Lose weight? Gain weight?

[djspeece]

My weight is slightly decreasing but I am working out in a gym so hopefully some adipose is being converted to muscle mass whichi in turn will help burn more calories. I'm OK with my weight, just want to get tuned up. I do snack less, because my favorites are a bit dangerous (potato chips, popcorn) and as others have mentioned, not worth the effort for an additional oral hygeine session.

[lar1991]

im hoping to loose some weight when i get my brace!

[JohnsonSon]

The combination of spacers, getting 4 wisdom teeth pulled and getting braced up caused me to lose a little weight. Prob like ~10 lbs or so, but once I recovered and figured out how to adjust my diet, I put it back on easily. (I'm trying to bulk/gain)

[coreym95]

3 months in and I've lost about 15lbs.

[Cdp95]

Not due to the braces, no. But I have lost 3/4 of a stone in a couple of months :) I agree that I don't eat as many (or even any) crisps now as they have a habit of lodging into braces!

[JeniK]

I have had my braces for 10 days. I have lost 4 lbs. But it has to be a combination of 2 things. I have decided with my braces...I want to be a smaller size when my braces come off! So I am going to the gym every other day(no matter how tired I am from work) . When I get on the scale and see lower a number...I know something is working for me!!

[Xclusive]

6 days in and I've dropped 7lbs due to a liquid diet. Most probably water loss due to cutting out majority of carbs...

[thisgal201]

I was trying to lose weight before the braces. Once I got them on, it accelerated the weight loss. I probably lost around 15 or so lbs. For me, it wasn't really because I couldn't eat certain foods. I think it was the cutting down on snacking that did it.

[pearlies]

I concur. Definitely losing weight! Now that I think about it - all those naughty snacks I used to eat, many were crunchy and on the illegal food list for braces. LIke crusty bread and chips and sucking on hard candies. I've lost 8 lbs just this month.

Also I drink a lot more water because my mouth is drier due to the braces preventing my lips from sealing. That's filling me up. I've also begun drinking a smoothie in the morning because first thing in the morning I didn't want to spend a lot of time picking my breakfast out of my braces.

Ah, the fabulous life of braces

[Lorianne]

well, it's been a week and I have not lost 1 oz. Dang it! Well, all hope is not lost. The one thing I'm not doing so far is nighttime snacking. I do my nightly oral routine right after dinner and once I'm thru that, I won't snack on anything for the rest of the evening. Hoping eliminating just that will help me shed a few pounds over time. We did an insane amount of snacking after 7pm! lol! The other good thing is that my husband is cutting down a bit on the nighttime snacking too. At least we don't egg each other on...."want some ice cream?", "how 'bout a slice of pie?", "chips n dip?", "hey, since you're up, grab those cookies!", etc etc! haha!

[redwine]

In about 3 months or so, I dropped about three sizes.

Me too, with a combo of surgery and braces. My bite is weirder than ever, it's hard to chew (TMJ is worse), and it's just a big hassle having to brush all the time. I'm eating mostly soft foods, and healthier stuff. Trying to put on a bit before next surgery (lower jaw, probably will lose about 6 more lbs), but I hope to maintain my current weight and size after the braces come off. For one thing, I can't afford to buy more new clothes!

[Norrie]

I'm two weeks in and have lost about three pounds, which is a lot when you're five feet tall. I'd like to lose 10 more pounds, but even though I'm eating soft foods, I'm eating a TON of carbs (risotto, rice, pudding, mashed potatoes, etc.). So I'm not sure that the downward trend will continue.

I definitely have a smaller appetite, and the thought of having to brush and floss keeps me from snacking as much.

[maravilla]

first month i lost 5kg, depressing as hell since i was bulking up, struggled to go to the gym since my calorie intake was soo low. Close to my 3rd month of braces and slowly putting weight back on, but its bloody hard work!

[mapleleafman888]

I've lost 8 pounds in 5 weeks and not liking it because I'm smaller to begin with! Those molar build ups make me not want to eat because it's difficult, not to mention how annoying brushing and cleaning after every meal is either. Another thing is that the braces eliminate alot of hard and chewy foods I used to eat but can't now---almonds, cashews, peanuts, steak, jerky, etc. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[Lorianne]

I've lost 8 pounds in 5 weeks and not liking it because I'm smaller to begin with! Those molar build ups make me not want to eat because it's difficult, not to mention how annoying brushing and cleaning after every meal is either. Another thing is that the braces eliminate alot of hard and chewy foods I used to eat but can't now---almonds, cashews, peanuts, steak, jerky, etc. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I agree, the need to rinse, brush, floss, pick after EVERY thing eaten, is already getting a wee bit old. I'm finding myself saying "well, you can eat that muffin and be miserable" or I can choose not to eat it and have teeth stay clean. Yeah, I'm picking the latter option alot more now. My molar build ups are definitely alot easier to manage than those other horrid things behind my front teeth, that's for sure!