# Loosing Weight/Motivation to Exercise



## horseponycrazy27 (Nov 15, 2015)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

I know there are different opinions on what helps people loose weight. My personal opinion is that you eat healthy and you exercise. For me to loose weight, I am going to start making a meal menu every Saturday evening. My other focus to start exercising but need motivation. I do love biking and swimming, though it's hard to bike during the week as I work as an Assistant Teacher in Durham, Nc and live in Chapel Hill, NC. I am planning on swimming before work starting next week two times a week. 

What motivates you to walk as an exercise?
What motivates or would motivate you to do an exercise video? 

Thank you and Happy Riding


----------



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

One thing that seems to be true to me about eating healthy is that some people seem to do well one one sort of "diet" while others don't. I think individual body type matching to diet is something that's been really overlooked. Having said that, to me, eating healthy means eating foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Not drinking sugary drinks or eating lots of sweets, not eating processed foods. I think such a diet would benefit everyone.

I do like to walk. What motivates me is being able to go on long hikes. A couple of years ago I hiked across Scotland! It was amazing. I was tentatively planning a Japanese hiking trip this year and then, well, Covid. I hiked Catalina Island too -- that was HARD! But needing to be in shape to do such a trip is a big motivator. Even when the weather is hot and muggy (and I live in Central Texas so we get that a lot) I spend at least a couple of hours a day, two-three days a week, going up and down steep hills in a nearby neighborhood, so that when I want to do a big hike I can. I find walking through neighborhoods pretty boring, so when I'm doing that I typically bring a book or listen to the news. 

I don't know what could motivate me to do an exercise video. Ugh. I mean, I go online and find stretching routines and do them, but somehow the thought to bouncing along with someone on a video is not very appearing.


----------



## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I'm not fit or anything, but the times I do try to diet and get fit I do walk/ride combinations. Like I will plan to walk to a certain spot on the trail, maybe a mile away, then get on and have a nice ride, then get off and walk back home, horse walking with me. Whatever distance I can do without aggravating my bad ankle, and try to do more walking over time. But other types of fitness.......no, not me. I think if I didn't have a horse though, I would take up bicycle riding. Or even just hiking. Because I have a strong need to be out in nature.


----------



## AbbySmith (Nov 15, 2020)

I try and do a 30 min exercise 3-4 times a week. I stay motivated because I want to stay in shape to ride.If you have fat buttocks, or thighs. You won't be able to cue your horse properly. 
I also do a lot of work out on the farm, so I get a lot of exercise then too. 
I do struggle with exercising during winter because I literally hybernate. I get a lot of exercise in during January though. Here it is the coldest month of the year, so it is strange. But that is when we breed our sheep to lamb. So, I have to walk through the snow to get up to the barn every two hours. Then I have to wrangle sheep into their own separate pens, and try to get a bottle into a lamb. Then I have to refill 5-gallon water pails in about 25 stalls. Lots of water! Then each 25 pens get a flake of hay. I do feed and water twice a day. Plus the ewes that haven't lambed get fed a round bales every two days that we have to roll down the shed. So, I get lots of exercise in January!
It is super easy for me to stay fit in the summer though, because I am outside checking on the sheep, walking the perimeter of 20 acres, and through it to make sure everyone is ok. I am lifting hay bales, and feeding grain. 
So, yeah. This year I have made it a goal to try and work out 3-4 times a week for 20-30 mins. And just see what it does! If I like it, I will continue, if not, I'll think of something else.
The big motivator for me, is staying in shape to be able to ride, and lift the saddle up with ease. I ride Western, so I need strong arms to be able to lift 20 pounds of leather over my head!


----------



## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

I'm currently trying to lose a bit of weight. I fell off of my diet recently due to some life stuff happening all at once, including the death of both of my cats (from old age, but it was still rough). But the rules I was using, that were working for a while, were pretty simple: no breakfast, no snacks, no booze. I was having about one or two cheat days a week but otherwise sticking to that, and throwing in some long walks. I find sometimes, being too ambitious can make something way too hard to stick to. This was pretty easy, and I didn't have to overthink it at all. Starting it up again this week!


