I think thats one of the biggest benefits of tracking, for myself at least. It makes me look at all i eat and I do find myself asking do I really need that extra helping or not. Some days I'm embarassed to look at the end of day totals! other days I come in a little below my target and it makes me want to continue. I'm not sure how much I've lost but as of last Friday it was 10 pounds. A small victory but a victory nonetheless.

I started a log. It is amazing the things I go through each day. For example I would just pour from a cup white sugar into my tea. Now I use lemon and 2 sweet lows as I drink at least 6 glasses a day. I probably would have not seen if I didn't write down. Also I have stoped all white refined things and live one day at a time. If I screw up that day then I start fresh the next. I also get overwhelmed and if I get stuck in a rut I make a mental note of what I did that I feel I should have not write it on a shell or enviromental surface and throw in the ocean then it is gone and I go forward.

For me granted I just started ny machine 2 nights ago,although I am not cloudy like I was and can concentrate better on meal plan and snacks I have more energy. I used to sleep all night then from 12 to 4 and then fall asleep when watching tv. Now I have more energy. I wish I would have known about sleep problems years ago. Well today I do and today I am living a better life one moment at a time lori

The machine is my biggest down fall, it's been over two years and I can rarely us it for more than 3 hrs. I'm on mask #5 and still looking for the perfect match.
your right though, one day at a time

saw a great article about pre-diabetes, which is why i'm interested in weight loss. here it is in case anyone wants to read it: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/07/diabetes.sugar.overload/index.... Here's an excerpt: "Fighting stress and getting enough sleep may also help control blood sugar, an idea embraced by Richter, who has prediabetes. "For me, sleep is critical for managing stress and maintaining proper insulin levels," she says. "I get a minimum of seven hours, preferably eight, a night. I also get massages and acupuncture routinely -- I have one or the other every six weeks. This is not a luxury. If you're going to try to manage blood sugar, you have to manage stress."

Your comments about managing stress are good ones to remember. I sort of think of food in one category, exercise in another, sleep in another, stress in another. When in fact everything we do effects us and it is like dominos when something gets out of balance. It pushes the food out of balance, etc. I know when I am stressed I eat more. I look to food for comfort. So I guess just learning to be aware of my triggers is good. I read somewhere, Progress not Perfection. I like that, just as long as I move in the right direction any progress is good.

My hubby made the comment over the week-end he didn't see the big deal about dieting. Of course he is slim and eats what he wants. His job is more physical than mine and family history probably helps him as his entire extended family is thin. Not a heavy one in the bunch of aunts and uncles, parents, grandparents, etc. He told me just don't eat.

I looked at him and told him if it is that easy why don't you stop smoking? His reply was "that is different." I came back and said that one cannot just stop eating. We have to eat in order to live.

I am glad it is spring and soon fresh crops of veggies and fruits will be available at cheaper prices. Love that fresh garden stuff!! One of the perks of living in the midwest.

A good picnic recipie is one head of green and red cabbage 10 carrots shredded 1/4 cup cider vinegar 2 tsp mustard 2 swwet and lows enough fat free mayo to your liking. mix all together and chill 1 hour than enjoy.

Also good the day after on bq brisket.. Lori

are you guys watching tonight's Biggest Loser episode -- the season finale? just heard them say that one of the contestants, Jerry, had obstructive sleep apnea and AHI of around 60, but that now he's cured. I'm skeptical.

I would be skeptical as well. I do think weight influences sleep apnea, but so many thin people have sleep apnea that unless another sleep study was done and it was confirmed I would have my doubts that weight loss would eliminate sleep apnea.

Last night's show was AMAZING wasn't it. Everyone did such an impressive job and they all looked spectacular. But the apnea thing confused me a bit also. Is there such a thing as a "sub catagory" of Apnea that might be called something like 'obesity induced apnea'? For example a normal weight person without apnea who for some reason (maybe steroid treatments or something) gains 100 pounds in 3 months and then develops apnea. They get a fatty throat/neck with weight gain resulting in obstruction. Then they lose the weight, fat is gone, and apnea is resolved. They are back to no apnea just like prior to their weight gain....... seems logical to me. Just because they gained fat at neck does not mean the neck structures under fat changed. Hummm... maybe they need to add another diagnostic option? We need to find out if he (biggest loser guy) was given another sleep study. I bet they have a web site. If someone here hasn't already done so, when I get home I'll see if I can find the site and post the question on Biggest loser web site. Yall have a wonderful day!!

