Anonymous wrote:Honestly OP, I would get a second opinion from a different doctor. Going on the blood pressure medication may help you lose weight.

But also track what you eat and make sure you're exercising regularly. Don't go super low calorie wise, but use something like the Lose it app to make sure that you are eating a balanced diet - plenty of protein and fiber, less saturated fat.

How does BP medication help you lose weight?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are at a healthy weight for your height. Your doctor is really irresponsible for telling you to lose more weight. I’m the same height and weigh 10 pounds more than you and my doctor thinks it’s perfect. Sure I could use another 10 pounds but realistically I am healthy, exercise and eat right and that’s far more important than the number on the scale (within reason).

But OP is not healthy, she has hight blood pressure, so *your weight* does not work for her.
And she wants to get closer to 135 lbs, which is still within a healthy range.

It’s probably genetics. My mother is 90 pounds and has had out of control blood pressure for 30 years now.

Exactly. some people on this forum are so incredibly ill informed. She is not overweight enough for it to really be having an effect on her blood pressure. My advice is to get a new doctor.

+1
Doesnt' sound like this doctor is particularly interested in the cause or what really may be going on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 45 and put on 25 lbs over the last 4-5 years and really want to lose that weight. I am currently 5’6” and weigh 152, was 162 at my highest but lost 10 lbs thanks to seeing a nutritionist and overhauling my diet. But I can’t seem to get below 150 and my PCP would like me to lose another 5-10 lbs as I have borderline high blood pressure and she thinks if I can lose more weight I won’t need to go on meds. I didn’t use to work out at all, but have added strength training 4 days a week for the past month and am still not seeing any weight loss. I do count calories and stick to 1,650 per day which did work at one time but maybe I need to cut down even more. I am maintaining my current weight but haven’t lost anything in a month.

What can I do to drop the last 5-10 lbs? Or am I resigned to not being able to lose more weight and will just have to go on BP meds? I weighed 135 until I had kids and this extra weight is all meno belly in my stomach. No joke, I have had a few people ask me if I am pregnant over the past few years as I have always been thin/lean everywhere else.

eat 700 calories for a month and you will lose it, and quickly. drop the strength training unless you enjoy it. if you are doing it to lose weight it's not going to help.

Advice you should absolutely run away from, OP.
700 calories?! You're nuts. Her body will think she's starving it and will slow it's metabolism.
Strength-building is good regardless of what the scale says. It's important for bone health, particularly as she ages, and just good for her continued good life functioning as she gets older as well.
Building muscle may add weight to the scale; but it also increases metabolism, which would contribute to "weight" or "fat" loss.

Anonymous wrote:You are at a healthy weight for your height. Your doctor is really irresponsible for telling you to lose more weight. I’m the same height and weigh 10 pounds more than you and my doctor thinks it’s perfect. Sure I could use another 10 pounds but realistically I am healthy, exercise and eat right and that’s far more important than the number on the scale (within reason).

+1 from another 5 foot 6-er.
People have different body frames; but your weight is perfectly fine for your height, OP.
Did your doctor suggest any dietary approach? Or exercise? or meditation/yoga/relaxation methods?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just go on the meds. Can reevaluate if lose 20 pounds. But docs loooove to blame everything on weight. 6

It’s really true. You can be a pound overweight and every problem you have is because of that. lts so frustrating. Its the easy way out so they don’t have to figure out what is really causing the problems.

99% of the time when doctors comment on weight it’s because people are obese. That absolutely is the first place to start. And the obesity is 99% of the time not coming from some elaborate imagined health problem but instead from crap lifestyle habits.

What is 100% true is people get butthurt when they are told the truth. And they come up with ridiculous things like not wanting to be weighed because it’s triggering.

Someone who is 5’6 and 152 pounds does not have health problems due to their WEIGHT. Could be lifestyle yes, could be what they are choosing to eat, yes but i’m sorry to look at those stats and believe the doctor was right in saying to lose 10 pounds to not have to go on BP meds is absolutely ridiculous.

And yes, obese people avoid the doctor and don’t like getting weighed but that’s not what this thread is about.

First, I was responding to a post suggesting the medical community was wrong to focus on weight.

Second, OP is over fat by her own admission. Nobody has a noticeable belly who isn’t carrying excessive body fat - usually the visceral variety. BMI gets shit on as a bad tool - in this case it is a bad tool in a direction that makes people uncomfortable.

OP should do both - get blood pressure medication to help them control their hypertension. And also drop the weight and focus on body composition.

People who are underweight think they are fat too. Should they also lose 10 pounds just to be safe? And the belly thing is simply not true. Having babies changes your body composition. But whatever, you think you are the only
one who knows anything and won’t listen to reason.

