Need inspiration. ISO Blood Pressure Cure success stories

mhall444
mhall444 Posts: 4 Member
edited September 2019 in Motivation and Support
I’ve been a My Fitness Pal member for years. I’ve never gotten serious until recently when diagnosed with stroke level blood pressure. I’m now on two medications and it is only somewhat controlled. I still have spikes some days.

I am not a fan of big pharma and want to come off these bp medications. I’ve completely changed my diet, began exercising this week, and am taking supplements and other blood pressuring lowering items.

I’m typically an optimist by nature but this has really worn me down as I’ve been battling it a year. However I’ve only gotten super serious in the last few weeks as I was put on new RX medications as my numbers had risen to stroke levels.

I’m discouraged that it isn’t coming down yet. I’d love to connect with people who have lowered their bp through diet and exercise. I need to hear from you. :)

Thanks in advance for your help!

Replies

  • saraonly9913
    saraonly9913 Posts: 469 Member
    I walked my blood pressure lower and lost weight from the walking and counting calories. But I did crazy walking. 10 miles a day on my treadmill.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,454 Member
    I weighed 285 lbs. Had a CPAP and HBP. But never took meds. When I tried to buy life insurance I was around 140/105. That bumped the premium up significantly. We had two little kids. This was my wake up call. I started weight loss and a modest exercise program. But I rarely went near a Dr.

    When I got around 225 lbs I joined a gym and started training with weights. Probably about a year after that with my weight at around 215 I had a medical appointment where my BP was 120/80. Now, years later I weigh in the low 170s. Last week I was 110/70.

    At 285 I was a stroke waiting to happen. I was lucky.

    Walking is a great idea. Whatever you do as exercise, give yourself enough time for the ramp up. Avoid injury. Start a food diary and learn calorie counting. It works. Use a food scale to crunch the numbers. Give yourself plenty of time with the calorie counting learning curve. You can do this. It takes persistence. Good luck.
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 1,979 Member
    edited September 2019
    I went from an average 130-145/80-85 with 2 pills down to 1 pill and average 110/70....lost 70 lbs so far with diet and exercise...my highest BP reading was 194/104 before going on the pills several years back. (stroke level too)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,718 Member
    I was 'only' 140-something/80-something or so, but I was already (improbably) very athletically active at just into the obese range (183 pounds at 5'5"), and I'm sure that helped a bit. After losing around 50 pounds, 120/75 would be a high reading for me, somewhere in the one-teens over 70 is pretty common. I didn't much change what I ate (I was already eating mostly healthy foods, just giant portions); I changed how much I ate.

    For me, weight loss was what made the difference. YMMV.
  • HazelMayes
    HazelMayes Posts: 187 Member
    I got really sick over the summer (viruses, strep twice, pneumonia, bronchitis) and my blood pressure went from fine to stroke level (so did my blood sugar. my body forgot how to work apparently 🤷‍♀️). I had to go on multiple medications immediately and spent the first two months miserable from both medication side effects and symptoms from the high numbers. I'm at almost the three month mark from first going on meds and things are so much better. I'm still on the blood pressure meds but this week at the doctor we had to discuss when to cut back on dosages--my numbers aren't consistently low enough to lower my daily dose but I have periods where it goes too low and we have a plan for adjusting dosage when it happens and that's the first step to getting off meds at some point! I'm not an off meds success story yet but I'm getting there! I've lost 40 pounds and am careful what I eat and now that I'm feeling better, I'm more active