ANOTHER GOOD RECIPIE I crave pizza so I found a good sustitute
1 sun dried and basil flat bread wrap
olive oil sprinled lightly on top
1 tbsp. V8 juice sprinkled on top
fresh minced garlic 2 cloves
sun dried tomatoes
Feta cheese and black olives
Bake in oven 20 - 25 minutes the crust is crispy and all the flavors go together
For those nights when you got to have pizza.

Barbara did you find out anything about this? -i thought it was a great question: "We need to find out if he (biggest loser guy) was given another sleep study. I bet they have a web site. If someone here hasn't already done so, when I get home I'll see if I can find the site and post the question on Biggest loser web site"

find out the answer: can Jerry on the Biggest Loser have cured his Sleep Apnea?

My doctor just told me today that when I lost weight and got my BMI down that he would set me up with another sleep study to see if I still needed the CPAP. I decided that I wasn't going to hold out hope that someday I would not have to wear the CPAP. I decided today that I would just lose weight and learn to use my CPAP to the best of my ability, and not worry about down the road.

In addition to the CPAP need, I have worn out my right hip. That's the main reason for my weight gain over the last 1.5 year. I'm scheduled to have a hip replacement on June 4. I need to move to lose weight. Changing my diet alone, I've lost 3 lbs in the last 2 weeks, so exercise is the answer. But it's been so hard with this pain. I hope it won't be a problem bringing the CPAP to the hospital. I'll have to add that to my list of questions. Just decided yesterday on the date. Got to get ready for my 50th high school reunion August 21-22!

I found a new way to not each so much at night. I do really good during the day with the structure and bringing my food to work. Now I am bringing my dinners to work as well. I work 9-6 and by the time I leave work at 6 and get home I am STARVED. No matter what I have available to eat at home I eat too much and too fast. So, I eat at my desk before I go home from work. I can do this because I have a flexible environment and I can eat a salad or cook something in the microwave without too much fuss. Then I am done for the night. No eating or snacking when I get home. I am done eating. Then my GERD doesn't act up because I ate too much, too fast, too late.

Linda, I've had some experience with cpap in the hospital.

When it was my mom, they sent someone in to check her machine before it could be plugged in, but then it was fine.

I had my son by c-section and the anesthesiologist was adamant about me using my machine post-op. I guess because the anesthesia and pain meds could suppress breathing even more than my normal apnea.

The last time I was in the hospital was for stomach flu (for 5 days! It sucked) and they had no problem with the machine. A lot of questions from some staff who didn't know what it was, but they were just curious. The nurses usually knew what it was and knew someone who had sleep apnea themselves and were impressed I used it.

So, I joined Weight Watchers with my mother in law as promised on Mothers Day weekend. I've been sticking to it religiously and in the first week lost 6 pounds on just following the plan (no exercise).

I do want to start adding in some walking on the treadmill and stuff, but right now I'm just too darn tired. Hoping that when I get my machine re-titrated on June 3rd I'll be able to dredge up the energy to fit in a 30 minute treadmill walk daily.

Starting this week my husband is working at the same university as I am and so instead of having him chauffer me to work we'll be parking and walking 15 minutes together morning and afternoon to and from the car. I HATE the idea, but it's got to happen. I was lucky he was sick today and Monday I was out with my son, so I've only had to walk one day so far this week. But I'm in for it tomorrow it looks like.

Hard to imagine that maybe someday I'll actually enjoy walking. I can't picture it from here.

Well the weight is not coming off as fast as in the beginning. I am down 20 pounds in the 4 and 1/2 weeks I have been dieting. To be fair, though I haven't followed my diet as closely the last week. I am now on summer break and so plan on getting it going again. Like today, I had a Slimfast for breakfast. They were taking the kids skating for summer school and asked if I minded going along to help supervise. I thought they were leaving at 12:15 and so planned on eating a light lunch at 11:45. They came in at 11:30 and said they were loading the busses. Whoa - - I hadn't eaten. I ended up stopping (I drove since they were coming into town where I live) and grabbing a piece of pizza at a Casey's. Oh well -- soon fresh veggies will be in season and then watch out!!

