Hello Guest, Welcome to Apnea Board !
As a guest, you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use.
To post a message, you must create a free account using a valid email address.

or Create an Account


New Posts   Today's Posts

Poll: Are you underweight, overweight or near your ideal body weight?
This poll is closed.
I am under my ideal body weight
1.01%
1 1.01%
I am at or near my ideal body weight (less than 10 pounds or 4.5 kilograms above ideal body weight)
21.21%
21 21.21%
I am overweight (more than 10 pounds or 4.5 kilograms above ideal body weight)
77.78%
77 77.78%
Total 99 vote(s) 100%
* You voted for this item. [Show Results]

[Health] Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
#41
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
Oh, here's my weight loss bible: No sugar, no alcohol, no cereal grains (rice, wheat, etc). Limit these to one or two days a week and I guarantee you'll shed a fair amount of weight without ever needing to track a calorie.
Post Reply Post Reply
#42
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
I thought I would revive this thread. I know everyone loves Polls! Dancing

I have deceided to do something about my weight. Have been on CPAP for 6 months now, and it's time to get serious about losing weight. I just want to feel better, I know it's not a cure for SA.

Have any of you that responded to this thread last year lost weight, and have you kept it off?

OpalRose
Apnea Board Administrator
www.apneaboard.com

_______________________
OSCAR Chart Organization
How to Attach Images and Files.
OSCAR - The Guide
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing therapy
OSCAR supported machines
Mask Primer



INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.  ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA.  INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
Post Reply Post Reply
#43
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
I'm overweight and my downslide was my hernia surgery recovery. I just sat and ate and put on a lot of weight. Now I just tell people I'm still in shape, after all round is a shape Smile
Post Reply Post Reply
#44
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
(10-27-2014, 02:48 AM)Laevelder Wrote:
(10-23-2014, 04:46 AM)DocWils Wrote: Well, when I was still a young resident, I weighed 57 kilos and all muscle (I am 180 cm tall). Now I am an old, wizened (but alas, not terribly wise) doc and 101 kilos (down from my all time high of 118) - so how did I essentially add another me in weight? Simple, really? I ATE HIM! How did I lose 17 kilos in a short time? I stopped eating so much. Garbage in/garbage out. Simple rule, yes? And I only started to snore when my weight passed the 89 kilo mark, so for sure this a weight related problem in my case. Not everyone is so lucky. Many Apnoea patients have the syndrome not from weight (or not only from weight) but from many other factors far less easy to deal with. And for them a remission is far harder to achieve. I am one of the lucky ones - the more weight I lose, the more my pressure needs lower, but a lot of people here simply will never have that sort of option. *sigh*

Dear DocWils,
do you have before and after CPAP stats (pressure etc) over the period 118 - 101 kg that you can share?

Easy answer, I had a top pressure of 16 at 118 kg, that is now reduced to 9.5 at 101 kg (I have not reduced the autoset range, btw, I let the machine find it's own way). As the weight further drops off, it will also reduce further.

How did I lose the weight (without really trying)? The easy answer is to realise that many heavy carbs are sugars, so reduction of sugar in its many forms (including in pastas, potatoes, breads, etc) is the simplest way - I was never a heavy meat eater, although now I am eating more of it, mostly chicken and beef (while when you are under 50, it is best to keep levels of read meats down, it has the opposite effect over 50, it can actually be better for you to indulge in the odd steak). Of course, in Switzerland, which is chocolate, cheese and pasta land, not always so easy to do. But once you get over the withdrawal symptoms (sugar is an addictive substance) you find it easy to keep up with it. And any vegetable that grows above ground is fair game to eat, just not root veg and the like.
Post Reply Post Reply
#45
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
(04-26-2015, 11:27 AM)DocWils Wrote:
(10-27-2014, 02:48 AM)Laevelder Wrote:
(10-23-2014, 04:46 AM)DocWils Wrote: Well, when I was still a young resident, I weighed 57 kilos and all muscle (I am 180 cm tall). Now I am an old, wizened (but alas, not terribly wise) doc and 101 kilos (down from my all time high of 118) - so how did I essentially add another me in weight? Simple, really? I ATE HIM! How did I lose 17 kilos in a short time? I stopped eating so much. Garbage in/garbage out. Simple rule, yes? And I only started to snore when my weight passed the 89 kilo mark, so for sure this a weight related problem in my case. Not everyone is so lucky. Many Apnoea patients have the syndrome not from weight (or not only from weight) but from many other factors far less easy to deal with. And for them a remission is far harder to achieve. I am one of the lucky ones - the more weight I lose, the more my pressure needs lower, but a lot of people here simply will never have that sort of option. *sigh*

Dear DocWils,
do you have before and after CPAP stats (pressure etc) over the period 118 - 101 kg that you can share?

Easy answer, I had a top pressure of 16 at 118 kg, that is now reduced to 9.5 at 101 kg (I have not reduced the autoset range, btw, I let the machine find it's own way). As the weight further drops off, it will also reduce further.

How did I lose the weight (without really trying)? The easy answer is to realise that many heavy carbs are sugars, so reduction of sugar in its many forms (including in pastas, potatoes, breads, etc) is the simplest way - I was never a heavy meat eater, although now I am eating more of it, mostly chicken and beef (while when you are under 50, it is best to keep levels of read meats down, it has the opposite effect over 50, it can actually be better for you to indulge in the odd steak). Of course, in Switzerland, which is chocolate, cheese and pasta land, not always so easy to do. But once you get over the withdrawal symptoms (sugar is an addictive substance) you find it easy to keep up with it. And any vegetable that grows above ground is fair game to eat, just not root veg and the like.

