How to Get a Flat Stomach: Healthy and Realistic Steps

Getting a flat stomach is a common fitness goal, but it is important to approach it with realistic expectations. Your abdominal appearance is affected by body fat, muscle tone, digestion, posture, genetics, hormones, skin, and the natural shape of your body. A perfectly flat stomach is neither possible nor necessary for everyone.

There is also a difference between losing abdominal fat and reducing temporary bloating. Body fat changes gradually when you follow a sustainable eating and activity routine, while bloating may change throughout the day. Understanding which issue you are dealing with can help you choose the right strategy instead of following ineffective quick fixes.

Hundreds of crunches, detox teas, waist trainers, or extremely restrictive diets cannot guarantee a flat belly. A healthier approach combines balanced meals, portion awareness, regular walking, cardiovascular exercise, full-body strength training, core exercises, good sleep, stress management, and support for digestive health.

This guide explains how to get a flatter stomach without unsafe shortcuts. It covers belly fat loss, bloating relief, food choices, effective workouts, realistic timelines, common mistakes, and signs that abdominal swelling or discomfort should be assessed by a healthcare professional.

Quick Answer: How Can You Get a Flatter Stomach?

To make your stomach look flatter over time, focus on reducing overall body fat through a modest calorie deficit. This means regularly consuming slightly less energy than your body uses without starving yourself. Balanced portions and consistent activity are usually more effective than an extreme diet that cannot be maintained.

Combine cardiovascular activity with strength training. Walking, cycling, swimming, jogging, and similar activities increase daily energy use, while resistance exercises help maintain or build muscle. Stronger muscles can improve body composition and make it easier to maintain weight loss over the long term.

Train your core two or three times each week, but do not depend on abdominal exercises alone. Planks, dead bugs, bird dogs, controlled leg movements, and carries can strengthen the muscles around your trunk. They improve stability and posture, even though they cannot independently remove all fat covering the abdomen.

Reduce bloating by eating slowly, staying hydrated, managing constipation, and identifying foods that repeatedly trigger symptoms. Sleep and stress also matter because tiredness and emotional pressure can influence appetite, food choices, activity, and digestion. Sustainable habits produce better results than trying to flatten your stomach in a few days.

What Does Having a Flat Stomach Really Mean?

A flat stomach usually refers to an abdomen that appears relatively lean, firm, and less rounded. However, the appearance of your midsection naturally changes after eating, drinking, exercising, sitting, standing, and using the toilet. These normal changes do not mean that you have suddenly gained abdominal fat.

Your internal organs need space, so the abdomen does not have to be completely flat to be healthy. Many slim and physically active people still have a slight lower-belly curve. Pelvic structure, rib position, spinal shape, muscle development, and the placement of internal organs all influence the appearance of the stomach.

Genetics and hormones also affect where your body prefers to store fat. Some people store more around the abdomen, while others carry it around the hips, thighs, chest, or arms. You can influence your overall body-fat level, but you cannot completely control the order in which different areas become leaner.

Pregnancy, major weight loss, ageing, surgery, and changes in skin elasticity may leave loose abdominal skin. Exercise can strengthen the muscles underneath, but it cannot always remove excess skin. A realistic goal is to improve health, strength, comfort, and body composition rather than chasing an edited or anatomically impossible appearance.

Can You Lose Belly Fat Without Losing Weight Elsewhere?

Your body generally reduces stored fat from different areas according to genetics, hormones, sex, age, and individual biology. You cannot reliably instruct it to take fat only from your stomach. For most people, abdominal fat decreases as part of a wider reduction in total body fat.

Abdominal exercises strengthen the rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and surrounding muscles. Stronger abdominal muscles may make your waist feel firmer and improve posture. However, those muscles may remain partly hidden when a layer of subcutaneous fat sits above them.

Research into localised fat reduction is still developing, and some small studies have reported limited regional effects under specific training conditions. Even so, the practical difference is unlikely to replace the need for full-body activity, resistance training, and appropriate nutrition when meaningful abdominal fat loss is the goal.

Do not stop training your core simply because crunches cannot guarantee spot reduction. Core strength supports lifting, walking, sports, balance, and daily movement. The most effective routine combines direct abdominal training with exercises for the legs, back, chest, shoulders, hips, and arms.

