This bodybuilder got real about bloating with these before-and-after pictures

Feeling bloated is one of our least favorite things about the holiday season. Sometimes we just can’t say no to delicious food that leaves us feeling a tad bit uncomfortable. But sometimes, we don’t know how severe bloating can be, which is why we’re in awe of this bodybuilder who posted bloating pictures on Instagram. With a few photos, she illustrated how certain food triggers can really make you look like a different person.

Michelle Middleton, a bodybuilder with an impressive Instagram following, explained that she knows which foods in particular will cause bloating — for her, it’s yogurts and protein powders, as well as fruits like watermelon and pears. Broccoli, asparagus, and cauliflower also make Middleton a bit bloated. “I do these bloat posts every now and then but people still get surprised at how big my belly gets,” she stated in the caption of her post.

She knew she’d be facing the battle of the bloat after eating a yogurt, so she made sure to take photographs of what changes her body went through just minutes after eating it. “I got bloated within a few minutes but the bloat only lasted for a few hours and now I’m back to normal,” she noted.

A lot of fans made sure to note in the comments that bloating is a part of life, and it’s nothing for anyone to feel ashamed of. “No one has a flat stomach all day long, it’s simply not possible,” a follower stated.

Middleton made it clear that based on her occupation, her own body goes through stages after a few initial misconceptions about her images.

When she wants to put on more muscle, she eats more calories — so, while her stomach swells no matter what, she wants people to know that when she has visible abs in a bloating comparison shot, those photo weren’t taken the same day.  Even so, her triggers provide a recognizable difference.

Middleton told her followers that it’s important to keep track of the foods that make you bloat, and also suggested seeing a doctor to possibly rule out a food allergy if things get intense.

She shared another comparison in October, reminding her fans that it’s only temporary.

We love it when fitness bloggers prove that while something may be seem as a body “flaw,” like bloating, it’s just a natural process that happens to all of us.

Middleton is a real inspiration for telling it like it is.