Blood pressure success stories?

Hi there!
Yes, I was getting readings as high as 163/103 and my doc said its time to lose weight and she also put me on a diuretic to lose some water weight that had been creeping up on my ankles. I am not on BP meds, just the water pill. That was at the beginning of February and I've since shed 22 pounds and my BP has stabilized at a textbook 120/80. I'm nearing the end of my diuretic prescription and am assuming I may regain a few water pounds, but I am now on this weight loss journey for the long haul, so I'm staying focused on the long term weight loss. I am 34 yrs old, sw was 206, cw is 184, gw is 160. I'm 5'9. I am walking more and eating at a deficit. hope that helps!

I went from elevated to high blood pressure as I gained weight and it got to the point where my doctor was going to put me on meds for it. He never did though and since that time I have lost 70lbs and work out faithfully, my readings are now always in the normal range. It took a bit of time but I did see my numbers come down slowly (I use a home bp monitor).

It's not really radical because mine was never high, but as I've added more exercise and dropped weight (40 lbs as of last physical) it's dropped from consistently being 120/80 to 105/60. I'm sorta eager to see what I get the next time I go for a physical, because I'm 20 more lbs down now.

Unfortunately for me, it is the only thing that I haven't been able to reverse with diet and exercise...I'm off all of my other meds besides my BP meds. In my case, it's more about heredity than it is diet and exercise because I rock both of those and I still run around 163/110 with a RHR of 110 without my meds.

I have hypertension that is in part due to a kidney transplant and the associated medications; I was up at 190/110 at one doctor's visit, at which time they turned me around and said "go see your transplant doc and get on BP meds /now/". I've lost about 20 pounds in the past year, and my BP has definitely gone down! I was at 110/70 at a recent appointment, and my doc is talking about reducing my dosage if my BP continues to drop (which I hope will happen as I continue to lose weight and exercise). I may never be able to be totally off it, but a lower dose would be a triumph.

One huge thing that I've found helpful about MFP is the ability to track your sodium intake. I still struggle with it- so much food has added salt- but just being aware of how much sodium I'm taking in has been helpful in reducing it. I think reducing salt in my diet has had as much effect on my blood pressure as losing weight has. If you're interested, try googling the DASH diet- it's a scientific, peer-reviewed program from the NIH that's been shown to help reduce blood pressure (it's not specifically designed for weight loss, but you can incorporate a lot of its recommendations in a weight loss plan.)

Yes, I was diagnosed with high bp when I turned 40. Mine was all weight related as I was 237 lbs.
I was on 3 medications for it! Almost a year after this I finally woke up and started to get the weight off. As it came off, the medicines had been reduced in dosages and then removed. Now I am just taking a small dosage of 1 last pill of which I hope the Dr will let me say good bye to this next appt. I feel better than ever on all accounts! My bp has been very normal for quite some time now.

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure at the age of 26 (150/115), and was placed on medication. I'm now 33 (will be 34 in September). Started working out at the beginning of 2013, and got my nutrition on track. Blood pressure is 110/65.

130ish/90ish to 118/73 at my last checkup. Medication I was on had helped contribute to both my weight gain and my blood pressure issues. Being removed from it as well as exercise have helped to lower it quite a bit in just two months.

Unfortunately, my BP is just high. Has been ever since I can remember... Through skinny and fat, sickness and in health. I blame my mother and her bad genes.

Fortunately, mine is controlled by a simple water pill. The only time my mom's was ever normal without medication is when she was pregnant with me. I wonder if I'll be the same.

I had high blood pressure when I was pregnant with my 1st, (21 yrs old) that just never went away, regardless of pregnant or not. I was miserable being on medication that made me very tired. While going through a divorce, I decided I needed to get off meds and have enough energy to be a single mom. I was never overweight exactly outside of pregnancy, but I didn't exercise at all, and ate just kinda whatever. I've spent the last 4 years working on my health, going from walking, to running, to lifting and HIIT types of cardio, plus a diet of mostly veggies, fruit, meat, dairy and some grains. I haven't taken any meds in years! I take my BP every few days, my last was 106/68 with resting heart rate of 51! It can be done!

I was put on HCTZ and amlodopine due to HBP about 2 years ago. My doctor wanted me to lose weight and lower my salt, but I was stupid and didn't start back then. Even on two meds, my blood pressure was 140/100. Off meds I would go up to 176/110. Since I started counting calories and exercising at the end of February, I've lost 20 pounds. I'm only on one blood pressure med and am slowly being weaned off that as well. My blood pressure now is 116/74.

I have had low BP all my life but when I went to the doc in November it was high. I don't remember exactly but similar to yours or maybe a tiny bit lower. I have only lost 18 pounds but I check it in the grocery store at those things by the pharmacy and it was normal the last two times I checked. The last time was 102/62 (My past BP was always like this to about 110/70).

I had been on BP meds for a few years, but last summer after losing 60 pounds and working out regularly, my doctor took me off them. It was one of my happiest moments! She also took me off cholesterol meds. My BP and cholesterol levels are good now, and I want to keep them that way.

When I started here (BMI 44%) I was on Lisinopril & Hydrochlorothiazide for hypertension (also was on 2 meds for cholesterol/lipid issues & metformin for type 2)

I was taken off ALL meds in Sept 2013 and per my MD, no longer carry those 3 diagnoses. So yep, losing weight & exercising works wonders, at least in my case, ymmv.

BMI now 22.9% and my BP today at MD appt was 114/58

I was wondering if some of you have had some radical changes in your BP as a result of exercising more and eating a healthier diet.

I'm currently at 138/92, I'm 40 y.o, 6'2" and about 230 lbs (on a good day, ha!). I ve tried BP meds before, and while they do a good job lowering the BP, I found my sex drive floundering. Anyone else experience this?

Thanks

Hi there! Your introduction made me laugh...you trying to wiggle your way out of exercising and eating healthy..? There is no doubt about the benefits! Get moving....lol

About your blood pressure reading: Best done early in the morning, before breakfast, properly seated on a chair with a back rest, feet flat on the ground, arm relaxed on the table not higher than your heart...breathe easy and keep your mouth shut. That's how you get the best and most comparable results, because BP can jump crazy throughout the day. Also, if you have it done at the doctor's office, take a few minutes after the first reading, have a second reading done. It's very likely better, because the anxiety is gone. There are people who's BP goes through the roof just by walking into a healthcare facility...
About your seize/weight: Not so much a problem as such, BUT the real question is 'what's your body composition?' I suggest you get a fitness/body composition assessment to find out where you carry the fat, and what body fat percentage you carry. If it's around the midsection, it has to go, because that's where a bunch of health problems originate, not only for guys. And your sex drive might be hidden there..right there with your 6-pack. That's were the healthy eating comes in, because you can't out-exercise junk food....

You didn't specify which BP meds you were taking, but something as simple as water pills shouldn't be causing any problems, as they are only helping to remove excess water from your system. However, you would still have to drink up during the day, any day to prevent dehydration, medication or not.

I never had a problem with high BP myself (female, 50 yr, 5'5", 134 lbs, 17 % BF, training 6x per week, eating about 80% clean), but the rest of my family has always been on and off some kind of medication, mostly because they refuse to change even minor eating habits, like reducing sodium intake. It works for a while, and then they just give up again. They get a lot of exercise around the farm, but they are still pushing a big gut around in front of them...and they just wonder about me....hahaha... I have to add, that high BP does not run in my family. It always came with bad lifestyle choices.

Just a few of my personal experiences...maybe you find some of them helpful. Good luck!