Sleep apnoea, pcos and depression

lizstyles2013
lizstyles2013 Posts: 34 Member
in Motivation and Support
I have recently found out that I have sleep apnoea. I also suffer with pcos and at times I get depression on top of that as well. I am an emotional eater and find that to be a struggle. My sleep specialist recommended that I have bariatric surgery to lose weight as he seems to think that because I’ve tried so many different ways for over 10 years to lose weight and failed that I’ll never be able to lose the weight I need to be healthy again due to my slow metabolism. Is there anyone out there that’s had the same problems as me and managed to lose weight without surgery and kept it off?

Replies

  • lizstyles2013
    lizstyles2013 Posts: 34 Member
    I have tried strict calorie counting before and the weight does start to come off but it’s really slow like 200g a week. I feel disheartened with that and end up giving up.
    My goal is to lose 20kg which will only make me 100kg and my ideal weight is 65. I haven’t been 65 kg since I was 20 so not sure if thats ever gonna happen. I’m now thinking I might change my way of thinking and just go by how I feel rather than the number on the scale.
    I need to try anything at this point because I’m always tired and then have no energy during the day to be active but I just don’t know where to start.
    My sleep specialist said I don’t need cpap at this point and all I need is to lose weight and sleep on my side which the sleeping on my side part is the easy bit. I’m debating on whether I need to see a dietitian or counseller before I consider surgery to help me get into the right mindset. I’m not 100% sure he’s right that I’ll never be able to lose weight without having the surgery done but he is a specialist and I have to believe in him. I just feel it’s really drastic measures.
  • TwistedSassette
    TwistedSassette Posts: 8,825 Member
    The irony is that when you get proper, restful sleep, weight loss is easier. So your sleep specialist telling you to lose weight is quite unhelpful! And btw I don’t think a sleep specialist should be recommending any type of surgery unless it is related to sleep (is there such a thing?) - it’s not anywhere near their specialty!!

    Slow weight loss is frustrating, but it is the healthiest way. There are a lot of people who think that getting bariatric surgery is the easy way out but it is still a long, hard, painful, expensive road and it’s by no means permanent weight loss. I have many friends (some of whom weren’t even obese, like one who weighed 90kg) who have had the surgery. Some are fine now. Some lost a lot of weight but have put most of it back on. Some make themselves sick by eating too much. Most have saggy skin and nutrient deficiencies - one in particular whose hair was falling out in clumps because she couldn’t get enough protein. Some are now pregnant and struggle to eat enough to give baby what it needs, like iron.
    If you go down that route, you still have to make lifestyle changes. You still have to have willpower. If you can do it with the surgery, I believe you can do it without the surgery - you just need to be determined and dedicated. You can’t be too restrictive or you won’t stick with it. You have to make small changes and build momentum, remembering always that these are changes for life - so if you want to do ‘keto’ or cut out soda or whatever, ask yourself if this is something you can commit to for life?

    I would absolutely see a dietician before even considering surgery. There are so many risks with the surgery, and I think it’s way overused today. And like I said, if you have the surgery, you need to do all the same things you would without it, like keeping track of your foods so you know you’re getting enough nutrients etc.
  • khcrmo
    khcrmo Posts: 40 Member
    lizstyles2013 wrote: »
    I have tried strict calorie counting before and the weight does start to come off but it’s really slow like 200g a week. I feel disheartened with that and end up giving up.
    My goal is to lose 20kg which will only make me 100kg and my ideal weight is 65. I haven’t been 65 kg since I was 20 so not sure if thats ever gonna happen. I’m now thinking I might change my way of thinking and just go by how I feel rather than the number on the scale.
    I need to try anything at this point because I’m always tired and then have no energy during the day to be active but I just don’t know where to start.
    My sleep specialist said I don’t need cpap at this point and all I need is to lose weight and sleep on my side which the sleeping on my side part is the easy bit. I’m debating on whether I need to see a dietitian or counseller before I consider surgery to help me get into the right mindset. I’m not 100% sure he’s right that I’ll never be able to lose weight without having the surgery done but he is a specialist and I have to believe in him. I just feel it’s really drastic measures.

    Honestly i would get a second opinion on the cpap if i were you. Sleep apnea is very dangerous to your health and it doesn't sound like yours is on the mild side (just due to your weight and hbp). Also your symptoms of low energy and depression. Just better safe than sorry. GL
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    All of the changes you need to make to your mindset and habits to lose weight on your own you will still need to make if you have BS. It is a tool not a cure. If you treat it like a cure you will be among the too many unfortunate people who have regained their weight a couple of years after surgery.

    I don't try to talk people into or out of the surgery. I made my choice not to do it and lose more than a substantial amount of weight through small changes over time. I am not quite done yet. I know of people who have lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time and it is super exciting for them... until it isn't. Eventually the weight loss slows way down, stops, or a goal is reached and then you face all the same problems as people who have lost it slower. You have to face a living a life without an exciting motivator and continue on.


  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,538 Member
    Agree that sleep apnea is dangerous. Never heard of the “just roll over” solution. Sounds like a money issue.

    200g is about 1/2 lb right? Let’s talk about being disheartened. And in the context of surgery being the alternative to calorie counting. Surgery is a drastic step in my book. And the few folks I’ve seen go through it end up coping with the same issues as the calorie counters. The three people I’ve seen do surgery all gained back significant amounts. Not a scientific study by any means but surgery is not a guaranteed fix.

    Disheartened. Actually that .5 lb loss is hard evidence of success. It only becomes and issue when measured against your hopes or expectations. But there are ways to deal with the situation other than quitting. So actually your ability to manage a weight loss plan that results in a measurable loss is cause for optimism.

    Consider that one way to deal with it is to just accept it and try for a repeat. If you can make your ultimate goal weight in 5 years is that so bad? Or, if you can tinker with your program to coax just another .5 loss per week you can cut the time in half. Can you do even better? Unknown. But there’s no way to find out if you quit. Why not give it another shot where you give it a test fo 2-3 months? Then you can reevaluate.

    And some of my experience if this helps you- starting at 285 lbs, I quit my CPAP at about 230 lbs. I was also exercising regularly when I hit that weight. My HBP was gone and I started to notice that if I napped or fell asleep without the CPAP I was not waking up with the old headaches. Not what I would suggest that as a way to stop CPAP but its what I did.

    And I didn’t discover the value of a food diary until late in the game. But it got me from 216 lbs to 184 lbs. And when I made goal I changed nothing. I kept my diary going for 5 more years before I found I could maintain without it. So its possible to keep at it that long once you’re up and running. In the end it took me about as long to lose 100 lbs as it did to gain it.
  • PumpkinSage
    PumpkinSage Posts: 29 Member
    I agree about getting a second opinion about the CPAP therapy, especially if the sleep study indicated mild sleep apnea. And consulting a nutritionist or dietician is a great idea! It is a slow process especially when you're feeling tired and depressed, but you are so worth the effort!
  • brendaea1
    brendaea1 Posts: 5 Member
    If you don’t address the emotional eating, you will find ways to eat past the restriction. (Liquids, eating more often, etc)

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