I joined MFP last February, I had broken several places in my lower leg/ankle, torn all my soft tissue, and dislocated my ankle as well. The way the doctor pinned my leg back together forced me to be bed ridden for nearly 6 months. I went from being very active, I groomed for a private barn that had 7 horses, including all daily care, stalls, blah blah blah. I was a Zumba instructor, full time student, and gym rat.
Being drugged up for the pain, being forced to be on my back and unable to move my right leg, did in my desire to be fit, I was so down trodden.

I had joined last year to watch my calorie intake since I could not move. I was on a strict 1300 calorie diet while I was recovering. Once June came I hit the ground running. I flew to France once I got the ok to walk/hobble and spent 30 doing a study abroad, followed by nearly 4 weeks of country hopping on my own. I kept eating the way I had eaten while in recovery, and now I was very active. I maintained the weight.

Once school started back up and realizing that I was in a toxic relationship I became stressed and we all know what stress does to the body.....not good things.

I started going back to the gym about 3 weeks ago,Zumba still hurts my ankle, so my Zumba shoes are still hanging up.

I walk my dog about an hour a day, eat clean foods, I started taking my vits and mins again. My down fall is sweets and I am curbing that.

My goals are to drop about 30 lbs, would love 50. My diary is open for all to see

Thanks for reading this small novel lol

I'm Wayside on CotH.

Although I previously didn't have much trouble with my weight, the last couple of years it just seems to be creeping up and up despite my best efforts. I'm not at 213lbs, despite working with a dietician and a personal trainer. So far I've decreased my calories to 1350 a day, and I'm doing 30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week, and strength training with my personal trainer for 30 minutes 3 times a week.

Incredibly frustrating, but I'm not giving up!

Hi Everyone,

I'm known as Shadytrake on CoTH. I haven't posted much over the last several years because my company blocked the website and I don't get on the computer much in private life since I LIVE on it for work.

My name is Melissa. Up until last spring I was actively working out in the Adventure Boot Camp for Women but it just got too expensive. Since turning 40 in 2010, my metabolism has basically died and I am having so much trouble keeping the weight off. I cannot afford to have a personal trainer and I really need a motivator in order to continue long-term. I'm one of those people who start big projects, but unless there is a huge motivator...I lose motivation after awhile.

I'm 5'2" and weighed in yesterday at 155lbs. Yay I lost 2 lbs since last month!
I need to be at 135lbs in order to look slim in my show clothes.
I think I can manage to hold 140lbs though it was difficult in my 30's.

Another problem I am having since turning 40 is that my flexibility is going away. Maybe we can talk stretching, yoga, and pilates?
I hate that I am having trouble flexing around even to wash my back. My horse dumped me in the warmup at a show and like a dummy, I held onto the reins. He dragged me a bit and I slightly separated my shoulder. It's been almost 2 months and that shoulder is still painful.

Thanks to everyone in advance. I want to get back into shape! I'm not as much worried about the exact lbs as I am about the flexibility, muscle, and toning.

Hi! I'm Rebecca. ohrebecca on COTH.

I have battled with my weight as far back as fourth grade. I was a skinny minnie up till then, and then puberty started setting in and I ballooned.

At my thinnest adult weight/shape, I was about 140 lbs. I was working at a sporthorse breeding farm, doing chores (feeding, mucking, turnout, baby breaking, riding, etc.) and supplementing my non-existant income there as a dog-walker for a friend. I ate almost nothing, because I was a) broke and b) too busy to eat. An average day would have me eating a bag of popcorn, an apple, and maybe some french fries or a hot dog for dinner. I wasn't healthy.

Since then, I've yo-yo'd up and down from my "baseline" of about 160 to where I am right now, 195ish (okay, 196). I lost about fifteen pounds two years ago, got to 170, and then gained it back. Same thing last year. This year, I want to lose SIXTY pounds (if not more) and keep it off.

I am an emotional eater, and an "anything eater." I eat because I'm sad, happy, feeling fat (counterproductive, I know), bored. I'm lazy. I hate my job and when I come home from work all I want to do is sit on the couch with Style network on and a bag of chips and a pop. I work random shifts with no weekly rhyme or reason (for example: this week: close, close, open, off, open, open. Plus our store has different hours for the weekend than for the weekdays, so even the Wednesday open differs from the Saturday open) so it's difficult for me to find a workout schedule I can stick to.

I HAVE been good at working out. Two years ago I was running 6 miles. Now I can run one mile - maybe. I do find that when I get back into working out, I'm pleasantly surprised at how much fitter/stronger I feel than what I feel I should be. If that makes sense.