The medical community is not wrong to focus on weight when it makes sense for the situation. Which clearly it doesn’t in this case, so maybe learn to read?

Of course it makes sense in this case. Her doctor is correct in suggesting she lose 5-10 lbs, due to her BP being borderline high. Losing 5-10 lbs can often result in lower blood pressure and better blood sugar control, even in someone that isn’t obese. She isn’t close to being underweight and losing 5-10 lbs keeps her squarely within a heathy weight range. This is the better option than meds- plus OP wants to lose the weight too. It may not work- but it worth a try

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just go on the meds. Can reevaluate if lose 20 pounds. But docs loooove to blame everything on weight. 6

It’s really true. You can be a pound overweight and every problem you have is because of that. lts so frustrating. Its the easy way out so they don’t have to figure out what is really causing the problems.

99% of the time when doctors comment on weight it’s because people are obese. That absolutely is the first place to start. And the obesity is 99% of the time not coming from some elaborate imagined health problem but instead from crap lifestyle habits.

What is 100% true is people get butthurt when they are told the truth. And they come up with ridiculous things like not wanting to be weighed because it’s triggering.

Someone who is 5’6 and 152 pounds does not have health problems due to their WEIGHT. Could be lifestyle yes, could be what they are choosing to eat, yes but i’m sorry to look at those stats and believe the doctor was right in saying to lose 10 pounds to not have to go on BP meds is absolutely ridiculous.

And yes, obese people avoid the doctor and don’t like getting weighed but that’s not what this thread is about.

First, I was responding to a post suggesting the medical community was wrong to focus on weight.

Second, OP is over fat by her own admission. Nobody has a noticeable belly who isn’t carrying excessive body fat - usually the visceral variety. BMI gets shit on as a bad tool - in this case it is a bad tool in a direction that makes people uncomfortable.

OP should do both - get blood pressure medication to help them control their hypertension. And also drop the weight and focus on body composition.

People who are underweight think they are fat too. Should they also lose 10 pounds just to be safe? And the belly thing is simply not true. Having babies changes your body composition. But whatever, you think you are the only
one who knows anything and won’t listen to reason.

The medical community is not wrong to focus on weight when it makes sense for the situation. Which clearly it doesn’t in this case, so maybe learn to read?

You got me random internet person who is not OPs doctor. Doctor wildly wrong. Random internet person absolutely correct. Got it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just go on the meds. Can reevaluate if lose 20 pounds. But docs loooove to blame everything on weight. 6

It’s really true. You can be a pound overweight and every problem you have is because of that. lts so frustrating. Its the easy way out so they don’t have to figure out what is really causing the problems.

99% of the time when doctors comment on weight it’s because people are obese. That absolutely is the first place to start. And the obesity is 99% of the time not coming from some elaborate imagined health problem but instead from crap lifestyle habits.

What is 100% true is people get butthurt when they are told the truth. And they come up with ridiculous things like not wanting to be weighed because it’s triggering.

Someone who is 5’6 and 152 pounds does not have health problems due to their WEIGHT. Could be lifestyle yes, could be what they are choosing to eat, yes but i’m sorry to look at those stats and believe the doctor was right in saying to lose 10 pounds to not have to go on BP meds is absolutely ridiculous.

And yes, obese people avoid the doctor and don’t like getting weighed but that’s not what this thread is about.

First, I was responding to a post suggesting the medical community was wrong to focus on weight.

Second, OP is over fat by her own admission. Nobody has a noticeable belly who isn’t carrying excessive body fat - usually the visceral variety. BMI gets shit on as a bad tool - in this case it is a bad tool in a direction that makes people uncomfortable.

OP should do both - get blood pressure medication to help them control their hypertension. And also drop the weight and focus on body composition.

People who are underweight think they are fat too. Should they also lose 10 pounds just to be safe? And the belly thing is simply not true. Having babies changes your body composition. But whatever, you think you are the only
one who knows anything and won’t listen to reason.

The medical community is not wrong to focus on weight when it makes sense for the situation. Which clearly it doesn’t in this case, so maybe learn to read?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just go on the meds. Can reevaluate if lose 20 pounds. But docs loooove to blame everything on weight. 6

It’s really true. You can be a pound overweight and every problem you have is because of that. lts so frustrating. Its the easy way out so they don’t have to figure out what is really causing the problems.

99% of the time when doctors comment on weight it’s because people are obese. That absolutely is the first place to start. And the obesity is 99% of the time not coming from some elaborate imagined health problem but instead from crap lifestyle habits.

What is 100% true is people get butthurt when they are told the truth. And they come up with ridiculous things like not wanting to be weighed because it’s triggering.

