Day 29!

newbies
#1

Hello Everyone -

I stumbled on DietDoctor (www.dietdoctor.com) in June and did some research. My wife and I both started Keto 29 days ago. The weight loss has been steady. I’ve lost 14 pounds and my wife has lost 10. We’re not setting the scales on fire, but that’s find by me. The energy benefits alone are worth it.

The only issue I have is my blood pressure hasn’t gone down at all. In fact, it’s gone up a hair. I ditched my 10mg of Lipitor for the cholesterol a few days ago, but I’m not comfortable getting rid of the Amlodipine (5mg) for the BP. I’m thinking maybe some cardiovascular exercise might be in order now, but I’m also wondering if there are any other proven diet ideas people might have. Thank you, and I look forward to participating here.

(Michael Haisten) #2

I waited a month after starting Keto to start exercising. That, in my mind, gave me time to become adapted first. It seemed to work out well. Exercise and Keto just go together with all the energy.

You results so far sure are not bad. Keep up the good work.

(jay) #3

@Alamoman
Are you testing blood pressure at home? I’m asking because blood pressure can vary so much from test to test and can be confounded by stress, ie… did my bp go down, please show it went down…could easily send it up at least by a hair.

#4

Yes, I have a Lifesource BP monitor with the correct size cuff.

(Keto in Katy) #5

Cardio exercise as you mention might be a great option for your BP, and I would also encourage you to look into some resistance work (weights) if you can do that as well. It’s my understanding that resistance training also helps with insulin sensitivity and longevity, among other benefits.

I’m 55 and have been working out for a while, it just makes me feel so good. I’m not a hard core “weight lifter” by any means, just trying to be consistent and give these muscles some regular work.

And congratulations to you and your wife on your early success with keto. 14 and 10 pounds in a month, that is excellent.

#6

Thanks, Stacy. Day by day is our motto at the moment, but I’m seeing this lifestyle as something we’ll stick with long term. I must admit, I do miss my sweets - especially after dinner. The sweet tooth is strong with this one!

I like weight training. I’ve lifted on and off for years. I’m hopeful some combination of weight training and cardio will help bring my BP down. I don’t want to stay on Amlodipine any longer.

(Keto in Katy) #7

Me too, and I have found that a little dark chocolate after dinner helps scratch that itch pretty well, something about 70% cacao or higher is probably best. Also, try a few strawberries or raspberries whipped up with some heavy cream and maybe a little bit of Stevia for sweetening. It’s really good and very low carb.

(Doug) #8

Hey Alamoman, welcome. :slightly_smiling_face:

I take Amlodipine too (along with Atenolol-Chlorthalidone) for blood pressure. 4 months on keto and a good bit of fasting, see my doctor next week - will get a read on blood pressure and HBA1C for a look back at blood sugar over the past few months. I gained weight over a lot of years, and the blood pressure went up slowly, there. I figure it will come back down as I lose weight.

#9

Thanks, Doug. Honestly, I’ve often questioned whether the Amlodipine has any effect. My BP has been borderline high (140’s over 90’s) since I was a young man. I don’t notice much of a difference on the drug, so I’m really considering just going off the med and increasing my level of fitness (along with diet, of course).

#10

Are you getting enough salt? I upped my salt and my blood pressure went down a fair amount. Seems backwards but it can have that effect sometimes. Overall though, I’d say it takes several months for a lot of positive keto-induced changes to take hold and make sense consistently. KCKO.

#11

I think so, Rian. I pretty much salt everything.

(Jenn Monaghan) #12

I had normal blood pressure until I started keto in March. But it was elevated to 140/83 when I went to my dentist last week. That’s higher than I have ever seen it. I heard in some podcasts that magnesium deficiency can cause it to elevate, so I got a 400 mg supplement and have been taking that a few days now. I haven’t checked the blood pressure yet though. I’ll have to go over to the pharmacy to check it.

#13

Jennifer - is your dentist is like mine, they use those wrist BP machines, and they’re notoriously inaccurate. Make sure their using a reliable digital product with the correct cuff size. The difference can be as much as 20 points either way.

(Bacon, Not Stirred) #14

Did you do this at the advice of a doctor, or did you just make the decision? Here’s why I ask - my mother just had to have vascular surgery because the doctor she was seeing took her off of her cholesterol meds. The surgeon informed me that while her cholesterol levels may have been normalized now, the medications still act as a stabilizer for hardened plaque that may have built up over the years. Essentially, going off of those meds allowed her old plaque to loosen up, break off, and cause a stroke in her foot.

My point is, please make sure you are consulting the correct doctors before going off of any medications.

#15

I did it myself. I had a 64 slice CT scan done 5 years ago and I had 0 plaque build up. I was on a very low dose to begin with, and the side effects are now catching up with me (sore joints and muscles). My assessment is it’s realtively low risk at this point.

(Bacon, Not Stirred) #16

That makes me nervous for you! I hope that it works out well for you, though! :slight_smile:

#17

Thank you but no worries. My doctor wanted to take me off of them and I told him “no” last time because I bought the “Statins” are great propaganda. They’re not great, and while plaque build up is bad, cholesterol is not the culprit. It’s inflamation.

(Jenn Monaghan) #18

They do use those wrist ones. Good to know. Thanks!

(jay) #19

@Alamoman

I agree with your point of the overselling and promotion of statins. That said, they have been shown to prevent plaques from rupturing. That is an effect that is independent of the cholesterol demonization that has been used to promote them to their current multi-billion dollar status however. Personally if I had no plaques and was put on statins as a “preventative” I would not hesitate to cease their use but that’s me. The fact that your Dr. wanted to take you off statins (speaks well of him) and makes your action seem like a low risk move, with real potential positive payoffs, since no medication is without negatives.

@katiea

I haven’t seen anything other than speculation that existing plaques would be stabilized by Keto though I would love any links to studies along those lines. I suspect this is the likely real value of statins and it is the primary reason why my Dr. and I have continued their use.

So, I agree with both of you and hope this discussion is as valuable for others as it is for me.

#20

I’m double checking myself as well. Both my wife and I had 64 slice heart CT scans done again today. I’ll have the results next week.