Common symptoms of bloating include stomach pain, discomfort, and gas. You may also burp or belch frequently or have abdominal rumbling or gurgling. If you have any of the following symptoms along with severe bloating, call your doctor: Blood in your stool.
Gently press your stomach specifically around the swollen area. If your abdomen feels hard and tight, it means you are bloated. Generally, our stomach is soft and spongy and it remains the same even after gaining weight. If you can easily gasp an inch of your stomach, it can be due to excess of fat.
Abdominal swelling, or distention, is more often caused by overeating than by a serious illness. This problem also can be caused by: Air swallowing (a nervous habit) Buildup of fluid in the abdomen (this can be a sign of a serious medical problem)
Belly fat is more than skin deep
And that lies deep inside the abdomen and surrounds the internal organs. Regardless of a person's overall weight, having a large amount of belly fat raises the risk of: High blood pressure. An unhealthy amount of fat in the blood.
A bloated stomach is first and foremost a feeling of tightness, pressure or fullness in your belly. It may or may not be accompanied by a visibly distended (swollen) abdomen. The feeling can range from mildly uncomfortable to intensely painful.
One easy way to tell the difference between bloat and belly fat is to note belly fat does not cause your stomach to expand wildly throughout the course of a day; bloat does. One other way to tell the difference between bloat and belly fat is you can physically grasp belly fat with your hand, you cannot with bloat.
You could have a condition called Diastasis Recti Abdominus, or DRA. DRA is caused by an increase in abdominal pressure and occurs when the rectus abdominus, the abdominal muscle that runs down the center of your stomach, separates.
The dangers of visceral fat
One large study of European women aged 45 to 79 found those with the biggest waistlines had more than double the risk of developing heart disease. It was nearly double even after adjusting for risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking and body mass index.
Even if you're thin, you can still have too much visceral fat. How much you have is partly about your genes, and partly about your lifestyle, especially how active you are. Visceral fat likes inactivity.
Oestrogen and fat distribution
Reduced levels of oestrogen after menopause can cause fat to be stored around your waist rather than on your hips and thighs. In postmenopausal women, belly fat accounts for 15 to 20% of their total body weight, compared with 5 to 8% in premenopausal women.
Belly fat caused by stress is more common than you think. In fact, it's so common that medical experts dub it “stress belly.” Although not a medical diagnosis, stress belly is a term used to describe how stress and hormones caused by stress affect your belly. Stress affects weight for a number of reasons.
While there isn't one magic food that will melt away belly fat, studies have reported certain foods have special belly-fat-burning benefits, such as avocado, artichokes, whole grains, kefir, green tea, eggs, peanuts and chickpeas.
Studies show walking is one of the best ways to shed belly fat, in less time than you think. Researchers reviewed 40 years of studies on exercise and belly fat and found that just 2 1/2 hours of brisk walking a week--about 20 minutes a day--can shrink your belly by about 1 inch in 4 weeks.
Getting a flat stomach really depends on two main factors. It is realistic to say that you can achieve a flatter stomach in as little as 6-12 weeks with a sound diet and exercise approach that places you in a slight and progressive caloric deficit for that time period.
It's important to focus on reducing overall body fat, avoiding sugary and processed foods, limiting refined carbs, and incorporating resistance training and aerobic exercise. Additionally, drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress can help support a healthy and flatter stomach.
Sometimes, excess fat around the belly is due to hormones. Hormones help regulate many bodily functions, including metabolism, stress, hunger, and sex drive. If a person has a deficiency in certain hormones, it may result in weight gain around the abdomen, which is known as a hormonal belly.
If your bloating is accompanied by abdominal pain, cramps, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, then it might be a serious problem.
The most common reason for bloating is having a lot of gas in your gut. This can be caused by some food and drinks, such as some vegetables and fizzy drinks, or by swallowing air when you eat. It can also be caused by a problem with your digestion, such as: constipation.
Early pregnancy bloating and normal bloating feel exactly the same. Your pregnancy bloating may feel slightly more uncomfortable due to the additional symptoms and increased amounts of gas which can worsen gas pains.
Lemon water can promote fullness, support hydration, boost metabolism, and increase weight loss. However, lemon water is no better than regular water when it comes to losing fat. That being said, it is tasty, easy to make, and can be used as a low-calorie replacement for high-calorie beverages.