Belly Fat and Bloating Are Not the Same

Belly fat is body tissue stored under the skin or around internal organs. It does not appear or disappear within a few hours. Meaningful fat loss requires repeated changes in eating, activity, and energy balance over several weeks or months.

Bloating is a feeling of fullness, pressure, or swelling in the abdomen. It may result from gas, constipation, swallowed air, large meals, fizzy drinks, food intolerance, the menstrual cycle, or digestive conditions. Bloating often changes during the day and may improve after passing gas or having a bowel movement.

You may be dealing with bloating when your stomach is relatively comfortable in the morning but becomes larger or tighter after meals. You may also notice gas, rumbling, discomfort, constipation, or a strong connection with certain foods. Keeping a symptom diary can help identify patterns without immediately removing several food groups.

Some people experience both abdominal fat and bloating. In that situation, healthy weight management can gradually change body composition while digestive strategies improve temporary swelling. Treating every change in stomach size as fat gain can create unnecessary anxiety and lead to overly restrictive eating.

Create a Sustainable Calorie Deficit

Fat loss occurs when your body uses more energy than it regularly receives from food and drink. This is known as a calorie deficit. You do not need to count every calorie, but understanding portion sizes and high-calorie foods can help you make changes without following a complicated plan.

A moderate deficit is usually more sustainable than cutting food intake aggressively. Extreme restriction can leave you tired, hungry, irritable, and unable to exercise effectively. It may also increase the chance of overeating later because the plan is too difficult to maintain in everyday life.

Begin with small adjustments, such as reducing sugary drinks, measuring cooking oil, serving slightly smaller portions, and eating fewer highly processed snacks. These changes can lower calorie intake while allowing you to continue eating satisfying meals with carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables.

Track progress for several weeks before deciding that your plan is not working. Body weight can change because of water, digestion, sodium intake, hormones, and stored carbohydrates. Use waist measurements, clothing fit, energy levels, strength, and longer-term weight trends rather than judging results from a single day.

Build Meals That Keep You Full

A filling meal usually contains protein, fibre-rich carbohydrates, vegetables or fruit, and a moderate amount of healthy fat. This combination can make eating fewer calories feel more manageable because you are not depending on tiny portions or constantly fighting hunger.

Good protein choices include eggs, fish, chicken, lean meat, yoghurt, cottage cheese, tofu, lentils, chickpeas, and beans. Carbohydrate options include oats, potatoes, brown rice, wholegrain bread, wholewheat pasta, and other grains. The exact foods can be adjusted for your culture, budget, and dietary preferences.

Try filling approximately half of your main plate with vegetables, then add a source of protein and a sensible portion of carbohydrates. Vegetables add volume, fibre, vitamins, and minerals without making the meal excessively high in calories. A small amount of oil, seeds, nuts, or avocado can provide healthy fats.

No individual food directly burns belly fat. Lemon water, chilli, green tea, apple cider vinegar, and similar foods may fit within a balanced diet, but they cannot replace an overall calorie deficit. Base your meals on nutritional value, fullness, enjoyment, affordability, and consistency rather than exaggerated fat-burning claims.

Include Protein in Every Main Meal

Protein supports muscle repair and maintenance, particularly when you are strength training or losing weight. Preserving muscle can improve your body composition because a greater proportion of the weight you lose may come from stored fat rather than lean tissue.

Protein-rich meals can also be satisfying, which may reduce the desire to snack shortly afterwards. Breakfast could include eggs or yoghurt, lunch might contain chicken, beans, or tuna, and dinner could include fish, lentils, tofu, or lean meat alongside vegetables and carbohydrates.

You do not need expensive protein powders to get a flatter stomach. Whole foods can provide enough protein for many people while also supplying vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Protein powder is mainly a convenient option when meeting your needs through regular meals is difficult.

More protein is not always better. Adding shakes and protein bars on top of your usual meals can increase total calories and slow fat loss. Use protein foods to replace less filling choices rather than treating supplements as products that automatically remove abdominal fat.

Eat More Fibre Without Increasing It Too Quickly

Fibre supports digestive health and can help meals feel more filling. Sources include vegetables, fruit, oats, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and potatoes with their skins. A fibre-rich eating pattern can also support regular bowel movements and reduce constipation-related abdominal fullness.

