day.

    One this that does help with my bloating, surprisingly, is dancing. You'd think, it being the same sort of vigorous movement as jogging, that it would make it worse, but I've noticed that after a concert or night of vigorous dancing (not a slow dance, but an active dance) I feel sooo much better.

    Also cutting dairy out of my diet has helped a ton.

  • kieri126@xanga

    your story sounds like mine...i was NOT a runner on any level. I hated it and was a chubby kid in middle school and my freshmen yr in hs. but then my mother suggested i try running...i was totally AGAINST IT. i was not fit to run nor did i see myself as a runner. But then after freshmen yr I realized how fat I was and how unhappy it made me feel. I felt horrible abt myself. So i decided id start runnning and start dieting. I lost SO much weight and as a result have become an avid runner and work out addict. I work out everyday whether it be at the gym or outside running. I work out at least 30 to 60 min a day. And its just become second nature...living and being heathy is a lifestyle not a destination. you must be willing to change your whole life and thats what ive done. changed what I eat and do...its pretty amazing the transformation i made.


    I always sit here and wonder when will i stop working out and running so much...like will this continue for the rest of my life?? and of course i get up and run the next day.


    But anyway back to your ques. lol im sorry i just had to share my story with you cause its very similar to yours...but yes i used to get bloated a lot and after i started running that bloating feeling completely disappeared. its actually returned again but i think thats due to me not running and working out as hard as I used to...but im starting to get back on that cause i wanna lose some major weight again..ugh
  • ra_HK@xanga

    my belly becomes bloated too


    maybe i should start running too!
  • Faylium@xanga

    There are many ways that running is good for your body and thus you will feel emotionally healthier as well. However, one of the big reasons you feel energized and less moody after you run is that when you exercise, your brain produces endorphins. Basically they are the happy drug of the brain. I love them!
  • OstentatiousEloquence@xanga

    Exercise definitely helps with stomach issues. I have IBS and lactose intolerance and gastritis and I started exercising regularly the last few months. The last few days I've been sick and couldn't and I feel AWFUL. It really is the best thing to help your mood, help you look better, help raise self esteem, and help regulate my appetite and digestion. I am going to try to tonight. Exercising SUCKS itself, but afterwards it is so worth it for all these benefits!! Keep it up!!
  • crushediamonds@xanga

    @ra_HK@xanga - Try it out for a week, you can probably feel it by then even.


    @kieri126@xanga - Haha, no worries, I enjoy comments where the person can totally relate to me.

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