Diet that actually works with Apnea

I have found it nearly impossible to lose weight while battling this APNEA thing. I went from 122 lbs to 160 lbs in a matter of weeks due to a misdiagnosis and the drugs they used to treat this misdiagnosis. It was another 10 lbs before they found that I had apnea. When I went to see my sleep doc three months ago to get my pressure changed, it had jumped ANOTHER ten pounds. They upped my pressure, but the pressure needs another adjustment as my AHI is still too high (between 3.5 and 5.9 - upper end way too often).

So, I do work out - three days on one day rest. Aerobic step, low impact aerobics, stationary bike and newly added - walking. I work out moderately (heart rate between 135 and 145) for thirty to forty five minutes.

And I still wasn't losing weight.

I tried weight watchers. I was at the BOTTOM of the allowable points, and DIDN'T eat the extra points - and STILL didn't lose weight.

My liver specialist suggested that I try the low glycemic index diet. . .as my symptoms were showing that I was not processing sugar properly (thanks, apnea) I was turning all the sugar I was eating into fat. (yay :-/) So he suggested the book 'Sugar Busters' and put me on a medication to help me lower my cholesterol, and sent me on my way.

I switched out my kitchen COMPLETELY. Was incredibly faithful to the diet - portions and all for two months. Didn't lose an ounce. Not one. I kept complaining to my husband that this was too much food for me. I never ate this much before I ballooned up. I ate a large piece of fruit in the morning, a small potato boiled into a light soup for lunch, and a regular healthy dinner. On a BethAnna sized plate.

But that was unhealthy according to this book. . .I wasn't eating enough.

Ok.

I found livestrong.com - and put in my size and weight and va-la . . . to lose two pounds a week, I should only eat 1019 calories a day with light to moderate work outs.

And with apnea. . I'm finding that even that is boarding on two much. Even with exercise, I only lost a half a pound last week. Meh. But I AM LOSING.

I am combining the low glycemic diet WITH low calories. I think maybe the reason I didn't lose as much last week is because I didn't stick to the low glycemic end as well as I usually do. I don't process sugar properly - this HAS to be a part of the puzzle.

But I've lost 12 lbs total since I started. I'm still working on my AHI, hopefully another adjustment will be made and that will help. Unfortunately, my apnea isn't helped by my weight, but it isn't caused by my weight. . .so losing weight my might reduce the pressure needed, maybe, but I'll be on the machine for the rest of my life. But losing weight. . .and getting healthy is such a GOOD THING.

So . . . low glycemic index diet in conjunction of being very careful with the calories is working for me. Maybe it will work for most of us?

diets don't usually work. you need to do a forever lifestyle change that includes exercise of some kind, healthy foods and portion control. you can eat what you want, but eat less of it and exercise it off. one pound a week is 52 pounds a year. that is alot of weight and is likely to be back with more at the 5 year look back. slow and steady is what it is all about.

greatunclebill wrote:diets don't usually work. you need to do a forever lifestyle change that includes exercise of some kind, healthy foods and portion control. you can eat what you want, but eat less of it and exercise it off. one pound a week is 52 pounds a year. that is alot of weight and is likely to be back with more at the 5 year look back. slow and steady is what it is all about.

By the word 'diet' I mean 'what goes into my mouth' - this is a 'for the rest of my life' way of eating. It's very healthy. . . probably the healthiest 'diet' Ive seen in a long long time. It's very balanced. . . just no bananas, refined flours or sugars or white potatoes and rice.

I don't mean the word 'diet' as "do this until you lose weight and then go back to your old habits". That never works.

It does feel good when you get something working out. Thanks for the post. Less sugar is always a good thing.

I agree with you, Changing how you and what you eat is the way to go.

Judging by what I've read, the way to lose weight most effectively without starving yourself is to cut carbs (not just refined, but most carbs). I am not sure this is the right approach anymore for those who are thin to begin with (I may have more to say on that topic in another month or so), but for those who are overweight, it may be the best approach.

SleepingUgly, I think, for me, it is the type of carbs. I still put a potato in my soup at lunch, it just happens to be a sweet potato instead of a white potato. From what I understand the sleep apnea really plays havoc on how the body processes sugars. Complex carbs digest very slowly - simple carbs go into the blood supply very quickly and get turned into fat since we make this hormone more than the average person. I wish I could remember the name of the hormone. (someone help me out here! )

I still eat bread, it's just whole wheat with less than 2 grams of sugar per serving.

I found that I FEEL better, and the anxiety that I'm always dealing with is much reduced.

So. . .no carbs or too low carbs is harmful for me. . .I tend to get sick. . .but this I can do, and it's working.

