and now I’m eating PASTA. With CREAMY SAUCE.
Tomorrow, no canter half pass for me. As a matter of fact, my horse may snap in half as a result of my dinner. Sob. I should rename him Resolute. Or Resigned. Or Screwed. I just can’t tell.
Wait, I loved hobbist. I was certainly easier to say, esp if you’re Irish. I’mahob’st!
I just ate a chocolate covered ice cream bar. In bed. And I’m already fat. Fat people are NEVER allowed to eat sweet treats. Even if we mucked stalls for 4 hours in 90 degree heat with 90% humidity. I am a FAILURE at life and will never get to Third Level now 
I have the opportunity to ride a super fun pony. The owner would like her to be ridden by someone weighing no more than 110 lbs.
I weigh 114 lbs, haven’t eaten anything in 2 weeks and still weigh 114 lbs. Help.
[QUOTE=KBC;8736111]
See now here a couple of things:
First I thought Moogles was joking
Second you know I choose sugar…not very often but I would rather drink water every day, and then when sugar filled pop occasionally, rather than a diet soda.
I will read labels and choose one that has sugar, rather than cane syrup, again choosing sugar.
However, I can’t remember the last time we actually bought sugar, like the white crystaly stuff…we never use it. So choosing sugar isn’t always a bad thing[/QUOTE]
I was being silly to a degree. The beet pulp my horse so dearly loves comes from the sugar industry. Sugar is hidden in many things that we eat, from condiments to pickles, to sauces and obvs packaged food.
As a nursing student I had to but the equivalent teaspoons of salt and sugar contained in common food items in separate baggies to show the public how much is hidden. It was an eye opener for sure.
We need “sugars” to survive and have energy. I get mine mostly from fruit and grains but if I want those yummy 5 cent candies, I will have them once in awhile. I don’t tend to drink my calories (except wine :lol:) or use ready made sauces/dressings which hide a lot of sugar.
I’m more of a moderation type girl and do work out in addition to my riding. But I’m privileged…I don’t have kids and I work part time so I have the time to cook my own food. I can also afford quality ingredients. Socioeconomic status has a huge effect on health, this is undeniable. Home made food is expensive in both time and money.
I do watch what I eat and I do care about my fitness. I feel better when I “eat clean” so to speak. I feel more energized and less lazy. I do monitor what I eat and try to choose wisely when we go out to dinner, but sometimes that doesn’t happen. I think a major problem when eating out is portion sizes. When I travel to the States I’m absolutely shocked at what is considered a portion. Canada can be crazy too, but not near the extent of when we dine in the States. I think portion sizes are a huge issue. Often my husband and I split an entree and still have more than enough food. People often don’t realize a portion of meat is the size of a deck of cards, not half a plate.
As far as exercise goes, the Canadian guide is 30min of moderate to vigorous activity 5 times a week. As long as you are getting that in and choosing healthy food and portion sizes, anyone will reduce negative health risks over time. So when someone judges a person who appears a little “fluffy” on the exterior, that person may have already improved their health status without the exterior showing the results yet.
Bringing this back to riding, I think body control is a crucial factor. How you control your body movements will have such an effect on how the horse can handle rider weight. Think of it as giving a piggyback ride to a child. A kid that throws his weight around will be much harder to carry as opposed to one who follows your movement and is centered in their weight. So I don’t believe in a number cut off, but how well that rider controls their movement in addition to what the horse can safely carry.
Moogles I agree with you about vigorous daily exercise improving your health at any size and am a little relieved to read your words. I was told by several posters in no uncertain terms on another thread that no matter how active I am (far more active than the average person), and how much fitter and stronger I have gotten, I cannot possibly be any healthier because my BMI is in the obese range.
[QUOTE=Moogles;873934 So I don’t believe in a number cut off, but how well that rider controls their movement in addition to what the horse can safely carry.[/QUOTE]
So how is what the horse can safely carry determined?
[QUOTE=BigMama1;8739353]
Moogles I agree with you about vigorous daily exercise improving your health at any size and am a little relieved to read your words. I was told by several posters in no uncertain terms on another thread that no matter how active I am (far more active than the average person), and how much fitter and stronger I have gotten, I cannot possibly be any healthier because my BMI is in the obese range.[/QUOTE]
BigMama1 please come and visit me. I promise I solve all your problems!!! I have everything at my place, you can really work and sweat mucking stalls, mowing and weed eating and I also have a personal fitness trainer living in my rental who is amazing 
Stay for 4 weeks and you will be amazed how fit you are going to get. Oh and by the way my family is vegan so you will be amazed how many things are eliminated from your menue.
[QUOTE=BigMama1;8739353]
Moogles I agree with you about vigorous daily exercise improving your health at any size and am a little relieved to read your words. I was told by several posters in no uncertain terms on another thread that no matter how active I am (far more active than the average person), and how much fitter and stronger I have gotten, I cannot possibly be any healthier because my BMI is in the obese range.[/QUOTE]
I guess it’s about risk reduction, not reducing risk to 0% in a dramatic fashion. Any risk reduction is a positive and something to be happy about. You should be proud that you have made a positive impact.
