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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
#31
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
(10-28-2014, 11:53 PM)Galactus Wrote: Sure, I can tell you how I am doing it, it's still a work in progress. The first thing I did was decide I wanted to get the weight off. Then I downloaded about 20 phone apps that had helpful tracking, I settled on the one I liked best (myfitnesspal). I started just tracking what I was eating. Not doing anything but just logging what I ate, when I ate it, how many calories I was actually eating. After about two weeks I started to review on average how many calories a day I was eating. It became very obvious that I was eating way too much. I saw single meals that were 3000 calories or more, and crazy stuff I was doing. Armed with that knowledge I looked into all the obvious choices, bariatric surgery, pills, weight watchers, and all the programs. I met a nice lady at my Dr office that was a nutritionist and we started talking. I realized that if I went for surgery there were major complications I was not interested in, and at the end I would need to change my diet completely anyway. I found nothing that was going to work for me from what I saw. So I continued to log the food and look at the results. I started researching, and talking to the nutritionist and seeing her monthly. I began to realize that if I just made more intelligent choices and swapped some foods for others I could reduce what I was eating calorically speaking and start eating less. For example rather than have 5 hot dogs and buns, or 5 sausages with however much pasta I could eat meatballs with lower fat content chopped meat and rather than having 1200 calories of sausage I could have 800 calories of meatballs. Instead of a pound of pasta I could eat 12 ounces, another 400 calories down. Rather than have two plates of fried shrimp for 2000+ calories I could have two plates of shrimp cocktail shrimp and have only 400 calories of food but still have those huge portions. Instead of a 16 ounce rib eye steak there was 16 ounces of pork sirloin, 1600 calories vs 560. Each change was a small step, not too painful, just baby steps. then I'd go talk to the nutritionist and she'd suggest "try eating this instead of that" and we'd look at the calories, and go step by step. Eating less calories with the same sized portions resulted in the same fullness and relaxation of eating and yet the result was less calories. Less calories less to becoming fuller faster. I soon found I didn't need all that pasta, and instead of regular pasta I started eating lower carb pasta, and high grain pastas. All those lower calories started to change me by eating less without knowing it really or rather without feeling it. Then I began noticing that I didn't need two plates of shrimp, a plate and a half was enough, and I didn't need a pound of chopped meat, and so on. As I kept keeping track of my calories I saw they were coming down first by 10% then 20% then week by week less and less. At some point someone asked if I could get by on 3500 calories a day, so that became the goal. Then 3000 became the goal a month later, I stayed there for a while, then I started to notice I was just eating less 2500 calories a day became the usual just all by itself, and slowly but surely I just started eating less and less, and I was full. It's been a hard rough road, and I still have many days where I'm not happy about what I'm eating. I've posted many times that I can't bear to look at another carrot but I persevere and I have learned to be happy with the small goals, like another 5 pounds gone and another and another, and well before you know it you have changed everything you are eating, eating less and the results, well you can see them on the scale. You can also see them on the calorie counts. I think the most important thing to do is take stock of what you are doing, and know what you are eating. I hear many people say things like "I'm eating all the same food and still gaining weight" and things like that. Well, that is rarely the case. If you take the time and log it you'll see you are eating more and that is why you're gaining weight. It's a day by day thing though, and even now I have my days, but I keep going and changing things as I see my mistakes. Frankly quitting smoking was far easier than this ever is. I mean you decide no more cigarettes and then you don't smoke again, but I can't stop eating so I must keep modifying what I do eat. Much harder, but hey at the end of the day it really is worth it, at least for me. I wish you all the best, hope I helped you.


Galactus, my good friend.
Paragraphs are also your friend.

All this luscious text about food and I can't get past the first 10 sentences. I've tried and tried. Sigh. Rib steak, sigh, wish I knew what you said about it. Something about grains…sigh.

But from the 5 skims I did of this I think we're on the same page, low carb. Hubby was on low fat when we met while I was on low carb, being the diabetic type 1 that I am. Then he became pre-diabetic and finally had to come over to my side. He lost all his excess weight and solved his cholesterol problem on top of that with good fats. And he's no longer pre-diabetic.