When I'm back to myself again (122 - 125lbs) I'll still eat this way, but I will add some calories to maintain my weight instead of continued loss.

Carb type doesn't really matter. It is the amount of carbs (ie. total grams) that matters.

Once the body coverts carbs to glucose, it doesn't know or care what the source/type of carbs was, your hormones will respond according to the amount of glucose produced from the carbs which is a function of the total grams of carbs you ingest be it whole wheat bread or doughnuts. The glycemic index only works if you keep the total grams of carbs low. Most people misinterpret that low glycemic carbs are ok to eat and they tend to over eat them which defeats the purpose of labeling them low glycemic.

The best way to see how your body responds to any type of carb based on its total grams is to get yourself a glucose meter and take measurements right before eating and then every 15 minutes after you eat for about 2 hours (8 or 9 measurements per test). That will give you an accurate profile of the effect any specific type and amount of carbs has on YOUR body.

I used to think oats (before discovering the toxicity of gluten) were heart healthy and eating twig fiber for breakfast and apples and such like they tell you in the mass media and doctor's office. It wasn't until I started testing my glucose with a meter as noted above that I discovered that a medium apple, a cup of oatmeal, a half bag (11 oz) of tortilla chips, or three doughnuts all gave me the exact same blood sugar spike.

Get yourself a meter and find out for yourself. To loose weight, you should never let your glucose go above 100 mg/dl and you should strive to keep it between 70 and 90 at all times. The only way I found to keep mine between 70 and 90 is to eat only fresh meats and vegetables with very very limited fruits (they have seeds on inside). Supplement with high quality vitamins and minerals.

Avoid ALL grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats, and corn) products at all times. Obviously avoid all sugars and sugar substitutes, especially HFCS. Avoid all oils that are liquid at room temperature except virgin cold pressed olive oil and organic fish oil. Avoid all margarines, trans-fats, and pseudo butter concoctions ... eat real organic butter if you must. Avoid ALL things marketed as "LOW FAT".

Don't overdue your exercise ... just walk and walk some more. You don't need to monitor heart rate ... just walk up to a pace where you can carry on a conversation without getting winded. One day a week try do high intensity/low impact at your own pace ... like slow motion weight lifting or stretch bands, or slow motion body-weight exercises (slow motion really makes it hard even for those in good shape) or exercise bike sprints. Drink plenty of water, and if you experience high stress at work or anywhere else, find the time to de-stress. Finally, don't forget to get plenty of good quality sleep.

I agree with DreamStalker, for the most part. The answer is to burn more calories than you take in, but not to take in so few calories that your body shuts down into a fasting state. Regular exercise helps keep your metabolic rate up. So does eating several meals a day and not skipping breakfast. At to carbs. It is true that all carbs get absorbed as glucose, and gram for gram your body gets the same amount of glucose from a high glycemic or a low glycemic carb. The difference is in how fast the glucose is absorbed. If absorbed quickly there is a higher spike in glucose levels, causing a higher spike in insulin levels. The insulin is the hormone that allows us to move the sugar from our blood stream and into the liver, muscles, and fat for storage. People who are overweight and chronically stressed (OSA causes physiologic stress all night long) aren't able to use insulin normally, and therefor need more of it. This burns out the pancreas that produces the hormone, and then you get diabetes. Probably more than you wanted to know, but that is how it works in a nut shell.

DreamStalker wrote:Carb type doesn't really matter. It is the amount of carbs (ie. total grams) that matters.

Once the body coverts carbs to glucose, it doesn't know or care what the source/type of carbs was, your hormones will respond according to the amount of glucose produced from the carbs which is a function of the total grams of carbs you ingest be it whole wheat bread or doughnuts. The glycemic index only works if you keep the total grams of carbs low. Most people misinterpret that low glycemic carbs are ok to eat and they tend to over eat them which defeats the purpose of labeling them low glycemic.

The best way to see how your body responds to any type of carb based on its total grams is to get yourself a glucose meter and take measurements right before eating and then every 15 minutes after you eat for about 2 hours (8 or 9 measurements per test). That will give you an accurate profile of the effect any specific type and amount of carbs has on YOUR body.

I used to think oats (before discovering the toxicity of gluten) were heart healthy and eating twig fiber for breakfast and apples and such like they tell you in the mass media and doctor's office. It wasn't until I started testing my glucose with a meter as noted above that I discovered that a medium apple, a cup of oatmeal, a half bag (11 oz) of tortilla chips, or three doughnuts all gave me the exact same blood sugar spike.

