12 things you'll understand if you suffer from bloating

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If you have coeliac disease – or any food allergy or intolerance – you’re likely to have issues with bloating. It’s something I see fellow gluten free-ers posting about all the time, and a problem which seems to blight us all!

Just look at the success of the lovely Lottie at The Tummy Diaries (a great source of bloating help and advice too!) and her hashtag – #MyBloatedWardrobe – and you can see how many of us suffer with the dreaded bloat.

I have coeliac disease and when I eat gluten, I soon know about it because one of the symptoms I have is blowing up like a balloon. I don’t remember having bloating as a symptom when I was diagnosed, but it seems to affect me a lot more now on the rare occasions where I do accidentally get glutened. Cue people looking at me and trying to work out if I am pregnant.

I also think that my coeliac disease has made my gut a lot more sensitive. It’s not just gluten that makes me swell up like I’m five months pregnant. Sometimes I think I should probably keep a food diary to try and figure out what other foods upset me. But that’s a whole other story! Before this turns into a food diary of my dietary woes*, let’s keep it light-hearted!

*Side note, if you do suffer from persistent bloating, it’s really important you speak to your GP to try and get to the bottom of it.

But to make you feel a little better, here are my 12 things you’ll understand if you suffer from bloating…

You’ve seriously contemplated buying maternity pants

I mean, they would be SO comfortable, and would anybody really notice!?

You always wear baggy tops for meals out

Gotta hide that ‘I’ve just eaten food that hates me’ belly.

You’ve cried/got angry/thrown things over what to wear

All I wanted to do was go for a nice meal but I simply cannot find anything that is comfortable.

You’ve switched from jeans to jeggings

And yes, I am contemplating making the move to sweatpants every day next.

You’ve tried ‘the hairband trick’

gluten free bloating rubber band trick

Yes, this is normally reserved for pregnant ladies. No, I don’t care. (Image: DIY Maternity)

You’ve got a stash of peppermint tea

Because peppermint tea is LIFE.

You’ve wondered if you could get away with pretending to be pregnant to blag a train seat…

Come on, don’t lie, we’ve all stood on a busy train after a big meal and thought it.

…but you’ve also panicked you could be pregnant

And it’s some freakishly fast-growing Twilight-inspired baby that has come from nowhere…

You’ve instantly regretted eating a meal

The bloating isn’t even here yet but I can feel it coming. And it hurts.

You always promise to eat less

But let’s fact it, that never, ever happens.

You change into elasticated trousers the second you get home

I can’t bear to be in restrictive clothes any longer than I have to be!

You put on high waisted jeans – and then regret it

Why do I keep sacrificing my poor stomach in the name of fashion!?

Is there anything I’ve missed?

I know a lot of you out there suffer with bloating too, so if there is anything I’ve missed, let me know in the comments below! We’ve got to have a laugh to get through the lows, right!?

If you want a giggle, give these other posts a read!