Locations:
SearchAdvertisement
The short answer from a gastroenterologist
A: Not exactly, but here’s why you might feel full. Our stomachs have a reflex called receptive relaxation: As food enters your stomach, the muscles relax and expand out to accommodate more volume. In fact, your stomach can expand up to five times its volume after a meal as compared to before.
Advertisement
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
Some studies suggest that neurons surrounding and within our stomach wall actually control receptive relaxation. After losing weight, they may cause our stomachs to have less elasticity. This is also related to hormonal changes that affect our feelings of hunger and thirst, namely changes in the hunger hormones ghrelin and leptin.
All these factors can control whether you feel hungry or full, but none of them are related to any changes in the size of your stomach (even though it might feel like it).
—Gastroenterologist Maged Rizk, MD
Advertisement
Learn more about our editorial process.
Advertisement
This healthy carb benefits your microbiome and may help you lose weight
Consuming all of your calories in an eight- to 12-hour timeframe may help you drop pounds
Research shows promising results from options like the DASH diet and Mediterranean diet
No one diet is right for everyone — but the Cleveland Clinic Diet app meets your personalized needs
Rapid weight loss can change the way your face looks, bringing wrinkles, sagging skin and a gaunt appearance
Studies show intermittent fasting may help you lose weight, improve blood pressure and more
Diet offers a rainbow of possibilities when it comes to the hue of your stool
Drinking water, eating high-fiber foods and exercising are just a few of the ways to get back to your ‘regular’ self
If you’re feeling short of breath, sleep can be tough — propping yourself up or sleeping on your side may help
If you fear the unknown or find yourself needing reassurance often, you may identify with this attachment style
If you’re looking to boost your gut health, it’s better to get fiber from whole foods
