Bloating vs Weight Gain: How to Tell the Difference

You wake up to find that your stomach looks a bit bigger in the mirror. First thought, am I gaining weight? Second thought a few seconds later, wait, didn't I feel perfectly fine last night? This happens to everyone and most of the time it's nothing to do with weight gain at all, it's bloating. However the two are similar enough that it is worth knowing what actually distinguishes them.

It comes and goes

Bloating comes and goes fairly quickly. You may look just as big in the morning as you did the day before, but then tighten up into a bigger stomach by the evening. This sort of fluctuation within days or sometimes even hours for some people is another major difference between bloating and weight gain. Gaining weight is not something that happens within hours and disappears just because you slept well. It takes time to build up and time to come down, over the course of weeks or sometimes even months.

The scale isn't as honest as it seems.

If your weight isn't consistent from morning to night or day to day, weight gain is probably not the reason. It is more likely to be the result of water retention, food already being in your system or your hormonal balance than it is to be sudden fat gain. Your weight can shift depending on how much salt you have eaten, where you are in your cycle and how much water you have had that day. A single number on a single day isn't a reliable source of information and if you're the type of person who weighs themselves regularly it's probably best to look at a spread over a few weeks.

What tends to cause it

Bloating tends to be caused by something tangible that you can usually pin point. There are a few major diet offenders that most people can agree on, but everyone is slightly different so this is far from an exhaustive list.

• Carbonated drinks like soda or sparkling water can cause bloating

• Legumes like beans and lentils can cause bloating

• Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts can cause bloating

• Onions and garlic can cause bloating

• Dairy products, for people who are lactose intolerant can cause bloating

• High sodium foods like takeout, salty snacks and soups can cause bloating

• Sugar alcohols found in some sugar free gum and low carb snacks can cause bloating

• Wheat and foods made with gluten containing wheat can cause bloating

• Eating too fast or talking while eating, leading to swallowing extra air can cause bloating

• Large meals in general even healthy ones can cause bloating from sheer size

• Hormonal fluctuations around your cycle can cause bloating

• Stress can cause bloating by slowing digestion

• Not drinking enough water can cause bloating by leading to water retention

• Digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome and general food sensitivities can cause bloating

So what does real weight gain feel like

Real weight gain is much less dramatic and tends to happen more slowly over the course of weeks or months. You start to find that clothes fit differently and it takes longer to happen then just overnight. Bloating will often disappear with a good night of sleep or a trip to the bathroom, but with weight gain things tend to just get progressively more snug. With weight gain there's not usually a single meal or afternoon that you can blame it on, it's the result of gradual changes over a long period of time.

Try not to panic over a puffy day

If your stomach looks a little bigger and tauter in the mirror in the morning but normal by the afternoon, there really isn't much to worry about. In general bodies are not exactly consistent from minute to minute and bloating from the day before or even a big dinner isn't something to panic over. If something looks consistently bigger week after week month after month however that is usually when weight gain starts to become apparent as well.