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Yeah, I was hoping for the weight loss thing too. But I'm afraid I'm eating more carbs than I normally do since they tend to be softer. Potatoes, pasta, etc.
One thing that is different is I don't snack as much because everything gets stuck in the brackets and it makes me think before putting something in my mouth now. I'm not eating much in the way of sweets, but somehow I've still managed to gain a pound or two.
Today was the first day I ate in a restaurant! Just rinse my mouth in the restroom and went home to brush. I don't know why I thought it was such a big deal now.
rahmama wrote:Yeah, I was hoping for the weight loss thing too. But I'm afraid I'm eating more carbs than I normally do since they tend to be softer. Potatoes, pasta, etc.
One thing that is different is I don't snack as much because everything gets stuck in the brackets and it makes me think before putting something in my mouth now. I'm not eating much in the way of sweets, but somehow I've still managed to gain a pound or two.
Today was the first day I ate in a restaurant! Just rinse my mouth in the restroom and went home to brush. I don't know why I thought it was such a big deal now.
yay well done i havent eaten out yet but i will probably do that too, as brushing while there doesnt appeal so a good rinse and maybe poke any bits out with the proxy brush till i get home!
Rahmama, congrats on getting braces. I just turned 50, have had my braces about 21 months, with about 4-5 months to go. After the initial adjustment period of a couple/few weeks, I found I could eat *almost* anything if I cut it in small enough pieces!
Having braces cured me of my potato chip addiction though—just not enjoyable to eat crunchy stuff like that anymore. Like others have said, I also snack a lot less since getting braces (you have to weigh how badly you want the snack with how much you feel like expending the effort to clean your teeth yet again).
As for what to eat: I really enjoy nutritional smoothies as an occasional meal replacement, and if I really want to treat myself (and my husband's out of town and the kids are away at school), I eat ice cream for dinner! On a more practical level, an omelet loaded with veggies is very easy to eat and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Love omelets! Also love homemade soup and any kind of pasta is very east to eat. Salads, which I loved before braces, are a pain in the butt to pick out of your teeth afterward, so I don't eat them much these days. I try to eat cut-up fruit or berries instead when I want something healthy.
Best of luck to you on your new adventure. Having braces can be very challenging at times, but well worth it.
Hi everyone! I'm turning 35 this week and I got my ceramic braces on four days ago. I've been so worried about eating since I'm on a restricted diet for health reasons anyway. A few days in and I'm feeling much better and discovering many things I can eat.
My diet is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, no additives, preservitives, no nuts, garlic, onions, broccoli, etc, etc......(yeah, it is a challenge!) Here are my current favorite meals:
I make gluten free cornbread and heat up two packages of sweet potato baby food. I butter the cornbread and add it to the sweet potato "soup" and it gets nice and mushy. Very tasty :)
My breakfast is a mixed grain hot cereal. I add a package of freeze dried strawberries and bananas a few minutes before cooking is done. The grains get stuck in my braces, but I've allowed extra time in the morning to get it all cleaned out.
I make turkey meatloaf cupcakes "frosted" with mashed potatoes. I have to mash everything together before eating but that does not affect the taste. Mmmmm!
For gravy on my mashed potatoes, I use a chicken and rice baby food. Baby food tastes much better with enough butter and salt!
I'll likely start making some qunioa since I am so worried about the lack of protein in my diet, but I don't like the taste much (again, butter and salt!!)
I tried some french fries yesterday, but the ends were still too tough to chew :( It is getting better and better every day though!
Day 5 and I've been wax-less for about 7 hours! Tonight for dinner I had a yummy baked potato topped with steamed (chopped up small) broccoli and melted cheese. It was heaven! Luckily my hubby enjoys the potato skin so he cleaned that up easily. :) I'm getting concerned that I'm not eating well-rounded meals since getting braced. There's been lots of eggs and yogurt since my teeth were so touchy. Hopefully I'll add some new foods this week.
[quote="kamor"]After almost 6 weeks in braces, this is what i have learned to eat / tolerate:
mashed potatoes with lots of gravy, perogies, anything in my slow cooker, scrambled eggs, really the usual food that anyone with braces can tolerate.
However. last night, for the first time since getting braced, i ate a tuna melt! Cut it in very small pieces and ate very slowly. It was delicious!
I guess my point is this: when i first got braced, i was convinced i would never eat solid food again. I was also convinced that i would never eat in a restaurant and never eat in public. Funny how you get used to things....
Now that i have eaten the tuna melt, I feel more confident to try other foods, that i thought would be difficult to eat. While I'm not quite ready for steak yet, i will try some new foods. Really appreciate the helpful posts, thanks to everyone for the support.[/quote]
This is very encouraging for me... as I've had my braces on since wednesday, and haven't has a solid meal since weds afternoon... right now my teeth are so tender, and it's so difficult to chew (I've tried, and failed), that I feel like I'll never eat solid food again! So it's good to know that in time I can do it. :)
How does everyone deal with the aftermath of eating? I always have so much food stuck in my braces!
The best way I've found is to use my WaterPik right after eating, even if I don't brush right away. Then when I know I'm done eating for the evening, I use an electric toothbrush. Then use the WaterPik again with the flossing head on it. I end my ritual with mouthwash. I've never spent so much time cleaning my teeth! But I've got it down to 5 minutes at least.
Does anyone else use a WaterPik? I had a cheap one at first and it gave out after a couple of months.
The one I have now is really nice with a water reservoir and a digital timer. Highly recommended
to Prose, re: weight loss and braces. I am 48 years old and have had my braces on for about 2 months. I have lost 10 pounds in 2 months, with little to no effort. The change in my eating habits ( read as no snacking) has contributed to my weight loss. I find that snacking and then cleaning my teeth afterwards, is simply too time consuming and inconvenient. Once i have finished dinner and cleaned my teeth, I am not interested in repeating the process, simply to enjoy an evening snack. Just too much bother really. I too am curious to see if others have lost weight. I am pleased with the weight loss and hope for another 5 pounds or so to come off. Right now, this is the only good thing that i can attribute to my braces
Unfortunately, I didn't lose any at all. I've had my braces for almost 3 months now and if anything I've gained some. I'm certainly snacking less, but I have been eating more carbs, like pasta, which are softer. I had a lot of tooth pain especially during the first month. I was actually looking forward to losing a bit. I could have used 10 or 15 lbs.
Braces as Phase II treatment for TMJD.
Lower mandibular repositioning splint 26 months.
Lower braces on 10.75 months into Phase II treatment.
Duration in braces: 2 years, 2 weeks, 5 days
Removal of Braces: September 18, 2013 TMJD treatment now complete!
so a good rinse and maybe poke any bits out with the proxy brush till i get home!
