Has anyone else been mad enough to take on a calorie restriction programme and Invisalign at the same time?

[mummabubs]

Looking for tips, experiences or even just validation that I'm not the only mad idiot who thought this was a good idea! 😅

I'm usually a size 10-12, so not overweight by any stretch but there's a magic 18lbs where if I gain them I feel very heavy and not like me. Also means I go up a clothes size. I used Noom successfully to shift it a couple of years ago and it's crept back on, so signed back up to 1200-1500 cals a day back in January and had been doing well (down 8lbs at this point so only 10 to go). However...

... 'Motivated diet me' didn't communicate with 'Remember you're having Invisalign fitted in February me'. I'm on day four of Invisalign and it's been such a harsh reality check of how much of a grazer I am. Without my guaranteed three meals and three snacks a day I become this slightly twitchy-eyed permanently hungry version of me. (When I'm on Noom I never actually feel hungry because I eat little and often).

I am very much missing my ability to take a chilled 30 minutes to drink a cup of coffee, or plan my healthy snacks in mid-morning and mid-afternoon because I can't do that and also keep to the 22 hours I need to have my Invisalign aligners in for every day.

I know that I could just quit Noom, but my motivations against that are 1) I've paid for it for another 2 months so would literally be chucking it away, 2) It doesn't help me reach my goal of shedding the last few lbs and 3) Even if I sack Noom in entirely and eat 2000 cals a day it doesn't change my difficulty in eating three larger meals - which has never been my style of eating.

So if anyone else chose this slightly mad form of double restriction, please either tell me it was worth it all or at least share how you kept your sanity!

I don't know anything about Noom. But are you chani g your invisalign trays every week? I did & kept them in when I drank tea or coffee. I was advised to do this by the dental nurse

I have no idea what Noom is, but I have done Invisalign. Before Invisalign I’d put some weight on - with the combination of middle age/menopause and covid lockdowns I added about 12 pounds. I then did Invisalign for almost a year and the weight fell off with no effort at all - lost a stone! I had stopped snacking and only drank water and green tea because I couldn’t be bothered with the process of removing aligners and thorough cleaning every time.

Do you actually need Noom (or anything else) to help you lose weight? - my experience was that Invisalign was enough on its own.

I had Invisalign OP and sped through it so my course was shorter than expected (18 month rather than 24). And I did not wear them for 22 hours a day - between a morning coffee, a 45 min lunch break with colleagues, various snacks and dinner with DH there’s no way I stuck to that!

I remember at first being very anxious about the 22 hours a day rule but then relaxed into it and all was fine. So maybe that helps reassure you that you have more flexibility than you might think 😊

Thanks everyone. Sorry, wasn't clear in my OP - Noom is a structured calorie reduction programme (a bit like Weight Watchers or Slimming World). I'm hoping that despite this tricky adjustment period the restrictions of Invisalign might just help me shift the weight quicker and then I can at least stop trying to juggle the two!

@BiscoffCheesecakesMy dentist explicitly told me not to drink tea or coffee with them in due to risk of staining or the hot temperature of the drink damaging the aligner. But have to say you're not the first person to say they drank with them in and all was well so I can see I'll be tempted! Yes, weekly changes and 'only' 20 trays, so touch wood it's all over by summer.

I’ve done Invisalign and am known in the office for my grazing. I had breakfast at home, lunch in the office and something quick for dinner. Cut out all of my usual sweets and snacks, drank much less tea and didn’t lose a single ounce. I was livid!

@Trinity69You're not the first person I've heard say that! That's part of my fear with me, I think because I know I'm limited to three meals a day and can't graze I'm more likely to overeat during meal times to avoid hunger! 🤦🏻‍♀️

I drunk coffee and tea with Invisalign as well. Just don’t have them too hot. I sometimes used a straw. I got a sonic cleaner thingy for my trays which worked well but they shouldn’t stain badly if you’re swapping weekly.
I do intermittent fasting so they worked well with this.

I'm not familiar with noom so no help there. But if you have high protein meals should keep you fuller for longer. I do intermittent fasting and only have two meals a day but protein heavy it keeps me going.