"Hey you... yeah you, Lard Ass!"

[madmax-im]

Aerobic vs. Anerobic Exercise

TC I dont completely agree on what you term as anaerobic respiriation. My understanding is that exercise that is Anaerobic in nature means physiologically that amount of muscular exertion can be accomplished without the maximum uptake of O2 that is incurred under Aerobic conditions. It is always Anaerobic that goes first. A good example of an anaerobic exercise would be an athlete who is say a 100 yard dash sprinter.He does not go into Aerobic respiration until he has finished the sprint and O2 debt has caught up with him.
A marathon runner is an example of Aerobic exercise where O2 debt has long occurred and your heart and lungs must maintin homeostatsis at the elevated levels you are running at...in otherwords you try to acclimate to a steady state condition between exercise and heart and respiration but that is soley aerobic in nature. BTW You are correct that lactic acid is the biproduct of muscular exertion. We get sore because the muscles lose their elasticity due to lactic acid build up...Stretching exercises alleveiate the lack of elasticity and help breakdown the lactic acid...thus alleviating those aches.

[TopCatGr58]

Not a real chicken or egg situation.

Hey Kevin,

Regrettably it was the excess weight that caused you to develop the Sleep Apnea condition! Yes, normal weight people develop SA, but it's very prevelant for overweight folks to develop it.

Dieting alone is definitely not an answer. The body has maintainance set points in it's metobolism and such. When folks take a drastic cut in their caloric intake, the body thinks it's starving, and resets it's points even lower, so then after folks stop/fall off the diet, they then return to the previous caloric intake levels, but their setpoints don't reset back higher, and so they use even less energy, and more gets stored in the fat cells.

That's why increasing activity is so important in being able to start the body towards loosing weight, resetting the set points. IT also helps retrain the body into being able to perform the transition from SUGAR metabolism that's in the muscle tissue into fat conversion metabolism, the ole hitting the wall syndrome folks talk about. Then modest cutbacks in caloric levels help to futher aid in the weight loss process without the body feeling that it's starving. Also starting slowly with exercise is very important so that you don't start trying to use too much muscular activity without the required additional circulation the muscles need. If you try to do too much too soon, then the muscle don't yet get enough Oxygen, and they turn to ANAEROBIC (no oxygen) respiration, and this is what creates LACTIC ACID in the muscles which makes them get SORE, and also contributes to folks falling off the exercise regimen so early! Don't get too hung up on the weight loss part for quite a while. The idea with exercise is also to increase muscle mass, and muscle is much more dense that fat, and so with increased muscle development, you may actually not see as much or as quick a loss in weight, BUT you should be able to notice a reduction in body dimensions as the excess fat tissues are reduced as you build muscle. And increased muscle mass increases your metabolism, and also burns up more energy, so the more muscle you develop, the more fat you will be able to burn.

Water Aerobics are good, but depending on the time you have in your schedule, can be bothersome having to get changed, then get wet, exercise, then dry off, get changed again, and then go home! IF your knees are in good shape, just walking, not even running can be very beneficial. Again just starting out slow, only 10-15 minutes the first day, and then add 5 minutes every day till you get to 30 minutes. Then you can increase your pace, so that you can increase your walking speed, ever see those speed walkers, yes they can look a little funny, but they are not pounding their joints anywhere as much as actually running/jogging. Get a Walkman/MP3 player, really helps to pass the time. Take your bike/car and drive a circuit around your neighborhood to map out a 3 mile route. At first, you will just divide the time you will be walking going on the route 1/2 the time you have alloted, then 1/2 way back, and then you will go farther everyday. Eventually if you get up to actual jogging speed, you'll make the 3 mile distance in about 30 minutes. At least 3 days a week, but you may find you can do more as you get more into shape. 5 days a week would be better, allowing for rest/fun on the weekends!

Good luck getting the Cpap, and get out there and be Xcessive!!
T.C.

[fredintoon]

Yup, that is what the specialist said. I have another sleep study on the 13th (2 months in a row with friday 13's) to try one out. The trouble then becomes, if it works, my benefits better cover it otherwise I can't get it. The cost is extraordinary.