Thanks, Doc for the very quotable weight loss recommendations. I am keeping a copy on my computer and in front of me. Quite simple and direct.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
Post Reply Post Reply
#46
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
I am 6 feet tall and weigh 165 lbs (I'm female). Per everything, this means my BMI is 22.4.

Based on that ideal weight calculator:

Result
Based on the Robinson formula (1983), your ideal weight is 153.0 lbs
Based on the Miller formula (1983), your ideal weight is 153.0 lbs
Based on the Devine formula (1974), your ideal weight is 161.2 lbs
Based on the Hamwi formula (1964), your ideal weight is 158.5 lbs
Based on the healthy BMI recommendation, your recommended weight is 136.4 lbs - 184.3 lbs
Post Reply Post Reply
#47
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
Dear DocWils,
thank you. I am a slightly overweight (1.78m) male and lost weight from 88kg to 78kg. I am now within an acceptable BMI. I monitored my avg pressure during the weight loss process and it reduced from 8 cm water to 6.0 cm water. My APAP has a minimum pressure setting of 4cmH2O and I wonder what the pressure observation would have been without this limitation and if there is hope to get off the CPAP. My objective (hope?) is to leave the CPAP at home when I travel. That would be a great first achievement. I do not know at what stage I can attempt this. Thank you for your answer. kind regards
Post Reply Post Reply
#48
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
Erm, ahem, I hate to be a bubble burster but it is difficult, although not impossible to come off of CPAP completely. Part of the problem is that SA is rather complex, and even if you are one of the lucky ones to have strictly weight related SA caused by throat laxity from excess tissue growth, once you drop the weight and your neck reduces well below 40 cm, the laxity of tissue remains - as such, while the pressure needs are heavily reduced, some pressure may always be needed. Exercises to tighten the tissue exist, the most effective so far being circular breather learned from playing the digeridoo (your neighbours will hate you, but you will be invited to join drum circles and the like with all the cool ravers), but in the end only the lucky few come off CPAP completely. And then only those who combine weight loss with throat toning exercises.

However, nil desperandum, my friend. Once your pressure needs are heavily reduced, and you of course you are are only suffering from simple OSA, there are nasal devices you can buy over the counter that can act as an easy to pack and light weight substitute to be used when you travel - they function like a sort of band aid over the nose containing tiny valves that push up the exhalation back pressure sufficiently to minimise your apnoea to some extent - for short term use it is plenty fine, although I have strong doubts over the efficacy of it as a long term method. The go under the name of Provent and other types, discussed here in other posts. I am told they take some getting used to, and some people mod them with a few pin pricks, but I have yet to try them. They do not work if you have complex apnoea or central apnoea, and will only work on mild apnoeas, which is actually more or less where you are now.

As for when you can try these products, it depends alas on a lot of factors - if you have a recording pulse oximeter at home, I suggest you try one of these devices for a night while using the PO and see if you have desats to 88% or below - if you still do, then you are not there yet. That is the best I can suggest for now - on the whole you do not have a high pressure need, and that is fantastic - you may well be on the threshold for using these patches. You can also ask your doc at home when he thinks you are going to be there, as you may have more complex reasons for not being able to get off the CPAP. Congratulations on weight loss, keep it down keep healthy! From the little you mention on you current pressure needs, you are in a very fortunate position indeed.
Post Reply Post Reply
#49
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
The thing is, it doesn't matter whether I'm normal weight or overweight. I had sleep apnea when sleeping on my back since my 30s. I took to sleeping on my side. It only worsened as my health issues changed in the last 2 years.

My sister was able to wean off a Cpap 10 years ago, but only because surgery repaired the problem that apparently gave her the sleep apnea. She was overweight before, was overweight afterwards (and still is, but perhaps 50 pounds less than she was). The doctor ordered another sleep study and confirmed that she no longer had apnea episodes. Now that she's 50 though, chances are, she will end up with a Cpap again in the next 10 years. Seems to be how it goes in our family.
Post Reply Post Reply
#50
Ohmy 
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
Ok, I get it!
No sugar, no breads, no pasta, no rice, no potatoes, no cereals,, no carrots,
no beets, no red meat, Oh-jeez
nooooooooooooooooo............ But I won't give up my coffee!
OpalRose
Apnea Board Administrator
www.apneaboard.com

_______________________
OSCAR Chart Organization
How to Attach Images and Files.
OSCAR - The Guide
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing therapy
OSCAR supported machines
Mask Primer



INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.  ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA.  INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
Post Reply Post Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Apnea has gotten worse recently, I have no sleep study, can I just buy a cpcp? replayablecontent 12 215 Yesterday, 12:38 PM
Last Post: replayablecontent
Sad CSA, Body temperature and Spicy foods. Boodmaster 4 794 03-26-2024, 02:29 AM
Last Post: Boodmaster
  Collars for positional sleep apnea Jimasripper 17 347 03-25-2024, 10:05 PM
Last Post: Deborah K.
  weight loss meds with cpap ButtonNoseBarbie 3 149 03-25-2024, 11:23 AM
Last Post: OpalRose
  Invisalign to help sleep apnea and dental extractions as a cause of sleep apnea SingleH 10 608 03-24-2024, 07:00 PM
Last Post: stevew168
  Sleep Apnea or Something Else? RoughriderTR 6 284 03-23-2024, 04:43 PM
Last Post: ButtonNoseBarbie
  Obstructive Sleep Apnea After Stroke Help MB123 1 74 03-23-2024, 01:08 PM
Last Post: Dormeo


New Posts   Today's Posts


About Apnea Board

Apnea Board is an educational web site designed to empower Sleep Apnea patients.