My Ultimate Goals

TheRedQueen1981

I have many goals I wish to achieve in my journey. I have a ton of weight to lose (more than 100lbs) but I’m determined. I have so many interests and hobbies that I’ve not been able to do because of my weight — some purely because of feeling ashamed to be seen in public, such as swimming and most sports which I love; others are things that I’m just too heavy for —I’m an animal lover and my lifelong dream has been to have my very own horse. I cannot think of anything I’d love more but until I’m light enough (and energetic enough) that’s just not an option for me as I’d never punish a horse by riding at this size! So that’s an ultimate goal of mine. My second ultimate goal is — having a breast reduction. I’ve lost weight in the past but my enormous breasts stay the same and are debilitating — they cause back pain and shoulder pain — I’m constantly slouched over — they generally make my quality of life unbearable (in some ways, more than being overweight does though the combination is hell) so I’m thinking, maybe in a year from now that my ultimate goal is to get the breast reduction. I have no idea when I will get my horse as I also need land and money—obstacles in themselves but I’m determined to make it happen.

VUA21

As far as saving money for surgery. I saved enough over my weight loss journey (3 years) from simply eating so much less (grocery bill is almost half of what it used to be), that I can not only afford my tummy-tuck, but also a 3 week vacation to London.

What I did was figured my grocery bill every two weeks. As I ate less, my grocery bill shrank: I would put the difference in a savings account and keep track of it on a large poster board as to what is saved vs what I need to my vacation & surgery. Money can be an amazing motivator: that half way point of savings really kicked me into high gear!

TheRedQueen1981

Great ideas there. If I get it on the NHS, I won’t need to pay but depending on how long the waiting list is, I may go private so I’ll keep track on my savings. Every little counts.

mkculs

I'd honestly encourage you to look into getting a horse even if you are considerably overweight--or at least figure out what you have to lose to be able to ride without feel guilty about it. Draft horses can carry considerably more than most other horses; you could look at the research online. I found some evidence that horses should carry no more than 20% of their own weight--so an 1800 lbs draft horse can, in theory, carry a rider up to about 360 lbs.

It is a mistake to put off the things that bring you joy in life. For one thing, if you deny yourself/punish yourself, food may be your only comfort--and that makes getting healthy harder. For another--and perhaps most important--you don't know what the future holds. Putting off dreams could mean never reaching them. And finally, having a horse would require you to move more/get more exercise; it would bring joy and activity to your life, which can help you lose.

If you do not feel you can do this yet, I strongly encourage you to look around for a stable that has a horse you can ride, and make a weekly date to ride and groom this new friend. Just having a special outing 1 time/week could be a huge boost in your life and make the initial struggle of adopting a new lifestyle a bit easier.

Just my 2 cents worth! Good luck in your journey.

TheRedQueen1981

Thank you for your encouraging words. That’s certainly something for me to consider — I’ve definitely missed out on too much enjoyment.