Hi Kevin,
the lowest CPAP price I found on the 'net is $999.
A recent TV ad claims a funeral can cost $10,000.
Me, I'd find the $999.

[Schmeerman]

Kevin, definetely get and use the CPAP machine, if you can swing it. I have one and use it every night. I was in the same boat as you, needed to lose a few pounds, but had no energy. Found out I had Apnea and was prescribed a CPAP machine. What a huge difference! You won't know how bad you felt until you get a really deep sleep.

It did take a little while to get used to it. It is very quiet, and my health insurance actually rents the machine. They are billed monthly. Most insurances do cover it. Many people lose weight just by using the machine and getting proper rest.

Hope this helps, Mike

[xsilerating]

Yup, that is what the specialist said. I have another sleep study on the 13th (2 months in a row with friday 13's) to try one out. The trouble then becomes, if it works, my benefits better cover it otherwise I can't get it. The cost is extraordinary.

Hey Kevin;

Good luck with the follow-up study. Definitely sounds like 'sleep apnea' and, if that is indeed the case, the CPAP should work wonders with you.

Here's a link for you (for Alberta) S.A. Resources & CPAP coverage assistance , which will provide you with some information on treatment as well as coverage for the CPAP machine and other areas of assistance.

The negative effects that Sleep Disorders have on the human body can be as bad as and, in some cases, worse than that of being overweight, poor diet, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, etc. and, in fact, can be the cause of these things which are blamed partly or wholly for the disorders themselves.

If the diagnosis is confirmed and, you are able to get the treatment required, you'll feel like a 'new man' in no time. Good Luck!

Ron

[DGXSER]

Yep doing forms is a REAL work out if you put effort into them. As to sloww..well...back in my lifting days I had a friend with an olympic set who bet me he could kill me by having me lift just the bar for curls. He had me count slowly to ten lifting it up and again going back down like two seconds for each count. By the time I hit fifteen reps my arms were ready to fall off.

[kjohnson]

Hi Kevin,
sounds like you have sleep apnea and what you most likely need is a CPAP machine.
OK so you look like Darth Vader when you wear it to bed but WTF, the machine keeps you breathing steady as you sleep.
A friend said getting a CPAP turned him from a zombie back into almost the man he used to be at 20.
According to him the CPAP makes a low decibel white noise which is easier for your partner to sleep through than the rasping snores interrupted by strangled gasping that you used to make.

Yup, that is what the specialist said. I have another sleep study on the 13th (2 months in a row with friday 13's) to try one out. The trouble then becomes, if it works, my benefits better cover it otherwise I can't get it. The cost is extraordinary.

[fredintoon]

Cpap

- - - I finally got to participate in a sleep study.
The results : I stop breathing on average 20 time an hour in my sleep. So now I have something to work with. If I can get my energy back, maybe I can start to loose weight.

Hi Kevin,
sounds like you have sleep apnea and what you most likely need is a CPAP machine.
OK so you look like Darth Vader when you wear it to bed but WTF, the machine keeps you breathing steady as you sleep.
A friend said getting a CPAP turned him from a zombie back into almost the man he used to be at 20.
According to him the CPAP makes a low decibel white noise which is easier for your partner to sleep through than the rasping snores interrupted by strangled gasping that you used to make.

[kjohnson]

I started my weight loss program by joining a Taekwondo class at my YMCA, that was eight years ago, now I teach the class, so no way I can beg out of it. And yes, I do feel that even a good martial arts class can be for the obese if the instructor takes the right tact and approach. I have had several students that could qualify.

As to diet, my number one recomendation to anyone looking to lose weight is to give up on soda all together and drink only water instead. You would be amazed what that alone can do. And yes that includes the "ZERO" sodas.

I agree, this past September I joined the local Taoist Taichi club. It has done wonders for my flexibility, and now that I am in the "continuing" or "advanced" class, it can actually be a good workout. Especially when the instructor decides that it would be fun to do it at half speed. Most would think that would make it easier, but just try to walk at half speed with every motion being at half speed and you will see how hard it can be .

