I am a 45 year old woman. I am extremely overweight, but have always had good lab numbers. Recently, I decided it was time to make permanent changes in order to live a healthier life. I started a low carb lifestyle... limiting my carbs to 50 or under and my sugars to under 25/day. I'm eating clean and feeling pretty great. I've lost 25 pounds over the last 2 months, but still have 100 lbs to go to be in a healthy range. The strange thing is, I took my blood pressure today and it was high... for the first time EVER. I took it at a stationary location and got 139/93 and then asked a firefighter (I work for the Fire Department) to take it again to be sure and it was 134/90. I'm perplexed and worried. Can a low carb diet actually increase blood pressure?