It was all good just a meal ago. Even the flattest of stomachs experience bulging due to gas and bloating, and this is to be expected.”Having a perfectly flat stomach all the time isn’t normal,” said Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, a contributor to Health magazine. “After you eat and drink, food and liquids take up space inside your stomach and intestines, and that means some expansion.”
Although it can feel uncomfortable and put a temporary halt on getting into your favorite jeans or dress, abdominal bloating doesn’t necessarily mean there is a larger health issue at play. You may, however, want to avoid or cut back on the following foods and habits that are sneakily sabotaging your waistline.
Eating fruit
Fruits like apples and pears can give you a gut overnight. Here’s how: Both are packed with fiber, making them perfect foods to lose weight. They’re so fibrous, however, that they can wreak havoc on sensitive tummies. If you find that filling up on fruits like these is causing you to balloon, cut your serving size in half.
Chewing gum
Bad news for gum lovers: “A lot of people chew gum to keep them from eating between meals, but when you chew gum, you unwittingly swallow some air,” registered dietitian nutritionist Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N., tells the Daily Burn. Per experts, that excess air can cause your intestines to balloon. Not to mention, most gums contain sugar alcohols, which have also been linked to the appearance of a full tummy.