Health: The Two Evils

[Dreamcatcher]

I think the biggest health risk to OSA sufferers is Smoking and weight issues. I quit smoking about 15 months ago and am now dieting and at the gym most days. For me dieting is a hundred times harder than quitting the smokes, maybe its because theres more choice with food. I think both have a serious effect on OSA but same could be said for non sufferers too. For smoking I could quite easily light a ciggy up but I wouldnt just because Im now over it but as for food thats a different matter. I know Im not really big but I would still like to shed a bit more weight its just that when its there its so hard to say NO. My biggest problem is Sugar I have such a sweet tooth, I have to cut down on all drinks as having 6 or 7 spoons of the stuff in my tea or coffee can add up, especially if I drank 20 cups through the day. I would say through my drinks alone I get through about 2KG a week of sugar. I have been tested so many times for diabetees which I think will be my next big issue.

So what do you think? What is the hardest thing to give up, that little white stick or the cream cake starring at you from the shop window? Im not making a poll out of this as I believe I already know the answer, but I would like to hear what you think.....

[Netskier]

I think the biggest health risk to OSA sufferers is Smoking and weight issues. I quit smoking about 15 months ago and am now dieting and at the gym most days. For me dieting is a hundred times harder than quitting the smokes, maybe its because theres more choice with food. I think both have a serious effect on OSA but same could be said for non sufferers too. For smoking I could quite easily light a ciggy up but I wouldnt just because Im now over it but as for food thats a different matter. I know Im not really big but I would still like to shed a bit more weight its just that when its there its so hard to say NO. My biggest problem is Sugar I have such a sweet tooth, I have to cut down on all drinks as having 6 or 7 spoons of the stuff in my tea or coffee can add up, especially if I drank 20 cups through the day. I would say through my drinks alone I get through about 2KG a week of sugar. I have been tested so many times for diabetees which I think will be my next big issue.

So what do you think? What is the hardest thing to give up, that little white stick or the cream cake starring at you from the shop window? Im not making a poll out of this as I believe I already know the answer, but I would like to hear what you think.....

Food is harder because it is a natural drive, whereas nicotine is an acquired, i.e., non-natural, addiction.

[PaulaO2]

Food. We eat to celebrate. We eat to mourn. We eat to spend time with friends. We treat ourselves when we do something right or good.

To beat the food addiction/craving, we have to change how we express our emotions.

It ain't easy.

[cbramsey]

I agree that quitting food is harder. We all have to eat.

Weight loss can be difficult. I know it was for me. It took bariatric surgery to keep my weight off. I have lost 130 lbs from my highest weight.

[mckevin32]

In the short term, cigarettes was WAY harder for me. I quit from 4 packs per day over 20 years ago, I was physically ill for over 30 days. Over a year later I would walk past an ashtray in a mall (yes, they were there) and get dizzy from the smell. My wife was a saint to put up with me during this time.

We have been actively dieting for several months after many years of letting our weight get incredibly out of control. I'm down 40 pounds (around 50 to go) and not really suffering, but I suspect the hard part is still to come as we try to make the long term changes needed to avoid putting it all back on...

[Netskier]

In the short term, cigarettes was WAY harder for me. I quit from 4 packs per day over 20 years ago, I was physically ill for over 30 days. Over a year later I would walk past an ashtray in a mall (yes, they were there) and get dizzy from the smell. My wife was a saint to put up with me during this time.

We have been actively dieting for several months after many years of letting our weight get incredibly out of control. I'm down 40 pounds (around 50 to go) and not really suffering, but I suspect the hard part is still to come as we try to make the long term changes needed to avoid putting it all back on...

The live-in heroin-addicts residential program reported that smoking was harder to quit than shooting heroin. To save money, they decided to ban smoking, and were shocked to discover that many of their residents could not take it, and had to quit living there, left, kept smoking, and most resumed heroin. Source: Licit and Illicit Drugs, published by Consumer's Union (who publish the magazine Consumers' Reports). This is a very good book which I found fascinating.

