Blood Pressure Medication Slowing results?

tennisgirl86
tennisgirl86 Posts: 4 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I am 26 and have been doing this program since February. I am eating the recommended 1200 net calories to lose a pound and a half a week.. I work out for about an hour 5 to 6 days a week doing various workout like zumba, kickboxing, weights, running and such. I am dissapointed because I have not lost any weight. I don't know if it is because I am on blood pressure medicine which is lowering my heart rare a lot so I may not be burning as many calories as I think? If anyone is on blood pressure medication and having the same difficulties let me know....or if you have any suggestions that would be great!! Thanks!!!

Replies

  • becfrogs
    becfrogs Posts: 39 Member
    I am on 2 bp meds and not exercising until i feel my meds are stable . I don't count fruits and veggies but take in 1300 calories and have been averaging 1/2 to 1 lb loss each week . I am 5'3 so maybe with as much exercise you are doing you may need more cals ? I am new to all this too but there are amazing ppl on here that have the knowledge and can give better advice :)
  • tennisgirl86
    tennisgirl86 Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks for the message! I talked to my sister and she said the same thing too...I may try going up to 1400 to see if that helps! :) Good luck!!!
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    Not sure which meds you are on but sounds like Atenlol maybe? I am on that at 1200 and I am losing at a good rate. It may not be that slowing you down. Have you been tested for Insulin Resistance? That is what slowed me down for so many years.

    I am not a believer of upping calories. Maybe it is because I have lost 80 lbs in a little less than 6 months eating 1200 so I know it can be done. My advice to you is do some research and don't believe everything you read here. They will tell you that you must eat up to your BMR but to lose weight at 1 lb a week you eat 500 under your BMR. So the gospel that they are singing is all wrong. The contradict themselves with every post. Once you are on here long enough you will see it. Google is your friend, poke around and see what you can find on your own.

    Here are a few to start you out--

    http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501
    http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html
    http://fitnessblackbook.com/main/starvation-mode-why-you-probably-never-need-to-worry-about-it/
    http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/weight-loss/truth-starvation-mode
    http://www.adonisindex.com/how-to-get-into-starvation-mode/


    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss-plateau/MY01152
    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/10-ways-to-move-beyond-a-weight-loss-plateau
    http://www.oprah.com/health/Weight-Loss-Advice-Fitness-Plateau-Dr-Katz
  • kimmydear
    kimmydear Posts: 298 Member
    I was on bp meds for about a year after having postpartum preeclampsia and my doctor said it would slow weight loss. Especially beta blockers like atenolol which are made for slowing your heart rate. Other bp meds do different tasks. I'd talk to my doctor.
  • tennisgirl86
    tennisgirl86 Posts: 4 Member
    I am on metoprolol which is similar to the medication that you listed. I would not think that I have Insulin Resistance because my blood sugar has always been normal when it has been tested. I did have one of my kidneys fail (due to a birth defect that I didn't know I had until recently) and wonder if my body is just not off from that. I know your kidneys effect your blood pressure and I have read that it can mess with hormone levels as well. I have always had a difficult time with my weight....but I feel like it has become much harder. I have also noticed that my heart rate is usually in the 50's and 60's...therefore I am wondering if I need to actually eat less because I may not be burning as many calories as a typical person would. I don't have a heart rate monitor...although that would probably be helpful. Thanks for the sites....I will check them out! Congratulations on your weight loss...that is really great!
  • tennisgirl86
    tennisgirl86 Posts: 4 Member
    I was on bp meds for about a year after having postpartum preeclampsia and my doctor said it would slow weight loss. Especially beta blockers like atenolol which are made for slowing your heart rate. Other bp meds do different tasks. I'd talk to my doctor.

    Yea I am thinking that is what my problem is. I had lost about 20lbs before I went on them and would like to lose another 20...kind of at a stand still right now. Are you off your meds now? Has it helped you?
  • BrionyTallis
    BrionyTallis Posts: 90 Member
    Don't eat under your BMR. What is your BMR? Well read below. I can't take credit for the instructions below. It was created by a user Helloitsdan. He has quite a fan base on MFP. I will do my humble best to help you if I can. I have some other interesting articles for you to read if you like this one that will explain why you want to up your calories if you are eating under your BMR. For now do these calculations and add me as a friend if you like.

    Losing Weight Road Map

    This is the best I can do!

    I'll hand you the tools for a successful and sustainable diet that you can use and manipulate to achieve your goals.
    If you are looking to lose weight, you just eat the calories given by doing the simple math and following the directions on the page.
    If you are looking to maintain weight, you add 20% to the number given and youll know approximately what your TDEE is.
    The link is at the bottom of this grand post!

    I've said it several times here on this forum and i'll say it again and again:

    True dieting needs the knowledge of 3 very important numbers.

