Getting a Big Stomach

[thetopdog]

I started working out about 2.5-3 months ago, and I immediately started bulking because I wanted to gain some good muscle mass. I've gone from 5'10 168 to 186 during this time, basically by training hard, eating everything I can handle, and drinking N-Large2 twice a day (the 1200 extra calories a day REALLY helps someone like me with a fast metabolism)

I understand that I will gain some fat while bulking, and I don't have any problem with this. I also understand that a lot of guys like me tend to store the majority of the fat they have in their abdominal area. Again, this is something that I'm willing to deal with, and it should be easy for me to cut down when the time comes.

The problem I have is that my stomach is getting noticably larger, and I'm not sure if this is due to excess fat, or to overeating. I know my mother always warned me when I was a kid that overeating 'stretched out your stomach' and gave you a belly. I got my bodyfat % meaured yesterday, and it was 12.36% which isn't bad. I can still see my abs when flexed, but my stomach sticks out just a little too far for my liking. Is this just due to getting fatter? Or is this really my stomach being stretched out because I'm eating a lot? To put it another way, if one twin were to drink was a shake that could give you 4000cals, the necessary grams of protein, fat etc. in one glass, and another twin got the exact same nutrients but had to eat a ton of food, would they have the same size stomachs? Or would twin number one have a flatter stomach than number two?

[JHolmes145]

reduce the sodium in your diet it makes you get bloat, if youre bulkin expect a stomach after 4000 cals a day

[thetopdog]

Originally posted by JHolmes145
reduce the sodium in your diet it makes you get bloat, if youre bulkin expect a stomach after 4000 cals a day

Thanks for the advice on the sodium. I don't care about getting fat from the calories, but does the amount of food (independent of caloires) make a difference? If I got the same amount of caloires and nutrients from eating 1/2 the food, would my stomach still be as big?

[Budiak]

The guy who eats the food is going to have a slightly more distended stomach, noticeably in fact, because as the food is going through the intestines..its...its right there in your belly.

A lot of times after coming off of a huge bulk, a lot of weight is lost fairly quickly, known as 'intestinal weight'. Thats basically all the food that was in your intestines when you were eating a whole lot goes through your system you'll lose that weight, and the mass isnt being replaced by a like amount of food.

[Ironman8]

Also, some of that weight can be water weight. Try eating or drinking some vitamin C to reduce some of that weight.

[bradley]

Originally posted by Ironman8
Also, some of that weight can be water weight. Try eating or drinking some vitamin C to reduce some of that weight.

Probably the most effecient way to get rid or water weight would be to increase your water intake throughtout the day.

[captnjosh]

Reply to original question.

From what I understand overeating will cause your stomach to become larger. However I think it is very unlikely that is the cause of your belly. Some people tend to carry fat more in certain areas and that is normal. It could also be water or temporary bloating. If you are bulking I would not worry about it, it should go away when you cut.