thelitas

Thanks! I've been on a slight weight roller coaster (went from 212 down to 198 and back up to 205 at the moment). I can blame the winter for being ridiculously cold and not riding as much as I would like, but I could have kept up with crossfit or just stepped on a treadmill at work since they have those for us now, and I…

Jordank- congrats on the baby! Just curious, does your mare carry her tension in her neck? My SWB does, and for his medium & extended trot, if I really get him using his shoulder and relaxing his poll without falling on the forehand, I've been able to sit them without issue. Also, a really, REALLY little bit of standing in…

Every horse is different. After a number of cantankerous geldings as a kid, I swore I'd never own anything but a mare because the mares I rode were far better than the geldings and would give me everything they could, except for my last mare, and we were oil and water (she loves her current person and gives them…

I also feel the 20% rule is a guideline, and it may be a bit conservative. I regularly jump on a 13.3 hand 5 year old Quarter Horse with cutter lines (so very stocky build) when one of the kids at the barn has trouble with her leads. However, there is another 13.3 pinto at the barn that I would never even consider getting…

Like so many, I created a bunch of excuses, from when I was a kid my mom would stop at Wendy's after school and we'd eat a full meal before going home and eating a full meal, to I can't offend people by turning down their food, to I was taught to clean my plate, and of course, my favorite one, blaming others because "this…

Thanks everyone! I think it's great to have a place I can share things like this without people not understanding why it's a big deal! As for the larger uniform in the washer; it ended up in the dryer before I left and was dry by the time I went home. If I would've had time to get it done before work, it's what I would've…

Thanks! I'm sure I'll post updates of how things went, including how poorly I ended up eating while there. My dad, who still likes following me to shows, and the trainer from my home barn are ridiculously bad influences on my eating (and drinking) habits... and without my other trainer there to keep us all in check, I'm…

LOL. I want to use the same answer epiphany did- Dressage! I HATE excercise. HATE HATE HATE. But if my horse is included, it's just that much better. I will take him out to hand walk to make sure I get that kind of cardio in if I don't feel like riding or don't have time to ride, but I will say learning to control your…

Hi- I'm new to the group and just wanted to say it's been nice reading about everyone's journey and, of course, their horses. I have been riding forever- I was that lucky kid whose mom ran a breeding farm- so I grew up showing AQHA and 4H. At 12 I got in to dressage, and I've been there ever since. My horse's name is…

For me, I try to distract myself from the craving by doing something else. It doesn't have to be exercise or anything related to your goal of weight loss/getting fit, but if I say, start cleaning the house, I tend to forget about the craving and get more concerned about the activity I'm doing. If I can't handle it and have…

I feel your pain! When I kicked myself in the butt again to start working out, I also was wearing a helmet for safety, and as you can imagine, I had LINES of blackheads and pimples everywhere the helmet touched; forehead, lines down my cheeks, under my jaw, and even on my scalp. I was doing the same thing of washing my…

I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early 20's. I was bigger than I am now, but it was one of the triggers that started my weight loss the first time. I did use South Beach as my only source of food restriction/diet. I was RELIGIOUS with it, minus eggs, which I cannot eat. I started at 225 and ended up down at 160. I stayed on…

Hi- I'm also new to the group. Dressage has been a passion of mine since I was a kid. Sitting trot in true collection seems to be the best in-saddle exercise I've found for my core, and using the "big bear hug" idea with my thighs also seems to both work them and improve the quality of the trot (which makes my core work…