How come when I click on the message in my email it does not take me directly to the comment in the groups section. I am having trouble keeping up with this group because I can't always find the comment.

never mind I just figured it out. I was going to the end like in the main lobby. LOL

So Rock, I have to ask you...is your icon photo your babies eyeball??? That is some blue eye! :>D

I haven't felt good enough to do a lot of exercising, but I keep on keepin' on. Every day that I feel halfway good I do my exercises before I go to work in the am. I have been sort of good on the food, really good during the day with healthy food and small portions but the nights are harder and the weekends too. I just let down...but it is progress not perfection. So I have good intentions about this coming week.

And I bought healthy turkey brats to put on the grill tomorrow! Happy Memorial Day everyone!

i have been on my own low fat, low carb diet since i had to have angioplasty done may 1st.. so far i lost 7 lbs...
i did get the cpap machine. last night was my first time using it.i believe i was a little confused re how it was i was supposed to feel with it on... pressure and all.. even though it was explained.. i just hope it works!
tried weight watchers diets... and most of the others .. to no avail...
i just do my own now.. i know calories,fats,salt,sugars,carbs..etc.. so i just watch what i consume.. lots of veggies, salads, little fruit., and some white meats.. low fat snacks. when desperate.
any exercise i do now is walking..can't walk that far yet without getting out of breath and tired.... i do keep trying everyday to make it a bit of a longer walk.
wish me luck..thanks..donnalyn

Sounds like we're doing pretty well. Good luck with the cpap Donnalyn! I hope you love yours as much as I love mine. I can't even sleep without mine now.

My second week of weightwatchers I lost 3.6 lbs. So that's a total of 9.6lbs. Pretty nice start. I expect it will slow down here soon to about 1 a week though. Still, that's one gone instead of one on! This week will be interesting. I had the stomach flu and wasn't able to eat anything for a day and not much for a day or two after that. I wonder if that will have any effect for my week's weigh in. I'm still sick, now with laryngitis, and my husband and son are sick too. It's been a miserable week!

Upcoming is a trip to disney in june. I'm thinking the diet will go out the window for the 3 days we're there. But right back on after!

I went to the doctor last week for an adjustment on my back. She ended up weighing me and was pleased with my weight loss so far. She measured me and it showed that I did NOT lose any inches. That was a big dissappointment!! Still,she said the weight loss was a good thing. I did tell her last week was kind of hard since we were running back and forth to the hospital with the new arrivals (born at different hospitals). She said to up my water intake as it helps remove the toxins from your body and helps clean your system.

I think doing exercise helps me lose the most inches, eating less food helps with the weight on the scale...Too bad I can't quit my job and just eat right and exercise. (Yeah right) Every step I take in the right direction is good I guess. I just want it all now and I want it easy. Waaahhhh. :>D

LOL I hear ya BeeAsleep!

I haven't even taken my starting measurements so I don't know about inches. I'm much more fixated on the numbers on the scale right now. Mostly I want to reach that 10% weight loss that is supposed to make me a lot healthier!

I was too sick to go to a meeting this weekend, but I had my husband drive me by the weight watchers place this evening to weigh in and I lost another 3.8 lbs last week. This is really great for me! So far in the first 3 weeks I've lost over 13 pounds. I hope I can keep this up! I'll hit 5% lost with another 2 pounds!

just wanted to say that since may 2nd., i have lost 10lbs!! due in part to cpap,and diet.
low fat,carb,less sugar and salt..,eating 3 meals a day... with a snack at night.
went to the dr. yesterday.. hoping i can keep up with losing the weight... so far so good... donnalyn

I weighed in last night (here at home) and my scales are registering another two pound weight loss. That makes 22 pounds so far. Since school is out I am getting more activity and doing more walking. The end of school is always tough since between stress and having our ag teacher grilling some it is hard to be faithful to a strict diet. A few days last week, after the babies were born it was easier to grab something through a drive-through than to fix something since we were on the go so much. I did stick with my Slim-Fast in the mornings and as a snack. I tend to not eat lunch when I am at home, which is not a good thing. I have been told it is far better to eat 5 or 6 small meals than one or two big meals.
I will be happy if I can continue to shed the weight, even at a slower pace. When the doctor talked to me she is still trying to get me on a stricter diet==The Ideal Protein Diet. I explained to her I have to change my eating habits and learn to eat healthier and in the right proportions or I will end up just gaining it back. I do NOT want to stick on that diet forever. She (the doctor) is following that diet and has been on it for over a year now. But whenever she eats a "regular" meal or two she has said she will typically gain back 5 or 6 pounds. So she returns to the diet without really going off. I figure if she gains 5 or 6 pounds (even if it is just temporary water gain) if she were trying to eat normally again she would gain most of her weight back. I guess she can rationalize that if she had the weight loss surgery she would be on a special diet for ever as well.

