Blood pressure update

[vampyrewolf]

Just in case anyone is wondering... I'm still kicking.

Lost 20lbs since october and have kept it off, haven't lost any more since I went to a healthier menu but I'm also snacking more often (woo, fruit bars, dried fruit, and coated soybeans...)

*Cut beer WAY down (went from 8-10 pint on the weekend down to 2-3 pint IF i go out, think I've had 20 pint total since xmas).

*cut pop WAY down, from drinking a 2litre in a day to having a 12 pack of cans last me just about 3 months. Now it's iced tea and orange juice when I'm sick of my water... and that's 2-3 litres a day.

*cut salt down to ~1000mg/day total (and I'm very picky about what I buy now)

*still taking the pills, and meditate at least 20min a night. Also started taking apple cider vinegar a week ago (the organic, unpasturized stuff).

*eating bulgar wheat instead of rice (high potassium, high fibre)

Last 3 readings have been back to where I was 3 years ago (in the high end of normal), 8 of the last 10 have been in the range I'm supposed to be (under 135/80).

So I'm slowly getting healthy again, go for more testing next week and see the doc in 2 weeks to see what he says (and to check if my meter matches his values).

[vampyrewolf]

And I found the trick to eating food that all looks and tastes the same (only so many ways to season chicken breast, mixed veggies and bulgar wheat)... spoiling myself once a week.

nice big greasy 2-3 patty loaded burger and a big cold coke, or sunday's medium-rare steak sandwich and beer for lunch.

[Sequimite]

Congratulations, glad to hear the blood pressure is under control.

Maybe you could get a prescription to force Kristi to reveal the forum knife so you wouldn't have to deal with that additional stress.

I'm in the fourth of my healthy eating and exercise program and am on schedule but have a long way to go.

Take care.

[DAYWALKER]

Cripes Vampyrebunny...

Now, coffee was not mentioned anywhere in your diet...ya still drinking the stuff?:eek:

God bless bro, and sorry I have been out of touch...:o

[vampyrewolf]

I don't touch the coffee at work, usually just fire up the burr mill and use the bodum press for a couple cups at night. My automatic pot hasn't been used in over a month.

I'd rather sit and enjoy my coffee than mindlessly drink a pot while staring at a screen. Grab a good book and my coffee after supper and read till my bodum press is empty (2 cups).

I've been going to the local roastery and grabbing a 1/2lbs bag of "whatever's the freshest" or "surprise me". The mystery coffee roulette has only failed me twice, so I've had good luck with it so far.

Was out tonight to one of the starbucks here (she was buying so I couldn't complain), and they didn't kill the capp).

[clovisc]

congrats, pat. i'm glad the healthier lifestyle is working out.

my girlfriend bought me a breville juicer for valentine's day (i got it a bit early)... only $100. it's literally like a jet engine that makes juice, for $100. i use it a couple times a day, to produce unbelievably fresh and nutritious juice. its one of the things i look forwards to most, every day. and its my favorite way to spoil myself. next time you're looking for an awesome toy, give a breville your consideration... :D

[tonydahose]

congrats on getting better....at least you still spoil yourself once a week...you need something to look foward to. one question what does the apple vinegar do for you?

[vampyrewolf]

supposed to increase metabolism and lower blood pressure (likely due to the potassium in it), among a long list. If you get the unpasturized (still has the "mother" from the 1st stage of fermentation, it'll be cloudy) it has a lot of chemical compounds the clear stuff doesn't. I figure it can't hurt if it does anything.

I have noticed being hungry sooner after a meal, which is why I'm snacking more. I imagine if I cut the snacks out I might lose a couple pounds, but at least it's healthy snacking.

I've always followed an 80/20 rule for food... eat well 80% of the time, and eat what I want the other 20%. That means if I want to sit there and eat a 2lbs steak, I'm eating a 2lbs steak smothered in mushrooms and onions... or I'll go and grab a 12" pizza for myself and eat it all.... or a bucket of chicken...
My cholesterol was rock bottom when the blood work came back a couple weeks ago, so obviously that has worked there.
The only difference there has been was healthier food 90% of the time and making that other 10% count.

