Help?
 

So here's the deal. The past week or so I've noticed a new problem at night. More so last night and it scared the crap out of me. As I mentioned before in another post, I've gained 20 pounds recently. I've gone from feeling okay to feeling awful. The new problem is that when I start to doze off, I'm having trouble breathing, I startle awake, take a big gulp of breath and then start to doze off again. It went on for about 15min before I finally went to sleep.

I'm scared.

In the past few days I've gone from starting a low cal diet, to researching weight loss surgery, deciding against that, to a new plan I cooked up about 10 minutes ago while talking to my husband.

The new plan is this:
Lose 50 pounds on Atkins
switch to
Southbeach for the next 50 pounds
and finally a
LowCal approach for the last 37 pounds.

My idea is that by starting with Atkins, I will a) have an initial fast weight loss that will at least get me breathing at night again b)bring me a steadier increase in exercise ability.

Southbeach will help me transition between atkins and lowcal.
Lowcal will give me the oppurtunity to eat in every setting (family dinners, birthdays, etc.) that southbeach and atkins won't. Besides the fact that I can't imagine not feeling safe to eat certain foods ever again.

Think it will work? I know it's a lot of babbling but I haven't thought it through totally yet. :dizzy:

you may be experiencing what is called "Sleep Apnea", this sometimes occurs if you are very overweight or have a breathing disorder. Please call your primary doc. and explained what has happened. He may refer you to a pulmonologist for a test called a "sleep study". or it might be a stress-related thing.....(I have panic episodes where I have trouble breathing when I lay down)

at any rate, you'll want to let your phyisician know what is going on and maybe get a referral to both a nutritionist and pulm. doc. good luck!

Yup like marbleflys said sounds just like Sleep Apnea my girlfriend had that and she was put on a machine to help her sleep and possible medicine.
You should see your doctor asap. Because they need to know and help you with this. Youll be alright but they will say losing weight will help.
So just get yourself to your doctor. ;)

I agree, you definitely want to see a doc about that. I actually had the same thing happen to me, but mine was caused by the acid reflux. Yep, I know it sounds funny, but as my doc had explained to me, when I sleep, the acid can rise up and sort of "go in to the wrong pipe". As soon as I started taking generic prevacid, it went away.
But the most important thing here is that you don't really know if it's a sleep apnea or acid reflux until you go to a doctor. So, do that as soon as possible.
As far as your plan, it sounds fine if you can stick to it and I'm not the one to advise, I just know that Atkins and any other kind of low-carbing didn't really work for me. I had a really hard time sticking with it. But there are people who swear by it, so it might be just what you need. Starving is definitely not a good idea. Maybe once you figure out what caused your breathing problems you can think about it calmly and with no pressure and just start experimenting to see what works for you. I had a thread just today about check it out and see if it might help you.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=65485

Judging by the fact that you've consideredthe WL surgery, you sound a bit panicky and desperate. No offence to you or anyone out there who had a WL surgery, but it really should be your absolutely last resort.


The important thing is not to panic, solve the first things first (breathing) and then tackle the weight. :goodluck:

I don't do well on Atkins either. The excess protein stresses kidney function and I NEED fiber.....difficulty in elimination always shows up on the scale and frustrates me to pieces. I'm not following a formal plan, just daily cardio, some weights, less carbs, sugar & fat, more fresh veggies & fruit.

small steps, less stress...

Hi and thanks for the replies.
I just saw my doc this past week as well as a nutritionist. I have acid issues that the doctor said will be relieved by weight loss. As for the breathing I think my large umm....chest area and the added 20pounds are just putting too much in the way of lung expansion when I'm laying down. A medication I am on caused the weight gain.
As far as the WLS. I agree. And it does show how panicky I have felt the last few days. I never thought I would even contemplate it, let alone research it.
I tried Atkins before and didn't do too well (have a meat aversion) but I figure it's time to just bite the bullet and get moving. I'm doing the atkins for just a short period so I can get rid of the recent weight gain and a little extra, if I can't stick with it for what should be a relatively short period than I'm at a loss.
I don't want to stay on Atkins or South Beach long term, I just want to use them as tools to get me to a point where the need for weight loss doesn't seem so immediate. Neither of them are eating plans that I feel I could stick to for the rest of my life. I make a killer lasagna ;)
For now there are just too many good healthy foods that I love for me to possibly lose weight low cal.
Again, thanks for the replies.