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I will speak to diet, since I have little to say about exersize. I agree with @ACinATX , some diets work better for some people, and others don't. I have a very strong streak of addictive personality in me. I can easily become addicted to anything that brings a pleasureable response at the time of consumption. That is often expressed in consuming way more carbohydrates than any other kind of food. By removing , entirely, things that are mostly refined carbohydrates (bread, pasta, white rice and anything sweet), my cravings calm WAY down. The voices in my head that demand to be fed quiet down. And, because you are not trying to 'just eat moderately' of whatever you want, there is a clear dividing line. You don't have to spend time and mental space worrying, "should I eat a half cup, or a whole cup? Oh, darn, I can only have one of these cookie!" etc. As long as it's not in that category of breads/ pastas/ cookies or cakes . . . I can eat however much my body wants. It usually isn't nearly as much as when my body is on regular infusions of quick carbs. I'm not talking keto diet, just not eating the carb type foods that stimulate the monster in me.

this works for me. For others, a reduction in portion size works, monitoring the size, and keeping track of calories.


----------



## Nubs (Jul 25, 2019)

I’m motivated to walk because I have two dogs and if I don’t walk, I don’t get to sleep. lol. So I walk 3-5 miles per day 7 days a week.


----------



## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I have to restrict carbs to lose weight. I get severe headaches with any other approach to eating. I don't get them with a high fat/low carb diet. My approach is mostly "keto" with a bit of intermittent fasting tossed in. I haven't gotten there, but I appreciate both the idea and simplicity of OMAD: One Meal A Day.

I think those of us who were very fat as kids have a different challenge than those who were not. I also find it is a lifestyle change, not a "diet". A war, not a battle one wins and is done with. I dearly love bread but it only takes a small amount added back in and my weight starts increasing.

A good friend is mostly vegetarian. Most days he's vegetarian, but he'll eat what is available if visiting someone. It works for him. Neither of us succeeds with a complex diet or restricting portion sizes.

My motivation is simply that it works. I feel vastly better at 35 lbs lighter. Pushing two years and I won't go back.

An odd exercise tip: Look up power twister. It is amazing how many upper body muscles it exercises. Very good for improving grip/hand strength too.


----------



## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

horseponycrazy27 said:


> What motivates you to walk as an exercise?


Walking is easy if you live in a European-style city - instead of driving or taking the public transport I walk anywhere below 5km - which is a lot of places: my yard, bank, post office, shops, tax office, garden center... Obviously, I don't always have time for it but if I do, I choose walking. It's really easy once it becomes a habit, I don't even think about it anymore. I think "I have to go buy some sneakers" and I automatically walk.

Also, having a dog really helps but dogs are a serious time sink on top of horses.


----------



## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Exercise is not good for weight loss. Great for a lot of things, but not weight loss. First, lose the weight, THEN add the exercise.
Like @tinyliny (and @bsms...since I thought I hit send, but did not!!) said, cut out the carbs. You will be MUCH healthier for it. (All grains and sugar, potatoes, etc.)
Do NOT pay attention to any government food pyramid, or other such nonsense. ADD fat to your diet. (just not in the presence of sugar)
Drink a LOT of WATER. Our brains cannot distinguish between hunger and thirst, so unless we are drinking a good bit of water (I drink a gallon per day), we may be consuming calories when we just need water.
Be sure you are getting enough sleep.


----------



## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

Very true about the water!! These days I try to drink two tall glasses of water about 20 minutes before each meal. Then I'm not going into my meals feeling dehydrated and with a completely empty stomach. 

Also agree about increasing exercise _after_ you've changed your eating habits. Otherwise exercise will just stimulate your appetite and get you eating more of the foods that you should be avoiding.


----------



## horseponycrazy27 (Nov 15, 2015)

greentree said:


> Exercise is not good for weight loss.


I have heard that. Can you explain farther? As I have been told by my doctor that is food and exercise.


----------



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

horseponycrazy27 said:


> I have heard that. Can you explain farther? As I have been told by my doctor that is food and exercise.


Some people say that if you increase your exercise, then your body will just want more calories to make up for the calorie deficit. In other words, if you add some exercise that burns 200 calories per day, your body is going to make you want to eat another 200 calories per day, to make up for it.

I think this ignores the important fact that exercise doesn't just burn calories, it creates muscle. And a certain amount of muscle mass burns more calories, even at rest, then the same amount of fat. So by exercising you are increasing your resting metabolism. Which, I don't think results in your body wanting more calories.

It also doesn't make sense to me because the same thing is obviously true about cutting calories -- if you cut calories, then your body is just going to make you hungrier and hungrier trying to get those calories back. Further, cutting calories results in your metabolism slowing down, which is why yo-yo dieting is so bad. So, if you subscribe to this theory, then you can't ever lose weight because no matter what you do, your body wants those calories back.