Increase fibre gradually when your current intake is low. A sudden large increase can cause gas, cramping, and bloating, especially if you do not drink enough water. Add one or two fibre-rich foods at a time and allow your digestive system to adjust.

Different people tolerate foods differently. Beans, lentils, onions, cabbage, and some high-fibre foods are nutritious but may worsen gas for individuals with digestive sensitivity. You do not have to avoid them automatically, but adjusting the serving size or preparation method may help.

Persistent digestive symptoms should not be managed by removing many foods without professional advice. A very restrictive diet can create nutritional gaps and make eating stressful. A doctor or registered dietitian can help identify whether symptoms are related to constipation, intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, coeliac disease, or another condition.

Control Portions Without Starving Yourself

Large portions can make it easy to consume more calories than your body requires, even when the meal contains healthy ingredients. Oils, cheese, nuts, nut butter, dried fruit, sauces, and large servings of rice or pasta can add substantial energy without always looking excessive.

Use a slightly smaller plate, serve your food once, and pause before taking more. Eat slowly enough to notice when you feel comfortably satisfied. You do not have to finish everything simply because it is on your plate, particularly when the serving is larger than your appetite requires.

Avoid eating directly from a large packet. Place crisps, biscuits, sweets, nuts, or other snacks into a small bowl so you can see the amount. This simple step makes portions more visible and reduces mindless eating while watching television or using your phone.

Portion control should not leave you feeling weak or constantly hungry. Increase low-calorie volume through vegetables, soups, fruit, and lean protein rather than trying to survive on very small meals. A sustainable plan allows enough food to support work, exercise, concentration, and normal daily life.

Reduce Calories From Drinks

Sugary drinks can add a large amount of energy without providing the same fullness as solid food. Fizzy drinks, sweetened tea, flavoured coffee, energy drinks, milkshakes, and packaged juices can make a calorie deficit harder to maintain when they are consumed regularly.

Water is the simplest everyday drink. Unsweetened tea, plain coffee, lower-calorie drinks, and milk can also fit into a balanced plan depending on your needs. You do not need to avoid every sweet drink forever, but reducing frequency and portion size can make a noticeable difference.

Fruit juice contains vitamins but does not provide the same chewing experience or fibre as whole fruit. It is easy to drink several pieces of fruit in a short time. Choosing an orange, apple, or berries more often may be more satisfying than drinking the equivalent calories.

Alcohol also contains calories and can lower your ability to make planned food choices. Some people eat more during or after drinking and may exercise less the following day. Reducing alcohol can support belly fat loss, sleep quality, hydration, digestion, and general health.

Choose the Best Cardio for Belly Fat Loss

The best cardiovascular exercise is an activity you can perform regularly without hating every session. Brisk walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, jogging, rowing, hiking, and sports can all increase energy expenditure and improve cardiovascular fitness.

Adults should generally work towards at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week, along with strength training. Someone new to exercise can begin with shorter sessions and gradually build up. Ten or fifteen minutes is still useful when a longer workout feels unrealistic.

High-intensity interval training can be effective, but it is not essential for getting a flatter stomach. Beginners may achieve better consistency with walking or moderate cycling because recovery is easier. Intense exercise also carries a greater risk of injury when it is introduced too quickly.

Increasing your workout intensity will not compensate for an eating pattern that regularly exceeds your energy needs. Exercise and nutrition work best together. Use cardio to improve fitness and support the calorie deficit, not as punishment for eating or permission to ignore hunger and recovery.

Use Strength Training to Improve Body Composition

Strength training helps you maintain or build muscle while losing weight. This can create a firmer appearance even when the number on the scale changes slowly. Resistance exercise also supports bone health, physical function, balance, and your ability to perform everyday tasks.

Train the major muscle groups at least twice each week. A balanced routine may include squats or sit-to-stands, hip hinges, lunges, rows, presses, step-ups, and loaded carries. These exercises can be completed with gym equipment, resistance bands, dumbbells, or body weight.

Start with movements you can control and choose resistance that allows good technique. Increase repetitions, weight, range of motion, or difficulty gradually. Progress does not require becoming exhausted during every session, and soreness is not proof that a workout was effective.

