Last week, I started Invisalign, and it basically changed all my eating and drinking habits.
I need to keep my trays in for 22 hours per day, which leaves roughly 2 hours to eat, drink, and brush/floss my teeth again. Invisalign feels a bit like intermittent fasting… but much harder.
With the trays in, I can only have cold water, whereas during 16:8 fasting I could at least sip black coffee.
Usually, my eating window was 8 hours, but now my daily window is just 2.
With fewer snacks these days, I really have to track my protein to hit my daily goal.
God forbid Invisalign keeps me from hitting my protein goal.
Snacking Is Harder…
With Invisalign, you have to remove your aligners every time you eat. Snacking suddenly becomes inconvenient. I often just give up on snacking, because removing trays, eating fast, brushing/flossing, and reinserting trays is too much work.
This feels like a blessing in disguise. I’ve been wanting to snack less, especially after dinner, and Invisalign makes it a lot easier to stick to that goal.
I hope this period will serve as a kind of training to detox from old snacking habits.
Soft, Protein-Packed Foods
It’s normal for teeth to be a little sore during the process. Goodbye, crispy things…I now lean mostly on soft, easy-to-eat meals that are high in protein:
- Protein: Ground beef, pulled chicken, cottage cheese, tuna, smoothies or protein shakes, protein pancakes, whey mousse (recipe here)
- Carbs: Easy-to-chew pasta, mashed potatoes, legumes
Even with fewer snacks, I track my calories and try to hit my daily protein goals. Liquid protein shakes are especially convenient to add extra protein without extra chewing.
Meal Prep saving the day, once again
Since you can’t leave aligners out too long, meal planning/prepping is crucial. Prepping quick, nutrient meals in advance helps me eat on time, avoid rushing, and never skip meals.
Hydration & Coffee Changes
You can’t sip coffee or sugary drinks with trays in, so I’ve been drinking more water and less caffeine.
This is one of the worst thing about Invisalign, because I am a sipper.
Gym Energy Is Surprisingly Stable
Even with some hunger-since I skip snacks after dinner and I go to the gym fasted-my performance didn’t drop.
High-protein, low-carb meals kept my energy steady, and skipping snacks made me more conscious about fueling properly before workouts.
Keep you updated if something changes!
Hi, I’m Simona! After experiencing the restrictions of keto, I’m now enjoying a balanced diet that brings freedom and happiness to my eating habits.
You find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and sometimes on Facebook.
I also write a lot of keto recipes on my Italian blog keto-with-simona.
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