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Kylie

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Good going, everyone who's managing to successfully lose weight!  :)

 

I just got back from seeing the nurse at the doctor's office about my blood pressure.  It's STILL a little high, even though I've cut down even further on salt and alcohol this past month.  This is so aggravating!  I have to go back again in two weeks.  The nurse didn't seem to have much idea as to what other dietary measures I could try, so I've had to Google again.  Apparently a diet rich in potassium can help to lower blood pressure, so I'm just about to add a ton of bananas and avocados to my shopping basket.  :lol:  Oh man.  I can't see where else I'm going wrong, but I'm determined not to go on medication for this STOOPID condition.  :)

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Thanks!  Yes, I'm being careful and logging my intake of everything on Cronometer.   :)

Are you able to check your blood pressure at home? Sometimes just being at the doctor's can raise it .. even if you think you're not worried about it. My OH has had trouble with his blood pressure but found it was a lot better when he was at home than when at the doctors. He then found that making time to go for a walk before his appointment helped. Obviously doing all the right dietary things is the most important thing though. 

Just wondered if you were able to check it yourself? 

Hope it lowers soon. 

 

I've been on beta blockers for donkey's years though and the doctor told me, when I went on them, that I would most likely never come off of them. Al (OH) actually thinks my blood pressure is too low .. when he's checked it with his monitor but the doctor says it's fine (again .. probably it raises when I get there sto almost normal.) I've lived on my nerves for ever though .. total nervous Nelly .. so I can't see that changing and Mum has had a heart attack and her sister had one at around the same time and well .. I suppose it's better to try and prevent these things but the tablets make me feel sluggish. Like a fly in treacle sometimes.

 

I'm going to attempt to eat more healthily in March. I have a school reunion to go to in April (I think I say this about this time every year :D) and I need to lose a few pounds. I lost quite a lot of weight last year, then I went and stayed at Mum and Dad's for three months in order to help them after Mum's hip op. I thought I'd pile the weight back on there but I actually lost some because I was quite disciplined and also on the go 24/7. But then came Christmas .. and the added pleasure of being home again and .. well .. I've been going backwards since  :blush2: I bought a dress to wear to the reunion back in November .. it fitted fine but it's a little on the tight side now  :blush2: 

Still .. there is time. I don't want to buy anything new .. and I know I can do it if I just stop eating junk. I don't often eat takeaways or anything but going out to coffee shops etc is a bit of a temptation .. also chocolate .. and cakes in general. I like baking and that's a bit of a no-no. I'm an all or nothing sort of person. I'd rather go completely without than go for a healthier option or smaller portion (cake/biscuits that is .. not food.) I don't drink fizzy drinks .. I don't like them so that's a plus. I only really like de-caf tea and water. I do like white wine and gin and tonic but try to keep drinking them to a minimum. 

 

Will try and up the amount of walking I do. I walk for about three miles a day though sometimes less ... if the weather is awful (which it is!!) but in the summer I was walking twice a day and amounting to six miles etc. 

I'm going to log it down somewhere .. to try and keep on track. 

 

Well done Shirley :) So encouraging when the weight comes off and you can see progress. 

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Kay, i was put on beta blockers to try and help my migraines but they made me so exhausted I couldn't hack it. That was one of the reasons I had a complete overhaul of my diet which has helped more than I'd hoped. Still not amazing but I just couldn't cope with feeling so tired all the time. :(

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Are you able to check your blood pressure at home? Sometimes just being at the doctor's can raise it .. even if you think you're not worried about it. My OH has had trouble with his blood pressure but found it was a lot better when he was at home than when at the doctors. He then found that making time to go for a walk before his appointment helped. Obviously doing all the right dietary things is the most important thing though. 

Just wondered if you were able to check it yourself? 

Hope it lowers soon. 

 

That's a really good idea.  I haven't been feeling consciously nervous about the testing, but I wouldn't put anything past my sub-conscious!  If I had a testing unit at home, I could also keep a closer track of what's working and what isn't.  Thanks, poppy!

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Kay, i was put on beta blockers to try and help my migraines but they made me so exhausted I couldn't hack it. That was one of the reasons I had a complete overhaul of my diet which has helped more than I'd hoped. Still not amazing but I just couldn't cope with feeling so tired all the time. :(

It is a big problem because I feel tired all the time anyway .. so they've not helped .. the first time I took them it scared me half to death because my heart felt like it was only beating once every hour!!!! A really strange feeling. Like being slowed down to an almost stop. To a certain extent I'm used to them now but they take all the zip out of you. 

I've hit the age now (actually I hit it a long time ago  :blush2: ) where high anxiety will take its toll though (I once went to a course of relaxation classes at the local hospital .. I was never so stressed in all my life!  :blush2: ) so adjustments have to be made.

You're doing amazing with your new diet and everything Hayley :) You're so disciplined too .. that's key I think.

That's a really good idea.  I haven't been feeling consciously nervous about the testing, but I wouldn't put anything past my sub-conscious!  If I had a testing unit at home, I could also keep a closer track of what's working and what isn't.  Thanks, poppy!

You're welcome .. hope it helps :) You might notice patterns etc. 

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Kay, I've been reading a lot about the thyroid lately - yes, I know how to live! :) - as I have a fair few of the symptoms for an overactive one (and some for the underactive too!) the symptoms include anxiousness and fatigue...there are many others! Some reports, mainly U.S. ones, are saying that due to modern diets and lifestyles as many as 20% of women have undiagnosed thyroid issues! Unfortunately the way thyroids are tested in the U.K. we may never find out! I'm doing some reading on the subject at the moment to see how if I can improve my symptoms with more diet and lifestyle improvements - sometimes otherwise known as feeling miserable and deprived! :D

 

I would love to consult a Functional Medicine specialist but I'm not sure we have any decent ones over here, and if we do, I'm not sure whether I could afford them! :(

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Yes thyroid problems are vey common in the Uk, usually under-active, I think over-active is quite rare.  It tends to run in families so do you have a family history?  If so you might be able to get a test done just for thyroid, rather than the bog standard blood tests which not be so precise.  And it does tend to be more common in women too.

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I got a call from the doctor today, saying my hemoglobin level is improving! :smile2: I'm now right in the lowest level of what's okay/normal, wohoo! I'm still going to take iron supplements and I'm to go and get another blood test done sometime in April (whenever I want, which is great!), and then we'll see where I'm at then. But my hemoglobin level should improve even more by April. 

 

We also figured out what was the cause of the whole thing, and it's something that's easily fixed. I'm very happy! :smile2: 

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I got a call from the doctor today, saying my hemoglobin level is improving! :smile2: I'm now right in the lowest level of what's okay/normal, wohoo! I'm still going to take iron supplements and I'm to go and get another blood test done sometime in April (whenever I want, which is great!), and then we'll see where I'm at then. But my hemoglobin level should improve even more by April. 

 

We also figured out what was the cause of the whole thing, and it's something that's easily fixed. I'm very happy! :smile2:

 

I'm glad things are going smoother, frankie.

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Update on my blood pressure palaver:  I did get one of those home monitor devices, and have been using it every few days.  I've also been continuing with my increased potassium intake.  Previously, I was only getting ~60% of my RDA, whereas this past week or so I've been choffing down bananas, avocados and coconut water, etc, to get me to the full daily 100%.  Today, for the first time, my blood pressure lowered into the high-normal range (138), so I think I'm heading in the right direction.  If I've cracked this, I'll be over the moon.  :D  Onward we go!  *tooting of trumpets*

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