Motivation & Riding

Hey guys! So today I want to talk about motivation. What does motivation mean to you? By definition it’s having a reason to act. But for most people it means having some initiative too. For me it means all that plus committing to a result until it’s done. So I guess we could just say motivation, initiative, commitment, and determination are required to make a change for the better. I feel like that recipe holds true in all areas of life.

But today we are gonna talk about getting fit. “Winter is coming” and “summer bodies are made in the winter”. Winter is also a great opportunity to get your horses fit. It’s cooler out (if not freezing depending on where you live) so you can work longer without the precious pon pons over heating in the first 5 minutes of stepping out into the surface of the sun (that’s how it feels here in Texas anyways).

Having a buddy is much more motivating than I previously gave it credit for. I realized this when Matthew started committing to working out and eating better consistently again a few weeks ago. Since then I have felt a renewed love for fitness and health. To be honest I was growing disillusioned with it all but now I’m wiser for it and ready to hit it hard again.

My goal is to lose a little body fat over the next 3 months and then add muscle for the next year.

We’ve definitely stepped up our workouts. We’ve been tracking macros again and I decided to try intermittent fasting and I love it! I prefer the 16/8 method (fast 16 hours. 8 hour eating window) I usually stop eating at about 8 at night and don’t eat again till noon the next day. I keep my protein up at about 108g a day and I keep my fats moderate to low at about 35g a day mainly for digestive reasons. The rest is carbs of course! Who doesn’t love those!? I only weigh 108lbs so while “cutting” I eat about 1300 calories a day with 1-2 refeed days.

Unfortunately Fancy has a cold last week and so did Matthew. Funny how they both got sick on the same weekend. Anyways they took it kinda easy for last week but now that they are better I plan on getting Fancy in as much of a routine as we are.

I really like the method of timing trot and canter sets for conditioning. It helps me track progress and gives me something to see in writing. Although it requires a digital watch and I keep forgetting to pick one up lol.

Yesterday was Fancy's first ride since she had her cold

Goals

Riding:

• To get Fancy Fit by February
• Improve my balance and heel flexion
• Find my confidence again 

Fitness:

• To stay consistent with my workouts and diet
• Lose enough body fat by February to show my abs
• Keep up my mental and emotional health

Who is with me?!