[vampyrewolf]

congrats, pat. i'm glad the healthier lifestyle is working out.

my girlfriend bought me a breville juicer for valentine's day (i got it a bit early)... only $100. it's literally like a jet engine that makes juice, for $100. i use it a couple times a day, to produce unbelievably fresh and nutritious juice. its one of the things i look forwards to most, every day. and its my favorite way to spoil myself. next time you're looking for an awesome toy, give a breville your consideration... :D

Have to look into that, probably cheaper in the long run than buying OJ at the store.

[gac]

Good work. A 20 lbs drop has to make you feel better.

[vampyrewolf]

I could still lose another 20lbs or more, holding at the 205-210 range since early-January.

I was 185lbs when I finished highschool (2002), was 175lbs when I killed my wrist (2004), shot to 205 in 3 months and came back down to 185lbs. Was 185lbs again when I finished my last education (2006), holding 185-190 until I moved to day shift in fall 07. Went to 205, then 215, and was 225 after a year of days... was missing my walk after work and eating larger healthy meals, and I was sitting and watching TV after I got home, usually with a bag of chips beside me.
Blood pressure was holding 126/78 from grade 10 (when I started checking, since my body was being abused for wresting) up until I started working here. Even that 30lbs swing (175-205) didn't affect it.

I'm by no means fat (44" shoulders, 17" neck, 34" jeans), just have fat on the obliques and ab to trim off... but I am a little overweight. I'd be happy to get back to the 175lbs mark again but that'll have to wait till I get back into biking shape this summer. If my shoulder wasn't out of commission this spring I'd be picking up a heavy bag for the basement. Even have 2 sets of freeweights (110lbs and 250lbs sets) and a bench down there.
Finally have my wrist in better shape and seperated my shoulder at xmas. Another few months of rebuilding that before I start the benchpress again.

I'll lose the extra weight before it snows again, should be interesting to see what I look like in the fall.

[clovisc]

Have to look into that, probably cheaper in the long run than buying OJ at the store.

way cheaper, and way more nutritious.

i did an experiment back in january where i started purposely spending more money on food... concentrating on juices full of vitamins... to see if it improved my mood and energy level. it did an unbelievable world of good for me. i quickly ended up getting into a habit of spending $7-$10 per day on high-test juices...

not only does the juicer save me a ton of cash... i get more vitamins, fresher juice... and WAY better taste. the key is drinking it as soon as you make it. nutrient levels start dropping after 10-15 minutes of the freshly made juice sitting around... even the fridge doesn't help that much. think of an apple turning brown.

you just have to be careful not to use too much fruit -- you'll get a serious sugar high, then an awful crash. you gotta make good use of vegetables.

the best part is coming up with recipes. my standard concoction is 7 carrots, a navel orange or 2 tangerines, then a quarter of a lime and/or ginger.

the breville is awesome. drop a kiwi fruit in, it's completely gone as fast as you can blink. its a little disappointing... spending 5 minutes or so getting a pile of fruits and veggies ready, just to see them all disappear in under 30 seconds. :D

its also nice not having to worry about eating vegetables for dinner... ;)

i'm about exactly the same measurements as you, patrick, and have been around 200 lbs. when the weather warms up a bit, i usually tend to be more active, and hovering around 190.

before i moved to africa, i tried to bulk up... constant exercise, rigorous hung gar kung fu training, and lots and lots of meat and protein. i got up to 200 lbs by the end of the summer... then proceeded to lose 35 lbs my first month in zambia. i was as skinny as a rail the entire year+ that i was there... then came back, and got up to more like 175. after a few months (most of them spent being vegan), i got to 185. after moving to alaska and eating and catching a million-bazillion salmon... hiking all the time... its been 190-200lbs, depending on the time of year. that feels pretty healthy to me... definitely way healthier than being insanely skinny.

i'd say, as long as you're avoiding refined sugars (no fructose corn syrup for me, ever!), keeping the sodium in check, eating healthy food (including lots of natural stuff, and fruits and veggies), laying off the sugar-laden booze, getting some exercise in, and living without too much stress... your body should naturally balance itself out.