Get yourself a meter and find out for yourself. To loose weight, you should never let your glucose go above 100 mg/dl and you should strive to keep it between 70 and 90 at all times. The only way I found to keep mine between 70 and 90 is to eat only fresh meats and vegetables with very very limited fruits (they have seeds on inside). Supplement with high quality vitamins and minerals.

Avoid ALL grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats, and corn) products at all times. Obviously avoid all sugars and sugar substitutes, especially HFCS. Avoid all oils that are liquid at room temperature except virgin cold pressed olive oil and organic fish oil. Avoid all margarines, trans-fats, and pseudo butter concoctions ... eat real organic butter if you must. Avoid ALL things marketed as "LOW FAT".

Don't overdue your exercise ... just walk and walk some more. You don't need to monitor heart rate ... just walk up to a pace where you can carry on a conversation without getting winded. One day a week try do high intensity/low impact at your own pace ... like slow motion weight lifting or stretch bands, or slow motion body-weight exercises (slow motion really makes it hard even for those in good shape) or exercise bike sprints. Drink plenty of water, and if you experience high stress at work or anywhere else, find the time to de-stress. Finally, don't forget to get plenty of good quality sleep.

I took DreamStalkers advice to heart three years ago this month. At the time I was somewhere over 300lbs. This morning I weighted 222. What he is telling you is the truth and it really works. BTW, a Snickers bar has a lower glycemic index number than a piece of whole wheat bread. Trust me whole grains are the enemy in weight loss.



JeffH

Wow! I just got home and finally have a chance to read what every one has written - great info! And very clear! Thank you!

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I lost weight pretty quickly after I started cpap, using weight watchers. It was probably a combo of finally getting oxygen in my bloodstream and getting REM sleep that helped me focus on following the diet.

I lost 30 lbs over about 8 months and kept it off. What really worked for me with WW was correct portion size. We got a kitchen scale and measured everything. We took our calculator to the store and figured out points before we bought anything. I realize all eating plans don't work for everyone, but I had tried everything from Atkins, south beach, raw, vegan and only lost permanent weight on WW. I did lose some on Atkins, but the second you stop following it, that weight comes right back on.

I should also add that I also stopped eating dairy and wheat. I did not stop drinking liquor
My personal opinion is that the modified wheat that is put into most foods these days is detrimental and causes a lot of the obesity problems in the US... time to go off and dance on my little soapbox now.

jmesches wrote:I agree with DreamStalker, for the most part. The answer is to burn more calories than you take in, but not to take in so few calories that your body shuts down into a fasting state. Regular exercise helps keep your metabolic rate up. So does eating several meals a day and not skipping breakfast. At to carbs. It is true that all carbs get absorbed as glucose, and gram for gram your body gets the same amount of glucose from a high glycemic or a low glycemic carb. The difference is in how fast the glucose is absorbed. If absorbed quickly there is a higher spike in glucose levels, causing a higher spike in insulin levels. The insulin is the hormone that allows us to move the sugar from our blood stream and into the liver, muscles, and fat for storage. People who are overweight and chronically stressed (OSA causes physiologic stress all night long) aren't able to use insulin normally, and therefor need more of it. This burns out the pancreas that produces the hormone, and then you get diabetes. Probably more than you wanted to know, but that is how it works in a nut shell.

True that there is a difference in the rate of glucose conversion from low vs high glycemic carbs. However, if you plot the curves of low vs. high glycemic glucose spikes, the volume (the area under those curves) are the same given the same amount of grams and therefore has the same excess insulin response. So it is not the amplitude of the glucose/insulin spike that matters ... it is the total amount of the glucose/insulin response that matters. In other words, whether carbs are converted to glucose fast or slow does not matter but instead how many carbs get converted to glucose that matters.

This might sound simple but have you had your thyroid checked? I was gaining weight like crazy, losing handfuls of hair when shampooing and also eyebrows were getting skimpy. Had my thyroid checked and found out I had Hashimotos (low-thyroid) same as my mother and now my daughter. Runs in families and mostly in the female line. May be worth checking out.

Get your thyroid checked and remember many docs and care providers today are still using standards based on averages that included people with thyroid problems. Medical research is working on what a real norm is. Also, norms are not necessarily normal for individuals. Being either high or low in thyroid creates problems better avoided. You hopefully have past test results prior to all the weight and apnea issues.
Also they should be checking blood sugar levels. Not just a morning fasting level or just a H1c which is an average over time, means highs and lows can be balancing to look normal when reality isn't that pretty. Adding protein to morning and other meals can really make a difference. Egg whites with ground flax may not sound super Sunday Breakfast yummy ... but stable blood sugars make it palatable.
Others have said the same things. Apnea does not stand alone, it likes lots of other health issues keeping it company. Good wishes!