Let’s talk about weight loss. The leading cause of sleep apnea is obesity. This means the best line of defense is losing weight! Here are five tips for losing weight to help improve or eliminate your sleep apnea symptoms:

Exercise regularly

A key part of losing weight is exercising at least three times a week. Whether you are hitting up the gym to run on the treadmill, or running outside, it is important to begin exercising. If you have a hard time motivating yourself to workout, try hiring a trainer. 

The availability of a trainer allows for accountability, while also helping you to better understand what you need to do to start losing weight. Remember, every bit counts, so start small and move your way up.

Eat a healthy diet

It has been shown that 90% of weight loss has to do with your nutrition. While you could be exercising every day, you might not notice a difference in your appearance if you haven’t changed your eating habits. Pay attention to protein and eliminate sugars.

Limit or eliminate alcohol consumption

Yes, we all love a nice glass of wine or beer to end our stressful day, but it is important that you start to phase this out. I’m not saying you can never drink, but the more often you drink, the increased chance you have of gaining weight. Take a break from drinking and you will be sure to see a significant difference in your health and weight. 

Get a good night’s sleep

Sometimes it might seem like getting a good night’s sleep is close to impossible, but it is important to try your best to get the best sleep you can. With a good night’s sleep you are less prone to binge eating and laying around all day. 

A good night’s rest can also help you burn more calories. Not only do you have more energy to take on your daily tasks after a good night’s sleep, but your body also burns calories, even when you’re not working out!

Drink plenty of water

This is especially true before meals. Water is a natural appetite suppressant, which means drinking it before meals can make you feel fuller. Because of this, you are reducing the amount of food you eat. Drinking water before just one meal per day would cause you to ingest 27,000 fewer calories per year.

Contact Craniofacial Pain & Dental Sleep Center of Georgia for more information on sleep apnea and how to lose weight to improve your symptoms.