One theory of weight says that different people have different set points, of the weight their bodies want to be. That's where, I think, these ideas are coming from -- your body wants to be a certain weight, and if you get lower than that it will do things to try to compensate, like slowing your metabolism or making you want to eat to get the weight back.

If this is true, then I think it would be better to exercise more and have a higher proportion of muscle in your body. I think that's healthier than having a lot of fat.

I don't actually know if all of the above is true or not, it's all still theoretical. I still say that eating as much food as close to its natural state as possible is the healthiest way to live. I can't believe that eating a lot of processed food is good for anyone.


----------



## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

horseponycrazy27 said:


> I have heard that. Can you explain farther? As I have been told by my doctor that is food and exercise.


One popular theory of weight loss is calories in/calories out. It is vastly easier to eliminate 500 calories from coming in than it is to burn them. It varies with speed and the person, but a ROT is running burns 100 calories/mile. A bran muffin can have 500 calories. So not eating it is as good as a 5 mile run.

I think a strong case exists that our metabolism is not strictly calories in/calories out. Gary Taubes' book *Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health* is excellent, as is Jason Fung's *The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss*. Also Nina Teicholz's *The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet*. They argue our hormones control how much we weigh - unless we are on a true starvation diet. And no one, by definition, can maintain a true starvation diet. So the long term solution is an approach that changes our hormone balance - most specifically, insulin.

"_...if you cut calories, then your body is just going to make you hungrier and hungrier trying to get those calories back. Further, cutting calories results in your metabolism slowing down..._" - @ACinATX

In my experience, this is not accurate. No offense meant. I'm just relaying something I found in my own life at age 60: *There is a HUGE difference between HUNGER and CRAVINGS!* Hunger is actually easy to ignore. I can be hungry and go out and run 4 miles without a problem. But CRAVINGS?! Wow! Cravings can get me to stuff my face uncontrollably. What @tinyliny said is exactly my experience: "_By removing , entirely, things that are mostly refined carbohydrates (bread, pasta, white rice and anything sweet), my cravings calm WAY down..._" That is where keto and intermittant fasting have been life changing for me. After 45 years of yo-yo diets, I finally found an approach that allowed me to lose serious weight AND do so with very few cravings! But...several family members who have never struggled with weight have also never experienced severe cravings. I'd swear sugar affects me like I suspect heroin affects some! But that is ME and not everyone!

The videos at this website vary in quality but there are a lot of good, free lectures here:

Low Carb Down Under

A couple of free presentations by Nina Teicholz:


----------



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

bsms said:


> "_...if you cut calories, then your body is just going to make you hungrier and hungrier trying to get those calories back. Further, cutting calories results in your metabolism slowing down..._" - @ACinATX
> 
> In my experience, this is not accurate. No offense meant. I'm just relaying something I found in my own life at age 60: *There is a HUGE difference between HUNGER and CRAVINGS!* Hunger is actually easy to ignore. I can be hungry and go out and run 4 miles without a problem. But CRAVINGS?! Wow! Cravings can get me to stuff my face uncontrollably. What @tinyliny said is exactly my experience: "_By removing , entirely, things that are mostly refined carbohydrates (bread, pasta, white rice and anything sweet), my cravings calm WAY down..._" That is where keto and intermittant fasting have been life changing for me. After 45 years of yo-yo diets, I finally found an approach that allowed me to lose serious weight AND do so with very few cravings! But...several family members who have never struggled with weight have also never experienced severe cravings. I'd swear sugar affects me like I suspect heroin affects some! But that is ME and not everyone!


Yeah, I have to respect people's experience. I'm just interested in diet and weight from a theoretical POV. I am a naturally skinny person, I will admit. I have never really experienced food cravings, except when I was pregnant, and then it was only for protein. My brother-in-law once asked me, "What is your comfort food?" and I wasn't even really able to process the question. I just don't get emotional feelings from or about food and I have to admit that that leaves me unable to understand, at a gut level, what other people may be going through. Sometimes I get a craving for something. I eat a little bit of it and think "Yum," and then I'm finished. So maybe that's something else that plays into it for people -- how they relate to food on an emotional level, and whether certain foods set them into a bad cycle, and whether they can get "addicted" to certain foods.

But, I will say again that I don't believe eating processed food is good for anyone. Also, I believe that the same mass in muscle is healthier than the same mass in fat. I'm skinny, but I'm muscly. I used to be skinny and flabby, and that wasn't really healthy, IMO. I just didn't FEEL good, even though my weight was technically fine. I think people should find a weight that works for them, even if it isn't one that society deems to be attractive.


