The Big Awakening

I went for my usual blood donation at the local blood bank. My blood pressure was unusually high,(160/100) but not too high to give blood. The nurse said I should have it checked with my doctor. I've never had blood pressure that high. I made an appointment with my doctor for a physical. This was in Feb. 2009. Before my physical, I looked into lowering my blood pressure with diet, rather than pills. I found the D.A.S.H. diet (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension). It is based on 1600 calories per day and 1500 mg of sodium per day. I was also overweight, too. I started the D.A.S.H. diet before seeing my doctor. When I saw my doctor, she said that the DASH diet was okay, but I also need to do 45 minutes of exercise every day. Well, I belong to a gym and was going a few times a week. But the doctor wanted me to diet and exercise often. This would bring my blood pressure down, I would lose weight, and be more healthy overall. She wanted me to do this rather than go on medication for the rest of my life. She also wanted to see my blood pressure in 3 weeks.

So I made a commitment to myself to get to the gym every day. I didn't have enough time to do 45 minutes every day, but can do 30 minutes. Sometimes I do get 45 minutes in. I enjoy cardio workouts on the treadmill, so I stick to that for most of my workouts. In 3 weeks, I lost 8 pounds and my blood pressure came down to 141/90. I'm trying to bring my blood pressure down more. It's been hovering around 140/90 for the last several months.

Since February, I've lost 32 pounds, and at last check, my blood pressure is still around 140/85-90. I still need to lose around 80 more pounds to be what I consider ideal. A long way to go, but I'm motivated. My diet allows me to eat the foods I like, and now since I've been dieting, I can't eat as much. I also drink more water than I did before.

This wake up call was for the better. I'm eating better, feeling better and feel in control of my eating and exercise habits. I will keep this up as long as I can. I'll check back here now and then to record my progress. If you have any tips or things that worked for you, please leave your comments.