BLOOD PRESSURE CHECK (Photo credit: Morning Calm News)I'm in the midst of my second round of hCG drops, or phase 2 of the hCG protocol. I'm down 22 lbs. and 15 total inches. All of this was a huge factor at my last six-week check-up at the Rothfeld Center for Integrative Medicine. Over the past year, my blood pressure had been creeping up over the borderline and into mild stage 1 hypertension, or high blood pressure. My blood pressure has always been on the low side, and I never thought I'd have to deal with this problem. But here I was, faced with the numbers on my home blood pressure monitor, showing me I had a consistent problem. I really did not want to go on medication and I was hoping that losing some weight would help. Luckily, when my doctor took my blood pressure, I was back into high normal ranges!We also checked my BMI (Body Mass Index) which had gotten as high as 32 and is now 28, which means I'm just "overweight" and not "obese" according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). At least it's headed in the right direction! I'd like to lose another 20 lbs. and then I'll be in the normal range. Another benefit - it's been fun to go shopping in my own closet. I'm getting back into clothes that I haven't been able to wear in a long time. I'll be going to a wedding this weekend and instead of buying a new dress, I just went to Joy's Closet - a boutique for gently used clothes :)
To see where you stand, check this blood pressure chart:
Systolic vs. Diastolic Blood Pressure Range Chart
