No Need For Medication!

I had such an awesome doctor's appointment today. For those of you who might not know, I was pre-hypertensive less than two years ago. My doctor wanted to put me on blood pressure medication. I told him I would rather lose the weight first than go on medication.

I had wanted to see if it were possible to lower my blood pressure through diet and exercise. If I was on medication while I was losing the weight, it would be difficult to tell if it were lower because of the medication or the weight loss. This way, with no medication, I now know that blood pressure can go back to normal with proper diet, exercise and weight loss!

I just feel so proud that I went the no medication route. In the process, I got a lot healthier. I not only avoided hypertension but diabetes and many other obesity related illnesses.

Also, during my appointment, I asked my doctor about protein. I've written about the confusion over how much protein to have and I wanted to hear my doctor's opinion. He thought I was having a good amount. I figure I get around 90-100 grams per day with all the food I'm eating. One thing that surprised me is that he actually understands that vegetables are a good source of protein. He said as long as I'm getting a good variety of vegetables and fruit, I'm getting enough protein in my diet. He didn't recommend any protein shakes and didn't mention meat.

So what was my blood pressure reading today? 124/74! I'm sure the 124 was because of anxiety of being at a doctor's appointment. I've been getting readings of 110/70 to 120/80 most days. The doctor seemed very impressed!

How much you weigh really does make a difference in blood pressure. Of course, diet and exercise were important factors in getting my blood pressure down. I cut down on a lot of sodium too. My weight was exactly the same as my last appointment about three months ago. I've been maintaining around the same weight for over nine months now. He also thought my body fat percentage was impressive. It's around 19 - 20%, a few points away from an athlete's percentage of 17%.

I jokingly asked my doctor, "Do I need to lose anymore weight?" He laughed and said no, you're weight is good! Imagine not having to hear things doctors typically say to patients... you need to lose weight... you need to exercise... you need to get enough sleep. It was a nice feeling to know that I'm so much healthier than when I first saw him!