I have thought about either joining Jenny Craig or Nutrisystems.  I'm not sure which one would work best for me.  They sound like basically the same diet...prepacked food you buy from them.  Any thoughts out there on the two diets?  I have about 50 lbs. I'd like to lose.

I am a yo yo dieter, have been all my life.  I have tried just about everything...Nutrisystems, counting calories, Seattle Sutton, Weight Watchers...I can lose weight but always get bored with the program and start craving my favorite (there are too many favorites to count) and gain everything back again.  I have 50 pounds to lose, too, so I feel your pain, dimples.  Nutrisystems will help you lose weight but it's expensive and you WILL get tired of the food. As soon as you start eating normally, the weight comes back on.  If you haven't already done this, ask your doctor what target weight will be ok for you.  Nutrisystems had me down to a weight that was way too low for me and my doctor was really upset.  Unfortunately, I took his "gain some weight back" advice too much to heart.  By the way, check out the mypyramid.gov website.  I think it has some sensible advice and will even provide you with a plan for losing weight.  I think I have at least put a lot more healthy foods in my diet since reading that website, but still have problems with portion control and gorging on things I crave.  I would be interested to hear if anybody else has tried using their guidelines with success. I haven't lost weight but it's my own fault for not sticking with anything.  I know if I could lose, my OSA would be easier to control.
Grandma


_________________
ResMed Quattro Full Face Mask
ResMed S8 Escape with heated humidifier
Pressure set at 11

I think when I go back to work on Monday (after being off from work for the summer) will make a difference in the amount I eat during the day.  I thought summer would be the time I'd be able to 'diet' since I'd be busy outside of the house but I've done a lot of cooking over the summer so that didn't work out.  I know I need to incorporate more fresh veggies and fruit in my diet and eat smaller more frequent meals.  I know WHAT to do, I just don't take the time to do it.  My problem at work is that I get busy so tend to not sit down and eat at lunchtime and then realize when I get home at 4:00 that I am STARVING!!!!  Then I eat anything that isn't nailed down...and not the best choices of food either.  It's so much easier to open a cracker or chip box/bag than to search for something healthy.  I was hoping that once I got my OSA figured out, losing weight might come a little easier.  HA!!  

Wow, dimples, you sound like my twin except that I am retired now.  My problem at work was that there were 'birthday treats' in our staff lounge every day.  I am not kidding, they invented a birthday if nobody was having one!  Being a teacher, I thought I would certainly lose weight in summer, especially when the fresh fruits and veggies were available at the farmers' markets.  How wrong I was.  I over-ate those things in summer.  Still do. I also had that dream that once I solved the OSA thing, I would have more energy for exercising, but that's not happening.  I had a rough winter, tired all the time, having a horrible time getting help from the doctor and DME in figuring out why I still have too many apneas.  I just discovered that the DME never downloaded my data card (they've had it for a month) and they just now discovered that their computer software is corrupted. The real stinker is that a couple of weeks ago I called my dr. to find out if he'd received the data and his nurse said he had!!!!  So he made some odd (I thought) suggestions based on whatever data he was looking at and I didn't put two and two together until today when I finally was able to get somebody at the DME place on the phone and she said they still hadn't downloaded my data!!!! Sooo what was my doctor using as data for his odd suggestions?  I think I am in the Twilight Zone. Not sure I will ever get out.  Are you old enough to know about the Twilight Zone?  Anyway, this all makes me want to eat.  
Grandma


_________________
ResMed Quattro Full Face Mask
ResMed S8 Escape with heated humidifier
Pressure set at 11

I too work at a high school as administrative support so I know ALL about the staff lounge and the birthdays.  In fact my boss and I have already discussed the lure of the lounge treats this summer.  I live in a very humid climate so walking in July and August holds no romance for me.  This morning at 7:00 the humidity was already very high.  You just walk outside and feel like you're dripping wet.  I'm such a carboholic too.  I was watching a health show on t.v. the other night (and probably eating while doing it) where a man was saying that you should eat your protein first then veggies and fruits.  You then won't be hungry after that and be tempted to eat the bad stuff like desserts or breads.  He claims it's no accident that restaurants serve bread first and he guarantees that when you do that, you'll end up ordering dessert.  I am old enough to remember the Twilight Zone...loved it.  Sounds like you were getting the run around when it comes to support from your DME and doc.  I have a great RT who I have been working with from the beginning.  She is very helpful.  In fact, I've not even gone back to the neurologist who sent me for the initial sleep study.  I had an appt. in July but it was cancelled by him for whatever reason.  I never made another appt.  I am having a persisting sciatica issue but if I go to the neurologist he'll want to do an MRI and I am out of money when it comes to doctors and tests!!!

