WEIGHT AND OSA

AllShookUp · Post by **AllShookUp** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 10:01 am

I too am 100 lbs overweight. It was almost impossible for me to lose weight before cpap, I always started to exercise (mostly walking) but would stop after a few weeks. I was just too tired. I would come in from work and fall asleep in my chair while watching tv before I would even get dinner cooked. I kept telling myself to watch my diet, but because I was always so tired and never felt like cooking when I got home, I would just stop and get fast food or eat out so that I could just crash when I got home. That too kept my kitchen clean so that was one less thing I had to do for the day.

Since cpap I had more energy and was able to do more exercising but still could not lose any weight. My Doctor put me on water pills and fastin. It has helped me a lot. My Doc says that the key to losing weight is watching your diet. Exercising helps but if I didn't watch what I ate, I would have to exercise 3 hours a day to lose. I don't have that kind of time or desire to exercise that much. I have to go back to my Doc every 6 weeks so this keeps me trying more than just doing it by myself.

I think it helps if you are not alone and can have others to talk to about weight loss and your feelings. Maybe we can encourage each other to keep doing some kind of activity and keep a closer watch of what we eat. Even if we only loose a pound a month. At least we would not be gaining and maybe feel a little better about ourselves. Surely with time some of us will even be able to exercise a little more and start feeling better. fitday.com is a site that you can keep up with your diet and weight loss. I found this site from a post on this forum. It gives you lots of info on foods, exercise and more and is free. They also have a program you can purchase fo $19 which gives you more reports and info. It is amazing how all foods you eat for the day adds up to more calories than we knew we were eating. They have a diary for recording your emotions, illness, stress and moods. It is pretty neat. You might also be surprised how many calories we burn just doing normal things each day such as burning 1.12 calories per minute as we sleep.

Patti

Tired-in-Tenn · Post by **Tired-in-Tenn** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 10:39 am

neversleeps wrote:
Tired-in-Tenn wrote:.... With very few exceptions, most overweight people, myself included, are in that situation by our own doing. ..and many people will throw every excuse in the book out as to why they're overweight and can't lose it, but it simply comes down to most of us just don't have the will power, stamina, or desire to implement the requisite changes in our lifestyle needed to lose weight for good.

I know this will sound silly, but I am now going to get up, put on something that isn't too embarrassing, go outside and walk around the block.

neversleeps, that does not sound silly in the least bit! If you in fact did go out and do it, then that's the first step. Now go do it again today, tomorrow, the next day... and don't stop. If it rains, wear a raincoat, but do it every day. slowly work up to longer distances and even jogging at some point if possible. The key is to maintain a calorie deficit of approximately 500 calories a day to lose weight, so watch the diet too, but as long as you keep that deficit up you'll lose about a pound a week no matter how you do it. A single splurge out at a fast food joint can ruin an entire weeks worth of work. ...I could go on and on, but it sounds like you're like me, you know the theory, it's the practice you struggle with (me too!).

Here's one thing I'm doing to try to implement exercise into my lifestyle. I ride my bike. Think about it, we are such a car-centric society that people rarely ride a bicycle anymore (or walk places for that matter). In fact, we're so car-centric, that a person riding a bike everywhere is generally viewed as a second rate citizen. But, truth is, you have to get around to places...work, grocery, etc, ...well do it by bicycle. It's a way of implementing exercise into your lifestyle everyday. I no longer have to make time to exercise, it's built into my lifestyle now, I commute to work by bicycle and that gives me 12 miles of riding each day in itself. Need to go to the grocery? I have a trailer I can pull behind my bicycle and can carry all of the food we need in it for a week. Anyway, I'll stop now, as I'm sure most are thinking this probably sounds silly...

Diets of any kind do not work. The only way to lose weight for good is to implement lifestyle changes, and oftentimes these are quite difficult to do in our pre-conditioned society where everything is supposed to be easy and convenient.

-Tired-in-Tenn

neversleeps · Post by **neversleeps** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 8:11 pm

Yes, I did go for that walk! It felt great.... well, alright anyway.... actually it was embarrassingly harder than I anticipated. I was quickly out of breath and got bad pains in my calves and weird prickly feelings in my thighs. Oh well..

BUT, I did it again today and I will do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next....

I am no longer choosing to be unhealthy. I have decided since I'm the only one who can do anything about this, I better hurry up and do it b4 I have a heart attack or stroke.

It is going to be a loooooooooong haul. But at least I'm still able to haul it!

Thanks for the ideas, Tired-in-Tenn. Biking is soon to follow!!!!! THERE IS HOPE IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SleepyGuy · Post by **SleepyGuy** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 8:34 pm

I'm 6'2", weigh 265, and I'm about 60 lbs. overweight. I've tried every diet. I've restricted myself to 2000 calories per day with no cheating and lost NOTHING. I used to exercise everyday in the gym with no results. I've used the Zone diet for the last three years and managed to stop gaining weight, but so far no weight loss.

I'm hoping CPAP therapy will finally fix this, but I KNOW I wasn't cheating and finally convinced myself it WASN'T for lack of trying. I strongly believe there is some kind of chemical imbalance here. When I get my energy back and my body back into balance I hope to lose the weight.

SleepyGuy · Post by **SleepyGuy** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 9:09 pm

By the way. The technician at my second study uses a CPAP and had lost 100 lbs.. I'm hoping that will be me as my energy returns.

