[Zebra]

Congrats Colin!

I've been battling the bulge also lately. For the past few years I have been very tired even if I sleep a full 9 hours a night. Being tired meant I wanted to do less and excerise was almost completely forgotten. The less I did the more tired I got and the less I was able to concentrate.
Finally went to a Dr. and he asked me some questions about my daily routine and sleep habits. He had me stay overnight several nights at the hospital to do sleep studies. I was hooked up to an EEG, breathing monitor, videotaped, etc..
Found out I had sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a condition that affects 5-10% of people and most don't even know it. When you sleep your body relaxes and the muscles that hold your tongue in place forget to do their job. Your tongue slides back and blocks the airflow in your throat. The oxygen levels in your body drop until your body realizes it is suffocating and jerks you awake to get the tongue out of the way. This happens several times an hour (for me it was an average of 11 times an hour). Since your oxygen levels are low at night your metabolism slows down and you lose weight much slower plus when you wake you are too tired to exercise.
I now have a CPAP breathing machine that I wear at night. The machine is like an oxygen mask that covers your nose and increases the pressure inside your lungs and throat so that the tongue does not block the airflow (kind of like an invisible splint inside). Now I sleep soundly at night and wake up feeling MUCH better. I just started on the machine last week and this past week I have definately felt much more alive and energetic. I am going to Curacao in a few days and plan on being active instead of sleeping in till mid-afternoon.

If anyone has symptoms such as : loud snoring, jerking awake at night, kicking while asleep, feeling tired during the day, falling asleep easily while reading, watching TV, or online.. you might have sleep apnea. If you think you might be a candidate, do yourself a favor and talk to a doctor. The breathing machine is easy to use, you hardly notice it at night. and it can make a world of difference in how you feel.

Maybe I'll be able to give Colin a run for his money before Vegas. I could easily lose 50lbs and now that I feel better I am going to try to do so!