by EmmetFitzhume » Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:12 pm
I've mentioned this recently in other posts but I'm so happy about it I just wanted to post it here. My blood pressure is finally normal.
Some readings over last several days: 104/67 (wow!), 118/81, 116/70, 106/68, 110/72, 120/75, 110/68, 110/69.
Last year before starting the McDougall program my blood pressure had hit about 160/90. I did the program fairly well from mid April to October (about 6 months). At the end of that time I had lost about 42 pounds and the pressure was reading approximately 130/80 but I could see it spike to 150/85 until I sat for a couple minutes and took some deep breaths.
After this I fell off the bandwagon over the holidays. Even though I was having a number of McDougall compliant meals each week I was cheating frequently and eating oil, cheese, and eggs, the occasional bagel with cream cheese. I regained about 20 of those hard lost pounds. Not sure what my blood pressure was doing. I guess I was doing so well I figured I deserved some cheating but it spiraled out of control.
Since early July I have been back on program. I lost the weight I had regained and am now down about 51 pounds from my highest weight. In the last couple weeks the blood pressure finally dropped into the range I had been hoping for since starting this program.
I don't know what finally did it: More weight loss, more clearing of the arteries, refining the program so that I eat the least amount of natural fats possible, or something else but the BP finally looks great.
I don't limit salt the way some on this board do and I still drink a cup of coffee a day. At 5' 7" and 196 pounds I am still probably 40 pounds overweight and sadly still have an obese BMI. But the blood pressure improving really put the wind in my sails recently and I'm psyched to continue and see what other health improvements I can achieve.