AllShookUp · Post by **AllShookUp** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 6:49 am

neversleeps wrote:Yes, I did go for that walk! It felt great.... well, alright anyway.... actually it was embarrassingly harder than I anticipated. I was quickly out of breath and got bad pains in my calves and weird prickly feelings in my thighs. Oh well..

BUT, I did it again today and I will do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next....

I am no longer choosing to be unhealthy. I have decided since I'm the only one who can do anything about this, I better hurry up and do it b4 I have a heart attack or stroke.

It is going to be a loooooooooong haul. But at least I'm still able to haul it!

Thanks for the ideas, Tired-in-Tenn. Biking is soon to follow!!!!! THERE IS HOPE IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good for you neversleeps! Do as much as you feel you can do, but don't overdo. Strength and energy will come as you progress. Be happy with yourself everyday no matter what and if you fall down, pick yourself back up and keep going. Weight loss can happen to us too, maybe slower than we would like, but that measley little pound you lost this week will be added to that measley little pound you will loose in the next few weeks and before long those measley little pounds will add up to a weight loss we will be happy with. You are right, we are the only ones that can do anything about it. Sooner than you think you will be reporting your weight loss here just as others have. Don't ever stop...you now know you can do it!

neversleeps gets a big hurray from me!

glassgal · Post by **glassgal** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 11:31 am

Hi Neversleeps and AllShookUp,

I am in the same boat, and agree wholeheartedly with All -- especially the bit about being happy with yourself. It sounds to me like you are beating yourself up about the weight thing, and that can't be good for your outlook.

I get all kinds of pressure from my mom, whom I love dearly. I know that she wants me to lose weight because she loves me, but it hurts to have her criticism -- doesn't she KNOW that I am excruciatingly aware of the fact that I am fat? I try not to let it get to me, partly because when that kind of event happens I tend to eat! I spend too much time at the computer -- at work it is my job, and at home this forum has helped so much. It is a vicious circle -- it is hard to stay positive with a negative self image!

Just my 2 cents -- good luck and best wishes on your weight loss!

ahujudybear · Post by **ahujudybear** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 11:39 am

Hi qrlylox!

No, they are different (although my co-worker says that Splenda is just as bad.

Splenda is sucralose. Equal is NutriSweet/Aspartame.

I just noticed in the store that both Splenda and Equal are now marketing mixtures of their product with regular sugar to be used in baking. Sounds like they might be having a tough time selling their product?

- JB

AllShookUp · Post by **AllShookUp** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 8:46 pm

Hi glassgal

I've got the same kind of Mom you do and I know her inputs on my weight and what I eat are really said for the same reasons as your Mom. You are right, it does sometimes hurt and I do get a little tired of hearing that from her so often. I also spend too much time on the computer (one of the things I really do enjoy) at work and at home. I am trying to get in some exercise in between sittings at my computer. I used to try and save trips as I cleaned the house so that I would not have to walk back and forth but no more. I find myself trying to think of why I should get up and do something even if it is just for a few minutes. I don't try to find the closest parking space in the parking lots any more either. I look at the walking as more exercise which seems to be helping. I still tend to get sleepy in the afternoons if I sit and watch too much tv (another activity I enjoy). I make myself get up and move around so that I will sleep better that night and probably do something I needed to do anyway. As far as eating habits, well I like to eat all the time. Since I have been trying to loose it has been very hard. I still want to snack in between meals. Chips are one of my favorites but I have learned to buy the small bags so I won't over eat. I am also a sweets lover. I try not to buy too much so I won't be tempted, but sometimes I just have to have it or it seems I can't satisfy my hunger. I read that you are not supposed to eat unless your body tells you it is hungry; not when you are craving food. I guess I am addicted to food. I still keep trying though. It is easier for me during the week but when the weekend comes it is hard. I am managing to loose about 1 to 1.5 lbs. per week, which is not a big accomplishment, but maybe I will be able to keep it off. I want to lose weight for good this time. I have not really been on a diet, just trying to learn a new way to eat and to cut back. Maybe someday I will adjust to this way of eating, but it is so hard after so many years of bad eating habits. Cpap has helped me stick it out much longer that I have before. Maybe getting my whole inside body corrected will help me correct the outside. Thanks for caring. Hope you are feeling good today!

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize. . .how close they were to success when they gave up!"

Patti

maryrose · Post by **maryrose** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 9:28 pm

Maybe we should start a Lifstyle change thread and we can all post what we are doing to lose weight and exercise? My apartment complex recently added a gym and I have never been there! A shame! I am 5ft 5in and weigh 270. I work 12 hour days (and hurt so bad I can barely walk after) and on my days off I see many Drs for other health problems. I am also anemic and this does not help for my energy level. It seems like my body fights me all the way in losing weight so I get depressed and give up. But I am going to vow to go to the gym starting slowly at once a week and increasing as I have more energy.!!
I have thought about joining weight watchers. My sister lost 50 pds so far in 8 months on WW. Has anyone else tried WW? I am fairly new here. If this is a good idea, will someone please start a new Lifestyles Changes thread??

notbigenuf1 · Post by **notbigenuf1** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 10:02 pm

I guess you can have OSA and be overweight according to the charts and not be fat, i'm 5"8(no shoes)and range between lean 220 to a heavy 250!! Been lifting weights for a few years!! Sad thing is i still want to be be bigger!!!!!!!

WEIGHT AND OSA

osa and weight