Trainer's Before-and-After Bloating Photos Will Have You Screaming "That's Me!"

By Dominique Michelle Astorino

Published on 7/7/2017 at 5:50 PM

BLOATING. Lezzz talk about it. ☝🏼👀 - Feeling hella vulnerable posting this photo... but a lot of girls have been messaging me lately asking how to get rid of bloating, and just really talking down about their bodies because they experience bloat. 🙍🏼 - Ladies, bloating is, for the most part, very common and we all experience it! These two photos are legit about 6-7 hours apart. 😳 I don't stress about it anymore though because I know it's temporary, and I know what I did to cause it (I ate out for both lunch and dinner = multiple slices of pizza + a massive burger 😅🍕🍔). - Fast food often causes bloating because it's usually sky-high in sodium, fat and sugar! 😵 Here are some reasons you might be bloating: - ✖️SODIUM: too much causes water retention. ✖️FAT: takes longer to digest than carbs/protein, thus moves through the digestive system slower. ✖️SUGAR: fructose, present in many processed foods, is tough for many people to digest, as are artificial sweeteners, like sorbitol. ✖️DAIRY: many people experience bloat/discomfort because their body cannot digest lactose, the sugar found in dairy products. ✖️EATING TOO FAST: you might be swallowing a lot of air by scarfing down your food, causing gas to build up in your intestines and create discomfort/swelling. - Knowledge is power, so I hope this little bit of info can help other girls realize why they may be bloating, and that it doesn't mean you're "fat" or "gross" or whatever other words girls use to tear themselves down about their body. 🙅🏼 WE ARE NOT PHOTOS ❌ - we are humans with living, breathing bodies that continually adapt and change shape in order to keep up with whatever our lifestyles/diets might throw at us. Your body is pretty damn resilient - and personally I think that's cool AF. 😼🙌🏼

A post shared by C H R I S T I N A ✨ (@fitchristina) on

It's not often that women will post a photo of themselves totally bloated, but it's an important conversation to have. Bloating and digestive problems can change the way your body looks dramatically and make you feel like you're not yourself — plus it can be crazy painful!

Toronto-based trainer Christina shared photos that were taken about six hours apart to share the reality of bloating, including some potential causes (looking at you, dairy).

Christina's photos are a great reality check for many of us that no one looks perfect or has a flat stomach all the time, even if they're totally fit (like Christina — a personal trainer — is!). "I don't stress about it anymore though because I know it's temporary," she said in her caption. "And I know what I did to cause it (I ate out for both lunch and dinner = multiple slices of pizza + a massive burger 😅🍕🍔)."

Don't get stressed if you get bloated too — know that there are ways to mitigate it and prevent it, and also . . . no one expects you to look "perfect," so try your best to roll with it and embrace that your body goes through these things and it's normal!

In Christina's words, "it doesn't mean you're 'fat' or 'gross' or whatever other words girls use to tear themselves down about their body. 🙅🏼 WE ARE NOT PHOTOS ❌ — we are humans with living, breathing bodies that continually adapt and change shape in order to keep up with whatever our lifestyles/diets might throw at us. Your body is pretty damn resilient — and personally I think that's cool AF. 😼🙌🏼"