Ignore the helmet mullet - show pics

I went to a Pinto Horse (open breed) show this last weekend.  My friend and I both thought it'd be fun and relaxed, and seeing as how the venue is about 10 minutes from our barn it was impossible to say no.  Before I go any further, please forgive my hair.  I don't know what the fuck I was thinking.  Honestly, I wasn't thinking.  Fuck it- I know it looks awful, and I regret it.  On to the recap!

Gavin was really awesome.  He listened (mostly), he did what I asked (mostly), and he kept the pony antics to a minimum.  I was beaming with pride riding around on him.

What a hunk, right?

First up - English Pleasure.  Now, I figured we'd biff this class.  Gavin IS a pleasure to ride and he rode well in the class, but a low headset is not his bag, baby.  Nor does he have a swinging stride.  We came in dead last.

Ponies UNITE!  My horsegirllove is in back on her grey, Sterling. She rocked every class!

Next up - English Show Hack.  If you're like me - you're thinking "wtf is this?".  Based on the YouTube videos I watched the night before the test - this was like rail dressage.  You show the horse in all three gaits at regular, collected, and extended.  The horses seemed to be a bit spicier than the English Pleasure mounts, with more knee action, and generally a higher headset.  I figured this was in the bag for us.  Well... I was wrong.  And to be totally honest, I don't know why.  We came in second to last.  Besides one naughty moment where he really considered chasing the horse in front of us and one serious look at a barrel on the outside of the arena, he was totally on his game.  His gaits were adjustable, he was most definitely forward, and transitions were good.

Canter

MOOORE CANTER

MOOOOOORE CANTER - what am I doing here?  Who knows.  Riding a beautiful ass gelding, and flinging my body all over the place - that's what!

Our last class of the day was in halter.  Idk why... for fun?  We had to walk and trot the horse and then set them up for the judge.  I had been told you aren't allowed to place your horse's legs, and there was no getting Gavin to stand square, so I just went with it.  He actually did pretty well in the class.  The two horses who placed ahead of Gav looked to be halter bred QHs.  Both handlers placed each leg, both horses had some MAJJOOOOR bling on their halters.  We did compete against a spicy lil mini stud.  He was adorable, but a total bastard.  Rearing, screaming, bolting.  It would've been a scene, except he was just sooo cute and little.

Giving his handler some shit

Gavin in halter

My main men (just missing the puggy boy!)

Me - happy as hell to be done with classes

Weight Reboot (for me, not the pony)

About 6 years ago I finally, actually, completely, and officially left a toxic relationship.  I left the relationship at my highest weight (about 155lbs).  I had been at the receiving end of several jabs about my weight, while simultaneously being forbidden to go to a gym and being nearly force-fed donuts.  It was a weird, sad, but totally delicious time in my life (thanks only to the donuts). 

When the relationship finally ended, I had all of this time to think.  And that's exactly what you don't want fresh out of a break-up, so I joined the local Golds Gym.  It really became like a home away from home for me, and some of the members and classes became like little cultish families.  Over the course of about a year I got as fit as I've ever been (still, not that fit by some standards, but pretty damn fit).  It was at this point in my life when I met my future husband, Shawn.  A fit fanatic, who also used to have some extra poundage.

Probably my fittest.. thanks T25 and Shaun T!  Halloween - I was Ygritte... kinda... ok, I was slutty Ygritte

Shawn and I have now lived together for a little over 4 years.  Slowly, as I grew my life with Shawn, and developed friendships in the Denver area, my time for working out diminished.  I really quit prioritizing it after we got married (god, what a cliché!).  I've been trying to get back into, because now I've reached an unhappily familiar weight (147).  I feel embarrassed when I look at pictures of myself.  I feel touchy about the subject with my loved ones (my tiny, tiny, tiny mother and my still active husband).  I literally have to hoist my pants up sometimes.  Its like I need suspenders.  My love handles are bigger than my butt. 

Migraine girl - to the rescue couch

Anyways - this post isn't about body shaming myself into oblivion.  This post is an excited post.  About a week and half ago I just randomly started eating better because I was annoyed with myself for letting it get this far.  Once I started, I really didn't want to stop!  I did some research into how to ease back in to working out (I have chronic migraines - basically everything triggers them including... you guessed it!  High intensity exercise!  This rules out stuff like P90X, Crossfit *tried*, kickboxing *tried*).  I found an easy to follow 7 week 5k training plan that I'm following (4x a week), I walk my portly, middle-aged pug 5x a week, and I ride Gavin about 4x a week.  Throw in a couple of days of weight training and voila - you've got a decent workout regime. 

I'm trying to be totally honest about the journey - so I had Shawn take a couple of pictures of me.  This is me at 147lbs, 5'4 (dammit - why can't I be 5'10 and have more room for donuts?!?!).  Anyways - I'm excited to keep putting one foot in front of the other and make it happen.

I guess I'd like to lose 17 lbs (130 lbs), but for my body type that's pretty difficult to get to.  I'll be happy to just fit into my clothes better.

Anyone have any suggestions or weight loss stories they'd like to share?