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My husband is on 3 BP meds and drinks energy drinks etc


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I beg him to stop but he just doesn't care. He is about 75 lbs overweight and drinks a lot of alcohol as well (which is even worse). He claims he only drinks energy drinks once a week but I don't know what he does at work. Today he drank coffee, a very large Monster Energy drink, 2 huge donuts, cookies, and then a can of regular Coke. He never exercises either. Just sits on his laptop. I'm so sick of worrying about him and myself as well. I'm not perfect either. We eat bad together but I don't drink alcohol or sugar drinks or a lot of caffeine and I get on the elliptical for 30 minutes most days. How long can he go like this without developing heart disease or having a heart attack???? He is 42. His dad is healthy and 72 and his grandfather lived until 90 but I can't imagine he can make it past 50 something with these habits. I can't imagine me making it either unless I start changing things about myself now (unless damage is too far gone which I'll find out soon at the dr) but I do care. He doesn't seem to.

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He certainly needs to stop with the caffeine. There's decaff almost everything. I know because I'm on it. Get some caffeine free sodas on hand and make a pitcher of (secret) decaff iced tea for dinner. At least maybe he'll drink what you put on the table. He may not know about decaff iced tea. I like Lipton's best. He has to want to change. You know that. If he alcohol gets to be too much and it's having an effect on you and/or the kids, you'd probably leave before he'd quit, sounds like. For blood pressure, it's the caffeine and salt that will really mess you up. I eat tons of sugar (and am fat) but it doesn't seem to mess with my blood pressure. PS, some medications will react to caffeine and shoot your blood pressure way up. I found that out the hard way, so read those packages for side effects and see what can be triggered by taking the med with caffeine.

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We eat bad together... I can't imagine me making it either unless I start changing things about myself now (unless damage is too far gone which I'll find out soon at the dr) but I do care. He doesn't seem to.

 

It's not your responsibility to change him, and he may not care. But you may be able to help by modeling good behavior and providing healthy food if you're the one who cooks and shops or helps to do so. Sometimes when one partner starts making big changes, another comes along. Work on yourself, and he may join you, but don't nag or he'll probably resist and resent you.

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Hope Shimmers
For blood pressure, it's the caffeine and salt that will really mess you up. I eat tons of sugar (and am fat) but it doesn't seem to mess with my blood pressure.

 

I disagree - in this person's case, it's the 75 extra pounds and zero exercise that shoots his blood pressure way up.

 

OP - caffeine is a stimulant and he should cut way back - certainly energy drinks are just exacerbating the situation. He needs to stop those. But what he really needs first and foremost is to lose weight and exercise. And you can't make that decision for him. Sometimes it takes a wake-up call.

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Thegreatestthing

Yuck that's all I can say full of meds,alcohol,sugary energy drinks and overweight it's horrible,meaningless existences are the cause.

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Well, if you have bad habits - not sure how you expect him to change his.

 

Why don't you just take charge here? Learn better cooking habits, it's not that hard. There's simple recipes out there.

 

And, don't beg, plead, etc. Just cook and prepare a lunch and breakfast for him, invest in a lunch bag, and just "hand" him his food or lay it out on the table for him to take to work.

 

When you're at home, again, get up make some muffins and scrambled eggs. Make sure you serve him breakfast before he even gets a chance to reach for the doughnuts.

 

Actually, you don't have to restrict his doughnut intake. Let's say you get up this morning and make him some eggs and turkey bacon. Get mini doughnuts (or doughnut holes) and put one mini doughnut or three doughnut holes with the eggs, turkey bacon, and toasted light wheat bread.

 

I mean, if you are not feeding him, then I guess he's just grabbing energy drinks and doughnuts cuz it's convenient.

 

I mean, if you start giving him lunch and bk to take to work, I don't see how he would throw it in the trash and go get a doughnut?

 

Also, who does the shopping? If you don't buy doughnuts then how will they be available in the home to eat? Also, if you buy the mini-doughnuts and include one of them with the breakfast burrito you make for him, you can probably quench his thirst to grab one at work cuz the burrito and doughnut you gave him will fill him up and quench the sweet tooth craving.

 

Then, about the physical activity?

 

Just be like, 'Hey, let's go shoot some hoops (stuff guys like to do) or throw some foot balls, or just walk'. Don't beg, plead. Just do it. Don't serve dinner until the walk/shooting hoops/etc happens.

 

Shoot, maybe even use flattery or seduction. "Wink" at him and tell him that you're gonna treat him to something special if he meets up with you at the gym after work. Tell him how you used to get so excited when he was strong/sexy and/or you get excited watching him break a sweat.

 

Over all, get better eating/cooking habits, take charge, and make the incorporation of better eating habits "fun" - not nagging, begging, pleading or scoldings from "mommy".

 

Good luck....

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He certainly needs to stop with the caffeine. There's decaff almost everything. I know because I'm on it. Get some caffeine free sodas on hand and make a pitcher of (secret) decaff iced tea for dinner. At least maybe he'll drink what you put on the table. He may not know about decaff iced tea. I like Lipton's best. He has to want to change. You know that. If he alcohol gets to be too much and it's having an effect on you and/or the kids, you'd probably leave before he'd quit, sounds like. For blood pressure, it's the caffeine and salt that will really mess you up. I eat tons of sugar (and am fat) but it doesn't seem to mess with my blood pressure. PS, some medications will react to caffeine and shoot your blood pressure way up. I found that out the hard way, so read those packages for side effects and see what can be triggered by taking the med with caffeine.

 

I don't know about the coffee...I mean the Skinny B-book did talk about it, but even they confess they indulge their coffee cravings on the regular.

 

Also, I was listening to my podcast and a guy was talking about how he literally has like 1/4 of a gallon each day. And, he seems like he makes it like me - REALLY STRONG that it tastes like "umm" to some people. Eh, but at least I put a little sugar and creamer. He just has it black :sick:

 

BTW, he, like me have lower blood pressure than most people - sometimes people who work out a lot get low blood pressure.

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I've done all the things mentioned above. I do make his lunch every day. Also we do the shopping together and I can't stop him from buying what he wants. I try to tell him not to but I don't want to fight right in the grocery store. He watches me exercise and it doesn't motivate him. He has watched me loose weight in the passed and it didn't motivate him. We have a dog and I usually have to walk him because he won't. Sometimes the dog doesn't get walked if I'm not home or too busy. He has never once walked him alone. He has maybe gone with me a handful of times. I don't have time to make him breakfast in the morning usually and he promises he only eats the banana and or apple I put in his lunch for breakfast and only stops at McDonald's once a week but I can't know for sure if that's true. I cook dinner when I can. And he will eat it. (Chicken and vegetables or something healthy) but then he will usually have whiskey after.

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