I too work at a high school as administrative support so I know ALL about the staff lounge and the birthdays.  In fact my boss and I have already discussed the lure of the lounge treats this summer.  I live in a very humid climate so walking in July and August holds no romance for me.  This morning at 7:00 the humidity was already very high.  You just walk outside and feel like you're dripping wet.  I'm such a carboholic too.  I was watching a health show on t.v. the other night (and probably eating while doing it) where a man was saying that you should eat your protein first then veggies and fruits.  You then won't be hungry after that and be tempted to eat the bad stuff like desserts or breads.  He claims it's no accident that restaurants serve bread first and he guarantees that when you do that, you'll end up ordering dessert.  I am old enough to remember the Twilight Zone...loved it.  Sounds like you were getting the run around when it comes to support from your DME and doc.  I have a great RT who I have been working with from the beginning.  She is very helpful.  In fact, I've not even gone back to the neurologist who sent me for the initial sleep study.  I had an appt. in July but it was cancelled by him for whatever reason.  I never made another appt.  I am having a persisting sciatica issue but if I go to the neurologist he'll want to do an MRI and I am out of money when it comes to doctors and tests!!!

Quote:

a man was saying that you should eat your protein first then veggies and fruits.  You then won't be hungry after that and be tempted to eat the bad stuff like desserts or breads.

This is the very same advice that bariatric surgery patients are given to control their weight & to make sure they get enough *proper* nutrients.

ed for typo


_________________

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO~ http://tinyurl.com/69q52a

dimples, we definitely are twins.  Walking outdoors, for me, is a "get it over with" deal. It's too hot, too humid, too windy, too cold, too slippery. I do try to go to Curves, and I like it, but making myself get in the car and go is the problem.

My sleep doctor is a nice enough guy. He's not really a specialist, he's a GP with an interest in sleep disorders.  The problem is, when I tell him my apneas are not being controlled well enough, he just said I should have another sleep study.  I have suggested trying some other things and he'll say "That's a good idea, what do you want me to put on the prescription?"  I would rather have him presnt some ideas besides going through another sleep study. I will schedule one in Sept. since it will have been a year since my last one. My insurance company will pay. But why do that when there are alternatives like using a data capable machine to track leaks and apneas, or trying some different masks to see if they are more effective?  It's such a slow process, it's making me crazy.  And it's been totally up to me to research my condition and make suggestions because my dr. and DME seem to think that I should just take my mask and machine and live with it. None of my knowledge has come from the so-called professionals. It's all come from this website and forum!
Eating proteins first sounds like an interesting idea.  I have read that eating proteins for breakfast, rather than carbs like cereal and toast, will stay with you longer and will help curb carb cravings during the day. I put peanut butter and pecans in my oatmeal this morning. Do ya think that will help?
Grandma


_________________
ResMed Quattro Full Face Mask
ResMed S8 Escape with heated humidifier
Pressure set at 11

The only thing that keeps me going on my walks outdoors is my daughter-in-law texting me that she wants to walk.  She lives down the street from me.  This is of course after she's already been to the gym working out and has already jogged 5 miles.  Our 'walk' is just a cool down for her.  LOL

My machine is data capable and my RT has me bring in my smart card every 30 days.  So far very few leaks and my AHI number is below 5.  I guess 5 or lower is the target numbers.  I'm lucky to have her plus she is a cpap user herself so knows what I'm talking about when I have problems.  She's probably experienced them herself.  I think she said she's had her machine for a few years now.  My neurologist is a sleep disorder doctor so I probably should see him at least once now after having used the machine just to see if he has any wisdom on the matter to impart.

Most of the days when I'm going to school I try to eat something other than cereal.  Sometimes I get up early enough to fix a couple over easy eggs but sometimes it's just yogurt from the fridge at school.  My downfall is the cafeteria bringing in what is leftover from that morning's breakfast...french toast sticks, breakfast pizza or burritos.  This year I'm gonna try my darndest to see that the coaches/men teachers get in there first and eat it all before I even go back in the lounge.

I have to tell you I've been trying to lose weight for YEARS...I was even a bodybuilder in college BUT that was 15+ years ago and 160 pounds. Sleep Apnea in short had been killing my best efforts for awhile. BUT with my CPAP and now working with deleted(edited by moderator) I've gone from 6,6 380 to 305 since Jan 1 2008. It's not easy nothing like this ever is BUT it works!

