Keeping long term records of your improvement in weight loss and blood pressure will help keep you motivated to stick to your plan when you start to lose enthusiasm. A simple blood pressure and weight journal lets you take a big picture view of your progress toward your goals. It also helps your doctor see how changes in your treatment affect your health.
Step 1
Create a simple tracking system. Although some people might be tempted to create complex spreadsheets or use online weight loss tracking websites, it's better to start with a simple pencil and notebook. The more complicated your system is, the easier it is to skip days and it is important to track your progress regularly. Later you can add more features to your tracking system or put it on the computer, but at first simply record date, weight, heart rate and blood pressure. Also have a comments column where you can note events such as medication changes.
Step 2
Record your blood pressure daily. Do it at the same time each day to minimize fluctuations that can occur during the day. When taking your blood pressure, you should be seated with your feet on the floor and your arm supported on a flat surface. Take your pressure and heart rate, record them, sit quietly for a minute or longer and then take and record them again.
You may choose to record your weight daily as well but you may also do so as infrequently as weekly. It doesn't matter if you are dressed or wearing shoes when you weigh yourself as long as you do it the same way each time and at the same time of day to keep readings consistent.
Step 3
Stay positive and don't obsess over each result. Weight and blood pressure change from day to day, and they don't always go down. There are a thousand things which can influence the readings which is why no single reading is important. Keep your eye on the long term trends rather than the daily changes.
Step 4
Find tracking buddies. If you know other people who are also dealing with weight loss and blood pressure control, create an informal support group. Encourage each other to keep up with monitoring and blood pressure programs. It's not a contest to see who can bring their pressure down the fastest. It's a supportive gathering to celebrate everyone's progress.
Step 5
Take your charts to the doctor. Seeing your progress gives your physician a more comprehensive picture of your health than the occasional office readings he gets. Make copies for the doctor to keep so he can add them to your file. Armed with this information he can make more effective recommendations on diet, exercise and medication.
Things You'll Need
- Blood pressure monitor
- Digital scale
- Notebook
- Pencil or pen