    1) TDEE or Total Daily Energy Expenditure.
    This is the amount of calories you burn all day.
    From before you wake up in the morning and pee to the time you lay your head down at night to sleep and into the night.
    One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing a post on the forum or on someones Diary "Ugh! I feel sooo guilty because I went over calories today!" when the person went over a few cals over a 40% cut from TDEE.

    Knowing TDEE allows you to understand that anything above TDEE is a surplus and you will "eventually" gain weight.
    Anything at TDEE you maintain weight.
    Anything below TDEE you lose weight to an extent. (see BMR)

    2) BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate or RMR Resting Metabolic Rate.
    If you were in a coma and in the hospital, the doctors would feed you your BMR in calories.
    This ensures you have enough nutrients for vital organs to function.
    http://www.brighthubeducation.com/science-homework-help/107443-ten-essential-organs-in-the-human-body/
    This is just a small list of vital organs in the human body.
    Eating at BMR and staying in bed should maintain things as long as you do nothing at all.
    Most people who start using MFP dont really understand the importance of this BMR number.
    They jump in with both feet thinking "I'm going to lose soooooo much weight and be fantastic!"
    What they dont understand is by not eating back calories from working out, they are netting below BMR.
    The only people who should be eating below BMR are folks who have had Gastric Bypass, 500-700 cals/day, or people who are morbidly obese and only for an extremely short time and only prescribed by their "Nutritionist".

    Most people who eat at or below BMR will lose weight for a short time.
    20-50% of most weight lost on a Very Low Calorie Diet is from Lean Mass.
    This is the opposite of true dieting.
    Most people who diet want to have better looking bodies and live a healthy life.
    They want to reduce fat mass and raise lean mass.
    Eating at BMR or lower actually maintains fat mass while dropping lean mass.

    If the body does not get enough energy from calories in, it will seek ways to slow itself down.
    Leptin levels drop, cortisol levels rise.
    Anabolism stops and catabolism begins.
    The body switches gears hormonally and tries to maintain fat, a non active tissue that stores energy, by burning lean mass, an active tissue that uses calories.
    So in essence fat mass starts to stay the same while lean mass drops.
    You can see how this can extend your dietary lifestyle right?

    Eating at or below BMR with intentions to eat back calories from working out is a convoluted way of thinking.
    We should be eating the proper amount of nutrients first, then creating a deficit with our workouts!
    That way if you miss a workout, you still have the proper nutrients in your system.
    Youll actually have more energy eating right and sleeping right than if you jumped into a VLCD.
    This has been proven!

    3) Body Fat%
    So many people dont really know what their body fat% is.
    I'm shocked every time I ask a member and they dont have a clue!
    Some people dont even know what a safe BF% should be!

    Athletes (6-13% for men, 16-20% for women)
    Fitness (14-17% for men, 21-24% for women)
    Acceptable (18-25% for men, 25-31% for women)
    Obese (25%+ for men, 32%+ for women)

    A good way to diet correctly is to set a body fat% goal as opposed to a weight goal.
    The human body fluctuates up to 5lbs on average daily!
    That would drive any person crazy who likes jumping on the scale every 30 mins!
    Measuring body fat is a more sane approach to the diet.
    Expecting a 2-5% change in a month is certainly acceptable in the lower ranges.
    In the higher ranges it really depends on your BF%, macronutrients and workout routine.
    An interesting paper written by Martin Berkhan, creator of www.LeanGains.com talks about the amount of fat the human body can burn in a day. After reading it I started working out 3 times a week and had better results than working out 5 days a week.
    https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=160054937436250

    Understanding body fat and how you lose it will certainly keep you from hopping on the scale every day and probably have you running up to GNC for a handy set of calipers $20.

    So now that I have given you the 3 most important numbers to always know while dieting, i'll give you a good source to figure all this information out on your own.
    This was the first source I used to help myself and countless others to lose weight.
    Once you have this link you can keep using it as you drop weight and body fat to recalculate your numbers.
    Remember that as lean mass rises and fat mass drops, youll have different nutritional needs!

    To truly benefit from a FAT BURNING program you will need to have some type of resistance training.
    If you are not lifting weights or doing body weight workouts, you will have a very hard time maintaining lean mass while in a caloric deficit.
    I always suggest for gym goers, the Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength programs.
    Both teach basic compound moves and can help catapult your strength.
    I'm sure you can find many other lifting programs but do keep in mind, if you lift Minnie Mouse dumbbells youll have Minnie Mouse muscles. =D

    Cardio is great for accelerated fat loss but if you are overweight or obese I would only recommend a brisk walk.
    Every pound of fat on your stomach is 8 on the knees and 10 on the upper back.
    Once you get down to an acceptable BF level then run to your hearts content.

