Blood Pressure, be vigilant!
Written by Mike Cheliak on June 18, 2009 – 3:08 pm -About 3.5 years ago, I had a high blood pressure problem. I was also overweight (240 pounds), out of shape and not very active. I got my “wake up call” and started re-educating myself, re-energizing myself and basically kicked myself in the ass for letting it get so far out of whack!
Here I am three years later, I have lost 55 pounds of body fat, put on 15 pounds of lean muscle and stay fit by using dynamic weight lifting routines, interval sprints and serious biking both on and off road. I have schooled myself in nutrition and practice very good eating habits (at least 90% of the time – HEHE).
Last week I almost passed out at the gym doing dead lifts!
Without rebuilding my entire history, I went a couple days with some recurring dizzy spells and finally went to the Doctor. Without getting into specifics; my BP was extremely high. Higher than it was when I was a fatty! I don’t eat a lot of salt or processed food with hidden salt. I am a serial label reader and most of my food comes from whole unprocessed sources.
HEREDITY!
My family history is marked with high BP. I didn’t know how vast the problem was until I talked to my Dad. The long and short of it is that I will likely need to be monitored on a regular basis and have some type of medication for the rest of my life. I may be able to redouble my efforts nutritionally but the fact is; You can’t change hereditary conditions.
Here is the Crux of this post. YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE TO HEALTH PROBLEMS JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE FIT!!!!! A lot of athletes and fitness minded people have a very profound sense of invincibility. I know the feeling because I did too up until last week. Now I have come to the understanding that nobody is safe from “unseen” illnesses. The only way to be sure is to be VIGILANT!
Whether Blood Pressure, heart conditions or any other type of illness or potential life threatening condition, I urge anyone reading this post to assess the value of seeing a physician on a regular basis to make sure you don’t get caught.
The good news is that I am fit, my heart is doing just fine and my blood work is all good. It’s also a good damn thing that I did start getting fit 3.5 years ago as I may not be writing this if I wasn’t. I will eventually get used to this medication (it is making me a little wonky but it is working) and I will start a new fitness regimen built around a healthy Blood Pressure.
I hope this post reaches at least one person that could use the “wake up call”. Don’t wait until it’s too late!
In happiness and health as always!
Mike C.
Calorie Counter – Complete Nutritional Facts for Every Diet!
Posted in Mike's Posts | No Comments »
