Ok, I'm NOT pregnant, just bloated - help!

Does it go away after you pee? What about dropping the kids off at the pool? Remember the thread a few weeks ago about having to go while exercising? Well if you didn't have to stop during, maybe the bloating is just a sign of having to hit the can.

Seriously, though, even if you are retaining water, you don't want to use a diuretic because you want to stay hydrated. There could be some nutritional things going on (I found an article about shedding water geared towards body builders, but it made my eyes glaze over). There are also hormonal things involved (e.g. the bloating that comes with PMS). My short answer would be to keep drinking your water and slip on some more forgiving shorts. It'll go away at some point.

Maybe someone else has a more informative answer!

Take care.

It's not the pee or p**p thing, it's more of an overall "bloated" feeling, which is especially noticable in the tummy area after riding and having drank 24 - 36 oz of fluids. Usually by morning things are back to normal.

It's hard to describe, but sometimes there's an overall feeling of loosness and flabbiness that with all the working out just doesn't seem normal. Then there are the days where I feel fit, thin and toned. Maybe it's the diet......I try to eat fairly "clean" but sometimes things slip in my mouth that probably shouldn't be there!

I'm in the process of tracking the diet on fitday - someone posted that link - and hopefully the calorie/fat/protein/carb counter will help identify any bad things I might need to eliminate.

I've got a two-day 190 bike ride coming up that I'm training for, so I'm trying to get stuff figured out before I spend 100+ miles/day in the saddle!

From this article: http://www.yourpurelife.co.uk/articles/membs/diet_plateau.html,it suggests limiting salt intake and increasing water and potassium intake. Maybe you need a sports drink with more potassium and need to drink even more during the ride. Too many carbs can cause water retention as well.

I like the idea of recording what you eat. Also record what you consume during the ride and experiment with different amounts of liquid, etc.

Good luck!

I'd be willing to bet it's probably a sodium issue. It's not necessarily just high sodium that'll get you, it's any deviation above your norm. It may be your gatorade. Or it may just be something else you ate during the day that is higher in sodium than your body is used to.

Doesn't happen every work out or just some of the time?

I know the feeling, I don't necessarily bloat up when I work out, but I just feel like I SHOULD HAVE shriveled up and gotten skinny over that hour workout. Then I look in the mirror and alas, I'm still a-little-on-the-big-side me. :-( Oh well!

My wife is a very competitive ultra marathoner who had a similar problem recently. On her thin frame, her belly would stick way out. After some detailed diet observation, she deduced that she had developed lactose intolerance in her mid 30's. She often ate a yogurt prior to runs, and that was the culprit. There is a lot of great information on lactose intolerance on the web, and the pills really work. Her solution has been to quit eating yogurt and drinking milk. No more bloating.

Bro-

It doesn't just impact the fairer sex either. I have to adjust my belts two or three times a day by as much as 2 holes. It is clearly related to what I eat not quantity. It hasn't ever really impacted my athletic performance so I've not spent a great deal of time investigating for the culprit. I suspect ultra spicey food and/or dairy products are involved and I love both too much to really get serious about the diagnosis. Good luck!