Is it just me or does this really happen?

[badinric]

Ok check this out. I've had this problem since I was 16 years old and was wondering if anyone can give me a correct opinion. I've asked around and I get responses that don't seem to be anything.

Anyways. When I haven't eaten for a long time in the evening and then sleep and wake up in the morning and I look at my gut it's pretty small and flat (of course with the slab of fat I have it shows a little more). In fact I measured it myself and then once at the gym and it was about 34.5 (again due to tiny slab of fat). Once I put in my first meal or so it starts bulging out. In fact when I was on this diet a while back, I got measured and it came to 34.5in by the coach at the gym then exactly two weeks later he checked it and it was 35.5in. He couldn't believe my gut grew 1 inch in 2 weeks. It wasn't fat because I measured it the day before when I had no food and it was about 34.5 maybe a little higher. So basically why does it stick out so much when I eat and why am I the only one to ever complain about this? If the coach at the gym had seen this before he would not have been that surprised or shocked ! Does the stomach really get that much bigger? Is it due to Sodium or water retention that this happens? That' s just like adding unwanted fat.