Hi retrode.
If you do aerobic exercise for about 30 mins or longer 3-5 times a week while changing your diet to fruit, vegg and watch your satruated fats etc., you can expect your blood pressure to go down in the long run. There are studies regarding exercise and blood pressure and both exercise and a change in diet can lower it. I am not sure within what time frame though but participants in studies have seen a change within 6 weeks or so, even though it may not have been great, not sure there.

Did you check with your doctor your exercise regimen though? You should check if it is ok and maybe get someone to monitor you.
Also watch that you don't overdo it with the exercise, start slow and do more as you get fitter. Swimming is good to lose weight and not too strenous on the rest of your body. Walking is great for getting fit and jogging can help with losing weight when you are fitter already.
Sorry if I am giving you advice you have covered already and if I am telling you stuff you know yourself.
If you want to read studies type in "exercise and blood pressure" or the like in yahoo and it comes up with lots of results that may be of interest to you and give you more specific information.

Good luck with losing weight and lowering your bp and don't get discouraged, it takes time to lose that much weight so don't get annoyed or discouraged when you have a few setbacks, that is totally normal.

I am sorry to hear about your anxiety, you could try drinking st. John's wort tea or maybe even taking valerian (not too much of either as it can make you drowsy). Also relaxation techniques can really help. Yoga, pilates and thai chi are good for body and mind as well.
I sound like a right health freak, sorry about that, I am studying something health related and am just in the middle of devising an exercise plan/study thing as a courswork so I have been doing a lot of reading on this. :-) sorry if it is over the top.
Take care of yourself and that is a big step you are doing there, be proud of yourself, changing diet and doing that much exercise is a really huge, so well done, good on you!!!

Lena

I had problems with blood pressure and I had a tia (minor stroke) and I am 32..Never thinking I would ever have something like that in my life. I begun walking/playing racket ball..My blood pressure is now 101/60. I drink tons of water and eat oranges (they say they are great for prevention) I also cut out all caffeine and limit my sugar in take. Infact, my body is not use to sugar so when someone bought in cookies at work today I ate three..It left me with a huge headache.

I also read eating celery (four of them) lowers the blood pressure (chinese use that) take one day at a time...That's what I did