The amazing CPAP weight loss plan?

June 25, 2013 10:24 AM

CPAP users: Did you manage to lose weight after starting CPAP?

I am now a happy hosehead after years of sleep troubles, which turned out to be severe sleep apnea. The improvement to my sleep and general quality of life is amazing. I will gladly wear my CPAP for the rest of my life because the tradeoff - quality sleep, more energy, better mood - is worth it.

What I really want to see is some improvement to my metabolism. I had slowly but steadily put on weight over the past three or four years - I've gone up three dress sizes without any real increase in my appetite or decrease in my activity level. I joined a gym and, while I'm firmer than I was, the fat around my middle might as well be made of concrete.

I'm thinking that my poor sleep quality contributed to my weight gain. The Seroquel didn't help; it messed with my metabolism and appetite something awful. Now that I've quit the nasty stuff, my appetite and blood sugar are back to normal (Seroquel was giving me insulin resistance as well as turning me into an eating machine).

Other information: I'm postmenopausal, and while my eating habits aren't terrible I could stand to eat healthier and I'm working on that (leaning towards high-protein and low-carb). I lift weights and do Pilates and now that the weather is nice I go swimming.

So - for all you fellow hoseheads - has CPAP helped you lose weight? About how long did it take for you to see the effects?

posted by Rosie M. Banks to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

My friend lost a lot of weight after he got his CPAP, but it was a lot of work, discipline, dieting, working out, blood sugar meds, etc. It wasn't a magic pill. It just provided a sustainable level of restedness that he was otherwise missing -- before he had the CPAP he just didn't have the energy for any of that and he tried to get it from food.

He's managed to keep it off pretty well, but it's hard. He told me he eats one meal a day.
posted by fingersandtoes at 10:47 AM on June 25, 2013

I don't think my husband has lost weight due to the CPAP. However, the CPAP has given him more energy, which has made him more active. It's definitely changed his life for the better, but it wasn't a magic weight loss pill.
posted by whatideserve at 10:54 AM on June 25, 2013

My mom didn't lose weight on CPAP.
posted by amro at 11:11 AM on June 25, 2013

Best answer: My dad has not lost weight since getting his CPAP. That said, it sounds like this is a great opportunity to motivate yourself and to continue to make positive changes. You feel well-rested for the first time in years. That's amazing! It sounds like you're taking your new-found energy and channeling it to more positive changes. Keep it up! Maybe think of looking for a social group of some kind to help reinforce the changes (could be an activity group whom you can exercise with, Weight Watchers, and online forum, etc.). Having some new, health-oriented people in your life could help you stay on track when the first burst of energy fades and you try to make these changes stick in the long term.
posted by pompelmo at 11:36 AM on June 25, 2013

Best answer: My friend lost weight not because of her CPAP but because she had energy to (a) workout and (b) deal with diet changes. She had more energy and less lethargy but it wasn't a magic weight-loss pill.
posted by barnone at 11:53 AM on June 25, 2013

Best answer: Like others have said, I think that my CPAP gave me the energy to exercise and make better food decisions, but it was just a part of a much larger effort to get healthy. There's no question that my life is better for it, but it's not a magic bullet.
posted by bluejayway at 12:33 PM on June 25, 2013 [1 favorite]

Nthing a dad on it that hasn't lost weight. But he also hasn't tried to.
posted by greta simone at 1:04 PM on June 25, 2013

No, but I was/am around 100 lbs to begin with, so I wasn't trying to.
posted by desjardins at 2:15 PM on June 25, 2013

Response by poster: Thanks for the feedback. I guess I can blame my weight gain on aging! I was hoping that more and better quality sleep = better-functioning metabolism. But my energy and well-being have improved 1000% since the CPAP, and I don't need the kind of sleep meds I used to.

I think I will join Metafilter Health Month again to keep me motivated and, hopefully, make my health habits stick and lose inches if not pounds. I am not obese, just in the "Could stand to lose a few pounds" category. (Which probably contributed to the delay in diagnosing my apnea. I'm not the "stereotypical" apnea sufferer, aka fat older guy with a thick neck who snores heavily. I think there are a lot more atypical apneics than is commonly thought.)
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 3:40 PM on June 25, 2013

Echoing what others said. The CPAP was just one step on a course of major life improvements (therapy, anti-depressants, getting out of a bad job situation), but waking up after a night's sleep and not being exhausted was perhaps the biggest. I was able to find the energy to start exercising, and the willpower to start a diet. And I could get through a day without feeling awful, and feeling the need to correct that in some way. You might see some improvement in your metabolism as sleep is key to good health, but the CPAP isn't magic.
posted by X-Himy at 6:54 AM on June 28, 2013

Response by poster: Follow-up: As it turns out, I've started peeling off the pounds, after all. Getting enough sleep has given me the energy to make positive changes in my lifestyle - I go to the gym more often, I don't have as many carb cravings, I have the energy and motivation to cook healthy food at home.

I think I just needed to be patient and pay off my "sleep debt." Perhaps my metabolism is in better shape, as well. But I am happy with the results and doubly-happy to be sleeping so well after years of crappy sleep.

Marked resolved!
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 10:09 AM on July 30, 2013 [4 favorites]