On June 25, 2021, the University of Otago in New Zealand published a study in the British Dental Journal about a new magnetic device that limits opening your mouth to 2mm to help with weight loss.
Here's a revised transcript of my YouTube video, where I discuss how DentalSlim Diet Control could fit into your weight loss plans. However, there are some other important considerations on your path to freedom and fitness.
Watch my recap on YouTube!
-Reggie
The DentalSlim Diet Control is a magnetic jaw closing weight loss device that limits patients to opening their mouths two millimeters wide. It's an orthodontic appliance that doesn't restrict speech, breathing, or liquid intake, and it helped people lose weight.
Some people wire their jaw shut for a number of reasons, less commonly including weight loss. These oral magnets have an emergency way to stop the device so you can re-open your mouth.
In this study, seven participants had an average body mass index of 40. 25 is considered "normal". I'm not a huge fan of the body mass index, but that gives you some point of reference. It was a two week trial, had varying reactions. "After 24 hours, the participants indicated that they occasionally felt embarrassed, self-conscious, and that life in general was less satisfying." I'm going to come back to that later, especially as a health coach- that's important.
Eventually, "All participants got accustomed to the device during the treatment period and were able to work effectively in their usual employment." So it's not like they were just hanging out in the lab. They were actually going through their day-to-day life with their jaws magnetized shut for this trial.
Then on day seven, they deactivated the magnets for teeth cleaning. The study didn't find any problems with bad breath or decay, or anything like that. The study also reported no drop outs. "The participants tolerated the device for a two-week period, with satisfactory weight loss and were further motivated to continue their weight loss journey."
Read More: An intraoral device for weight loss: initial clinical findings
I'm always looking at the news for weight loss and finding these new ways researchers are innovating. It doesn't hurt to have more options for the tool box to inspire people's weight loss. Fit for Freelance is here to support people reaching their health goals as well. Talk with your healthcare provider to see if any of these treatment options are right for you.
If you watch this on YouTube, check out the link in my video on how to stop yo-yo dieting. All of the participants in this study regained an average of 1.6 pounds by the two week follow period. And that is typical anytime you take on an extreme diet. They were on a 1200 calorie diet. If you stop whatever plan you had going, if you can suddenly open your mouth again, you're likely to gain those pounds back due to unsustainable habits.
The most common feedback from the participants was, "Make it less visible and match it with the color of the teeth." So it was pretty visible. As you can see here, this thing is sticking out. If you're not used to having orthodontic appliances like braces or something, you're going to feel a little bit of irritation. That's something you'd want to take into consideration if you are considering that for weight loss.
One of the participants started a healthy diet and started working out. Another was motivated to continue losing weight. Oftentimes, when people are motivated and to try one thing, and they build momentum into other things. They see that it's possible, and so they have that extra confidence and realistic focus to get it going and to start taking on some real sustainable health changes.
So that's why you're not going to see me talking bad about any of these implementations, even though I asked, "They're going to do what?? Magnetize your mouth shut?" But it is important to take context into things that work for you.
I wanted to go back this, "After 24 hours," they said that they, "felt embarrassed, self-conscious, and that life in general was less satisfying." That is pretty much antithetical to what Fit for Freelance is about. Our values are ownership, compassion, adaptive, science-based, engaging.
I'm taking a science-based approach to breaking down this controversial news story, while using compassion to inspire confident ownership of your path to freedom and fitness.
I've got clients who've lost 18 pounds, lost 12 pounds, their cholesterol is within normal limits. One client recently lost 1.6% body fat, and this is without magnetizing her jaw shut.
Another advantage of health coaching, instead of these more dramatic weight loss appliances, is managing time better by setting boundaries. It's one of those things that you can't really install. You have to understand the process of better health to get this benefit.
A client I talked to earlier today ate a banana with peanut butter instead of a chocolate craving, and she said it was "yummy and satisfying." I was like, "You did what? That's impressive." But that's what we do with the Guilt-Free Gameplan- we make it realistic and so it fits your goals instead of just trying to lose weight for it's own sake.