[iSnooze]

I agree that losing weight is very tough. I can easily give up certain foods but it is impossible to give up all food. I didn't well on diets that restrict the amount of food. I always felt hungry. I quit smoking - several times in my life before I was successful. I have been on several diets and have lost weight but stress seems to follow me around and then I started stress eating and gained the weight back, plus some. My entire family looks like Weebles which makes it even tougher to lose weight since my round figure seems to be an inherited trait.


I was hoping that getting my cpap machine would help me eat less since I shouldn't be as tired. Research shows sleep deprived people eat more.
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/stor...45227686/1
As it turns out I've gained weight since I've gotten my cpap machine. It could be due to a change in meds and/or other health issues. Since I now have my sleep issues taken care of, I need to get back on a healthy eating plan and stay on it.

[Netskier]

I agree that losing weight is very tough. I can easily give up certain foods but it is impossible to give up all food. I didn't well on diets that restrict the amount of food. I always felt hungry. I quit smoking - several times in my life before I was successful. I have been on several diets and have lost weight but stress seems to follow me around and then I started stress eating and gained the weight back, plus some. My entire family looks like Weebles which makes it even tougher to lose weight since my round figure seems to be an inherited trait.


I was hoping that getting my cpap machine would help me eat less since I shouldn't be as tired. Research shows sleep deprived people eat more.
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/stor...45227686/1
As it turns out I've gained weight since I've gotten my cpap machine. It could be due to a change in meds and/or other health issues. Since I now have my sleep issues taken care of, I need to get back on a healthy eating plan and stay on it.

In general, I agree with your approach. How about replacing "stress eating" with "stress exercising"? Exercise will consume your stress hormones, and if fact your stress will facilitate your stress exercising. Stress hormones facilitate ones "fight or flight" response, and most exercise is like either fighting, as in competitive sports, or fleeing, as in running or swimming fast. Stress hormones usually metabolize in about fifteen minutes, IIRC. I think adrenalin does this. I don't remember any of the others.

[iSnooze]

In general, I agree with your approach. How about replacing "stress eating" with "stress exercising"? Exercise will consume your stress hormones, and if fact your stress will facilitate your stress exercising. Stress hormones facilitate ones "fight or flight" response, and most exercise is like either fighting, as in competitive sports, or fleeing, as in running or swimming fast. Stress hormones usually metabolize in about fifteen minutes, IIRC. I think adrenalin does this. I don't remember any of the others.

Excellent idea. I will give it a try although exercise and I are not close friends. Extreme arthritis gives "no pain no gain" a new meaning. However, there are a few things I could do instead of eating. Thanks!

[Netskier]

In general, I agree with your approach. How about replacing "stress eating" with "stress exercising"? Exercise will consume your stress hormones, and if fact your stress will facilitate your stress exercising. Stress hormones facilitate ones "fight or flight" response, and most exercise is like either fighting, as in competitive sports, or fleeing, as in running or swimming fast. Stress hormones usually metabolize in about fifteen minutes, IIRC. I think adrenalin does this. I don't remember any of the others.

Excellent idea. I will give it a try although exercise and I are not close friends. Extreme arthritis gives "no pain no gain" a new meaning. However, there are a few things I could do instead of eating. Thanks!

You're welcome.

One of my hardcore skiing buddies told me that some of his orthopod skiing buddies told him to prevent knee pain by taking Advil before, during, and after skiing, and even some the next morning after skiing. I tried this for back pain a few times, and it worked well. The secret is to drink a lot of water during the day.

Ibuprofen (Advil) is very toxic to the kidneys however, so you should ask an informed doctor how far you can increase the dose. My ski buddy said that average men could take 14 pills per day, and women 12. This is hearsay of hearsay, so please take this as only an idea to investigate with someone who is current in the field. Things might have changed since then. Arthritis docs are the ones to ask, and nephrologists. Drink a lot of water in any case.