    So here is the link.
    Use it in good health!

    visit http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
    Do the Military Body Fat Calc first, then the BMR tool.
    The Military BF calc is accurate up to about 2%.
    The BMR tool will give EXACT calories to eat on a daily basis.
    This number is static and I only recommend eating back so your NET is at least 200 above BMR.
    Add 20% to suggested calories to know your TDEE.
    Use the Katch McGardle BMR number to know your BMR.
    Never eat at or below BMR.
    For Fat loss plans set up macros at 30% Protein/Fat.
    This % is only because MFP wont allow single %.

    For more fine tuned macronutrients.....
    1g Protein per lean body mass or total goal weight.
    .35-.60g Fat per LBM or total goal weight.

    Most of the time these numbers are close to 30% of total daily cals.

    If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.
    If I missed something important please let me know.
  • BrionyTallis
    BrionyTallis Posts: 90 Member
    And oh btw, I take atenolol and every day that I eat below my BMR I stop losing weight. Every day I eat the calories calculated using the above method and doing my exercising I go back to losing weight.
  • jsp2374
    jsp2374 Posts: 131 Member
    I'm on blood pressure medicine which lowers my heart rate and am losing fine. Although I am eating a heck of a lot more than you as well. I have my diary set for roughly 500 under my TDEE. Which I figured out using my FITBIT, which I lost yesterday, but that is a whole other thread.

    Ave you read the In Place of a Road Map post.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map

    I wasn't losing well or much at all until I did what he says. Oh and make sure you have your active level right. As it turned out I was burning a lot more during a day than I realised.
  • jsp2374
    jsp2374 Posts: 131 Member
    Not sure which meds you are on but sounds like Atenlol maybe? I am on that at 1200 and I am losing at a good rate. It may not be that slowing you down. Have you been tested for Insulin Resistance? That is what slowed me down for so many years.

    I am not a believer of upping calories. Maybe it is because I have lost 80 lbs in a little less than 6 months eating 1200 so I know it can be done. My advice to you is do some research and don't believe everything you read here. They will tell you that you must eat up to your BMR but to lose weight at 1 lb a week you eat 500 under your BMR. So the gospel that they are singing is all wrong. The contradict themselves with every post. Once you are on here long enough you will see it. Google is your friend, poke around and see what you can find on your own.

    You DO NOT eat 500 under your BMR, you eat 500 UNDER your TDEE. My BMR is 1472 but my TDEE is 2500-2700 depending on the day. I eat at 2000-2151 and am doing great. Not to mention I am not hungry and I can actually eat ice cream when I want to.
  • kimmydear
    kimmydear Posts: 298 Member
    Yes off meds now for about 6 months. I did not hit the weight loss thing though until a couple months ago, so I can't really tell you if it's helped with that. I was nursing a baby up till recently too which usually stalls my weight loss too. But I can tell you that I had A LOT more energy once I got off atenolol. It was a slow progression from that to another med to another med and then off.
  • jsp2374
    jsp2374 Posts: 131 Member
    THIS read this. I am on atenolol as well. My Heart Rate was resting in the 100's before I started it, and I couldn't lose anything then.

    Don't eat under your BMR. What is your BMR? Well read below. I can't take credit for the instructions below. It was created by a user Helloitsdan. He has quite a fan base on MFP. I will do my humble best to help you if I can. I have some other interesting articles for you to read if you like this one that will explain why you want to up your calories if you are eating under your BMR. For now do these calculations and add me as a friend if you like.

    Losing Weight Road Map

    This is the best I can do!

    I'll hand you the tools for a successful and sustainable diet that you can use and manipulate to achieve your goals.
    If you are looking to lose weight, you just eat the calories given by doing the simple math and following the directions on the page.
    If you are looking to maintain weight, you add 20% to the number given and youll know approximately what your TDEE is.
    The link is at the bottom of this grand post!

    I've said it several times here on this forum and i'll say it again and again:

    True dieting needs the knowledge of 3 very important numbers.

    1) TDEE or Total Daily Energy Expenditure.
    This is the amount of calories you burn all day.
    From before you wake up in the morning and pee to the time you lay your head down at night to sleep and into the night.
    One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing a post on the forum or on someones Diary "Ugh! I feel sooo guilty because I went over calories today!" when the person went over a few cals over a 40% cut from TDEE.

