Anyone else have this problem?

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#1 Post by **jennandtonic** » Thu May 04, 2006 4:36 pm

I had my fourth adjustment appointment yesterday, and while I was there, the orthodontist's assistants all commented on how thin I have gotten in the past month. I'm already very thin (around 100 pounds, usually less), and now that I can't eat the chips, stuff with nuts in it, et cetera... I don't have access to near as much fattening food as I used to! I don't want to lose any more weight!

Anyone else have this problem? What foods did you/do you eat to keep the weight normal?

#2 Post by **jcdamon3** » Thu May 04, 2006 4:58 pm

well I eat everything now so it is not a problem! But I eat peanut butter right out of the jar! Eat the smooth kind and there is nothing to get stuck!

#3 Post by **weird_wired** » Thu May 04, 2006 5:18 pm

An easy food would be fruit smoothies - banana, ice cream, honey and milk (and heaps of other combinations).

But if you are seriously underweight, you might want to consider those special protein drinks that athletes use.

#4 Post by **phanta** » Fri May 05, 2006 9:59 am

I lost 6 pounds in 1 month in braces. I eat slower so I get full very quickly and feel fuller longer (no appetite for long period of time). At times (pretty rare but still...) I just feel lazy, don't want to eat knowing I'll have to "scrub" the teeth

And I'm a little paranoid about eating sugar/starches, so lots of calories went right there.

One of my ortho's assistants said that for her this phased passed very quickly. We'll see

#5 Post by **JumpTheDitch** » Fri May 05, 2006 11:25 am

Same as phanta really, I dunno how many kg's I've lost but I've gone down several jeans sizes (I was overweight before braces anyway so this is a good thing

).

It's not that I'm being unhealthy or not eating, it's just that now it's a lot harder to eat (damn cleats and hooks, everything gets caught

), eating takes a lot longer, I eat less sugar and starch, and I'm the first to admit I get lazy. Sometimes I'd rather forego a snack, etc to avoid having to "scrub" my teeth yet again. I already feel a little OCD with the brushing so I'm trying to keep it to a minimum!

DISCLAIMER: There seems to have been a little antagonism in some posts on the board recently, so I'm going to pre-emptively defend myself. Please don't get all PC and have a go at me for using OCD in this context. I am in no way making light of what for some people is a devastating affliction. It's just an idiosyncratic idiom.

#6 Post by **Skinny** » Fri May 05, 2006 12:01 pm

Im an under weight person too. Maybe you should eat high cal stuff. When you do eat. Maybe you should start to count your cals just to be sure your getting enough. Try to be sure your getting a mix of stuff too.
Oh take a Multi Vit too it can help you feel better

#7 Post by **jas_2008** » Fri May 05, 2006 12:24 pm

I'm very thin too (not sure about "underweight" though).... lost 3 pounds in my first week with braces but that's all. I eat lots of yogurt now, the whole milk kind, not the low-fat ones. and yes peanut butter!! I used to always have them with breakfast toast, but it's only weekend treats now, otherwise I'd be late for work everyday because of the scrubbing and brushing

#8 Post by **Flora2006** » Fri May 05, 2006 1:22 pm

Same here. I'm already under weight...by 10lbs! And the braces aren't helping at all. I don't think I'm losing a lot of weight because of it, but there is very little I am eating so I definitely don't get all all the nutrients/vitamins, etc...I should be getting.

My mom has mentioned that I'm getting skinnier but no one else did though everyone always tells me that I am too skinny.

#9 Post by **WhyMe?** » Fri May 05, 2006 1:24 pm

I started at 100lb too. Now I am 94lb after just 11 days. I am starving as I live to eat! Try not to overexert yourself if you are not eating as much food. In order to gain (or maintain) weight, eat whole milk foods, drink Boost or Ensure, peanut butter, or even add butter to veggies. When you are not eating as much protein from animals make sure you are getting all of your amino acids by eating beans and rice or even peanut butter on whole wheat. If you are not snacking as much as before, try eating larger portions during meals. Even though I am working toward my degree in nutrition, I'm extremely picky so most of these foods do not cross my path

But when I can eat a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, I will be the happiest girl on earth!!!

