Milwaukee fitness influencer discovers sleep apnea behind sudden weight gain
Content creator Lex Banach blamed a three-year-old sleep apnea condition for a 40-pound gain despite unchanged diet and workouts.
Lex Banach, a 29-year-old Milwaukee-based content creator devoted to fitness, saw her weight jump by 40 pounds over six months despite keeping the same diet and gym schedule. Persistent brain fog, exhaustion and loss of impulse control prompted a medical visit, where doctors identified undiagnosed mild sleep apnea that had been affecting her for three years. A sleep study showed she stopped breathing roughly every eight minutes, waking up dozens of times each night.
Beginning CPAP treatment in June 2023, she shed 60 pounds and achieved a weight of 140 pounds, with a follow-up study in early 2024 indicating the apnea had resolved. However, after returning the CPAP machine in April 2024 and losing health insurance, her symptoms returned in May 2025, leading to a 20-pound regain. Without a machine, she now relies on meditation and yoga to cope.
Why it matters
The case highlights how untreated sleep apnea can mask as weight issues and affect overall health.
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