    Knowing TDEE allows you to understand that anything above TDEE is a surplus and you will "eventually" gain weight.
    Anything at TDEE you maintain weight.
    Anything below TDEE you lose weight to an extent. (see BMR)

    2) BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate or RMR Resting Metabolic Rate.
    If you were in a coma and in the hospital, the doctors would feed you your BMR in calories.
    This ensures you have enough nutrients for vital organs to function.
    http://www.brighthubeducation.com/science-homework-help/107443-ten-essential-organs-in-the-human-body/
    This is just a small list of vital organs in the human body.
    Eating at BMR and staying in bed should maintain things as long as you do nothing at all.
    Most people who start using MFP dont really understand the importance of this BMR number.
    They jump in with both feet thinking "I'm going to lose soooooo much weight and be fantastic!"
    What they dont understand is by not eating back calories from working out, they are netting below BMR.
    The only people who should be eating below BMR are folks who have had Gastric Bypass, 500-700 cals/day, or people who are morbidly obese and only for an extremely short time and only prescribed by their "Nutritionist".

    Most people who eat at or below BMR will lose weight for a short time.
    20-50% of most weight lost on a Very Low Calorie Diet is from Lean Mass.
    This is the opposite of true dieting.
    Most people who diet want to have better looking bodies and live a healthy life.
    They want to reduce fat mass and raise lean mass.
    Eating at BMR or lower actually maintains fat mass while dropping lean mass.

    If the body does not get enough energy from calories in, it will seek ways to slow itself down.
    Leptin levels drop, cortisol levels rise.
    Anabolism stops and catabolism begins.
    The body switches gears hormonally and tries to maintain fat, a non active tissue that stores energy, by burning lean mass, an active tissue that uses calories.
    So in essence fat mass starts to stay the same while lean mass drops.
    You can see how this can extend your dietary lifestyle right?

    Eating at or below BMR with intentions to eat back calories from working out is a convoluted way of thinking.
    We should be eating the proper amount of nutrients first, then creating a deficit with our workouts!
    That way if you miss a workout, you still have the proper nutrients in your system.
    Youll actually have more energy eating right and sleeping right than if you jumped into a VLCD.
    This has been proven!

    3) Body Fat%
    So many people dont really know what their body fat% is.
    I'm shocked every time I ask a member and they dont have a clue!
    Some people dont even know what a safe BF% should be!

    Athletes (6-13% for men, 16-20% for women)
    Fitness (14-17% for men, 21-24% for women)
    Acceptable (18-25% for men, 25-31% for women)
    Obese (25%+ for men, 32%+ for women)

    A good way to diet correctly is to set a body fat% goal as opposed to a weight goal.
    The human body fluctuates up to 5lbs on average daily!
    That would drive any person crazy who likes jumping on the scale every 30 mins!
    Measuring body fat is a more sane approach to the diet.
    Expecting a 2-5% change in a month is certainly acceptable in the lower ranges.
    In the higher ranges it really depends on your BF%, macronutrients and workout routine.
    An interesting paper written by Martin Berkhan, creator of www.LeanGains.com talks about the amount of fat the human body can burn in a day. After reading it I started working out 3 times a week and had better results than working out 5 days a week.
    https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=160054937436250

    Understanding body fat and how you lose it will certainly keep you from hopping on the scale every day and probably have you running up to GNC for a handy set of calipers $20.

    So now that I have given you the 3 most important numbers to always know while dieting, i'll give you a good source to figure all this information out on your own.
    This was the first source I used to help myself and countless others to lose weight.
    Once you have this link you can keep using it as you drop weight and body fat to recalculate your numbers.
    Remember that as lean mass rises and fat mass drops, youll have different nutritional needs!

    To truly benefit from a FAT BURNING program you will need to have some type of resistance training.
    If you are not lifting weights or doing body weight workouts, you will have a very hard time maintaining lean mass while in a caloric deficit.
    I always suggest for gym goers, the Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength programs.
    Both teach basic compound moves and can help catapult your strength.
    I'm sure you can find many other lifting programs but do keep in mind, if you lift Minnie Mouse dumbbells youll have Minnie Mouse muscles. =D

    Cardio is great for accelerated fat loss but if you are overweight or obese I would only recommend a brisk walk.
    Every pound of fat on your stomach is 8 on the knees and 10 on the upper back.
    Once you get down to an acceptable BF level then run to your hearts content.

    So here is the link.
    Use it in good health!

    visit http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
    Do the Military Body Fat Calc first, then the BMR tool.
    The Military BF calc is accurate up to about 2%.
    The BMR tool will give EXACT calories to eat on a daily basis.
    This number is static and I only recommend eating back so your NET is at least 200 above BMR.
    Add 20% to suggested calories to know your TDEE.
    Use the Katch McGardle BMR number to know your BMR.
    Never eat at or below BMR.
    For Fat loss plans set up macros at 30% Protein/Fat.
    This % is only because MFP wont allow single %.

    For more fine tuned macronutrients.....
    1g Protein per lean body mass or total goal weight.
    .35-.60g Fat per LBM or total goal weight.

    Most of the time these numbers are close to 30% of total daily cals.

    If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.
    If I missed something important please let me know.
  • TinaS70
    TinaS70 Posts: 52 Member
    bump
This discussion has been closed.