Full-body strength training is generally more useful for body composition than doing only abdominal exercises. Large compound movements train several muscles and require significant effort. Add direct core exercises at the end of the session instead of building your entire programme around crunches.

Strengthen Your Core for a Firmer Midsection

Your core includes more than the visible abdominal muscles. It also involves deeper abdominal muscles, obliques, spinal muscles, diaphragm, pelvic floor, hips, and other structures that work together to stabilise your trunk.

Planks can improve core endurance when performed with controlled breathing and a neutral body position. Begin with an elevated plank against a table or bench when a floor plank is too difficult. Progress gradually by lowering the support or extending the working time.

Dead bugs and bird dogs teach you to move your arms and legs while controlling your trunk. Side planks train lateral stability, while carries challenge the core during standing movement. These exercises can be more useful for everyday function than performing hundreds of rushed sit-ups.

A stronger core may improve posture and make the abdomen look more supported, but it cannot guarantee a completely flat stomach. Combine core work with full-body strength training, cardiovascular exercise, balanced nutrition, and appropriate recovery for the best overall result.

Improve Posture Without “Sucking In” All Day

Slouching can make the stomach appear more prominent because the ribcage and pelvis move out of a comfortable alignment. Strengthening the upper back, hips, glutes, and core may help you stand more naturally and reduce the appearance created by poor posture.

Avoid forcing your stomach inward throughout the day. Constantly gripping the abdominal muscles can make breathing uncomfortable and may create unnecessary tension. Your core should respond to movement and load rather than remaining maximally tightened at all times.

Practise standing with your weight balanced through your feet, knees relaxed, ribs comfortable, and shoulders resting naturally. During exercise, breathe normally and learn to brace the trunk only as much as the movement requires.

Postural exercises cannot remove abdominal fat or loose skin. They can simply help your body use a more comfortable position. Anyone with continuing back pain, pelvic pain, breathing problems, or difficulty controlling the abdominal wall should seek personalised guidance from an appropriate healthcare professional.

Increase Daily Movement Outside the Gym

Formal exercise may take up only a small part of your day. Walking to nearby places, taking the stairs, standing regularly, completing household tasks, playing with children, and moving during work breaks can increase your total daily activity.

A daily step target can be motivating, but there is no perfect number for everyone. Begin by measuring your normal activity and increase it gradually. Adding a ten-minute walk after one or two meals is often easier than immediately trying to complete a long workout.

Short movement breaks are particularly useful for people who sit for work. Stand up, walk around, stretch, or complete a simple task every hour when possible. These small actions support circulation, mobility, digestion, and total energy expenditure.

Choose changes that fit your routine. Parking farther away, walking during phone calls, using public transport, or completing errands on foot can all help. Consistent daily movement often contributes more than an occasional extreme workout followed by several inactive days.

Sleep Enough to Support Fat Loss

Sleep does not directly flatten your stomach overnight, but it supports the behaviours required for healthy weight management. When you are tired, you may feel hungrier, crave higher-calorie foods, move less, and find meal planning or exercise more difficult.

Most adults need approximately seven to nine hours of sleep, although individual needs vary. Try to keep your sleeping and waking times reasonably consistent, including at weekends. A predictable routine can make it easier to fall asleep and wake with more energy.

Reduce caffeine later in the day when it affects your sleep. Create a darker and quieter bedroom, and limit stimulating screen use close to bedtime. A relaxing routine involving reading, gentle stretching, or a warm shower may help you prepare for rest.

Talk to a healthcare professional when loud snoring, gasping, morning headaches, or severe daytime sleepiness regularly disturb your life. Sleep disorders can affect appetite, energy, exercise capacity, and general health, and they require more than ordinary sleep-hygiene advice.

Manage Stress Without Depending on Food

Stress can change appetite in different ways. Some people lose interest in food, while others turn to highly palatable snacks for temporary comfort. Stress may also disrupt sleep, reduce motivation to exercise, and worsen digestive symptoms such as bloating or abdominal discomfort.

You do not have to remove every source of stress before making progress. Start with manageable actions such as walking, controlled breathing, talking with someone you trust, journalling, spending time outdoors, or breaking large tasks into smaller steps.

