JUST HOW OVERWEIGHT ARE YOU?

DreamStalker wrote:Ah yes ... loop holes. Why didn't I think of that. Thanks.

Because you're innocent and pure of heart, and are sure the companies would NEVER do a thing like that?



(Oops, sorry, I should have put a "do not drink anything while reading this" alert on this message...)

Currently 275 lbs shooting for drop to 180 lbs.

Was at 285 lbs before starting my personal make-over.

I was in this state once before several years ago and vowed then the pounds would never creep back on... but I did not make the necessary life long diet changes so I was doomed to failure. Being at 180 was really good... and I'm on my way back.

Today the weather eased up a bit around here so I was able to get out for a walk at lunch.

Out of curiosity I spoke with my Doc earlier this week about all those dieting aids that we see in the pharmacies... he was a most definite nay on them which is no surprise to me. He tells me to stick with the basics... reduce calories, consume balanced meals, get regular exercise and be determined no matter the set-backs.

I have no expectation of getting off the hose once down to 180... but if it happens I will have a celebration.

I am intrigued by a couple of references to "hip pain" in messages being posted. I have been experiencing hip pain causing me to toss and turn during sleep. Is there a causal connection between OSA and hip pain? I didn't think this chronic aching had anything to do with my newly diagnosed OSA. I am new to this forum, and will be getting my new CPAP machine and mask tomorrow. I have found considerable reassurance from reading the messages posted here; I know that I will be able to make the adjustments needed with all your support. Thank you one and all.

dynamite wrote:I am intrigued by a couple of references to "hip pain" in messages being posted. I have been experiencing hip pain causing me to toss and turn during sleep. Is there a causal connection between OSA and hip pain? I didn't think this chronic aching had anything to do with my newly diagnosed OSA. I am new to this forum, and will be getting my new CPAP machine and mask tomorrow. I have found considerable reassurance from reading the messages posted here; I know that I will be able to make the adjustments needed with all your support. Thank you one and all.

Joint pain is a common symptom of sleep disorders because your joints sustain a small amount of wear and tear every day that is normally repaired by the body during sleep. No sleep = no repairing = joint pain.

Actually, this is how I was diagnosed--I finally ranted to my doctor "Everyone keeps telling me I'd have more energy if I exercised, but all that happens when I exercise is I get more and more tired and my knees hurt more and more every time I do it, until one of my knees gives out and I have to take a week off!" I'd had knee pain since I was 15 and have had almost none for the last year.

Paul56 wrote: He tells me to stick with the basics...

....eat less, exercise more.

Get a bike.

dynamite wrote:I am intrigued by a couple of references to "hip pain" in messages being posted. I have been experiencing hip pain causing me to toss and turn during sleep. Is there a causal connection between OSA and hip pain? I didn't think this chronic aching had anything to do with my newly diagnosed OSA. <snip>

Yes, there is. I was sent for my sleep study by a pain management doctor who stated that sleep disordered breathing frequently causes chronic pain. She sends any patient without obvious physical cause for pain (and even some who do) for a sleep test, and only if the sleep test comes back negative does she pursue other avenues.

Her comment to me was, "Let's see how your pain issues go once you're sleeping adequately."

She also noted that the water therapy (exercises taught me by a specialist, not just any water aerobics or whatever) which I do three times a week were another essential in preventing pain -- she was very pleased that I had been doing them for almost four years.

Neither the exercises nor CPAP alone solved the issue. (I missed a couple sessions during Thanksgiving week, and I knew the difference!) But CPAP plus watertherapy -- ahh.....! First time in seven years I've slept through the night!

I am overweight by 100 - 125 pounds.

For me it has been a gradual build up. I was thin as a youngster and teen. I weighed 115 pounds when I married. By the time I got pregnant with my first I weighed about 120. Unfortunately, although I didn't balloon with lots of extra weight I was never able to fully shed all the "baby" fat. I had 4 kids in 5 years and so never had the opportunity to actually get back to my prepregnant state before I was pregnant again. When I had my youngest daughter (number 5) at the age of 30 I had crept up and was overweight and weighed around 140 -150 pounds. I didn't gain but 4 pounds the entire pregnancy and foolishly thought I had it licked.

