Inflated abs when my abs are relaxed?

Question

I'm good athlete, I don't know if I'm really a good athlete, but at least I try. I swim, run, play soccer, and I do a regular workout in gym. I'm almost defined, not muscular, but every zone is tonic.

My problem is the stomach! There's a little amount of fat on it but the problem is that it is inflated when my abs are relaxed. If my abs are in tension, the stomach looks coherent with the rest of the body.

It sounds like there's an air problem inside my stomach rather than fat problem. I think it is because my stomach sometimes makes noises and sometimes I need to throw out that air. How can I avoid it?

Answer 1

You might have what i think is called "irritable bowel syndrome" which means you get easily bloated and whatever you eat gets heavily fermented.

In my case, when i cut down calories and eat "less quantities" for several days , this problem disappears.

• Try to burn whatever fat is remaining and eat smaller portions.
• Drink no soda/coke
• If you do abs workout, do not use weights just your body weight (weight will make your muscle stomach bigger and in your case it will look double the size)
• Also stress increases fermentation, try to relax as often as possible.

And see what happens. It should get better by then. And even if it doesn't, its not a big deal just focus on burning the remaining fat.

Answer 2

This response assumes you are concerned with the volume in your abdomen rather than surface fat given your complaint of an inflated feel and your are male (not subject to hormonal cycles affecting fluid retention).

The inflated (bloating) feeling may be due to either air (gas) or fluid. Gas may be caused by diet, such as a food allergy or an intolerance. Age and race are important considerations, as lactose (a sugar in milk) digestibility can diminish with age and some ethnicities are less tolerant than others. Reducing dairy consumption or supplementing with an enzyme such as lactaid may help determine whether your bloating is due to minor lactose intolerance.

Fluid retention in the abdomen usually hints at more serious issues for males, and you should see a doctor if you feel this is the case. Electrolyte imbalances, kidney disease or infection, and liver problems can lead to fluid retention (beer belly or ascites).

If you are seeing bloating elsewhere, like swollen legs or feet, see a doctor. Onset of diabeties

Answer 3

This sounds to me like you have a food intolerance or allergy that's making you bloated and generally upsetting your stomach.

For a few weeks (if possible, I'd recommend 28 days) try eliminating all wheat, gluten and dairy from your diet and see if the bloating, and the trapped wind reduce.

Wheat, gluten and dairy are the most common food intolerances (not including nut and shellfish, but people generally know if they have those as the reactions can be pretty severe).

If it is one of these, then you should see reduced bloating with a week or two.

The reason for saying to stick with it for a few weeks is that it should allow your gut to repair any damage that's occurred because of the intolerances / allergies.

After the 28 days, try adding in a little (note: I mean little) bit of each food group, one at a time, and see if you start to bloat again. If you do, then you know what the issue is, and just avoid that particular thing in the future.

Few years back I went through the same thing, though I did have a few other, more "interesting" issues as well. I did an elimination diet for 28 days where I only ate green vegetables, meat and fish, and lost 4 inches from my waist without any noticeable change in strength or other proportions (turns out I have a pretty bad wheat / gluten intolerance).

Other things you can try are:

• Eating fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, etc)
• Taking a probiotic
• Supplementing with L-Glutamine (powder preferably)
• Increasing your green veg intake