Ate Too Much? What To Do For Digestion After Overeating

Skip navigation!ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTAte Too Much On Thanksgiving? Here’s What To DoRefinery29 TeamLast Updated November 27, 2019, 6:00 PM PHotographed by Megan Madden.There’s a famous scene in the sitcom Friends in which Matt LeBlanc’s character Joey attempts to eat an entire enormous Thanksgiving turkey in one sitting. He eventually changes into maternity pants to accommodate the bird. We’re all familiar with the bloated, uncomfortable feeling that accompanies eating too much. The one that makes the button on our jeans press extra tightly into the skin below our belly button. Hillary Cecere, RDN, explains that when we eat more food than we’re accustom to, it can cause our body to work harder than usual. Our blood glucose levels will rise and our body will secret more insulin, she says. All this can result in us feeling tired, sluggish, and even dizzy. “Overeating also causes digestive organs to stretch and swell,” she adds. “When the stomach is stretched beyond capacity, discomfort occurs. This can come in the form of bloating, gas, acid reflux, nausea, or diarrhea.” It often takes up to five hours to feel good again, but the more you eat the longer it'll take to digest. When this happens, we often wish we had a pair of pregnancy pants laying around. AdvertisementADVERTISEMENTBut for those of us stuck with our Levis for the holidays, we reached out to experts for tips on relieving the uneasy feelings of fullness that can make us feel worse and more bloated than Violet from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory.

Relax

Brittany Linn, RD, says that, as a rule, you shouldn’t beat yourself up over one day of too much tryptophan. “The first step to feeling less pain and discomfort physically is to feel good mentally,” she says. “Realize that one meal or a weekend of indulgence will not change your life (or your pants’ size) irreversibly.”

Drink water

Cecere says gulping down water will help reduce bloating and help with constipation. However Tamara Duker Freuman, MS, RD, and the author of The Bloated Belly Whisperer, previously told Refinery29 that you should be cautious not to over do it with water. If you drink too much too fast, your stomach will be filled with water, which won’t help you out with feeling too full.

Stay Awake

After a filling meal, sometimes all you want to do is head to the couch and fall asleep to the sounds of football coaches blowing their whistles. However, Amy Shapiro, RD, nutritionist at Daily Harvest, recommends staying awake for at least two hours after you eat to give your body time to digest.

Move

Take a walk, Cecere recommends. “This will help with GI motility and with reducing high blood glucose levels, she says. “The fresh air can also increase mood and energy levels.” AdvertisementADVERTISEMENTBut, if you’re simply too full to consider leaving the house after a Thanksgiving feast, you can try stretching in your home. Signing up for your favorite fitness class the next day is also a good solution, Linn adds.

Try tea

If you’re feeling serious bloat, try a peppermint or ginger tea, Cecere recommends. The calming drink can relieve indigestion, gas, and bloating.

Reset

The day after Turkey Day, there’s no need to try to overcompensate by eating “nothing but spinach,” or partaking in other drastic crash diets, Linn says. Getting back to your regular eating routine is the best thing you can do. Related Content: AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT HoroscopesYour Valentine’s Day Horoscope Is HereHappy Valentine’s Day! This year, we are reflecting on the importance of connection and acceptance — not from others, but from the relationship we haveby Lisa StardustHoroscopesSaturn In Aries Is Here — & It’s Time For You To Take ControlTime stands still for no one, or so the planet Saturn teaches us. Saturn is leading us into Aries on February 13th. As we move onward in life, the austere by Lisa StardustHoroscopesVenus In Pisces Is Here — & Now Let Your Own Fairytale UnfoldIn the midst of all the chaos going on in the world, it’s nice to know that Venus in Pisces is bringing us a fairytale vibe. Venus in Pisces, which lby Lisa StardustAdvertisementADVERTISEMENTHoroscopesYour Horoscope This Week: February 8 To 14Cosmic beings, this week opens with the Last Quarter Moon in Scorpio, a liminal checkpoint between what has already climaxed and what is about to be rebornby Dossé-Via TrenouSin VergüenzaYour 2026 Valentine’s Day Tarot Reading Is Hereby Tatianna TarotHoroscopesYour Horoscope This Week: February 1 To 7Cosmic beings, this week opens loud. The Leo Full Moon on February 1st is not subtle, not chill, and definitely not interested in you playing it cool. Thisby Dossé-Via TrenouHoroscopesThe Full Snow Moon In Leo Is Here — & It Marks A Time Of Renewal ...Get ready to roar! The Full Snow Moon in Leo on February 1st demands that we take charge. How? By fighting for fairness and equality, while simultaneously by Lisa StardustHoroscopesYour February Horoscope Is Here — & It’ll Open A Rare Chapt...Cosmic beings, February is not playing around. This is an eclipse month, the official start of the Year of the Fire House, and one of those rare chapters wby Dossé-Via TrenouHoroscopesYour Horoscope This Week: January 25 To 31R29 babes, the week opens under the influence of a first quarter moon in Taurus on January 25th, a moment that often brings the first real tests of the intby Dossé-Via TrenouHoroscopesNeptune In Aries Begins Its 14-Year Transit — & You’ll Experience...Elusive and empathetic Neptune is re-entering Aries on January 26th, offering us a second chance to understand the journey ahead. This time around, weby Lisa StardustHoroscopesMars In Aquarius Is Here — It’s Time To Express YourselfYou say you want change? Well, the time has come! Action planet Mars is entering the sign of Aquarius, encouraging us to push back popular nby Lisa StardustHoroscopesYour Horoscope This Week: January 18 To 24We begin this week under the energy of the first New Moon of 2026, which arrives on January 18th at 2:52 p.m. EST at 28 degrees Capricorn. New Moons mark bby Dossé-Via TrenouAdvertisementADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT