How long was it before:

How long was it before you felt like you weren't a blob of tired any longer?

How long was it before you safely started a diet and exercise program to get back into shape after being a blob of tired for . . . . however long?

I need some wisdom and some encouragement. I want to start an exercise and diet program, but I realize my body has some recovery to do. . .I don't know soon is too soon.

Thanks!

When to start it... is when you think that you're ready to start it. If you don't have any other existing conditions that would prohibit it... then go ahead and start.

I know some people feel better right away but I was not one of them. It took me a good six month before I noticed I had more energy. I came on slow and I didn't even notice until one day I suddenly realized I was doing a lot more that I used to and my memory and thought processes were getting better. I'm sure you would rather here it gets better fast but I just want you to know how it worked for me so you don't get discouraged if it doesn't happen quickly. Just stick with it and it will come.

As for diet and exercise, unless you have some health concern not to start now then I would start asap. The sooner you start eating better and exercising the sooner you will start to feel better. I think if I had been more committed to weight loss in the beginning I would have felt better sooner.

Good luck to you.

Check with your doctor, but probably best to start slow and gradually build up. Even a short walk every day is better than nothing. Take a rest day if it's too much.

Choose the exercises and times that work best for you with the goal of making exercising at that time a habit.

I don't know any reason not to start eating better straight away.

I felt somewhat more refreshed in the morning right away (like two weeks). I was still fighting leaks and had not found my "perfect" mask yet. It was a good 6 months before the daytime sleepiness and "wiped out" feeling subsided. But everyone is different. Don't judge your progress by anyone else's results.

I've been on cpap for about 9 months. I started feeling better right away, but it took me a good 6 months to realize an amazing recovery. Everyone is different. Though I have lost 25 pounds thru cpap - without trying, my wife wants me to lose another 15-20 pounds. My daughter is getting married in August, and my wife is losing weight for the occasion (I have got to help her out... the ice cream I am buying is not helping her!!!) and it seems to be a good reason for me to finally try to drop a few pounds. I saw a thread about the low carb diet a few days back and think it's time for me to do it. So for me it's 9 months. I would let your body "settle in" before hitting it with a diet. I may be too much at one time.

Sheriff

I'll be enthusiastically watching this thread too. I haven't started treatment yet, and I'm exhausted at 9:24 a.m., even after taking a 20 minute power nap.

Kilgore: I used to pull off in a parking lot during the middle of the day and take a nap. When my primary doctor's nurse heard this, she said "You need a sleep study". I mis-understood her an thought, "Heck, I'm not having trouble sleeping.... so there's no problem." The next visit, she said, "That's the problem, you are getting a lot of sleep, but not the good sleep." That's when the sleep apnea journey began for me.

Sheriff

So this morning, after warring with the temporary 'wool' sock mask and hose cover I made yesterday - for the first time in several days I woke up 'ta'rd'. BUT I didn't get water up my nose - FINALLY. Though the choice of wool was not a good one, my face tickled and itched all night. Today I'll pull out some flannel and try that.

As far as exercise and diet is concerned - this is what I've decided to do:

Exercise: When I can stay within a normal alert level by 9pm, then I will start a serious exercise program. (I used to be a competitive athlete as an adult - I so know what sleep deprivation and exercise on too little sleep does to the heart. I stopped the exercise when my heart rate started climbing through the roof even at rest.) I AM going to start keeping a heart-rate log and when my heart rate at rest starts to even out, then I'll begin to slowly exercise with rest depending on how quickly I recover and how well my heart rate can stay down during rest. I'll let my heart rate be my guide as to how and how many times a week I work out.

Diet - I already eat pretty healthy, but the thing that's changed with the sleep deprivation is craving sugar in the late afternoon to try to 'wake up'. I noticed that I didn't crave any sugar at all yesterday, so I didn't eat any. I think this will take care of itself. Or at least, I'm hoping so. I'm not sure about going on a 'diet' per se at this point. . .I'm still thinking about this one. I may go on a heart-healthy diet, just to counter some of the damage that's been done.

So, we'll see where it goes. Now. . .where'd I put my heart-rate watch?