Shawna

#10 Post by **jennandtonic** » Fri May 05, 2006 1:42 pm

Thank you for all of your suggestions guys, I'm glad I'm not alone in losing weight without wanting to!

I bit the bullet and went to buy Boost a bit ago, per your suggestion, weirdwired and WhyMe, and will try drinking it tonight. But I've heard it tastes terrible! However, health over taste, you know? I've been eating peanut butter sandwiches I'm going to try to eat them more often. Other than that...maybe I'll use this as an excuse to go buy whole milk instead of 2%!

Kiwi, I looked into talking with a dietician, but my insurance plan wouldn't cover it here, so it would cost me big money, sadly.

#11 Post by **lionfish** » Fri May 05, 2006 5:23 pm

Jennandtonic,

I'd go for pasta, fish, chicken breast, cooked pumpkin/potato, any cooked green veg, soft bread rolls (crust removed), yogurt (I make my own and it's divine), cottage cheese, ricotta (fabulous) bananas, hummus (chick pea spread - I've just made a batch for my niece's house warming party tomorrow), and soups.

Also, try tahini (sesame paste) as an alternative for peanut butter. It's a really great spread and very nutritious.

#12 Post by **Flora2006** » Fri May 05, 2006 7:36 pm

I have a question...

Isn't peanut butter really sticky?? My ortho said no sticky food so wouldn't peanut butter fall into that category?

I haven't eaten peanut butter since getting braced and I miss it SO much!! lol

#13 Post by **Dark_angel** » Sat May 06, 2006 2:48 am

It is important to remember that weight is proportional to height. For example i am 47 kg (about 7 and a half stone) but as i am only 5'1 im not worried about my weight and nither is my doctor. They've said im on the lower end of the healthy weight scale but its not dangerous.

I maintain my weight by eating chips, cheesecake

, pasta, baked potatoes, baguels and lots of veg like corn on the cob, especially when its been cooked on a bbq.

#14 Post by **WhyMe?** » Sat May 06, 2006 9:30 am

A basic way to check if your weight is proportion to height, without doing any bmi tests is to add 100lb for 5'0" and 6lb for each addtl inch (for women). I am 5'0", so 100lb is a good weight for me and even losing a couple of pounds makes a much bigger difference when you are petite.

I was giving food ideas from my perspective of not being able to eat anything that can touch my teeth right now. Boost is okay when it is chocolate and very very cold. I tend to lean towards the Nestle breakfast drink. Have no idea if peanut butter is sticky because I can't stand the stuff. I do add cream cheese to my baked potatoes to give more kcals and flavor. It's been almost two weeks without much food and I am STARVING!! Guess it's hard when you are so picky. But other good foods would be pita bread and Tzatziki dip (made from thinly sliced cucumbers, yogurt, garlic, and mint), if you can bite down try quesadillas (I like carmelized onion and bleu cheese), enchiladas, lasagna (with ricotta of course). There are a ton of food items if you can even chew pasta and bread..the possibilities are unlimited. French onion soup, meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, any kind of barbecue that has been smoked, stew, stirfry...I could go on forever. Man talking about food is killing me!! What I wouldn't do for a gigantic cheeseburger right now!!

But if you are not eating enough food to sustain yourself, be sure to cut down on your physical activity. I hate to tell you not to exercise, but you can do a lot of damage to yourself if you do not have proper nutrition while engaging in physical activity and you will start to deplete the nutrients in your organs and bones.

Shawna

#15 Post by **jennandtonic** » Sat May 06, 2006 9:49 am

Well, I'm 5'5 and weigh about 90 pounds, so using your scale I'm about 30-35 pounds underweight. Eeek!

And you're right about the Boost, I had a chocolate one today, refrigerated, and it wasn't too bad. Not my favorite, but I can drink it.

I'm able to bite into a burger, so that's a plus! Haha, my main source of food used to be chips, steak cooked well done, corn on the cob, popcorn, chocolate bars with almonds, all the stuff I can't eat now.