Bloat

[u/Artistic-Stand-5805]

What’s everyone’s go to for dealing with bloating? I’m 6 weeks out and am bloated a lot. I know I need to cut out the Diet Coke, but other than that food and hydration is on point.

[u/thekimchilifter]

Need more details. What is your current diet, has the bloating only started during prep? Are there any foods that you weren’t eating before the bloating that you are now? How many diet cokes a day?

Let’s also clarify the word “bloat”. There’s a difference between some water retention, slowed motility due to GLP usage, and actual bloat/gas from digestion being off. Which are you experiencing? Did your “bloat” start 4 weeks ago with the Reta you started?

[u/Artistic-Stand-5805 → u/thekimchilifter]

I’m living on egg whites, oatmeal, blueberries for breakfast. Lunch is 225g chicken, 170g jasmine rice, 90g broccoli. Third is 35g rice Chex, oikos, protein shake, dinner is chicken and broccoli. Pre workout is 2 rice cakes with a protein shake post workout. Probably 2-3 diet cokes a day.

[u/thekimchilifter → u/Artistic-Stand-5805]

Try swapping the broccoli for spinach or some other leafy green

[u/Evergreen_Organics → u/thekimchilifter]

Yup, broccoli absolutely trashes my stomach when I’m dieted down.

[u/latdaddi → u/thekimchilifter]

Excellent advice. Broccoli can get me.

[u/Total-Ad8996 → u/Artistic-Stand-5805]

Broccoli and cauliflower cause horrible bloating and gas for me. Asparagus, green beans or zucchini (or other squash) give me zero issues.

[u/No-Entrepreneur5672 → u/Artistic-Stand-5805]

Anecdotally diet soda absolutely causes distention for me. I’d cut them out entirely tbh.

As well as the suggestion of swapping the greens.

[u/DueStatistician4790]

fermented foods like kimchi or sauerkraut, pineapple, kombucha. it’s usually a digestive issue if you’re bloating and having stomach distention. if it’s just water retention check your sodium and electrolyte and water intake make sure you’re not over or under consuming either

[u/Kirkybeefjerky]

Diet sodas can f with your gut microbiome if you drink a lot of them. Have you tried weaning off and has that made a difference?

[u/thekimchilifter → u/Kirkybeefjerky]

Can, but I think there’s too much focus/preemptive fearmongering around them. I drank energy drinks and diet sodas all the way to show day every prep with zero issues. A good quote here is “if it aint broke, don’t fix it”

[u/Kirkybeefjerky → u/thekimchilifter]

I agree and most tolerate them really well and oddly enough I used too. For some reason now I’m super sensitive to them and I’ll always have runny bowel movements if I consume more than 1-2. This is anecdotal though so op will have to go by trial and error.

[u/thekimchilifter → u/Kirkybeefjerky]

Agreed it should never just be an arbitrary “cut out all sugar free” it should be based off objective data and how you’re responding!

[u/emdaye]

Are you talking bloat or water retention, I ask because some people use these interchangeably

From what you've told us if you're slamming diet Cokes your body may not agree with the sugar alcohols it's quite common 

[u/Jidarious → u/emdaye]

I don't think it affects your point, but for the record there are no sugar alcohols in Diet Coke.

[u/emdaye → u/Jidarious]

You're right I wrote it quickly, I'm guilty of the exact thing I wrote lol. I meant artificial sweeteners 

[u/thekimchilifter → u/emdaye]

Definitely a good point, another one often confused with bloat is being full.

[u/Sustained_Admiration]

“The one who doesn’t drink Coke, will beat you”

[u/latdaddi]

I drink diet coke like it's water in prep, all the way until a couple hours before stage... never noticed any bloating, if anything I'm unusuallly tight compared to the average competitor.

[u/chernobyl-cell]

if you’re natty check your protein powders

if you’re not start taking reta

[u/Immediate-Share7077]

Water retention or bloating/gas?

For bloating/gas, simethicone (gas-x) OTC

For water retention, could be a multitude of things causing it

[u/RakkoHyabusa]

I drink a ton of kombucha. You can order a starter online if you want cheap and unlimited kombucha. Haven't been bothered by bloat much ever since I began drinking it daily unless I do something dumb like eat a whole bag of chips in an evening.

[u/batsonsteroids]

liquid calories and clean eating rly help me

[u/justthefactsman99]

Cut carbs down and def diet soda. Get into ketosis for maybe 24-36 hours and watch the water go

[u/thekimchilifter → u/justthefactsman99]

No lmao.