Excellent Donnalyn and Sleepycarol!

I'm with you on the changing the eating habits vs dieting. I can tell that if I ate the way I used to, which totally seemed fine and normal to me at the time, I would quickly gain it all back. As it is I'm learning to make REAL choices about what to eat, including those days that I eat fast food or dinner out, and it's something I can see doing forever. I've done the atkins thing and other restrictive diets, and while they do work short term, they totally don't work for long. I can't live like that all the time, and when I fell of the wagon I would fall HARD.

I admit I felt great on atkins though. I think cutting out bread and pasta really made me feel great! But I can't live like that.

I agree with you guys about not being on a DIET but eating better. I eat really well as far as healthy good foods go, but I eat too much. So my portions could be adjusted down. I have really good numbers on blood pressure, sugar, cholesterol, etc. So, I keep thinking that moving more and eating less and being mindful is the way to go. I actually prefer working out to dieting...CONGRATS to all you guys who are losing like crazy. I am confessing that I am scared to get on the scale. I get so wigged out when I don't lose as much as I think I should. I should get my behind on the scale at least once a week. It is just fat, nothing to be scared about. :>D

I think it helps that I'm a total data-hound. I love collecting data and analyzing it, and so I can look at the weight watchers points like that. I can definitely say that having to write down my portions and figure out the points before I eat them has led to a huge difference in my portions. I actually still get full, but I eat less and then the full feeling catches up with me rather than me just eating till all the sudden I'm stuffed. Eating too fast is one of my issues, so counting out my points and stuff before I start is really important for me. I still eat fast, but then I stop when I've finished eating whatever I wrote down and wait a while. I always find that I'm full.

BeeAsleep, you're way ahead of me on the exercise though. I've always hated exercise with a passion. But I really need to start doing it. I've been walking a lot more at work lately by parking and walking in (15 minute walk each way). I still hate it though! I'm hoping to carve in time to do the treadmill that is sitting and staring at me in my living room. Maybe tomorrow...

I decided today that exercising is so much easier for me than the food. So I have decided to really focus on the exercise and get up to 5 workouts in a week, and keep my food what it is now. I eat healthy and I don't down 3 pizzas at a time, so I have decided to focus on one thing I think I can be successful with. I have a friend who did a triathalon this last weekend. She is probably 40 pounds over weight. So it is possible to be strong and healthy and still be heavy. She is my hero. :>D (Amott1873, Weight Watchers really works!)

I'm hoping I can get up the initiative to start exercising at some point.

And ugh, speaking of pizza I totally fell off the wagon and ate an entire pizza yesterday. It was pretty low points, Kashi's thin mushroom and spinach trio (15 points) but STILL! I just recorded it, used 6 of my extra 35 points for the week and moved on.

I'm going to disney world with my husband, 3 year old son, and mother in law Thursday-Sunday this week. I'm going to try to make good choices, but I'm not going to drive myself crazy. We'll see what the scale says the next weekend.

I have pretty much stopped weighing myself daily. It is too depressing and actually if you follow recommended diet protocol and lose 2 pounds a week -- you won't see much difference weighing daily. I weighed myself Friday and have lost a total of 25 pounds since April 17, 2009. I am feeling better and am more active than I was -- still need a significant amount to come off though.

that's terrific news, Sleepy Carol. We just moved to a new place that is next to a really, REALLY good ice cream place. And it's hot outside, so we've been there something like 3 out of the 5 past days. It's sooooo good, though. I'm afraid. Very afraid. I have to control myself better.

That's awesome sleepycarol!

Well I pretty much let loose at Disney. I just focused on not ever getting too full and just stopping when satisfied. I literally was walking all day though, I have the blisters to prove it, and so I'm pretty sure I did ok.

The hard part has been getting back on the wagon since getting back! I'm recording everything, but each day I've gone over my points. Tonight I made a big batch of zero point soup though. That should help with getting the hunger under control. I'm interested to see what the scale says this weekend though. I hope I didn't gain, but I'd be pretty surprised if I lost anything.

from Sleep Apnea Ed: 'I am taking a few days away from the office and I have with me a copy of Mark Bittman's new book - Food Matters A guide to Conscious Eating - which is part ecological/dietary manifesto and part recipe book.

