When trying to lose weight, it's important to include at least 30 minutes a day of exercise, per American Heart Association recommendations, as well as a healthy low-calorie, high fiber diet. However, it can take time for your body to get used to these healthy changes, which can sometimes cause temporary side effects, such as stomachaches and pains.
Muscle Soreness
Exercise plays an integral role in helping you lose weight. However, this can also be one of the primary causes of abdominal pain. When you focus on an exercise routine heavy on core exercises, such as situps or butterfly kicks, your abdominal muscles can become sore. This is often the result of delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. Typically, the pain will subside as your muscles get more used to the physical activity, as well as once the muscles complete the rebuilding and repairing process.
Cramps
Stomachaches can also be associated with cramps, which can develop from both the exercise component of weight loss or your diet. Diet-related cramps can be related to problems such as food allergies if part of your new diet includes milk, nuts, gluten or other common allergens. Cramps can also be associated with dehydration, either through not drinking enough water, or from dehydration related to exercise. Intense exercise might also cause cramps, as the additional need for oxygen can reduce the amount of oxygen reaching your stomach muscles, affecting their ability to work correctly and resulting in stomach cramps.
Digestive Distress
Digestive stress can create aches from both diet and exercise. In diet, digestive distress can come from adding additional fiber to boost weight loss results. Too much fiber too quickly can result in gas and bloating, which result in an uncomfortable ache in the stomach. Intense exercise, especially if you are new to exercise, can also result in stomachache problems such as diarrhea or an urgent need to defecate. This is due to the increased colonic function that can be seen with exercise.
Prevention and Treatment
Stomachaches can't always be stopped when trying to lose weight, but methods to reduce the level of ache or the risks of occurrence can be utilized. First, drink plenty of water, which can help prevent cramp-inducing dehydration and reduce digestive distress. Introducing diet and exercise slowly can also help prevent stomachaches. For example, performing less-intense exercises, then building up to more intense activity, can still build muscles, but help prevent serious muscle aches. Introducing foods high in fiber slowly into your diet can also help reduce aches by allowing your stomach to get used to digesting the extra fiber.
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