[QUOTE=Manni01;8739428]
BigMama1 please come and visit me. I promise I solve all your problems!!! I have everything at my place, you can really work and sweat mucking stalls, mowing and weed eating and I also have a personal fitness trainer living in my rental who is amazing Stay for 4 weeks and you will be amazed how fit you are going to get. Oh and by the way my family is vegan so you will be amazed how many things are eliminated from your menue.[/QUOTE]
Ooh! I want to come … although I don’t suppose the 4 lbs. are worth the plane fare.
[QUOTE=alicen;8739412]
So how is what the horse can safely carry determined?[/QUOTE]
A qualified instructor should make that decision.
I’m pointing out (just picking numbers here…) that a 175lbs person can feel heavier than 190lbs just from how balanced they are and how much body control they have. Again like the piggyback scenario, I cannot safely lift my husband and walk around as he is just too heavy for me to balance and move (weight=too much). I’ve also piggyback little kids that threw themselves around and I could barely move (weight suitable, balance off=too much).
[QUOTE=SendenHorse;8736923]
ok now you guys are just being jerks, really? I’ve spent a lot of time to try to help others here.
I guess I should expect some backlash, it’s not the popular opinion to be more self-critical.
I think those who have ridden seriously for several years past training level will see how these relate. It’s not popular to say people need to work out daily to ride well. If you plateau sometime, remember what I said. The key lies with you and your ability to evaluate the situations. Blame doesn’t get you much progress.
I didn’t make this up, it’s just common sports psychology and mental training. But I suppose if you haven’t had any training in that or nutrition like i have it might seen foreign hence the reaction.
Talk to me in a year those of you who think this isn’t important. We’ll see where we are all at, ok? Dresage is a ton more work than I ever thought, and I’ve been at this awhile.
I don’t have 5 years to learn to ride my horse on the bit. I have a very talented horse so I have to ride to his level. Being overweight isn’t going to serve me well. I have to toughen up , shut up, and ride. If I don’t want to, fine, but I can’t complain if I’m not going to work harder today than yesterday.
Its a sport, not a trail ride. that is all[/QUOTE]
For many, trail riding is a sport. It isn’t all nose-to-tail hour walks on level ground with your feet a foot above the stirrups.
I am seeing a theme here that “dressage” is some elite upper-level Olympic sport to be done only in show clothing and certain types of saddles.
Let’s remember, please, that “dressage” is just a French word for “training” and that any training in correct riding with a qualified trainer is dressage, even if “all” you are schooling is round 20-meter circles at rising trot. Yes, lateral work and collection and extension and tempi are also dressage, but dressage is much more than that. We want to ENCOURAGE people to do it, not discourage them.
[QUOTE=Manni01;8739428]
BigMama1 please come and visit me. I promise I solve all your problems!!! I have everything at my place, you can really work and sweat mucking stalls, mowing and weed eating and I also have a personal fitness trainer living in my rental who is amazing Stay for 4 weeks and you will be amazed how fit you are going to get. Oh and by the way my family is vegan so you will be amazed how many things are eliminated from your menue.[/QUOTE]
LOL that actually sounds like fun! I think my family might notice me missing though.
[QUOTE=Moogles;8739434]
I guess it’s about risk reduction, not reducing risk to 0% in a dramatic fashion. Any risk reduction is a positive and something to be happy about. You should be proud that you have made a positive impact.[/QUOTE]
That’s how I feel about mitigating the risk, and I am very proud of the things I can do now that I couldn’t three years ago. I also have the resting heart rate of a marathon runner, according to my doctor, very low end of normal blood pressure, great cholesterol and sugar numbers…but the armchair doctors here on COTH apparently know better and told me I’m delusional if I think being a size 16 makes me anything but a ticking time bomb and that I’m damaging my 17.1 draft cross every time I ride him.
Some people…
Don’t afford them the power to bother you, Big. They haven’t earned your respect, why give them your time?
[QUOTE=BigMama1;8739531]
LOL that actually sounds like fun! I think my family might notice me missing though.[/QUOTE]
You also have to consider, we have the #1 Beach in the US so there are great possibilities for your family as well they might want to join you
I hadn’t been aware that “health” and doctors’ findings is now a CONTEST.
Thanks, folks, for cluing me in . . . :disgust:
Thanks OP! Glad to hear you have a trainer who handled it kindly and professionally!
One of the reasons it is such a struggle for people to lose weight, but more importantly maintain, is because if one has food issues, one can’t eliminate food from their life ( and continue living lol)
Hard as it might be, people can 100% cut out alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs, and still exist. But they cant do that with food, so every day are battling it…for example one would not expect an alcoholic to be able to handle reasonable amounts of alcohol if they needed it to survive. That is why dealing with weight can be a wrenching lifetime struggle because one can’t simply eliminate food and related behaviors, it must be dealt with every day.
Best of luck to everyone dealing with whatever issues we may have, and we all have some issue or another . Horses can serve as an anchor for health and taking care of ourselves which is a great thing.
[QUOTE=Manni01;8739652]
You also have to consider, we have the #1 Beach in the US so there are great possibilities for your family as well they might want to join you[/QUOTE]
Are you in Florida near Siesta Key? In that case prepare for visitors during our long, cold, Canadian winter!!!
[QUOTE=BigMama1;8739756]
Are you in Florida near Siesta Key? In that case prepare for visitors during our long, cold, Canadian winter!!![/QUOTE]
Yep
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