If you can, I'd suggest checking in with your nutritionist before starting the whole atkins - sbd - low cal process. From what I've heard, atkins will indeed cause you to drop a significant amount of weight in a relatively short period of time. But, I think as soon as you move away from the low carb eating, it comes right back. Someone with a little more experience with these eating plans can correct me here...

I just wanted to mention it, because it would sure stink to lose a bunch of weight, and then switch to SBD and find yourself right back where you started.

Whatever you choose, good luck! :)

paula

Okay...I don't recommend doing the Atkins/South Beach/Calorie Counting transition thing.

It seems to me that you are wanting to go on a diet to lose weight in the quickest way possible, rather than change your lifestyle. Changing your lifestyle-including your daily activity level and your THINKING about food-is key to KEEPING the weight off. What use is it to lose 10, 30, or 100 pounds-if you are not committing to a new way of life, so that the pounds stay away?

Second, I do not recommend anyone go on Atkins if they have a meat aversion. :lol: No way. You are setting yourself up for failure there. I hate pickles and mayo, and that would be like me going on a pickle and mayo sandwich diet. :rofl:
If you are going to succeed, you have to decide to change your lifestyle for the long haul, not go on a "diet"-and you have to choose a plan that suits YOU. Atkins for someone with a meat aversion isn't such a great choice. Neither is choosing a vegetarian lifestyle for someone who does not like any kind of beans or soy. (Some of the main sources of protein for vegetarians)
You shouldn't choose to start with Atkins, a plan that you will have a lot of trouble sticking with-just to lose a lot of initial weight "quick".
It is better to lose 10 or 20 pounds slow and keep it off forever-than it is to lose 20 in a month, and gain it back by next year.

Just my opinion,
Aphil

Hi aphil,
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my plan. I realize after reading my first post again, that it comes across wrong. I was in a hurry when I wrote it.
I first want to say that I understand the keys to long term successful weight loss. I don't plan to lose 137 pounds quickly. Atkins is only for the initial weight loss. Weight that is currently putting my health in jeoprady. I can tell you honestly that I'm probably around 5 pounds from diabetes. I have had the warning symptoms for years. Losing that first 50pounds of weight at 1-2 pounds a week isn't an option. In the past month I've begun to have aches in places that never hurt, none of my clothes fit, breathing difficulty that I never had before. A month ago I could wrestle with my kids on the lawn, almost beat my husband in foot races, all that is gone. I'm not willing to wait 10-12 months it would probably take to be able to move again. I'm not willing to damage my health further. And yes I do understand that low carb diets carry their own set of risks. I also can't stop the medicine that caused the recent gain. I also realize that my meat aversion will make it difficult, but not so difficult that I can't do it. If the only thing standing between me and serious health problems is a peice of meat, I'll eat the meat. The other benefit for me is that Atkins will help me beat my carb, sugar issues. Which brings me to the transition.
South Beach isn't as carb restrictive as Atkins. I can begin having healthy good carb foods while still loosing. Also south beach isn't fast weight loss, it maybe slightly more than an average low cal diet. The thing is, I need to learn the differences in the food I'm eating. Low cal hasn't taught me anything except what foods are low cal. I have no problem with cals. I have no appetite. That probably doesn't make sense considering low cal is part of my plan. The difference will be that I will be able to choose those calories better and more healthy.
I want my end result to be exactly what you mentioned. Permanent weight loss and eating healthy. I tried Atkins before and know that if I'm not careful I will gain back what I lost and more. I need to learn the lessons that all three of these plans will teach me. It may not work, I may end up failing miserably. All I can do is try.
I started today and I feel great. None of the usual dizziness, and nausea that has plagued me for so long.
I hope that explains better what I'm trying to do. I'm not looking for a quick fix except for the initial lost. I want to live a life where I'm not afraid of every thing I put in my mouth. I can only pray I'll succeed. And I'm very active even with the recent issues.
Thanks

My 2 cents: Why don't you just do SBD right off? I've heard of great success stories of folks on Phase I.... IMHO it's just more balanced and healthier lifestyle and will be better for you in the long run. If you gained the 20# in such a short time, chances are that it will come off quite quickly if you restrict your calories and exercise, I doubt it would take 10-12 months to lose those 20#....

