re: High blood pressure

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more cardio... cut out as many processed foods as you can, including "diet" soft drinks.

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i drink the zero drinks...was told drink water. So I went and got a 48 pack...drinking water now

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Im 6'0 200lbs

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I'm 43 yrs old, 6'4" 201 lbs, and I take meds for high blood pressure. I'm active 5-6 days per week doing cardio or weight lifting. I try to minimize my salt intake and I still have to take meds. Don't drink or smoke. Mine is due to it being hereditary. Damn never everyone in my family has it on both sides. I can imagine if I was a lazy fat arse that sat on the couch all day long and didn't do shite. I'll probably be dead or at a minimum have had a stroke by age 50.

you arent that much overweight, but doesnt sound like you lift either and 6'200 if not lifting is fat.

You dont need to lose 30lbs nor would you look like an aids patient if you were lifting and eating properly.

But if you lost 15-20 it would be a big help. Along with starting to lift and overall move more often.

For diet, well just priortize lean meats and veggies for now making sure you eat those first. At this point no need for you to really go much more serious than that. Stay away from soft drinks, sugary coffee, fried foods, traditional cajun food etc. and cut out alcohol other than maybe once a week at most.

Learn to grill some meat and veggies with small amounts of other sides. I know thats a big change compared to the way most in south LA eat with the gravies almost every night.

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43 yrs old, 6'4" 201 lbs, and I take meds for high blood pressure. I'm active 5-6 days per week doing cardio or weight lifting. I try to minimize my salt intake and I still have to take meds. Don't drink or smoke. Mine is due to it being hereditary. Damn never everyone in my family has it on both sides. I can imagine if I was a lazy fat arse that sat on the couch all day long and didn't do shite. I'll probably be dead or at a minimum have had a stroke by age 50.

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I'm getting used to lowering the salt thing. I don't drink or smoke so. Thanks for sharing.

You need to lose 20-30 lbs bro.

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I'm getting used to lowering the salt thing. I don't drink or smoke so. Thanks for sharing.

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Generally speaking, we over salt everything. Restaurants and fast food places can easily cut the salt by 50% and still maintain the same taste of their foods. When fast food places salt fries, they always overdo it. So I always ask for no salt on my fries whenever I do stop for a quick bit on the road. By doing so, it always forces them to also give me fresh cook fries too.

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lifting

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Keep in mind aerobic exercise is more effective than resistance training for reducing BP and heart rate. It is also more effective at increasing VO2 Max and other associated cardiopulmonary variables.

I fought against hypertension meds for years because everyone I'd known who used them got (a) lethargic, (b) limp dick, and (c) gained weight and I said to hell with that, I'd rather have the hypertension!

When I told my dr that, he said that can be true with some types of BP meds (ACE inhibitors or maybe alpha blockers I think but not sure). We tried a couple different kinds before settling on an ARB-II (Angiotensin II receptor blocker) - specifically Valsartan, which is a generic for Diovan.

That's been great with literally zero side effects and I've very pleased at the results, my BP is routinely within a few points of 120/80, usually a few points lower. That was about the 3rd one we tried though and the first two (don't recall what they were now) had side effects as listed.

There are several types that work different ways.

Types of hypertension meds

DO NOT just take what they give you and live with any side effects! If you don't like the side effects, tell you doctor to change your meds. If they won't, find another doctor.

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A couple people told me they gained 20lbs or so because of the side effect of their meds.

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I would DEFINITELY base any decision I might make on the advice of a couple of people’s opinions.

I’ll try to phrase this more gently than is the norm here:

If my Doctor told me I had hypertension and that I would need to be put on meds to regulate it, I’d radically change my diet and activity level to work like hell to get to a point where I minimized the medication level or (hopefully) did not need medication at all.

frick being not able to be in charge of one’s own self.

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If you dropped to 170 you would likely have normal blood pressure

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Correct. I am 6ft 170 LBS and have normal blood pressure. I am damn near a vegetarian and try to lay off carbs and fast food though