I don't know if any of you have ever tried this stuff but I'm hoping to push my weight down another 75 or 80 pounds and then who knows maybe no more Apnea or at the least not as bad.

Well, this is my 1st ever post in here and man I was glad to join a group of people that are "blessed" by this stuff. I've been with it now close to 3 years but just never gave the weight thing a shot BUT with two little girls I've got to get this done...Everyday I just tell myself one or two of these saying...

YES YOU CAN  or Be! What you want to become!

Good Luck to you all,

$Texasmoney$

Tell me a little more about Herbalife.  I've heard of it but really don't know anything about it.  I'll try anything!!

Not sure how many of you can or will see a difference, but I was going through some old things this weekend and came across a pre-surgical picture of myself (I had lap band surgery March 22, 2007). I held it up for my webcam:


Yes, EWW, right? Blonde doesn't work on me either.

And here are a couple of cam shots I took yesterday:





My "special friend" loves me with my natural dark hair, by the way! LOL. Hard to believe it's been a little over two years since I underwent surgery!


_________________

Scratching away the apnea!

dimples wrote:

I think when I go back to work on Monday (after being off from work for the summer) will make a difference in the amount I eat during the day.  I thought summer would be the time I'd be able to 'diet' since I'd be busy outside of the house but I've done a lot of cooking over the summer so that didn't work out.  I know I need to incorporate more fresh veggies and fruit in my diet and eat smaller more frequent meals.  I know WHAT to do, I just don't take the time to do it.  My problem at work is that I get busy so tend to not sit down and eat at lunchtime and then realize when I get home at 4:00 that I am STARVING!!!!  Then I eat anything that isn't nailed down...and not the best choices of food either.  It's so much easier to open a cracker or chip box/bag than to search for something healthy.  I was hoping that once I got my OSA figured out, losing weight might come a little easier.  HA!!  

I don't want to be rude, but can't you just not buy the chips or crackers to begin with? Now if you're at work and you have no self control around what's left (or available) in the lounge, that's different. At home, you have the possibility of total control. Just simply don't buy it. Though I'm not overweight, I use to eat horribly and started to get out of shape as I got into my late 20s. Along with heart disease running in my family, I had to make the choice. Instead of chips, I bought the bag of mini carrots, a bag of grapes, apples, brocolli, etc. It's not as fulfilling at first, but it does the job until you begin to enjoy it.

One of my favorite replacements has been using Propel. It's a powder you put into water to add a little vitamins and minerals, kinda turns it into a mini gatorade. However, it has basically no calories, just like drinking water and the flavors are excellent. The grape is delicious, it's almost like drinking kool aid, minus the sugar. I don't drink soft drinks, gatorade, etc. anymore. I replaced it all with Propel, which I now just make by the pitcher. At work, water only for the most part. I'm sure many don't have the option to do this, but I bought a mini-fridge for my office and bring my fruits and veggies to work. I have 150 people in my office, so the brownbag leftovers, birthdays, etc. always have food left in the kitchen. Sometimes I indulge a little, sometimes I don't...but when I do, I don't feel bad about it because it's a rarity and I'll be grabbing the apple when I get home and head out to walk the dog. It's definitely not easy, but you can do it  

Weight loss and maintaining is such a vicious cycle. It can't be referred to as a "diet"...it's a lifestyle change.
LoriPA...great minds think alike...I saw this and immediately knew I had to post my before and current pics.
I had gastric Bypass surgery 22 months ago. Its NOT an easy way out. I work hard at it. I log my food intake every day because it keeps me accountable. I have changed my habits. I used to be a chocoholic...now can take it or leave it.
I used to be a Diet Pepsi fiend. Its a BIG no-no. Now I'm a connosieur of Crystal Light.
This 50 year old...looking my BEST in YEARS!!!!!!   FIFTY and FABULOUS

    


_________________
EVERY SILVER LINING HAS A TOUCH OF GREY
-Grateful Dead

Good for you!!!

I used to drink tons of Sprite and now all I drink is water. Huge change for me.

Since being diagnosed I went from 186 to now 178 or so (diagnosed in mid-June). It is so hard!!! Esp. when you love ice cream.  


_________________
Previous Mask: F&P Zest (did not like)
Current Mask: Resmed Swift LT for her (nasal pillow)
CPAP: F&P Sleep Series 234