My inspiration for reading the book is the fact that Mr. Bittman was formerly a sleep apnea sufferer, along with having high cholesterol and being pre-diabetic.

I don't know the details of Mark's OSA, but according to him, losing the extra weight he was carrying around eliminated the apnea symptoms. Quoting him - "[M]y apnea was gone; in fact, for the first time in probably 30 years, I was sleeping through the night and not even snoring."

I think we all know, or we should be aware that the food production industry in this country is not an improvement over what existed before. Bittman's argument is, that if anything, Big Food as he calls it is fouling the air, the water and our bodies by its over reliance on meat, corn and soy.

Food Matters reinforces the argument made by Michael Pollan in his recent book In Defense of Food that Americans need to reassess our eating habits especially if we want to improve our health. Mr. Pollan's maxim - "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants" makes a lot of sense especially if you understand that a by-product of that way of living you can reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, do your joints a favor by reducing the amount of weight they need to carry and perhaps eliminate weight-induced sleep apnea.

I don't know about you, but I know that losing weight would very likely help me with a number of health issues I am currently dealing with, so I will give some of the recipes a try and see what happens.

Happy eating and more importantly happy sleeping
ED"

I can agree with those statements about Big Food. It's amazing how much junk they add to foods. I've been relying more and more on just buying the actual ingredients and cooking while on Weightwatchers. It makes controlling the points easier for me.

I don't know for sure if losing weight will eliminate my OSA as it seems to run so strongly in my family, even in the thin folks, but it surely will help in so many other ways!

I did gain a little in that trip to disney, but I got right back on the plan and showed a good loss for the next week. As of Monday this week I've lost 22 pounds since Mother's day! I hope I can keep this up. This is the best I've ever done.

i too have started to weight watchers , in hopes weight loss will help my osa. just want to feel better and hopefully can stay on program.

hi, a question, am i not suppose to be breathing out of my mouth when i have the full mask on?




/

Hey Mike, that sounds like an awesome book. Big Food, that is funny, it should be called NOT Food. I just finished Jillian Michaels book, Master Your Metabolism. It is all about eating whole natural organic foods, not using bad plastics, bad cleaning products,etc. It was pretty overwhelming, I think it would be super easy to do if you live in a commune in Oregon and never leave the compound. :>D So I decided to buy as much organic dairy as I can afford and eat as clean and natural as I can. I guess that means no diet coke, sweet n low and crappy frozen fake food...hummm. But I am exercising 5 days a week every morning doing circuit training. I do love it and it gives me energy all day long. We will see...

Hi Teresa! Welcome to weightwatchers. This is my third attempt at it actually. I know it works, but before I just couldn't commit to it long term. Once my "partner" quit, I would drop out too. (I was doing the meetings with a coworker and a family member each time before.) But this time I'm just doing it alone and still going strong. Maybe this time I'm doing it for ME and that will help me succeed. That's what I'm hoping.

As for your question on the mask, as far as I know one reason to have a full face mask is so that you CAN breathe thru your mouth. Some folks just can't breathe thru their nose reliably and so need a full face mask. I suppose it might cause you to wake with a dry mouth, but it shouldn't cause leaks like it would if you only had a nasal mask on.

It might be good to post that question to the main discussion board as a thread though. I know lots of folks on here use them and would have good advice.

Just joined WW online today. Wish me luck!

can anyone tell me how to keep my nose from feeling like someone punched me . after using my full face mask, i look like bozo the clown with red nose and all... please help

Good luck, Anne. Teresa, there are a bunch of things you can do. Pad-a-Cheek is a product put out by Karen, a member of this forum, that serves as a protective barrier between the mask and your face. Also, I think Rem ZZZs do something similar. If you're interested, the gentleman who puts out that product is also on this forum (i think it's Nathan). I can put you in touch with either of them if you have trouble finding them doing a search on the search feature here on sleepguide.

Teresa, I use pad-a-cheek products. I have a hose cosey and pads to go over my face strap. It makes the equipment MUCH more comfortable and much easier to wear. I recommend them highly.

thanks all for your responses. i did find a site for nose . pad a cheek, thanks again..you all are great. Have a great weekend..

What's with the ad that says "Drop 30 pounds in 30 days"????? Does anyone know what that is and if it works????????
Thanks,
Mel