----------



## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

You sound like my sister, @ACinATX . She's never had a real issue with weight. She avoids processed foods. Her standard breakfast, for her convenience, has been two eggs, a slice of dry toast and coffee. Been doing it for 25 years now. Other meals are simply "avoid processed stuff". And it works very well for her. Her doctor shakes his head at her egg consumption but her blood work is excellent so.....

I was a VERY fat kid and spent most of my adult life using very low calorie, very low fat diets to reduce weight for a short time, and then gain it back until I went on my very low fat diet again. It was very odd to try a high fat diet and lose far more weight and keep it off!

BTW - I'm not anti-exercise. I'm finally back to running 4 miles 3-4 times a week, do pull-ups & push-ups. And of course, ride when I can! But like others have suggested, that is in addition to my diet - a diet that I expect to be on for the rest of my life.


----------



## AbbySmith (Nov 15, 2020)

ACinATX said:


> Yeah, I have to respect people's experience. I'm just interested in diet and weight from a theoretical POV. I am a naturally skinny person, I will admit. I have never really experienced food cravings, except when I was pregnant, and then it was only for protein. My brother-in-law once asked me, "What is your comfort food?" and I wasn't even really able to process the question. I just don't get emotional feelings from or about food and I have to admit that that leaves me unable to understand, at a gut level, what other people may be going through. Sometimes I get a craving for something. I eat a little bit of it and think "Yum," and then I'm finished. So maybe that's something else that plays into it for people -- how they relate to food on an emotional level, and whether certain foods set them into a bad cycle, and whether they can get "addicted" to certain foods.
> 
> But, I will say again that I don't believe eating processed food is good for anyone. Also, I believe that the same mass in muscle is healthier than the same mass in fat. I'm skinny, but I'm muscly. I used to be skinny and flabby, and that wasn't really healthy, IMO. I just didn't FEEL good, even though my weight was technically fine. I think people should find a weight that works for them, even if it isn't one that society deems to be attractive.


Wow, I am so jealous. I mean, not about not being emotionally attatched to food. That would suck. French toast, just tastes like home to me! 
But, wow, for you to be able to crave something and then eat a little bit! One of my favorite quotes is "Horses are like potato chips, you can't have just one" And that is so true! I could sit and eat an entire bag of chips, or when I am in the mood for it, an entire tub of ice cream! Now, I have to be in the right 'mood' to eat that much of one item, but when I get there, there is no turning back! LOL!


----------



## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

AbbySmith said:


> But, wow, for you to be able to crave something and then eat a little bit! One of my favorite quotes is "Horses are like potato chips, you can't have just one" And that is so true! I could sit and eat an entire bag of chips, or when I am in the mood for it, an entire tub of ice cream! Now, I have to be in the right 'mood' to eat that much of one item, but when I get there, there is no turning back! LOL!


OK, can I ask a question about that? I like chips too, but I eat just a few at a time. If you eat a whole bag of chips, don't you feel sick to your stomach ? I always wondered how someone could eat a whole bag of anything.


----------



## AbbySmith (Nov 15, 2020)

ACinATX said:


> OK, can I ask a question about that? I like chips too, but I eat just a few at a time. If you eat a whole bag of chips, don't you feel sick to your stomach ? I always wondered how someone could eat a whole bag of anything.


LOL!! I do feel sick afterwards, but I just can't stop! I don't understand how I still like chips, because I literally only like potato chips, and I eat way too many of them, but every time there are some available, I just keep eating! After I finish a bag, I feel so bad, that I swear I am never going to do that again, then two months later, and I am making the same promise with myself! It's not healthy!


----------



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

horseponycrazy27 said:


> What motivates you to walk as an exercise?
> What motivates or would motivate you to do an exercise video?


For other questions, what do you do with your horse?
Compete?
Leisure?

Whatever you do ..... what MOTIVATES you to do that?
Is it because you simply enjoy it?
Is it because you want to achieve certain competition goals?

Relate your weight loss goals to your horse goals. Find what drives you for those, and then figure out a way to incorporate it to better your horsemanship.

Would you be a better rider if you lost weight?
Were more fit?
Etc.

Honestly, what you eat is 90% of losing weight. You could go to the gym for 4 hours every day, but if you are eating cheeseburgers and fries from McDonalds every day, you aren't going to get anywhere. 

So choose exercise that you do like. You'll be more adapt to do it if you like it. 