Like I said just my 2 cents...

I had a similar thought to Ilene--why not just do SBD? Phase 1 of South Beach is almost exactly the same as Atkins anyway, and you can stay in Phase 1 for as long as you like (they say at least 2 weeks, but when I did SBD, I stayed in Phase 1 for more like 2 months for fear of adding the good carbs back in!). the only reason I think Atkins is semi-evil is that it says saturated fats are okay, cholesterol is okay, etc...basically, it says you could eat lard from a bucket with a spoon so long as you don't add sugar or eat it with bread :dizzy: To me, that may help you to lose weight which could help your current problems, but it will probably just replace your current problems with others (high BP, high cholesterol, etc.). Just my 2 (or 3) cents :p

In any case, I still hope you see someone about the sleeping problem. If you're having difficulty breathing to the point that it wakes you up when you're not fully asleep yet, then chances are, you're stopping breathing multiple times throughout the night once you are completely asleep (sleep apnea, as others have suggested), which isn't good. Besides losing weight, there are other ways a doctor may be able to help you with this. Skinny people can have sleep apnea, too ;)

And just as an aside, I was diagnosed as being "pre-diabetic" years ago (in my late teens) due to poor glucose tolerance test results. This happened multiple times over the course of about a year--I kept having high sugar, sugar in my urine, etc...I have since GAINED weight (at least 50 pounds since that diagnosis) but have had better control over my sugar intake, and I no longer have problems when they test me for diabetes--all test results (fasting, immediately after a meal, at a routine appt., etc.) have been normal for at least 4-5 years now, so how much you weigh is not directly related to whether or not you will have diabetes (just a comment on your "5 pounds away from diabetes" comment, though I'm sure it was meant sarcastically :^: ).

I'm going to have to have a lood at SBD. It's sounding pretty familiar. But I'm going biking first and then I'll think of a helpful answer.

I'll definately look into doing south beach first instead of Atkins, I have both books. I didn't even think of that. My only thought was to do a drastic cut and then I guess you would say, relearn how to eat.

Headed for the bookshelf.

I agree with Ilene. I would start SBD right off-it has a 2 week induction period SIMILAR to Atkins-but healthier. All the meat and things in the induction period are LEANER meats-not bacon and regular hamburger. :lol: It also allows a few things that are not allowed in Atkins induction such as nuts, etc.
I personally think SBD is a lot healthier than Atkins, because it encourages leaner meats and you are avoiding the bad fats and unheathy meats like bacon.

As far as the diabetic comment goes-I know how you feel. I was gestational diabetic with both of my children, which caused BIG babies and birth complications, a particular diet through my pregnancy with excessive weight gain for me during that period, and blood sugar testing periodically throughout the day. I am also at very high risk for adult onset diabetes. I have chosen not to have any more children because it puts my health at risk, and heightens my probability of getting adult onset diabetes even further.

I committed myself to losing weight in a slow and healthy manner, losing 1-3 pounds a week the first month or so, and I am FINE. ;)

scrunchkin, honey. listen to me. for your health's sake, please address the sleep apnea FIRST, before going on any eating program. here's the deal. you've said that the recent 20 pound weight gain was basically the last straw, as far as your mobility. the fact that you stopped breathing and were lucky enough to wake up suggests that you've had apnea for awhile.

apnea ALONE will cause the lack of energy and the respiratory problems, and WILL HINDER WEIGHT LOSS EFFORTS. let me explain [and i'll try to be brief, but the bottom line message is that i know this from experience].

i gained weight on 800 calories. i weighed 500 pounds. when they FINALLY diagnosed my sleep apnea, and put me on the CPAP [aka the breathing machine], i lost about 50 pounds in 2 months. yes. you read that right. and i asked many docs why. the only decent answer i got was from a lung doc, who said that my body hadn't been getting enough oxygen, and now that i WAS getting good old O2, i had a metabolism...

in many ways, it makes sense to lose a few pounds with the hope that the apnea will go away, but the apnea may make it very very hard to lose just those few pounds.

you're right to try everything possible before having weight loss surgery. however, if your best efforts don't work and you've genuinely tried everything possible over and over and over again, considering the surgery is NOT a sign of weakness, nor is it the easy way out...

we're here for you, darlin.