if you want to drop lots of weight really fast, you can always move out to the bush in a developing african nation, and eat what the locals eat for a while... i can send you some jerky, to help ease the transition... ;)

[bowarrow2000]

Vampyrewolf ,keep working at it. I had the hi BP and got stuck on that BP med about 6 yrs ago. To make a long story short I started working out 6 days a week, watching what I ate, cut out the junk and last week the Dr. took me off the BP meds. At the same time he told me to consider giving up running. My last timed run beat me up a little more than I had expected. Now I do fast walks up inclines for about an hour and other cardio exercises.
So hang in there friend you will get there sooner or later.

[vampyrewolf]

Just had to bump this up...

Sunday I thought I was doing well at 112/64.

Just read at 102/70 :D

Mid June I moved from warranty to QA, now spend most of my day walking between the buildings (about 200' across the street) and a lot of time walking around the main one. So by watching my diet (despite going out for lunch daily), and adding in a little more exercise... we're down 14 points since may :eek:

I don't include the numbers from the docs office in this chart. The one at their nurses station puts me 10-15 points higher, and their scale put me 30lbs heavy (every other scale puts me in the 208-210 range, the doc's office had me at 240).

january avg 142.8 83.1
febuary avg 130.07 78.53
march avg 127.7 76.5
april avg 123 71.5
may avg 123 72.33
june avg 114.67 71.67
july avg 115.67 69
august avg 109.33 69.67

[SlideTechnik]

Nice man. A lot of people don't realize that being healthy is a lifestyle, not an intermittent internal battle to temporarily alter your behavior for a little while and stop once you get "in range".

Hats off to you sir.

[dialex]

Hi Pat,
Glad to hear that you take care of yourself. Just keep it this way. :)

[vampyrewolf]

Hopefully when I see the doc in October I can get off the meds.

I was put on indapamide in January, switched over to coversyl plus in early April. But I wasn't in the "normal" range until I got walking all day. I have a feeling that dropping my coffee has helped too.



Most days I don't have anything for breakfast, I'm starving by lunch (1115) and usually either hit quiznos or wendy's. Starving again by the time I get home (1630-1645) and grab yoghurt or berries for a snack. Eat healthy for supper (1830), and slice up tomatoes and mushrooms for my snack later on (2200-2300) with tzatiki to dip.

Drink herbal tea all day at work. Boxes of both organic peppermint tea (ingredients: organic pepperment leaves... thats it.) and organic rooibos herbal (bags here at work, loose tea at home) on my desk. I have coffee on the weekends.

[Water Bug]

Congratulations on your achievements in a healthier you!

And, you got a good game plan going... eating the right things, keeping things in moderation, exercising, and treating yourself every once in a while. It makes those treats even more special and meaningful... kind of like a reward for a job well done.

[vampyrewolf]

Quick update if anyone's concerned...

One refill of pills left and I'm off em.

Just measured, got 101/71.

I allow myself one coffee a day, first thing in the morning or my brain takes another hour to engage.

Usual meals:
breakfast (0800ish sitting at my desk): 2 pouches of Quaker oatmeal, orange juice or coffee
lunch (1130ish) I have more freedom. Soup and sandwich from the work cafeteria, Tuna and rice from the grocer store, or go out for lunch (usually quiznos, subway, arby's, sometimes wendy's or a&w).
snack (1500ish) snack sized chocolate bar or fruit bar
supper (1800ish) always changes. Biggest challenge has been smaller portions.
Late snack (2300ish) snack sized chocolate bar or a few chips (still crave salty food).

I go through a 30 bottle flat of water in a little under 2 weeks, on top of drinking herbal or green tea all day. Haven't lost any weight, but blood pressure is holding right in the middle of what is considered "normal". Hell of an improvement over the same time last year :D

[FIMS]

*cut pop WAY down, from drinking a 2litre in a day to having a 12 pack of cans last me just about 3 months. Now it's iced tea and orange juice when I'm sick of my water... and that's 2-3 litres a day.

