Hi.

The last thing that my doctor did for my physcial two years ago, was to check my blood pressure - 165 over 115. I had no idea at that time the significance of that reading. My previous doctor always told me that my BP was normal. Why now? What do I do? He told me to do nothing different so that he could check it again in a month. He wanted to monitor it to assess for possible medication.

No dice. I started to search the web. Went to the Heart & Stroke Fdtn and other reliable health sites to get info. Checked out the forums at Bicycling magazine.

My weight at that time was 207 lbs. Took over twenty-five years to get to that, from 135 lbs on my wedding day. My physical activity was the weekly Sat AM rides with a friend. Snacked a lot, into the evening, eating a lot of processed breakfast cereals, etc. And ate whatever sized portions I wanted. The last big meal that I had that I remember so well, just before my physical, was a 32 oz (guessing) slice of Prime Rib at Smith & Wollensky on Third Ave in Manhattan on my first trip to NY. No vegetables or other good stuff.

I had to lose the weight. So, with all the info I obtained and my wife saying "I told you so", I made a lifestyle change. The only way to lose the weight in a healthy way was smaller portions, cooked oatmeal for breakfast, out with the cookies and cakes, 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, complex whole grains, no snacking after 7 PM, etc. No fancy diets, aka Atkins, etc. Just my wife's great cooking and meal preparation. No salt.

Increased my physical activity to 4 to 5 rides per week of 20 km minimum, walking at lunch hour on the no ride days, getting proper rest every night and drinking water of 6 to 8 glasses per day.

Now, after two years, I'm down to 168 lbs., 39 lbs lighter. From a size 38 to size 34 and now the 34 is starting to feel a little loose. I like to lose another 5 to 8 lbs.

My BP now is 127/120 over 70/74, with medication - 10 mg Ramipril + half tablet of Hydrochlorothiazide. Will I be able to get off medication, eventually?

The key is to eat healthy and eat proper size servings (keep your sights low, your eyes are bigger than your stomach), maybe splurge a little once a week, at least one hour a day of good physical activity, at least a walk after dinner if nothing else and drink water. Stay away from fast food and/or processed and refined foods, sugars, flour, etc.

So, what else do you want to know?