written by Antone Davis, Contestant on Biggest Loser season 12

I have friends that use the CPAP and at different times in the past, those friends highly recommended I get tested and get some sleep apnea equipment.

I was always reluctant because:

#1  I don’t want to lay in my bed, next to my wife, looking like Darth Vader

#2  I don’t have sleep apnea (so I thought)

I love to sleep and when I can, I sleep in late with no problems.  I just thought I was only tired because I have a hectic schedule and work long hours.

Not to mention the thought of a sleep study,  who wants to go somewhere where they watch you sleep?  Creepy!

When I made it to the finals for The Biggest Loser, one of our meetings was with Pam (from Philips Respironics) and Dody (from Nationwide Medical, Inc.) and I thought I would just go to the meeting to make them happy.

I would not speak up and it would be over soon.  I did figure that if I was going to sit in on the meeting, I would at least have an open mind about it and let them make their pitch.

Once I listened to them and realized what I was hearing, my ears perked up.  I was actually floored by the number of times I woke up during my sleep.  Actually – I was shocked!

Once you hear the numbers and understand what it means, its no wonder we get sluggish during the day.  Still, after hearing the numbers, I was not convinced that I wanted to wear a mask every night to bed.

This is where Dody and I became best friends.  Dody and Pam fit me with several masks until I had one that was non intrusive and very comfortable. 

See what Antoine's favorites from last season, Olivia and Hannah, have to say about "Pappy":

I was afraid I would wake up in the middle of the night and feel like I was being smothered but the mask is so comfortable and the machine works so well, I didn’t even wake up until the next morning. 

When I did wake up, I was so fresh, coherent and rested that I knew I had the mask on all night and it was no problem.

One thing you need at The Biggest Loser ranch is rest and sleep to recover from all the grueling workouts.  The CPAP became my secret weapon to recovery, along with all the other tools, so I could consistently have significant weight loss every week at the Ranch. 

Most of the contestants at the ranch used their CPAP and loved it.  Some people struggled and didn’t try as hard to get used to it. The most important thing to remember is to keep an open mind.

Get tested, Get fitted, Get rest

Antoine

"Nationwide Medical and Philips Respironics are sponsors of The Biggest Loser."

"NBC and The Biggest Loser do not endorse the facts, advice or recommendations included in this website."

I have friends that use the CPAP and at different times in the past, those friends highly recommended I get tested and get some sleep apnea equipment.

I was always reluctant because:

#1 I don’t want to lay in my bed, next to my wife, looking like Darth Vader

#2 I don’t have sleep apnea (so I thought)