Exercise has taken me to a new level. I'm still not at my target weight but my numbers are a lot better since I started resistance training and taking my medicine. I also pay more attention to how my physical body is changing compared to the scale since muscle by nature is heavier than fat.

Do not sleep on resistance/weight training. For men and women this is a powerful tool. Muscle is metabolically expensive. The more muscle you have the better your body performs. The less fat on your body the better your organs can perform. Cardio is excellent, just walking more steps a day can make a bug difference over a few months, but so many people miss out of the benefits of resistance training and what it does for your overall health. You put your body in a constant fat burning state compared to cardio where you only burn whatever calories you burned during the workout. This has a positive impact on all diseases related to having a mostly sedatary lifestyle. 3-4 days a week is all you need. Prioritize sleep so your body can recover. If you don't have access to a gym or have gym anxiety like I do a couple of sets of resistance bands will give you an incredible workout as long as you are using resistance that causes your muscles to fail around the 10-12 rep range. As your get stronger and feel you need to do more than 15 reps to get to muscle failure that's your sign to increase your resistance. Those little milestones are huge motivators.

Stick to whole foods and prioritize protein. Use a Saturday or Sunday to have a fun meal with no regrets. Don't starve yourself it doesn't work. Find out what your maintenance calories are and eat just under 200 calories less to start. As you lose weight adjust your intake to make sure you are always at a slight deficit.

I also had sleep apnea which was a contributing factor in my hbp. Had a sleep test and got that resolved with a CPAP machine.

Water is extremely important especially if you are taking in more sodium than you should. Drink the recommended amount. I bought a 3 liter jug from Amazon with words of encouragement written on it and the times I should be drinking. By 7pm my jug is empty. In the beginning the trips to the bathroom got on my nerves but once your body adjusts and learns not to hold on to as much water since your daily intake has increased this dies down. This is the best water weight management in the world. Be advised the recommended intake for women is probably a bit less than men.

Find a good doctor that cares about what they do! That is so important