Bloating and constipation during/after recovery from an eating disorder

I know this is a really awkward topic, but please could you write a post on constipation and the foods that cause or help this? I know there are some on your blog and I've read through them but if you could include the bloating that comes with this, please? I'm at a healthy weight and have been for over a year but I've only recently stopped eating according to a meal plan. So some days I really under eat and others I eat a lot and feel so gross. Balancing this is so hard. And the only time I'm not that bloated is when I don't eat enough. It's a really vicious cycle.


The first thing to realise and remember is that bloating happens to everyone and after eating most people bloat a little, some people more than others. And it also depends on what you eat, how much and how your body digests that food. For example i usually bloat after eating for most meals however i've realised that if i eat foods high in glucose or very high carbs, and thats pretty much all i eat for that meal then i don't bloat after that meal.

Generally bloating happens less and isnt as bad when you have a regular pattern of eating. If you eat lots some days and less other days and eat very irregularly then you can feel yourself bloat alot more than if you were to just eat regular times and regular meals each day, then your body is used to that. But also if you eat less one day then you naturally end up eating alot more the next day as your body wants balance and knows that it needs more food, and the days you eat more than usual you can find yourself more bloated which is why trying to stick to regular eating is the best.  Of course regular eating doesnt mean you have to eat the same thing everyday and follow a meal plan, but if you try to eat at roughly the same time everyday and the same portion sizes even if its different foods ( apart from the days where you are really really hungry, then you should eat more!), that will help your digestive system.

Bloating is also about what foods you eat. If your digestive system finds it harder to break down certain foods you can find yourself bloating alot, but if its intolerances then it can often be accompanied by stomach pain/discomfort.

One thing that causes bloating is fiber, but is also something which helps relieve constipation. If you dont eat enough fiber or drink enough water that can lead to constipation ... though some avoid fiber and drinking enough water because it can cause bloating... but then again so does constipaton. My best tip would be to gradually increase fiber intake as well as drinking enough water and even if you may feel more bloated at first, it will pass as your body adapts and you might find it easier to go to the the bathroom.  

Foods with are high in fiber: Whole grains, oatmeal, dried fruit, vegetables, beans, lentils, fruit etc But also  psyllium seeds and chia seeds are high in fiber and a great thing to add to your diet. Though too much isnt good, and it is important to drink lots of water/fluids when you consume psyllium seeds or chia seeds! There are laxatives as well which can help if the bathroom situation doesnt get better, but in all honesty i would try drinking prune juice or adding psyllium seeds to yoghurt/smoothies or increasing brown rice/bean/potatoe consumption first.

If you are eating a healthy diet and balanced diet and eating regular meals so that you dont eat 2 meals one day and 7 meals the next day, then bloating should be so bad (unless you eat foods which your digestive system doesnt like) as well as the risk of constipation should lessen.

However while in recovery and during the weight gain process or when you begin to eat more/introduce different foods back into your diet then the bloating situation is alittle more extreme and you can be very bloated for a while and as your digestive system hasnt been working so hard for a while then you can find that you get constpiated easier so then it might be beneficial to use laxatives because otherwise you just feel this constant sick and full feeling i.e if you arent going to the bathroom and eating lots everyday then you can almost feel like the food is quite literally piling ontop of each other. But that is something you should talk to your doctor about!! But just remember that :) If your body is used to regular eating then just adding more fiber can be the best step and seeing whether you have an intolerances or writing food journals to see if there is certain food which cause the bloating etc