I also agree on the soda (or pop as we call it up her most of the time). I drink very little of it. mostly drink herbal tea or water, though probably not enough. I end up spending too much time pissin.

[DGXSER]

I can certainly understand. A recomendation I would make is to find some group type of exercise class to join. Maybe a local water aerobics class, they are very low impact. The benefit of a group setting is someone is waiting there for you to come and participate, motivation to go and do it rather than go to bed and sleep.

I started my weight loss program by joining a Taekwondo class at my YMCA, that was eight years ago, now I teach the class, so no way I can beg out of it. And yes, I do feel that even a good martial arts class can be for the obese if the instructor takes the right tact and approach. I have had several students that could qualify.

As to diet, my number one recomendation to anyone looking to lose weight is to give up on soda all together and drink only water instead. You would be amazed what that alone can do. And yes that includes the "ZERO" sodas.

[kjohnson]

I know they are related and it is really a chicken vs egg question as to which is the symptom and which is the problem. It is also a chicken vs egg situation as to how to solve the issue. I don't have the energy to do anything more than get up, got to work, come home, veg, and "sleep". Maybe if I were well rested, I could do more exercise, and I am doing more than what I was. Since actually starting to try to loose weight, I did loose 10lb, but I gained them first, so I am still in square one.

My weight is something all my friends and family say I should do something about, but get no help or motivation from anyone. And most of the time I'm just too tired to care.

[DGXSER]

For what it is or is not worth,

First and foremost, Fact of life, there is a reaosn they call it "practicing" medicine. A friend of mine that is a doctor will tell you that if people knew how much of it is guesswork they would scream.

Also a fact of life, is that weight is dependant on caloric intake and the amount of muscle that is used to process those calories. Yes, some peoples bodies do not process the calories the same and have developed more fatty cells that are just looking for things to store in them. However, weight loss no matter how you go about it (shore to liposuction, or some other surgical option) will always be a matter of burning more calories than you take in. The higher the differential, the more weight you will lose. However, you need to be careful not to burn the muscle instead of the fat.

Weight is not everything, but it could also contribute to your breathing issues that are causing you to lose sleep. So the two may not be independant issues.

[kjohnson]

I don't care for doctors too much myself. Medicine seems to be too much of a "best guess science", too much "take some of these and tell me if it helps".

My own dr. tell me I'm morbidly obese. His "help" to guide me in the prospect of loosing weight is eat less, do more. Keep in mind I do eat healthy and according to my calulations, I eat on average 35% less than the daily caloric amount required to maintain my current weight. Yes, I was not very active, but now am a fair bit more active. Still the same weight as when I started.

Now here is the kicker : I know I'm overweight, that wasn't what I went to him for. For the past 6 years, I have been getting progressively more tired. A "good" nights sleep hasn't been recovering my energy, alertness or mental abilities to their full potential. He would just keep sending me for tests to confirm that I'm fat. He did and still doesn't see the correlation between my restedness (if you understand what i mean it is a word) weight. I finally convinced him that I was no longer going to go for blood work to keep showing that I'm fat until my sleep issues were worked on. I finally got to participate in a sleep study.

The results : I stop breathing on average 20 time an hour in my sleep. So now I have something to work with. If I can get my energy back, maybe I can start to loose weight.

[egsols]

Thanks for the heads up Prom.

You've got a couple of years on me, well maybe 3. I'm on meds for cholesterol and hypertension, I'm slightly overweight, maybe 40-50 pounds, don't get much exercise, smoke at least a pack a day but hey... I quit drinking 7 years ago.

A day doesn't go by when I don't think about the risk I face of having one, but as with many others, although we are well aware of the consequences of our lethargic lifestyles, we blissfully continue our misaligned habits.

Hopefully your misadventure will provide some with the motivation to improve their health and add a few more years to their existence. I've got a 10 year old son and I want to be around long enough to at least see him bang up one of my vehicles.

[Jerry]

Geeze, can't imagine this list without Prom. Hope you recover completely.