And another client said, "Mindful of portions while on vacation, and then return to routine quickly after trips and vacation." I had two clients say that. And that's big, especially in the summertime
The early results are interesting. However, I also want to talk about how people avoid sustainable change that affects their quality of life. They're likely to have that same dreadful "what's wrong with me" mentality, feeling mentally weak, and gain weight.
These new treatment methods might be appealing to people searching for fast fixes for weight loss, but they don't solve the underlying problems.
That's my biggest concern. I'm talking about the kind of quick solution to symptoms that are overlying that you don't really solve the problem underneath. This is normal. "Weight loss fast" has 368,000 Google searches per month.
I always encourage people to look at what they really want to do with their weight loss and their life, because extra weight is just a symptom. It's a symptom of a complex of things- not just willpower.
Just losing the weight quickly might not actually get you the kind of result you want. Isn't it more useful and important to focus on the process and habits of weight change?
Most times, the overall experience of weight gain does not happen quickly. It takes time. Sometimes there's a series of unfortunate events or a series of unfortunate decisions that leads to that weight gain. It makes sense for it to go in reverse where you make a series of good choices more often and that's going to help empower you.
I'm not calling anyone out exactly, but only you know if you have been making choices that don't support your goals over an extended period of time. That contributes to weight gain. You know if that is the case, then that kind of mindset and those kinds of decisions are spilling over into other areas of your life.
That is something that I really pay attention to as the guilt-free weight loss coach for entrepreneurs. Getting people to understand the health coaching process and how to apply changes and make healthier choices. Doing those little activities that might not be rewarding in the short term. But they're great for longer term impact.
You can apply it to other areas of your life- your business, with your family and your community, wherever you're trying to make an impact. Knowing how to start those health habits is to me going to be almost as important as actually losing the weight.
You want to have all three of them or you're going to have a hard time making changes and keeping them.
Confidence and self-compassion, believing you can do it and also giving yourself space and grace to kind of recover if you make a mistake. A lot of people make one mistake and they blow off the rest of their weight loss plan or whatever nutrition thing they're doing.
Next, realistic focus is going to be a big part of it. Instead of doing something that's unrealistic for you or an all or nothing diet, you want to make sure that whatever you choose is going to help you reach your goals. Especially in a way that suits your lifestyle. If you have two kids, you'll probably have a different plan from someone who's in college. It has to be realistic for you.
Accountability, also known as a process for ownership. Some people are really driven and can control their own immediate environment very readily, and some people need group support or a coach or a mentor or someone to do it with them, a partner.
Without these, you're going to be searching for microwave miracle cures. You might be researching how to magnetize your jaw shut. Or you'll feel guilty when you struggle with all or nothing plans or things that don't have that realistic focus for you. Or they're not suitable for your work-life balance and everything that you're doing. That doesn't feel good, so we don't want that to happen.
Read More: Wegovy Weight Loss Shot FDA Approved, but Is It the Solution?
If you're looking for a way to break out of that or make sure it doesn't happen to you, then look at this guide I have, Four Minutes to Start Losing Weight. It has got the basic habits that you can start to build consistency, without a crazy diet. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. It can just be something that suits your lifestyle, which is the big focus for the Guilt-free Gameplan and Framework.
That's the quick overview of what I think about the magnetic jaw closing device for weight loss, DentalSlim, and how it fits into the overall weight loss picture. It could be a useful tool in the overall weight management toolkit for your weight loss team.
I just want to focus on how you can take ownership of your path to freedom of fitness without relying on expensive treatments and appliances.
My goal is to inspire confident ownership of your path to freedom and fitness, so you can try new habits, guilt free, and implement them consistently. We build adaptive business leaders through compassionate health coaching with the Guilt-free Gameplan, so you have confidence, realistic focus, and accountability to reach your weight loss and business goals.
If you're ready to start that today, check out our Facebook group SCALESMASHERS, and get one of my free guides below!
Reggie