Jiffypop,
Is it possible to have sleep apnea and not know it? I guess what I'm saying is could I have had it all along and only noticed the problem recently. Last night it didn't happen (used one pillow instead of two) and dh said he hasn't noticed anything when I'm asleep (only snoring :) ). I also have congestion related asthma and woke up with a chest cold this morning.
I'm only asking because my doc blames it all on weight. If I lose weight my acid reflux will go away. If I lose weight my hip pop will go away. If I lose weight my knees that hurt when I was thin won't hurt, getting the picture?
It's all just confusing. I want to eat healthy, I want to be thin again. I just feel so ripped right now over this. Angry at myself for getting to this point. When I spent a good two years without gaining I just kind of ignored the weight. Then bam.
Well, I'm rambling again so I'll go. Thanks

Man, I went through some of this just before I got serious about trying to lose. Very scary stuff! To think that I allowed myself to get so heavy that I couldn't even hold my own airway open properly enough to breath at night, OMG! What have I done to myself?! So please get it checked out, it can be sooooo dangerous! And I'm happy to say that I absolutely never have this problem anymore, so even though you may not want to hear it, the doc is right, losing weight will most do wonders for this problem. Good luck hon, and be safe. You can do this!

Beverly

Checked out the differences between SB and atkins. I guess I'm somewhere between the two. I'm not eating really high fat food. I always choose lean meat, whether it's hamburg or whatnot, in fact I annoy most family members because I'm so picky. :D

If it helps here is how my plan looks today.

BREAKFAST: 1 fried egg, a small slice of ham and 2 cups of coffee with half and half and splenda.

SNACK:Sugar free Raspberry jello

LUNCH:Small ground sirloin patty with spicy brown mustard and a salad with lettuce, cukes, sprouts and vinegar/olive oil dressing.

SNACK: slice of cheddar cheese

DINNER: Baked haddock (trying to like fish) and cukes. And probably another jello later on.

My only concern is the cals are really low so I'll work with it as I go. I'm leaning towards following a mid way diet between the two and then after the 2-4 weeks transition into SB phase 2.

I don't know, I think I'm getting more confused. :dizzy:

Jiffypop is the voice of reason and experience.

Ask for a referral to a PULMONARY SPECIALIST and discuss your health issues directly with them, they are best qualified to give you accurate information about oxygen, meds. interaction, weight gain, weight loss, asthma, etc. Many times sleep apnea can only be dx'd. by a special test , "sleep study" (if you live in NJ/NY area PM me and I'll give you names of docs. I know personally who are excellent)

good luck and congrats on making the decision to change your lifestyle and improve your health.

How long have you been seeing this doctor? I think it may be time to find a new one. I hate it when I hear about doctors blaming every health problem in the book on being overweight! Yes, being overweight CAN cause a lot of problems, but like you said about your knees, they hurt when you were thin, too, so while being overweight certainly doesn't help the issue, losing weight will definitely not cure it!

And yes, you can have sleep apnea for a long time without knowing it. A lot of people don't know they have it until something more drastic occurs (like you being startled awake by the inability to breath). Therefore, while these last 20 pounds may have made it worse, it could have been a problem all along, so get thee to a doctor who will actually listen to you! ;)

listen to marbleflys [and not just because she agrees with me!!!!!].

asthma can be related to apnea [raising hand, here!].

your current doctor is denying you appropriate care by blaming everything on your weight. while i'm not denying that it's a factor, it's also true that he would NEVER deny a thin person appropriate referrals and care.. things can be done to help you. find someone who will pay attention and take care of you.

and one more point!!! while everyone wants the weight to come off quickly, the REAL DEAL is taking it off and KEEPING it off. and that often requires major head changes and life changes. so, consider your goals carefully, along with some ideas of why you gained [and i don't mean the 'eating too much' reasons - it's deeper than that!] and set some realistic short-term goals. these always add up to success!!

