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a few questions regarding blood pressure, motivation, and isagenix. (not related to each other)
1. Blood Pressure
So I went to the dr the other day just to see if my common cold was something more than just that. (it was just a cold) But my blood pressure, which is usually pretty good (110/70, 120/80) was 129/99. This was at the end of a stressful day at work, after a 30minute drive in the first significant snow of the season here, I hadn't had coffee that day, but I had had 1 can of diet coke that day. I am overweight, 250 pounds, 5'9.
so figured I'd ask if any of you ladies know any ways I can reduce my blood pressure naturally. It was so weird to me that it is that high, and it might have just been a one time thing, but I am pretty worried about it.
2. Motivation
I have been trying to get healthier lately. I've done it before (when I was working in the city making way more $$ I joined a gym and got a trainer, went from 275-205 in 8months) and I know I can do it again, but I just can't seem to motivate myself. I can't afford a gym membership or trainer at this point... I live in an apartment complex that is up on a hill, so I can't just go out for a walk around the block. Our apartment company owns several complexes, and the one that is down the road about 10 minutes, has a small gym. They have 1 elliptical machine, 2 treadmills and 1 weight machine. I try to get there when I can, one or 2 nights a week, but most of the machines are always busy when I go. its frustrating.
How do you motivate yourself to work out?
As far as the eating goes, I think I do pretty good for the most part. I start my day with a green monster smoothie (spinach, almond milk, banana, sometimes frozen berries or a TBsp of PB)
I love food tho. Healthy foods and junk foods. I don't keep junk food in the house because if it is here, I wILL eat it!
3. Isagenix
I have a few friends who have used this. Anyone on this board have any experience with it? My one friend who is a personal trainer uses it for her protein shakes, and other one uses it as a cleanse. Thoughts?
I know this is a LONG post. I totally appreciate any insight any of you can offer into any of my questions. Thanks so much.
Re: a few questions regarding blood pressure, motivation, and isagenix. (not related to each other)
1. Blood Pressure
so figured I'd ask if any of you ladies know any ways I can reduce my blood pressure naturally.
Reduce your intake of sodium and start doing cardiovascular exercise more regularly. Losing weight will help reduce your BP, although this measurement may be a one-off thing. I've had BP measurements of 110/70 and 125/80 within the same week, but taken by two different nurses.
2. Motivation
I live in an apartment complex that is up on a hill, so I can't just go out for a walk around the block.
I live on a hill and walk/jog with my dog all around my neighborhood. It's great for getting your heart rate up! I like to walk uphill first, just to get it out of the way.
How do you motivate yourself to work out?
I had a wake-up call regarding the long-term effects of not exercising. So I remind myself that I need to exercise to avoid health problems and also for that wonderful high afterwards. I'm lucky in that we have lots of gym equipment in our house, but I also use a lot of work out videos and youtube workout channels. I think if you find a type of exercise that you like, it'll be more of a treat than a chore. I personally like barre classes, kickboxing, and dance videos.
TTC #1 since May 2010. BFP #1 - 5/31/10; m/c on 7/22/10
Started seeing RE in August 2011
5 IUIs: BFN; IVF #1 - Success! BFP - 7/25/12
Try not to eat as much salt like the pp said. Avoid adding any salt to your food. Really watch your intake of frozen meals like Lean Cuisines and canned soups. They are notoriously high in sodium. Also, if you lose weight, your BP will probably come down. My guess is that it was high from the drive to the doctor and your illness. My BP is always higher when I'm sick. It doesn't sound like you are drinking excessive caffeine, but you could always replace half your coffee w/decaf.
2. Motivation
No one can motivate you. You need to do it on your own. Something that helps some people is having a goal. An example might be that if you lose 15 pounds you will go get a facial/massage/spa treatment. If you lose 20 pounds you buy that cute pair of shoes you've been wanting. I find that maintaining my health is enough motivation.
Why can't you walk up the hill? Where I live we have nothing but hills (ok, ATL girls, we aren't counting the Comet....). If I want to go for a walk, I have to walk up hills. Look into the Couch to 5K program. It's a good way to get your feet wet, and it's free. You don't HAVE to go to a gym to exercise. I probably make it to my gym twice a month in the winter when the weather is nasty. The rest of the time I exercise outside or at home. You can also look online for free workout videos on Youtube. If you have cable or satelite, they are usually "on demand." There are also workout programs on tv that you can DVR and do when you want to. See, it's all free.
The best way to lose weight is to clean up your diet and start tracking calories....myfitnesspal and sparkpeople.com are good places to start. They are free.3. Isagenix
Gimmick. Save your money. Most American eat too much protein as it is. With a healthy, balanced diet you will get plenty of protein. Avoid anything that says it's "fat burning" and will make you lose weight quickly. If there were a magic pill, no one would be fat.
Southeastern Cycling
My Nest Bio and Cycling Advice
1. Sounds like a fluke to me. Had you taken any cold medicines (like Sudafed)? Those make my blood pressure really spike. If you want to ease your mind, track your blood pressure over the next few weeks. Preferably at your doctor's office, but if it's not feasible to go over there, take it at the grocery store/pharmacy. If it has remained elevated, schedule a follow-up with your doctor.
You can reduce your blood pressure by cutting out sodium in your food and drinks, avoid alcohol, do cardiovascular exercise and stress reduction. But I'd talk to my doctor first and work out a plan with them.
2. Honestly, I love to exercise so it's not an issue of motivation for me. Just remember that you always feel better after a workout than when you skip it. Is there a park or trail that you can drive to to walk? Also, you can get exercise DVD's and do them at home on your own time.
3. No advice, sorry.
Running and recipe blog
1. Instead of guessing, you can get a good BP monitor to use at home in the range of $25-$50... much cheaper than one visit to a doc. Omron is a pretty reliable brand and the arm cuffs are more accurate than the wrist-style. Follow the instructions and check your BP at home over the course of a couple of weeks to get a better idea of where your BP is really at.
Not everyone is sensitive to salt, though it would be wise to eat foods that you've salted yourself to taste. Remove as much prepared food as you can from your diet, including flours and sugars. Try to eat mostly real, whole foods like vegetables, eggs, fish, meat & fruit. Are there certain items that you know you will overeat? If yes, don't keep those things at home anymore.
2. You don't have to do anything special to get exercise in. Walking is perfectly fine. Take stairs when you can. Activities like jumping rope are challenging and require even less space. You can do simple resistance exercises right at home (think squats, push ups, etc.)
Motivation: you're pretty much 100% in charge of your own health and wellness. Not everyone is starting from the same place, but as adults, the decisions we make in the present and future will shape what our health looks like in the future.
3. Stick with real food.