Sleep Apnea/CPAP

kellityack
kellityack Posts: 7 Member
edited November 2021 in Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
I was just diagnosed with sleep apnea and i'm getting my CPAP on Monday. Has anyone had success with losing weight after they began treatment? I have tracked my food either here or on weight watchers for years and workout consistently and have had a really hard time losing much or any weight. I'm hoping this helps get things together. Appreciate any tips or success stories!

thanks!

Replies

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited November 2017
    I lost over 100 lbs after I started CPAP (had already lost 40). When I got to goal, doc did another sleep test and I was cured. If your apnea is genetic or structural, weight loss won't cure it, but you don't know until you do it.

    Perhaps with better sleep you will be able to focus more effort on your nutrition /eating habits. Follow all the tips on MFP to weigh good and log accurately.

    Wear your CPAP every night. If the mask is uncomfortable, let them know. There are many styles available to help you get a good fit. There is a good website/forum that has lots of info on CPAP including an app to download and view your sleep data.
    http://www.cpaptalk.com/CPAP-Sleep-Apnea-Forum.html
  • kellityack
    kellityack Posts: 7 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    I lost over 100 lbs after I started CPAP (had already lost 40). When I got to goal, doc did another sleep test and I was cured. If your apnea is genetic or structural, weight loss won't cure it, but you don't know until you do it.

    Perhaps with better sleep you will be able to focus more effort on your nutrition /eating habits. Follow all the tips on MFP to weigh good and log accurately.

    Wear your CPAP every night. If the mask is uncomfortable, let them know. There are many styles available to help you get a good fit. There is a good website/forum that has lots of info on CPAP including an app to download and view your sleep data.
    http://www.cpaptalk.com/CPAP-Sleep-Apnea-Forum.html

    Thanks! i will check that out!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I still have my CPAP and I love it. I got more energy during the day and my blood pressure numbers improved right away.

    I don't think it directly affected weight loss but it still improved my life significantly.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I, too, lost my weight after getting a CPAP and do not need to use the CPAP anymore. I loved that thing. It was a complete life changer for me.
  • ugofatcat
    ugofatcat Posts: 385 Member
    Why do you feel a CPAP machine would prevent you from losing weight?
  • kellityack
    kellityack Posts: 7 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    I, too, lost my weight after getting a CPAP and do not need to use the CPAP anymore. I loved that thing. It was a complete life changer for me.

    awesome to hear that. thank you!
  • kellityack
    kellityack Posts: 7 Member
    ugofatcat wrote: »
    Why do you feel a CPAP machine would prevent you from losing weight?

    quite the opposite. im hoping its the missing puzzle piece and helps me get the weight off!
  • kellityack
    kellityack Posts: 7 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    I still have my CPAP and I love it. I got more energy during the day and my blood pressure numbers improved right away.

    I don't think it directly affected weight loss but it still improved my life significantly.

    thats great. thank you for sharing.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    I don't think CPAP directly affects weight loss one way or the other, except that getting better sleep might allow you the energy to focus on weight loss.
  • carterbrent
    carterbrent Posts: 91 Member
    Getting a good nights sleep because of my cpap helped me have more energy and less cravings for sugar. Before cpap I was tired all day and dieting was especially hard.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    Every night for several years. Have lost down to a healthy weight and still needed it. Gained it back and on my way down again. CPAP seems irrelevant to weight gain/loss and unaffected by it. But I was at a reasonably healthy weight (less than 15# overweight) when first diagnosed and it is at the low end of severe.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    I don;t need a CPAP anymore but I used one for a couple years. Made my life better. Also made my wife's life better.
    I pulled a score of 75 on the sleep apnea study. Snored loudly. My wife was the one who noticed that I would stop breathing in my sleep. [fun fact: Sleep Apnea is a disqualifier for long term disability insurance]
    If you breathe through your nose with your mouth closed then you can get the most comfortable face piece. Small. Looks like a skinny elephant nose.
  • sdolan91
    sdolan91 Posts: 250 Member
    I've had a cpap for 3 years, and the only time Ive lost weight is when I've started counting calories this year lol
    but i love my cpap, it helped sooo much, i used to fall asleep everywhere!
    now that i've lost almost 50 pounds, i barely ever wear it, because I sleep well without it, and others have told me I dont gasp for air in my sleep anymore :)
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    fishgutzy wrote: »
    I don;t need a CPAP anymore but I used one for a couple years. Made my life better. Also made my wife's life better.
    I pulled a score of 75 on the sleep apnea study. Snored loudly. My wife was the one who noticed that I would stop breathing in my sleep. [fun fact: Sleep Apnea is a disqualifier for long term disability insurance]
    If you breathe through your nose with your mouth closed then you can get the most comfortable face piece. Small. Looks like a skinny elephant nose.

    I got LTD quotes that weren't way out of line, but I was told they might need compliance testing (most machines track). But even "not out of line" quotes are mind boggling and I didn't get a policy.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    I lost weight since obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis, but I wasn't trying to lose before that diagnosis... nor for the first few years afterwards.

    Since losing weight, I'm now within the healthy weight range. BMI is in the "Normal" range and body fat % (according to most recent Dexa) is towards the low side of healthy / barely more than athlete range. Despite reaching a healthy weight, my apnea continues.

    At the most recent appt. with my sleep dr., I suggested (and he agreed) that once I reach my goal body fat % (10%... I have an appt. for a Dexa scan on 12/30 and expect to be there or very close to 10% at that time), if the apnea continues, we will discuss the possibility of a permanent surgical solution. It has never been so bad that I'm going to die in my sleep, but I spend enough time in the wilderness miles from electricity. I could sleep better on those nights in the wilderness if I didn't need a CPAP.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    Chiming in to give another + to consistent CPAP use = more energy, clearer cognitive processing, & weight loss with reasonable deficit. I was hoping that I could shed the machine after reaching healthy weight but unfortunately, I can't without the apnea returning. But in the larger scheme of life, it's a very small accommodation.

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