Galactus, I don't suppose you could re-do this food bible of yours with some paragraphs so I can read it, could you? Come on, you gave me virtual cookies just yesterday, so I know you have a heart. And what you might be saying about a healthy, workable diet is important in my view. Come on, give it a go.

Bigwink

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#32
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
It's true, at times they can be my friend, but sadly I was tired and it really just came out as a single biiiiigggggg thought which is how I wrote it. Because you asked so nicely I went back and edited it especially for you.
If everyone thinks alike, then someone isn't thinking.
Everyone knows something, together we could know everything.
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#33
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
And HERE IT IS:
So, so readable. Looks delicious. I'm going to make some lunch, then settle down with this fine tome filled with all sorts of goodies.

I knew you had a big heart.


(10-28-2014, 11:53 PM)Galactus Wrote: Edited 10/29/2014 by special request from PhyllisBalboa;

Sure, I can tell you how I am doing it, it's still a work in progress. The first thing I did was decide I wanted to get the weight off. Then I downloaded about 20 phone apps that had helpful tracking, I settled on the one I liked best (myfitnesspal). I started just tracking what I was eating. Not doing anything but just logging what I ate, when I ate it, how many calories I was actually eating. After about two weeks I started to review on average how many calories a day I was eating. It became very obvious that I was eating way too much. I saw single meals that were 3000 calories or more, and crazy stuff I was doing.

Armed with that knowledge I looked into all the obvious choices, bariatric surgery, pills, weight watchers, and all the programs. I met a nice lady at my Dr office that was a nutritionist and we started talking. I realized that if I went for surgery there were major complications I was not interested in, and at the end I would need to change my diet completely anyway. I found nothing that was going to work for me from what I saw. So I continued to log the food and look at the results. I started researching, and talking to the nutritionist and seeing her monthly.

I began to realize that if I just made more intelligent choices and swapped some foods for others I could reduce what I was eating calorically speaking and start eating less. For example rather than have 5 hot dogs and buns, or 5 sausages with however much pasta I could eat meatballs with lower fat content chopped meat and rather than having 1200 calories of sausage I could have 800 calories of meatballs. Instead of a pound of pasta I could eat 12 ounces, another 400 calories down. Rather than have two plates of fried shrimp for 2000+ calories I could have two plates of shrimp cocktail shrimp and have only 400 calories of food but still have those huge portions. Instead of a 16 ounce rib eye steak there was 16 ounces of pork sirloin, 1600 calories vs 560.

Each change was a small step, not too painful, just baby steps. then I'd go talk to the nutritionist and she'd suggest "try eating this instead of that" and we'd look at the calories, and go step by step. Eating less calories with the same sized portions resulted in the same fullness and relaxation of eating and yet the result was less calories. Less calories less to becoming fuller faster. I soon found I didn't need all that pasta, and instead of regular pasta I started eating lower carb pasta, and high grain pastas. All those lower calories started to change me by eating less without knowing it really or rather without feeling it.

Then I began noticing that I didn't need two plates of shrimp, a plate and a half was enough, and I didn't need a pound of chopped meat, and so on. As I kept keeping track of my calories I saw they were coming down first by 10% then 20% then week by week less and less. At some point someone asked if I could get by on 3500 calories a day, so that became the goal. Then 3000 became the goal a month later, I stayed there for a while, then I started to notice I was just eating less 2500 calories a day became the usual just all by itself, and slowly but surely I just started eating less and less, and I was full.

It's been a hard rough road, and I still have many days where I'm not happy about what I'm eating. I've posted many times that I can't bear to look at another carrot but I persevere and I have learned to be happy with the small goals, like another 5 pounds gone and another and another, and well before you know it you have changed everything you are eating, eating less and the results, well you can see them on the scale. You can also see them on the calorie counts.

I think the most important thing to do is take stock of what you are doing, and know what you are eating. I hear many people say things like "I'm eating all the same food and still gaining weight" and things like that. Well, that is rarely the case. If you take the time and log it you'll see you are eating more and that is why you're gaining weight. It's a day by day thing though, and even now I have my days, but I keep going and changing things as I see my mistakes. Frankly quitting smoking was far easier than this ever is. I mean you decide no more cigarettes and then you don't smoke again, but I can't stop eating so I must keep modifying what I do eat. Much harder, but hey at the end of the day it really is worth it, at least for me. I wish you all the best, hope I helped you.

