Ian beat sleep apnoea with weight loss

After a lifetime of hard work, Ian retired and did what many recently retired people do - enjoyed life's simple pleasures, food and relaxing.

However, this wasn’t great for Ian’s waist line or health. His weight began to impact his life in ways he never thought it would. He developed sleep apnoea and an annual blood test revealed both his cholesterol and blood glucose levels were too high.

"Sleep apnoea left me feeling very tired all the time. I would wake with morning migraines which also made me moody and irritable throughout the day."

Separate bedrooms

Ian's sleep quality deteriorated due to the sleep apnoea and his health and mood suffered. In the end, his wife ended up sleeping in a separate room.

“It made my family life difficult as my wife has to sleep in a separate room. She even said she could hear me through two walls into the spare room.”

The Mask

His doctor had two options for Ian: either lose the weight or use a CPAP mask to stop his snoring. For Ian, this was a life changing moment.

The thought of wearing a CPAP mask attached to a machine for the rest of my life was a wake-up call to say the least.

Where to start?

Ian had lost weight on other diets in the past but felt hungry all the time and the weight would soon return. He believes this was because he never learned how to eat a well-balanced diet that he could apply to his everyday life and continue once he had completed the diet.

His doctor suggested the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet instead as it teaches you how to eat healthily every day. During his first 8 weeks of the program Ian used the air of a EPAP device to assist his snoring. This helped with his energy levels during the program.

Energy to get up and go

Since losing 18 kg* on the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet, Ian no longer snores and has regained his sleep quality. His cholesterol and blood sugar levels are now at a healthy level.

"I feel great physically and mentally with much more energy to get up and go. My weight and fitness are at their best since my twenties and I have not snored at all since losing the weight. All is great with my wife too. She has been able to return to our room and get a good night’s sleep without listening to a freight train all night."

*In 5 months. Individual results may vary.

Dragon boats ready!

With his new-found energy and migraine-free mornings, Ian has found a new passion in dragon boat racing, an activity he wouldn’t have thought possible before losing the weight due to his low energy levels and mood.

"Dragon boat racing has become a bit of a passion of mine," Ian says. "I was totally hooked after my first training session. Who would have thought after retirement, at the age of 61, I would be a ‘Rising Star’?"

The sport has been an enormous social and physical benefit to Ian and, with the Brave Hearts Dragon Boat Club, he's attended several regattas around Australia. As a member of the Victorian Regional Dragon Boat team, Ian won gold and silver at the Australian Dragon Boat 2019 Championships in Canberra, and he won his clubs rising star award.

"I have made many new friendships through it as well which is important to me. Being retired, you need to have ongoing interests in your life. I’m looking forward to the start of a new season, keeping fit and enjoying the benefits of this wonderful sport," he says.