Someone who is 5’6 and 152 pounds does not have health problems due to their WEIGHT. Could be lifestyle yes, could be what they are choosing to eat, yes but i’m sorry to look at those stats and believe the doctor was right in saying to lose 10 pounds to not have to go on BP meds is absolutely ridiculous.

And yes, obese people avoid the doctor and don’t like getting weighed but that’s not what this thread is about.

First, I was responding to a post suggesting the medical community was wrong to focus on weight.

Second, OP is over fat by her own admission. Nobody has a noticeable belly who isn’t carrying excessive body fat - usually the visceral variety. BMI gets shit on as a bad tool - in this case it is a bad tool in a direction that makes people uncomfortable.

OP should do both - get blood pressure medication to help them control their hypertension. And also drop the weight and focus on body composition.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just go on the meds. Can reevaluate if lose 20 pounds. But docs loooove to blame everything on weight. 6

It’s really true. You can be a pound overweight and every problem you have is because of that. lts so frustrating. Its the easy way out so they don’t have to figure out what is really causing the problems.

Or….its true. Weight can have a huge impact on health, especially blood pressure and blood sugar. Even losing 10 lbs an have a large impact on these numbers in a large percentage of people. This is why doctors almost always will recommend losing some weight as a first line therapy,
if you can afford to lose some. This doesn’t mean it’s effective for every person, but it is for many. Wouldn’t you rather lose 10 lbs than be on a drug for life? You can always take the med if weight loss doesn’t help, but you absolutely should make an effort to lose the weight and see how your health responds

I would do three things (pending your doctor’s review) depending in how high your BP is.

- go on meds for now
- slightly reduce your calories, maybe down to 1450-1500. Related, if a lot of your calories come from a high fat source like cheese, try subbing nuts (true serving size) or fruit for a bit.
- try for a bit more cardio whether it’s walking 10K steps, a concerted effort to walk briskly for 15 minutes after each meal, or whatever makes sense for your lifestyle

You can easily come off the meds if they are no longer needed. I knew mine weren’t when I started feeling a bit faint during intense exercise and discovered my BP had moved way down from 140/90 to 100/60 or lower (not good!) during the course of losing 40 lbs and increasing my exercise. My doctor concurred.

HBP can definitely be genetic and reducing it via meds or other methods will make you feel a lot better. In my experience, controlling my BP via meds previously and now via diet and exercise has reduced overall feelings of anxiety caused by the sensation of hearing my heartbeat in my head, etc. I am also much more energetic with BP under control.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just go on the meds. Can reevaluate if lose 20 pounds. But docs loooove to blame everything on weight. 6

It’s really true. You can be a pound overweight and every problem you have is because of that. lts so frustrating. Its the easy way out so they don’t have to figure out what is really causing the problems.

99% of the time when doctors comment on weight it’s because people are obese. That absolutely is the first place to start. And the obesity is 99% of the time not coming from some elaborate imagined health problem but instead from crap lifestyle habits.

What is 100% true is people get butthurt when they are told the truth. And they come up with ridiculous things like not wanting to be weighed because it’s triggering.

Someone who is 5’6 and 152 pounds does not have health problems due to their WEIGHT. Could be lifestyle yes, could be what they are choosing to eat, yes but i’m sorry to look at those stats and believe the doctor was right in saying to lose 10 pounds to not have to go on BP meds is absolutely ridiculous.

And yes, obese people avoid the doctor and don’t like getting weighed but that’s not what this thread is about.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just go on the meds. Can reevaluate if lose 20 pounds. But docs loooove to blame everything on weight. 6

It’s really true. You can be a pound overweight and every problem you have is because of that. lts so frustrating. Its the easy way out so they don’t have to figure out what is really causing the problems.

99% of the time when doctors comment on weight it’s because people are obese. That absolutely is the first place to start. And the obesity is 99% of the time not coming from some elaborate imagined health problem but instead from crap lifestyle habits.

What is 100% true is people get butthurt when they are told the truth. And they come up with ridiculous things like not wanting to be weighed because it’s triggering.

Anonymous wrote:Just go on the meds. Can reevaluate if lose 20 pounds. But docs loooove to blame everything on weight. 6

It’s really true. You can be a pound overweight and every problem you have is because of that. lts so frustrating. Its the easy way out so they don’t have to figure out what is really causing the problems.

Just go on the meds. Can reevaluate if lose 20 pounds. But docs loooove to blame everything on weight. 6

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good luck. I am 5’6” and would love to weigh 152.

Right, this is not unhealthy.

Sure, if a person never gains another half pound - it's borderline overweight.