Post Reply Post Reply
#34
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
Regarding Galactus' new and improved, paragraphed, food bible:

Yes, that was very fun to read. I knew it would be full of delicious ideas. I like especially his 'small improvements' approach. Notice the steps he took, first with quantities, then with qualities. A nice loop that continued to bump him up into a new level. He might have been following another good rule, the 80% method: Do the right thing 80% of the time and don't beat yourself up for the 20% misses.

The only thing I would add (and I bet Galactus already does this) is to use this looping method to increase the value of food. For instance, cutting back on restaurant meals and learning to quickly throw together good meals. Skip the 'white' foods and go to more colors. Go from processed to fresh, fast food to slow cooking, shipped food to local source, added sugars to added herbs, white flour to ancient grains. There are dozens of steps like these that will all add up and make daily improvements in your health and life. And you will lose weight, even better.

Now I'm off my short soapbox, which I'm somewhat entitled to having lived as a type 1 diabetic for 4 decades and I'm still not dead.

Cool
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#35
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
I've downloaded the My Fitness Pal app to my PC and started the food log today. I was quite surprised that I took in way more sodium than I needed.

It is inspiring for me to read and learn how other people are managing their weight. For so long I've tried and tried but gave up due to discouragement. Perhaps this time I can take those "baby steps" that will lead to better health for me.
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#36
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
(10-29-2014, 07:31 PM)GrammaBear Wrote: I've downloaded the My Fitness Pal app to my PC and started the food log today. I was quite surprised that I took in way more sodium than I needed.

It is inspiring for me to read and learn how other people are managing their weight. For so long I've tried and tried but gave up due to discouragement. Perhaps this time I can take those "baby steps" that will lead to better health for me.

Congrats for the first steps! I should do this as well.
Evpraxia in the Pacific Northwest USA
Diagnosed: 44 AHI when supine, O2 down to 82%
Treated since 20 Sept 2014:: 0.7 AHI, Settings 7-15, EPR on Full Time at Level 3
Better living through CPAP/APAP machines!
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#37
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
(10-29-2014, 07:31 PM)GrammaBear Wrote: Perhaps this time I can take those "baby steps" that will lead to better health for me.

Yes, all those baby steps add up. Kind of like the extra oxygen you're getting while on your machine. Slowly healing, making its way into your brain, energizing your blood, feeding the cells in your organs. It's all good. And you've got the time, just take it day by day.



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#38
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
(10-29-2014, 07:31 PM)GrammaBear Wrote: I've downloaded the My Fitness Pal app to my PC and started the food log today. I was quite surprised that I took in way more sodium than I needed.

It is inspiring for me to read and learn how other people are managing their weight. For so long I've tried and tried but gave up due to discouragement. Perhaps this time I can take those "baby steps" that will lead to better health for me.

Forgot to mention: during the last years of my father-in-law he was on a VERY low sodium. To my great surprise the well known instant chocolate pudding has 420mg sodium per serving. That much sodium in pudding?!?!? WELL, that would not work - I learned how to make Belgian chocolate pudding with 5mg of sodium and it is delicious!
Evpraxia in the Pacific Northwest USA
Diagnosed: 44 AHI when supine, O2 down to 82%
Treated since 20 Sept 2014:: 0.7 AHI, Settings 7-15, EPR on Full Time at Level 3
Better living through CPAP/APAP machines!
Post Reply Post Reply
#39
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
Well I hope I have helped in any way.

There are many other good small steps too for sure, smaller plates, smaller spoons, smaller juice cups, home cooking, ingredients swapping, ordering medium portions rather than supersizing everything, so many other small things to do.

Wish all you guys the best of luck.
If everyone thinks alike, then someone isn't thinking.
Everyone knows something, together we could know everything.
Post Reply Post Reply
#40
RE: Body Weight and Sleep Apnea - POLL
I actually lost weight and am now at my ideal bodyweight thanks to the CPAP machine. However I still have sleep apnea. As I understand it once you lose the muscle tone in your airway due to weight issues it is hard to get it back. Thinking back on it I definitely think I had sleep apnea before I became seriously overweight anyway, probably due to my face (deviated septum, retrognathia, large tongue etc).
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