When you are prescribed beta blockers, it is usually a necessary part of treatment for high blood pressure. The reason is that this prescription medication slows the beating of your heart, thereby diminishing the force of your blood through arteries. With this decreased amount of force, you will often experience a decrease in blood pressure. And while this is beneficial to your health, beta blockers are not without their side effects--one is a small amount of weight gain.
Step 1
Talk to your doctor, especially if you have experienced a marked weight gain of 5 or more pounds. Since you are already dealing with a cardiovascular issue, the gain in weight may be a result of fluid retention. And fluid retention is a symptom of heart failure, so you want to make sure the added pounds are not a sign of anything serious.
Step 2
Cut your calories. Though the beta blockers are stimulating weight gain, they will not cause you to maintain that weight when you cut your caloric intake. The amount of calories to cut from your diet is based on your sex, age, height, weight and body type.
Step 3
Reduce your intake of fat and cholesterol. Not only does the reduction in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol aid in better managing your blood pressure, but it can also help you shed those excess pounds. Saturated fat should be no more than 10 percent of your daily calories and cholesterol should be under 200 mg each day.
Step 4
Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Most fruits, vegetables and whole grains contain fewer calories than almost any animal product, such as meat and dairy. By incorporating more produce and grains in your diet, you not only improve the health of your diet, but you also reduce calories.
Step 5
Get more exercise. Though beta blockers lower your heart rate, which may make it difficult to reach your target heart rate during exercise, you should still take part in some sort of daily athletic pursuit. You will burn more calories and improve the health of your heart.
Tips and Warnings
- According to the Mayo Clinic, the number of beats per minute (bpm) lowered in your resting heart rate can be applied to your target heart rate during exercise. If you normally have a target heart rate of 100 bpm and you have lowered your resting heart rate by 15 bpm, reduce your target heart rate to 85 bpm.
- Before you start any weight loss regimen, consult with your primary physician.
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