How do you know if it’s bloating or weight gain?

[Firefumes]

Might be a silly question!

I gained 2.5kg in the last month and genuinely can’t tell if it’s weight gain, bloating, both? How do you tell?

My BMI used to be 20 and I was fairly toned, but my muscle definition on my torso has disappeared and I feel set back in progress. My stomach is very soft and protrudes a bit.

I had a cold alongside some bowel changes, where I was really bloated and winded. I feel better now so not sure it’s still bloating as my stomach felt hard at it’s worst. I also started a new job last month so have mainly been eating ready meals and easy things to take the pressure off. Haven’t been exercising as much. Still eating healthy food/usual meals tho, not junk food.

2.5 kg in a month can easily be a mix of a little fat plus a lot of water/food volume, especially with a new job, less exercise, more ready meals (often salty), and recovering from a cold/gut upset. A quick way to tell is to weigh yourself first thing in the morning for a week and look at the average, and measure your waist in the same place a couple of times; big day-to-day swings and a “puffy” feel usually point to bloating/water rather than pure fat gain.

If you do a week or two of more normal home-style meals, more walking/strength sessions, and regular sleep, you’ll usually see bloating settle and definition start to come back. If the bowel changes or bloating persist, are painful, or you notice blood, fever, or ongoing unexplained changes, it’s worth speaking to your GP.