I only like my body when I don't eat.

[Smellywoodlouse]

I am 5'10" and around 65 kilos so not overweight. I've always been slim with small boob's but after having kids and getting older the belly bloat is impossible to get rid of. As I'm quite small chested my belly looks even more noticeable as it sticks out further than my boob's.

I do intermittent fasting and love my body after a few days of this. Flat stomach, face looks younger and healthier, and I feel more comfortable when exercising. As soon as I start eating normally again my stomach sticks out, face gets all bloated and tired and I feel sluggish and tired. I can't constantly fast or i'll lose weight which I don't want as I'm happy with my size. Is there a way to not be constantly bloated yet eat regularly? I eat healthy although could definitely drink more water I suppose.

Sorry you are getting a hard time from some people OP. People can be slim and still unhappy with elements of how they look. OP has specifically said they are NOT trying to loose weight.

I have a very similar figure and I think it’s a mix of poor posture, diastasis recti, a bit of perimenopausal weight gain around my belly and bloating. I don’t mind looking curvy, I’d be happy to look curvy, I just end up looking pregnant!

@BlingaRinga Exactly that! I'd love some boobs and hips. I just look like an ironing board with a beach ball strapped to it.

Thank you to everyone that's posted with advice, I really appreciate it and have a list of things to try/investigate.

Hi OP, I saw a very similar pic to this earlier on tik tok (as in, slim body and stomach bloat) - lots of comments urged the poster to check intolerances, especially wheat and gluten. I also have a very slim friend who bloats dramatically and she's recently been diagnosed with coeliac disease. It's a genuine symptom so you're not wrong to be concerned imo.

It's annoying OP, when I eat carbs it feels like I put a stone on.

Are those online food intolerance tests worth it? Like the York Test. I don't want to cut out a food group if they give false positives. I've had a look at the fodmap diet but it looks incredibly complicated.

Obviously everyone is different but you said salads can make you bloat. I developed an intolerance to onions, it took a while to figure it out as they are in so many sauces. It might be something to consider

I would try avoiding gluten and dairy and see if that helps.

@Smellywoodlouse

what? I didn't accuse anyone of anything. I asked if you were eating enough as being lacking in things can cause bloating, as can intermittent fasting.

Someone else asked how this was still up with the title it has and I said there was lots of pro ana stuff on mumsnet, which there is.

I didn't accuse you of anyone of anything.

I understand, I'm the same.

I'm actually overweight so wouldn't get the flaming you have if I posted, but the issues are the same. FWIW I have a prolapse, and I'm also intolerant to wheat (not gluten, wheat itself). I feel my best - as in most comfortable - when I am eating OMAD of keto food, or if I don't eat at all.

An idea of where to check intolerances - have a look at York test online. But absolutely see a dr too.

My GP flagged me on the 2ww for ovarian cancer given my symptoms, but only physical problem that showed up was gallstones. Since reversed with keto :)

I am a bit like you op! I'm intermittent fasting but only twice a week, seems like a good meet in the middle as like you I like the results of fasting. On a non bloated day I think I look really good but sometimes I can get incredibly bloated and I hate it. But bmi already only 18.7 so don't really want to lose weight. It's hard! Sending solidarity op.

This may sound weird..but how are your bowel movements? Do you get gassy?

I use to intermittent fast when I would eat again it triggered Irritable bowel syndrome. I ended up in a cycle to fast more to reduce the bloat, but when I inevitably ate the symptoms over time got so bad..after a year I was having blood :/

Personally I find different diets work for different people, I guess our make up and bodies are all different. for me I found I reacted badly to high fat foods. (Not necessarily junk, like even coconut oil) I even had high cholesterol and I looked skinny. So I swapped to low fat, and changed to olive oil and I haven't had a problem in a few years and cholesterol levels ok now. So maybe a different way of eating/diet will work?

Work on your posture and try FODMAPS, that will properly help pinpoint the foods that you are having difficulty digesting/that are causing you to bloat up. If followed properly, it can be life-changing.

You don't exercise.
You don't have any definition.
Your muscles are weak.
Strengthen your core first.

@Smellywoodlouse what form of intermittent fasting do you do? I do 16-8 and I definitely am less bloated, I do it every day so there is no "Going back to eating normally" as that is my normal if you see what I mean. It's perfectly possible to make sure you are eating enough calories in 8 hours to maintain your weight.

As others have said, that bloating would suggest a food intolerance to me. You could either look into a private test or you could eliminate gluten for two weeks and then dairy for two weeks and keep a food diary. That was what my DH was advised to do by the GP when he trying to investigate potential intolerances.

I would get tested for food intolerances.
You could benefit from core strengthening exercises because your posture looks very off.
Are you active? What sports do you like?
Swimming, Pilates, weight lifting are great for building muscle and improving posture.

@YearsWentByFast Apologies, I misunderstood.

I don't exercise but I have a very manual job. It's more lifting and carrying and climbing stairs so my legs and arms are strong but the middle not so much.

We're heading home from holiday tomorrow so I'll start an elimination diet while I wait for a GP appointment. I'm starting yoga and calisthenics anyway so that will hopefully help the posture.

The diet will be a challenge as I'm not a big meat eater. I mainly eat veggie soups, legumes, salads, and stir fry, but big portions with lots of spice and seasonings. Even my salads have jalapeno and chilli's in them. I'm guessing fodmap calls for bland food, bummer 😕

@GameOfJones I usually eat my first meal around 4 or 5, then last snacks at about 9 or 10 so not a big window to eat. I don't usually fancy lunch at work as it makes me tired and uncomfortable.

I'll start an elimination diet while I wait for a GP appointment.

Bear in mind that to be effectively tested for coeliac you need to eating the gluten equivalent of 4 slices of bread every day for the 6 weeks leading up to the test.

Poor OP has genuine concerns about bloating but it looks like body shaming is ok when someone is slim. Queue all the roll eyed posters who think slim people have no right to hate anything about their body or be concerned about it. OP it sounds like a food intolerance. As others have suggested maybe dairy, wheat or gluten.