I'm a nurse with several nurses and doctors in the family. I will tell you that you are absolutely always your own best advocate. There is an impossibly large volume of medical resources for any one provider to be abreast of all new developments at any one time. Add to that the fact that just like all other professions there are good ones and bad ones. That is one of the big issues in health care today I think, is that doctors are often idolized. They CAN be wrong, they may not know everything they need to to adequately treat you. If you don't feel right, find yourself someone who will listen. You deserve it! :)

Hi, scrunchkin! I know that I'm just adding to the choir here, but just talking to your doctor about sleep apnea isn't enough. It can be aggravated by obesity (and a large chest), but if you have it, you have it for life. I always thought that the only real danger you might face is falling asleep while driving or something, then my friend's husband died from sleep apnea. He simply didn't wake up after he stopped breathing one night. I don't mean to scare you, but the truth is, if you have it, you need to get it treated. Losing weight will help, but it won't cure you. To see if you have it, you'll need to participate in a sleep study. You can do this at a sleep center, where you'll have much more info on your sleep patterns, but you may be less likely to sleep there in the same way you do at home as it's a strange environment. You can also use a home test kit provided by your doctor. It doesn't provide as much information, but it allows you to sleep in your own bed.

If you have sleep apnea, there are a variety of options available for treatment. The most common treatment is using a CPAP machine. It provides a steady stream of air that keeps the tissues in your throat from collapsing and choking you. Some people find that they benefit from a CPAP that is meant to help them breathe out as the stream of air in is too much for them to fight against during their exhale. There are lots of different models. I have a friend who fought like crazy not to have to use one, as CPAPs are bulky and hard to travel with (you need a separate suitcase just for the machine), but once he tried it, he felt so good that he couldn't imagine ever going without it again.

I had sleep apnea and my mom still does. She uses a CPAP. We kid her about looking like Hannibal Lector when she wears it :lol:, but it works so well. She's never felt so rested in her life! Unfortunately, it requires its own suitcase, makes spontaneous romance impossible :s: and is uncomfortable to wear. My mom had skin cancer under the mask that was agravated by the mask. She thought it was a pimple for the longest time and it took a while to get it diagnosed because of that. The machine isn't for everyone, but it is effective for most people, fairly inexpensive (with insurance) and easy to use.

I had a moderate case but my enlarged tonsils and soft palate were obviously to blame. I had a UP3 and tonsilectomy and was advised to lose 15 pounds. This took care of the problem. I don't have a uvula now, nor a soft palate, and that can cause some minor problems (food ends up in my nose sometimes! :o ) and makes it impossible for me to make some sounds in French, German, and Yiddish, but that's okay. ;) It was worth it to get a decent night's sleep!

In regards to South Beach, that's the plan I've used to lose all my weight. It's a very easy plan to live on for life if you enjoy it. You can eat virtually anything if you are willing to do some of your own cooking. For instance, you can easily make your 'mean lasagne' out of Whole Wheat pasta noodles. Even if you don't like WW pasta, in a lasagne, I doubt you'd taste the difference. In Phase 1, you could use eggplant or strips of zucchini in place of the noodles. Yum! :T Check out the recipes in our Fat Chicks on the Beach forum for more ideas for incorporating your favorite foods into the plan.

I wouldn't recommend staying on Phase 1 for longer than 2 weeks. For one thing, once the two weeks are up, it often causes weight gain. You also don't get a full compliment of nutrients. You can always go back to P1 if you need to, but don't stick with it longer than 2 weeks or you chance harming your health and your diet, okay?

I hope you are able to find a plan you can live with for life. Each person's plan is different--find the one that works for you and then stick with it. You'll be doing it for the rest of your life if you want to remain healthy, so you want it to be something you really enjoy. :D

If you are interested in reading another book for answers to your complex problems, try reading Mastering Leptin by Byron Richards. I have struggled to lose weight for years...I tried Atkins and could not lose, I had only moderate success on Sugarbusters (similar to South Beach phase II.) and finally, after reading this book and following his basic rules, I have lost 15 pounds with out the use of diet drugs. Leptin is a hormone that was recently discovered, and when the metabolism gets out of whack, and Leptin is not operating properly, it can cause all kinds of problems. I too would recommend Sugarbusters, or South Beach over Atkins. Eating three square meals a day, with no snacks and not eating after dinner have helped me tremendously. I highly recommend the book to anyone who wonders why they struggle with their weight.