has anybody...

has anybody lowered their blood pressure just through diet and exercise here? I have high blood pressure and want to try and lower it on my own. I just started a low sodium diet and I am trying to keep my sodium levels below 1800mg a day and at the most 2000. I have been eating tons of veggies and fiber, and barely any processed food. Bread is about the only processed thing I have been eating. I just got taken off my birth control b/c of this and at the end of 3 months its not down at all I plan on going to the dr and get on medication even though I dont wanna.

i haven't, but i know several people who've lowered their cholesterol and blood pressure through lifestyle changes.  exercise is a really big help, bec active people use the cholesterol in their bodies, and maintain the healthy cholesterol.  see this article:  http://www.fdlrez.com/HumanServices/medical/d iabetes/nlaug05.htm  (it was written for ppl w/diabetes bec they're at increased risk for heart disease, but it's topic is blood pressure).

i wish you luck.  medication works, but so does healthy living.

I have.  I was 220 and I'm now at 174.  My BP before was 125/80 and pulse was always 85.  Now, my BP is 115/72 and pulse is 65.  A little bit does go a long way!

I noticed that I have eaten more whole grain foods and drinking more water/lowering salt intake.  So maybe those changes besides the weight loss has contributed to it going down.

for the thost of you who done this how long did it take for you to see results? 

I've been losing weight since august '07, 46 pounds so far.  I dont regularly check my bp, because im only 22 and I dont regularly go to the doc.  I think I went to the doc in november(3 months into weight loss, 30 pounds down) and I noticed that it was that low.  its been low ever since whenever i check it.

My blood pressure when I was young and slim was 105/65 or so. At my heaviest it was 120/80, which is still normal... but after losing 50 lbs, it's now at 110/70.

I think "how long it takes" relates more to pounds lost than duration of healthy lifestyle. I lost 45 lbs in about 5 months, so that's how long it took for my BP to change - some people lose faster, some lose slower.

I lowered my blood pressure with exercise and diet. 

When I decided to change my lifestyle, I was 205 pounds (5' 3") and I don't even know how bad my blood pressure or cholesteral were.  I didn't want to know.   When I started exercising three days a week at the gym, I could barely do elliptical fast enough to keep it from saying I'd paused and needed to resume exercise. 

At 3 months, I'd lost 9 pounds and my blood pressure was 145/90. 

At 8 months, I'd lost 23 pounds and my blood pressure was in the 130s/80.  At that point, I added the diet element (including lower sodium) and increased my workouts significantly

At month 18, and I'd lost a total of 42 pounds, my BP was 110/74 (and my cholesterol was 202.

I don't know how much of it was exercise, how much the lower salt diet, and how much was weight loss.  But all together, it worked.

 

 

I was diagnosed with high BP about 1 1/2 years ago.  It was 150/110.  I was immediately taken off my BC pill and I slowly saw the numbers get better within about 5-6 months.  The numbers never really got better then 130/90.  I exercise 5 times a week, I am not over weight, but LOVE my coffee.  I recently tried to cut back on caffeine and processed foods; and have been more aware of my stress level and the last time I got checked my BP was 117/80.  I am too young to start taking a pill for the rest of my life, so I was very pleased to see those numbers.

 Good luck!