No offence but that line made me want to puke. Im am lucky if I drink 2L of pop in a year.

Iced tea and orange juice is just the same since the juice may raise your glycemic levels just as much.

I shake my head when people abuse themselves like this, however I give you kudos for being proactive about it and doing something about your health.

I found the best way to get rifd of pop and all that instant gratification juices and other drinks, is to drink carbonated water.

Perrier, or what ever. I buy it by the case at the local store and get the "No name" brand since it is so much cheaper.

It has a very low mineral/salt content, but the reason why it works is because of the texture from the carbonated properties. It doesn't taste like water but feels like pop and fools your body. And the minerals will help with your salt cravings.

Try this instead.

The burger cheating on weekends is fine, but washing it down with all that pop really cancels out everything else you are doing.

You sound like a young-buck, so after work you should be doing way more than just a "Walk".

Free weights at home and a heavy bag will be a fleeting trend if used at home. You really need to get out there and hit a gym hard maybe 3 times a week. Twice during the work week and once on Saturdays.

Im in LE. Ive been in four car accidents since 2003 and have many injuries that plague me. But my health really is all I have and all that I can control. The same with you.

People will spend more on Spydercos than they will on a gym membership in a year.

Day shift sucks, I know, I do seven days in a row, 10 hours each, but I am at the gym a minimum of four of them after each shift.

Sorry if I am ranting but you need to get out and do more.

If interested I can get you started with a program at the gym. Very easy low impact for the first little while.

Your health is your future.

[vampyrewolf]

The post you quoted from was from march when I was starting to take care of myself.

Think I've gone through a 2litre of coke in the last couple weeks, and when I refer to iced tea I'm talking about brewed and cooled.

I should be hitting the gym, more so because it's getting colder out and the treadmill isn't exactly inspiring to walk on daily. Have a good one a couple km from the house, haven't checked the hours though.

Haven't been in a gym for about 4 years, so I'm out of shape and no tone at all. I could probably be back in shape by the spring if I went every couple days though, if the last time I was using a gym was any indication.

[FIMS]

Little steps is all it takes.

We Canucks need to stick together.

[vampyrewolf]

It's just a case of finding one that's open late. If I don't get home till 1630hrs, that means I'm not going to be done at the gym till 1800hrs or later. Have to stop by but the webpage says this one is open till midnight mon-thur and 10pm friday.

If I get my cardio back up it won't take me long to get in shape. I'd probably take a month to get back to where it should be though before I can really work on bulk and tone (2 good injuries, 50lbs and 5 years ago I had some decent muscle going).

[Kuolema]

I applaud you, sir. Today I had to hand in an Essay on the seventh floor of the U of S arts tower. Figured I'd take the stairs, got to about level 6 when I started wheezing. A far cry from my football playing days. Takes a lot of dedication to stick the plan, you seem to be pretty damned determined. Keep it up :cool:

[vampyrewolf]

dedication or stubbornness, end result is the same. If my body could take it I'd hit the gym 5-6 days a week if it'd get me in shape faster :p

I'd post a pic now and in 6 months, but I'd be getting bills for psych treatment :rolleyes:

[Slick]

VW your health concerns worry me. I have never chosen to share my health concerns on a forum. Since you have you should expect lots of advise and encoragement. I would like to add some encouragement. My advise is rather thin. My good advise is so thin most everything I think to say has already been covered here. My additional advise is to reiterate you should slow down and put yor health first. I suspect you are well on your way to doing this from the info in this thread. I also sense you are not a go slow kind of guy. I did not use to be "go slow" but at as my age increases and my health falters I find going slower the best course. I hate it but age is catching up with me. On the flip side I am getting smarter with age. My brain is shrinking but my experience grows.

This post is almost off off topic and way and longer than intended.

I wish you well VW.

[Water Bug]

Thanks for the update and congratulations on the progress so far! Sounds like you have a good basis now to progress further, but as mentioned by some, make it a gradual progression and never give up hope or be discouraged. As the old saying goes, "Good things take time."