Plan alternatives for situations that normally lead to emotional eating. You might make tea, take a brief walk, listen to music, or wait ten minutes before deciding whether you are physically hungry. The goal is not to ban comfort food but to develop more than one way to cope.

Seek professional support when stress, anxiety, low mood, binge eating, or body-image concerns are affecting your daily life. Improving your relationship with food and your body may be more important than making your stomach look smaller.

Reduce Bloating Safely

Eat slowly and chew your food well to reduce the amount of air you swallow. Large, rushed meals can create uncomfortable fullness, particularly when they contain a high amount of fat or foods that your digestive system finds difficult to tolerate.

Drink enough water throughout the day and stay physically active. Regular movement can support digestion and help prevent constipation. If constipation is contributing to bloating, gradually increasing soluble fibre from foods such as oats may help some people.

Reduce fizzy drinks when they repeatedly cause gas. Sugar-free sweets and drinks can also contain sweeteners that trigger bloating or diarrhoea in sensitive individuals. Keep a record of meals and symptoms before removing foods so that you can identify consistent patterns.

Do not use detox drinks, laxatives, or diuretics to make your stomach look temporarily flatter. They do not remove body fat and can cause dehydration, electrolyte problems, or dependence. Persistent bloating needs proper assessment rather than increasingly aggressive home remedies.

Follow a Simple Weekly Exercise Routine

On Monday, complete a full-body strength session using squats, rows, presses, hip hinges, and a short plank variation. On Tuesday, take a brisk walk or perform another moderate cardio activity for around 20 to 30 minutes, adjusting the time to your current fitness.

On Wednesday, choose light activity and mobility work. Thursday can include another full-body strength session with step-ups, lunges, pulls, presses, and dead bugs. Use controlled movements and stop if you experience sharp pain, dizziness, or unusual shortness of breath.

Complete a longer walk, cycle, swim, or enjoyable cardio session on Friday or Saturday. Use the remaining day for rest or gentle movement. Beginners do not need to train intensely every day to make progress, and recovery is part of a productive exercise plan.

Increase difficulty only after the routine feels manageable. Add a few minutes, another set, slightly more resistance, or a faster walking pace. Gradual progression reduces injury risk and helps turn short-term motivation into a routine you can follow for months.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Flat Stomach?

There is no reliable flat-stomach deadline because everyone begins with a different body composition, lifestyle, medical history, and genetic pattern. Someone mainly experiencing temporary bloating may notice changes within days, while meaningful abdominal fat loss usually takes considerably longer.

A gradual rate of weight loss is more realistic and maintainable than trying to lose a large amount within one week. Even when your habits are consistent, the stomach may not be the first area to appear leaner. Progress can occur elsewhere before you notice a major difference around your waist.

A person with a small amount of fat to lose may experience slower visual changes because the body is already relatively lean. Someone with more weight to lose may initially notice faster changes, partly because of shifts in water and stored carbohydrates as well as fat.

Avoid comparing your timeline with social media transformations. Lighting, posing, clothing, dehydration, image editing, and the time of day can dramatically change how a stomach looks. Judge success by sustainable habits and health improvements rather than a promised number of days.

Why Your Stomach May Not Look Flat Yet

You may be eating nutritious foods but still consuming more energy than your body uses. Large servings of oil, nuts, cheese, sauces, smoothies, and restaurant meals can slow fat loss even when the ingredients are considered healthy.

Your exercise plan may also be inconsistent or too focused on abdominal movements. A few core sessions cannot replace regular full-body activity and appropriate portions. Aim for a repeatable weekly routine instead of alternating between inactivity and exhausting workouts.

Bloating, constipation, menstrual changes, stress, and poor sleep can temporarily make the abdomen appear larger. These factors may hide progress for several days. Compare measurements under similar conditions rather than checking your stomach after every meal.

Some changes are outside your direct control. Genetics, skin elasticity, pregnancy-related changes, age, medical conditions, and certain medicines can affect weight and abdominal appearance. Speak with a clinician when your efforts are consistent but you have unexplained symptoms or significant difficulty managing weight.

Flat-Stomach Mistakes to Avoid

Do not follow starvation diets or plans that remove entire food groups without a medical reason. Rapid restriction can reduce energy, worsen concentration, affect exercise performance, and create an unhealthy cycle of strict dieting followed by overeating.

