Me Vs. The CPAP

Yup, just after 2 am is a really strange time for me to be writing a blog entry…

Well, here’s the story…

Back in November, I had a sleep study, and was diagnosed with mild-to-moderate sleep apnea.  The specialist decided I should go back for another, to see how I did with a CPAP machine.

I didn’t.

My body reacted to having air forced up the nostrils by stopping breathing – the gag reflex kicked in, and all the air that was going into my nose came right back out of my mouth.  They even tried two different masks – the first was at least semi-comfortable; the second was downright painful.  I thought my nose was being yanked off.

I also tensed up to the point where my jaws were clenched – not at all conducive to a restful night!  In fact, I came home from the aborted study more awake than when I left to go to the sleep center (and that’s why I’m still up!).

The tech at the center suggested having the doc prescribe a sleeping pill, and coming back to try again – it would relax me to the point where my body wouldn’t fight the machine.  Well, that’s all well and good for the test, but what about the subsequent weeks or months it will take to get to where I would actually be able to sleep with the damn thing on?  I don’t need to be dropping a sleeping pill every night!

I think I’ll tell the doc at the follow-up that I will just stick with my meditation and my hypnotherapy – they seem to be helping me sleep just fine, thank you very much!

I think I’ll go up to bed with a book until I can relax and fall asleep – for real this time!

I Owe You (And Myself) A Blog Entry

It’s time I caught up with myself, so that you can, too.

Probably the biggest thing to note is that I started a hypnotherapy program a week ago.  So far, it seems to be working – I’m sleeping better, and starting to make better food choices automatically.  It’s actually very relaxing, too – in fact, I will probably purchase my own light-and-sound machine at some point.  There are a number of programs available beyond the weight loss program I signed up for – I do believe there is a good value there.  I’m looking forward to seeing this evolve over the next nine months, and I’m feeling very positive.

As part of my program, I have a number of “inch-loss body wraps” included (and a 21-day cleanse that I will start in my third week).  I did my first body wrap yesterday, and found it actually very pleasant – not what I expected from being slathered in a lotion that smells like Red-Hot cinnamon candies and turned into a plastic-wrap mummy.  I also got to sit in an infrared sauna as part of the treatment (it worked much better than the one that I experienced at my visit to Spa Dhara recently) – I was thoroughly sweated after just 20 minutes.

The body wrap took nearly five inches off of me, too!  And I did a nice hypnosis session while I was wrapped.  I get to do at least three more of these, too!

I finally started up on #7daychip again too, and made it for 22 days this time.  I’m not sure why, but I had a down day on Monday, and just ate stupid.  I started over again on Tuesday, and am feeling pretty good just now, although it’s early in the game.

My objective this week is to start working out more consistently, and I had a hypnosis session customized to that purpose yesterday.

My big achievement for the week was my first-ever successful shoulder stand at yoga class last night – that felt awesome!

Another Fork In The Road

I’ve realized now that I’ve got to change my way of thinking in order to be successful at weight loss and healthy living, and I’ve been trying to do it on my own for a couple of months now.  So far, my results have been minimal, at best.

To that end, I’m trying out a different route, starting this Wednesday.

I’ll let you all know how it feels after the first go-round.

Simple Pleasures

I have dirt under my fingernails, and I feel good.

I spent the last hour planting tulip bulbs into our newly-created flower bed.  It’s a lovely sunny early-spring day here in Northern California; not too warm but not cold, either (although that will change in the early morning hours).  There is nothing so relaxing as digging in the dirt, knowing that you’ll be rewarded with beautiful flowers in a few weeks.

Why is it so easy to put the effort into something that may take months to give results, when I’m so impatient when I don’t see results of my efforts to live healthy?  I still have a long way to go in developing patience for the results of working out and eating right to manifest.  I find it far to easy to give up, and to give in to temptation.

I guess I need to look at myself the same way I do the tulip bulbs – in time, with careful nurturing, I will start to see beautiful results.