When she started kindergarten I went back to college (age 35) and then the weight started appearing. I am pretty sure I have had OSA since my late 20's as I was always complaining of being overly tired and fatigued. Of course the doctors blamed chasing kids all day. I didn't wake up (as I am sure the rest of you are in the same boat) one morning and look in the mirror only to see a fat me. It creeps up on you ever so slowly -- or it did on me.

I have asthma and chronic back pain (inherited with a big long name I can't pronounce nor spell). It is a vicious cycle. You hurt so you cringe at the thought of exercising, you become depressed, you eat, you hurt even more, further depression, eat even more, etc.

A few years ago we had a fitness club here that had an indoor pool. I started water aerobics and started feeling great -- had tons more energy, felt more relaxed, weight was coming off, loved it -- didn't hurt my joints to do this type of exercise at all. I went 3 days a week for classes and used the pool the other 4 days using the routines we learned for a minimum of 1 hour a day. Unfortunately the company went belly up and closed up. The pool was filled in and the building sold to a restaurant. The only other indoor pool belongs to the local school district and they have it open for 1 hour a week on Thursday for lap swimming (I can't swim) only. The next closest indoor pool is a 35 mile trip one way.

Many people use cigarettes or alcohol to cope -- for some of us it is food.

Right now I'm about 15 lbs over weight, though when I was diagnosed (twice, 2 different doctors,) I was very much under weight.

carbonman wrote:

Paul56 wrote: He tells me to stick with the basics...

....eat less, exercise more.

Get a bike.

The bike has helped me keep the weight down.

I weigh the same as I did as a senior in high school when I was out for 3 sports...so I figure I am not overweight as I wasn't then. I wonder if tonsils play a roll. I probably have tonsils as big as a horse and should have had them out 40 years ago...would have saved me a lot of tonsilitus over the years. Neck size is often mentioned. I guess skinny necked people are less prone to have apnea. Mine is about 16.5 inches...don't know if that means anything or not.

Well, if my weight and height were proportional, I'd be around 10'-11' tall! I actually had a handle on things (diagnosed Type II diabetic, high BP, high cholesterol, all the good stuff!), and was starting to lose the weight, when all kinds of heck broke loose at work (I work for AIG). My stress level is astronomical, and I've fallen back onto all kinds of bad habits, instead of eating (relatively) healthy. I can only imagine what my numbers are going to look like next week...

carbonman wrote:

Paul56 wrote: He tells me to stick with the basics...

....eat less, exercise more.

Get a bike.

Yep, I have a bike... a Giant mountain bike that I have adapted for urban use. Used it all last summer on fair weather days to huff 'n puff to work on.

I used to ride a path just north of here for miles on the weekend... my record on that path in one day was 55 miles. But, one fine weekend while enjoying the trail I came around a corner to encounter a bear strolling down the path in the same direction. Fortunately the bear did not see me so I quietly turned around and heading in the other direction... not willing to risk an encounter with a bear.

The path is an old railway right-of-way. The tracks have been removed and the railway bed covered with a very fine gravel... it meanders through forest, farming country and some Ottawa-valley villages. Wonderful path but I'm not interested in tangling with the bears.

Below is a link with details of the path and a map... be patient as the hosting server is slow:

http://cycloparcppj.org/index1_a.htm

I'm 5'7", weigh 130 and wear a size 8. As I get older I'm finding that the weight is moving from where I want it to where it wants to go

Brenda

Paul56 wrote: .......
I used to ride a path just north of here for miles on the weekend... my record on that path in one day was 55 miles. But, one fine weekend while enjoying the trail I came around a corner to encounter a bear strolling down the path in the same direction. Fortunately the bear did not see me so I quietly turned around and heading in the other direction... not willing to risk an encounter with a bear.

.......

rooster wrote:

Paul56 wrote: .......
I used to ride a path just north of here for miles on the weekend... my record on that path in one day was 55 miles. But, one fine weekend while enjoying the trail I came around a corner to encounter a bear strolling down the path in the same direction. Fortunately the bear did not see me so I quietly turned around and heading in the other direction... not willing to risk an encounter with a bear.

.......

Rooster, you made my evening!