How much weight has been lost since being braced?

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#1 Post by **amandajane** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:22 am

Personally, I use to weigh 170 and am now 164 and going down. Which means I lost over 6 pounds since braces in January 2009. Braces help with weight loss I've found. It makes me search out only soft foods which really lowers my grocery bill. Go to the grocery store and I say no to almost everything cause its to hard.

Food now that I enjoy since braces:

rice ( uncle ben's 90 seconds rice varieties- garden vegtable and three cheese)
noodles( alfredo or stognaoff)
mac and cheese ( stoffers pre-packaged)
potatoes ( soft)
soft frozen veggies like peas, spinach
cottage cheese
ravoli

my story: viewtopic.php?t=31380

#2 Post by **theKurp** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:01 am

Maybe I'm in the minority, but my diet hasn't changed one bit. There's no food that I avoid that I didn't avoid prior to braces.

In fact, I've gained near 10 lbs in the last 7 months, but that is by design as I am an avid weight-lifter and I am on a bulking routine right now.

I will say that early on I lost one bracket while eating raw carrots and I had a wire come out of a molar bracket while eating nuts. But since I have much stiffer wires in now I have no problems eating hard foods and brackets have remained intact.

Occasionally when my teeth do hurt (usually right after an adjustment) instead of switching to soft foods I just take an aspirin or two to make the pain more bearable while eating.

This will all change though post surgery for lower jaw advancement in a few months. I suspect I'll see some weight loss on a soft diet until sufficient healing has taken place to resume eating normally.

#3 Post by **sarahlynn** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:22 am

In the past 3 weeks I have already lost 5-7 pounds - and I don't need to! I'm still not eating hard/crunchy things due to being sore (had my first adjustment several days ago and was quite sore after that) and also my molars don't touch so that makes chewing difficult. My wire is also pretty weak and I'm worried about snapping it out. I'm exercising more recently because I'm in a soccer league on top of my regular yoga schedule.

I find that my portion sizes are smaller with braces - because the process seems to take so much longer to cut and chew, etc. I'm also snacking WAY less than I used to - because I get lazy and think that I'd rather just skip the snack instead of having to brush & clean up afterwards.

#4 Post by **jesspenguin** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:25 am

My teeth hurt so much the first month or two that I lost almost 20 lbs. I could only chew in the very back with my molars and it took so long to eat most things that I either didn't bother or I gave up after eating a small portion. I ate a lot of soup and drank breakfast shakes because with the stops on my second molars I couldn't really even chew stuff like rice and pasta for a while.

#5 Post by **Margie** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:37 am

I'm not sure if I have lost any weight as I don't have a scale to weigh myself. Someone asked me today if I have lost weight but I'm not sure.

I hope I haven't lost any weight! I don't have much to lose! Plus I am the maid of honor in a wedding at the end of August and if I lose weight my dress won't fit! I know that won't make the bride very happy!

#6 Post by **I love my teeth** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:50 am

I had 2 bouts of gum grafts starting in March 2009, so I couldn't really eat well since then, braces went on May 14, 2009. Although, now I can eat fairly normally (excpet the really hard stuff)--I have cut way down on snacking, as it's a pain to clean the braces all the time. And some foods (hamburgers, sandwiches, tacos, ect) take so long to eat, I am just done about 1/2 way through.......not that I have alot to lose, but I was stuck with about 7pounds of baby weight left over from my now 5year old which I couldn't loose, I have lost that and then some, so right now, I am at my pre-second baby weight, and if I could loose 5 more I would be at my pre baby weight, and post college grad weight!!!!! So, for me it's a good thing.

Incidentally, we just returned from a 2 week camping trip to yellowstone and glacier nat parks--I couldn't bring my water pik, and in general due to the camping conditions my teeth hygeine wasn't as good as it could have been. we returned home this weekend and I used my waterpik and my gums were a bloody mess----never again!! I am buying the travel one, and taking it whereever I go..........my gums were perfect, and the ortho commented how great they looked, and 2 weeks of a fair/poor hyeine regimine and I am a mess,

I have a bit of work to do to get back on track, but learn from my mistakes!!

#7 Post by **crazybeautiful** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:03 am

theKurp wrote:Maybe I'm in the minority, but my diet hasn't changed one bit. There's no food that I avoid that I didn't avoid prior to braces.

In fact, I've gained near 10 lbs in the last 7 months, but that is by design as I am an avid weight-lifter and I am on a bulking routine right now.

I will say that early on I lost one bracket while eating raw carrots and I had a wire come out of a molar bracket while eating nuts. But since I have much stiffer wires in now I have no problems eating hard foods and brackets have remained intact.

Occasionally when my teeth do hurt (usually right after an adjustment) instead of switching to soft foods I just take an aspirin or two to make the pain more bearable while eating.

This will all change though post surgery for lower jaw advancement in a few months. I suspect I'll see some weight loss on a soft diet until sufficient healing has taken place to resume eating normally.

I'm the same. Of course I can't take big bites into some things, but that doesn't stop me from eating them! Just cut or break things up.

After adjustments I usually have softer foods on the day of, and the next day if the pain is that bad, but after that I suck it up and get on with it. Because I'm having surgeries in the future and know I won't be able to chew for a while then, I don't think my braces should effect my lifestyle or liveliness as well

And if there's one thing I hate it's soup

#8 Post by **amandajane** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:20 am

I'm not to keen on soup unless I really can't eat anything cause of soreness of braces. I'm 31 and still have a very high metabolism and I eat alot!

Thanks for the replies, its good to know what others are up to!

My adjustment is tommorrow!Nervous!

#9 Post by **Lela** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:22 pm

None at all.

The only diet change I have made is not eating almonds anymore. Everything else is quite doable. And I have not found anything I can't eat other then that one nut.

I started to chew gum after every adjustment and have not had a problem with soreness since. So no achy teeth holding me back.

I also was not a snacker so no cutting back there either

#10 Post by **sauerkraut** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:07 pm

I lost around 10 pounds after my SARPE operation and I'm pleased to say I haven't regained it since having the braces fitted. But I haven't lost any more either! I'm also back to eating exactly how I always did, apart from needing to take smaller bites.

Funnily enough several things on your list (rice, pasta, spinach) were foods I avoided for a while because they get so mangled up in all the coils springs and loopy things I have in my mouth. But I've got a bit more efficient with the after-dinner clean-up operation now

#11 Post by **uvraise** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 6:25 pm

23 Pounds and counting since braced!

#12 Post by **Autumn** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:49 pm

In the week I had 4 teeth pulled I lost 10 lbs because I couldn't eat anything substantial, the next week I got the braces and lost another 10 because my mouth hurt so much. After that though I tend to fluctuate loosing about 5 lbs after a tightening and gaining it back when my teeth get stronger

I do find that braces are good for cutting back on stacks, especially crunchy ones like chips.

#13 Post by **saycheeese** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:04 am

I havn't lost ANY weight - probably because I still eat whatever I want

#14 Post by **invertigofreak** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:19 am

I have been trying to lose weight, so I suppose I don't really count

But in the first week of braces, I lost 2kg! (about 4.5 pounds)

Since getting braced, I have lost around 10kg. The braces have certainly helped, but I won't give them all the credit

#15 Post by **FrockyHorror** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 5:01 am

I've lost about 16 pounds ... not so much due to changes in my general meals but mainly due to the amount of sugary snacks I've cut down on. Guess it was a bit of a wake-up call just how much I was snacking