I joined a gym around Thanksgiving and have been there less than 10 times. I just got home from there, though.

My mare is little (15.1) and I don't want to do any damage to her physically or emotionally, so right now my first priority is her well-being/health. My well-being/health is a close second. Luckily, my boyfriend's opinion of my weight has no bearing on this endeavor, as he literally loves me at whatever size I am. (I have gained at least 15 lbs in the 11 months we've been dating)

Thanks for having me, and I look forward to getting to know all of you, and encouraging all of you :-)

My name is Maya, I am HopeandJoy on CoTH (my horses names).

I am 32 years old, 5'10" tall and currently weigh 180. My goal is more in the 160 to 150 range. I was always super skinny (125 lbs) when I worked full time at a barn, in fact I would lose weight every summer even eating a pint of ice cream for lunch each day. Now that I am cleaning houses part-time for a living and running Hope's Legacy Equine Rescue the rest of the time (this part requires a lot of time sitting in front of the computer) I find that I am packing on the pounds. My biggest problems are that I really like food and I hate to exercise.

Hi all! I'm Redhorse98 on COTH, but don't post too often there, mainly lurk. NEED motivation to get this weight off! I am at my heaviest at 210lbs. Most of the weight came on during nursing school and then full time as RN, rotating days/nights. I have had trouble sleeping during the day, so my energy level is nil. I also work at the farm on weekends and try to ride my horse 3-4 times a week.

I also just bought a house and have vowed to cook more at home and eat better.

Hi everyone, I'm Sophie on CoTH and I need motivation to lose a few pounds but especially not gain any! Both my mom and my sister are overweight and I would like to avoid following that trend, especially now that I'm (gasp) middle age.

I find trying to lose weight is MUCH easier in the summer! But I just started going to the gym again. I only go to group classes otherwise I can't get motivated. I like Pilates and Zumba. I tried something called "body combat" but that was just too much for me and my physical shortcomings (bad knee, bad back, plantar fasciitis).

I may not post a lot on here but it's nice to know there is a place to go for motivation and support! I love the calorie tracker too.

Good luck to everyone!

Hi, Everyone! I'm mostly a lurker on COTH, but I was excited to see this group pop up. I need some motivation! I've gained a lot of weight in the last three years since a move to Lincoln, NE. A lack of social life, being far from my family, and so much less to DO outdoors has really caused me to pack on the pounds. I'm currently 5'4'' weighing in at 190 (or at least I was at my last doctor's visit just a few weeks ago, who knows what that number might be after the holidays!!). I'm mostly glad to have a support group, where we can all commiserate and cheer each other on

Great idea and hopefully, we can keep this group (and ourselves) active!

I'm Blugal on COTH and post probably too frequently! I've had a hard time owning up to my issues. I'm 5'3 and currently 162 lbs. I was up to 182 lbs last year and just hated everything. I had been away from serious competition since 2006, although I was a working student in 2007 and was down to 135 lbs, but returning to school in the fall I packed it all back on by eating too much and not exercising. Lots of stress eating.

My coach was actually a big motivator - she let me ride her schoolmaster horse, and pushed me to compete in 2011. I started going to the gym in the mornings before work, and riding 1-2 horses a day after work. My big goal for the year was a competition in July - I was down to 158 lbs, still not ideal, and when we got home, I was exhausted from the previous 6 months and needed a break! Unfortunately, I have been yo-yo-ing about 5 pounds since then. It was disappointing going for lessons in the fall and being out of breath!

So I need help staying on track - my goal is to get to my ideal weight (135 lbs) by the beginning of May for show season. I know it's possible - I just have to believe I can do it, and stick to it.

I'm Coyoteco on COTH. I was always thin. Each time I had a kid, I'd gain a lot and lose it. Then one day I started gaining unexplicably. I went to the doctor and explained my symptoms, unexplained weight gain, loss of muscle tone, loss of flexibility, fatigue. She refused to believe me. She had never been competent. (Yeah, I'm still really ticked about that.) Anyway, I tried a lot of ways to lose and finally found one. Probably my underlying problem was insulen resistance. My goal is back to my previous normal weight of 125 which is the bottom weight for my height of 5'7". I'm doing medifast with a slight modification of fewer calories. I'll ride two of my horses, a tb and a perch/tb x during the period with an emphasis on getting both of them and me much more fit - lots of two-point and posting. I will be more active, and hopefully resume p90x. If not p90x, I'll do the NYC Ballet workout first and then move to p90x - both series are very good. I bought a swim suit recently and some bicycling shirts and jackets (visibility) so will do some of both. I'm hoping to reach my goal in 10 weeks, but I know that I could stop losing at any time regardless of food and exercise.