Avoid waist trainers and sweat belts marketed as belly-fat solutions. They may temporarily compress the abdomen or increase sweating, but sweating mainly changes fluid levels rather than body fat. Tight devices can also make breathing, movement, and digestion uncomfortable.

Do not rely on supplements that claim to melt abdominal fat. Fat burners, detox products, appetite suppressants, and unregulated herbal remedies may contain ineffective or potentially harmful ingredients. A dramatic marketing promise is not evidence that a product is safe.

Finally, avoid weighing yourself several times each day or criticising every normal change in your stomach. Food, fluid, posture, and digestion affect appearance. Use progress checks at sensible intervals and focus on actions you can control.

When to Speak With a Healthcare Professional

Arrange a medical assessment when bloating happens regularly, does not improve, or is accompanied by unexplained weight loss or blood in the stool. These symptoms should not be dismissed as ordinary belly fat or managed only by changing your diet.

Seek prompt medical advice for abdominal swelling with ongoing vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, fever, significant pain, or a new lump. A sudden severe stomach ache, vomiting blood, or serious breathing difficulty requires urgent emergency care.

Talk with a clinician when you gain weight unexpectedly or have symptoms such as extreme tiredness, menstrual changes, unusual hair growth, feeling unusually cold, or major changes in appetite. Medicines and conditions such as thyroid problems or polycystic ovary syndrome can influence weight.

You should also seek support when the desire for a flat stomach leads to food avoidance, binge eating, purging, compulsive exercise, or intense distress about your appearance. These are health concerns, not failures of willpower, and professional help can support recovery.

How to Maintain a Flatter Stomach

Once you reach a comfortable weight or waist measurement, continue the habits that helped you get there. Returning completely to your previous portions and activity level can gradually restore the weight you lost. Maintenance still requires attention, but it should not feel like permanent punishment.

Keep strength training, walking, and performing cardiovascular activity. Exercise supports weight maintenance, muscle, fitness, sleep, mood, and independence. Adjust the routine when your schedule changes rather than abandoning it because you cannot follow the original plan perfectly.

Continue building balanced meals while allowing flexibility for celebrations, restaurants, and favourite foods. One high-calorie meal does not undo months of progress, just as one salad cannot transform body composition. Your usual pattern matters more than occasional choices.

Expect your stomach to change slightly from morning to evening. Eating, hydration, digestion, posture, and the menstrual cycle remain part of normal life. Maintenance means supporting your health and habits, not forcing your abdomen to look identical every hour.

Final Answer: How Do You Get a Flat Stomach?

A flatter stomach usually comes from reducing overall body fat, strengthening the whole body and core, and managing temporary bloating. No single exercise, food, drink, or supplement can guarantee the result on its own.

Build meals around protein, vegetables, fibre-rich carbohydrates, and sensible portions. Reduce sugary drinks, excessive alcohol, and frequent high-calorie snacks while continuing to eat enough food to support your energy, health, and exercise routine.

Aim for regular cardiovascular activity, at least two weekly strength sessions, and consistent daily movement. Add core exercises for stability and posture, but do not expect them to remove fat from one specific area.

Most importantly, set a realistic goal. Your stomach does not need to be completely flat for you to be healthy, fit, or attractive. Focus on gradual progress, strength, comfort, energy, and habits you can maintain over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a flat stomach in one week?

You may reduce some bloating within a week by improving hydration, digestion, meal size, and activity. However, noticeable abdominal fat loss normally requires a consistent routine over several weeks or months.

What exercise burns the most belly fat?

No exercise removes fat exclusively from the belly. Combine regular cardio, full-body strength training, daily walking, and a sustainable calorie deficit to reduce overall and abdominal fat.

Do planks make your stomach flat?

Planks strengthen and stabilise your core, which can improve posture and firmness. They do not directly remove the fat covering your abdominal muscles, so they should be part of a wider fitness plan.

What foods help flatten your stomach?

No food directly burns stomach fat. Protein-rich foods, vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, and sensible portions can support fullness, digestion, and sustainable weight loss.

Why is my stomach flat in the morning but bigger at night?

Food, fluids, gas, and stool naturally accumulate during the day, so some increase is normal. Regular or painful bloating, unexplained weight loss, or other continuing symptoms should be medically assessed.