I used the 21 Day Fix to lose the baby weight from my first pregnancy. It worked great .... and then some! I actually had to buy mostly a new wardrobe because my pre-pregnancy clothes were too big. I was lighter (weight-wise) than I was in college and high school. So for me, the 21 Day Fix taught me portion control and how to eat CLEAN. And that's coming from someone who did lots of personal training sessions, nutrition counseling, etc during college. So there is something to be said of finding what works for you. 21 Day Fix worked for me. 

And it's been something I can sustain (mostly) as a lifestyle change. For me, most days, my eating consists of:
Breakfast is carb is either oatmeal or toast, protein is eggs or yogurt, and one piece of fruit.
Lunch is spinach salad with diluted dressing and either tuna or hard boiled eggs, with piece of fruit and veggies. (no carbs at this meal)
I usually will have some almonds for a snack, either morning or afternoon.
And then dinner is whatever we've prepared as a family. We usually cook from scratch; rarely eat out. 

Of course, I indulge once in a while. You have to, for sanity! But I've also learned that with this lifestyle change, I physically do not feel good (tummy upset, yucky feeling) if I eat too much "bad stuff". So that is excellent motivation to have a reasonable portion and be careful when eating something outside the norm -- because I know it is going to bother me later. 

I don't usually exercise during the summer because my evenings after work at spent riding horses. (which is exercise itself!). When I ride much less in the winter, I try to get to the gym 2-3 times a week. Right now, my workouts are different than what I used to do b/c of hip issues (bone spur and cartilage tear). So I do about 1 mile on the treadmil, about 20-30 min on the stair stepping, and then 30-45 minutes on stretching/strength type exercises, focusing on my core and legs. (part of my physical therapy) Really, my goal is not to burn calories with my exercise. It is simply to be healthy and better my current body issues.


----------



## horseponycrazy27 (Nov 15, 2015)

Wow, thank you everyone for your suggestions, advice and more! I didn't expect so many responses. 

Motivation: I would feel better about myself, have more energy, sleep better and look better on a horse. 

A little more about myself. I am young woman in my earlier 30s and still living with my parents. Living with my parents have its ups and downs. (October). I do feel stressed about living with my parents since I am an older adult. I am keeping my eye out for a place I can afford which is hard because I work as an Assistant Teacher. Since I feel stressed I tend to eat sweets for emotional reasons. Also I have IT Band Syndrome in my right knee so walking can be a bit hard. 

I am 5'4"
220 lbs: last time I weighed myself 

Does anyone know where I could find a sample menu specified to horse riders? 

Thank you and happy riding!


----------



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

horseponycrazy27 said:


> A little more about myself. I am young woman in my earlier 30s and still living with my parents. Living with my parents have its ups and downs. (October). I do feel stressed about living with my parents since I am an older adult. I am keeping my eye out for a place I can afford which is hard because I work as an Assistant Teacher.


Why are you stressed about living with your parents?
Are your parents wanting you out?
Are you embarrassed socially by it?
???

Honestly, KUDOS for you for making a FINANCIALLY SMART decision to live with your parents until you can find something suitable for yourself. I feel like people so easily and quickly put themselves into debt just to "keep up with the Jones" and keep up appearances. It takes smart people and hard decisions to actually care about your financial state. Good for you.

So don't stress about that. Seriously. Who cares where you live? If your friends have an issue with that, then they might not be the supportive friend you need in your corner.

If you're already in your early 30's the best lesson you can give yourself is to not care about what others think, and do what is right for you. If you can't do that on your own, then seek help. That can be through self-help books (I have plenty of recommendations) or through therapy. You do what you need to do for your own success. Only you are in charge of that!!!



horseponycrazy27 said:


> Motivation: I would feel better about myself, have more energy, sleep better and look better on a horse.


Self image comes from your own mind; not from the number on the scale. Yes, weight loss will certainly be healthier for you in terms of energy and sleep and overall health, and should be achieved for those reasons. _But even the skinniest person can still feel they look fat in the mirror._ It's body image. So along with learning to not care what others think, you also need to learn to be happy with YOUR body. It's mental perception. Find the skills you need to have in order to be happy with where you are, and where you are going.



horseponycrazy27 said:


> Since I feel stressed I tend to eat sweets for emotional reasons.


Teach yourself other ways to cope. Yes, weight loss is a mental game!! (So is horse riding!) Before you grab the sweets, ask yourself: "Am I really hungry?"
Ask yourself: Would I be happy eating an apple instead? (Or carrots, or whatever other healthy food you want to use.) If the answer is "no", then you aren't really hungry and are boredom-eating, or stress-eating, or any other type of eating. 
It takes disipline. But doesn't everything else in life?



horseponycrazy27 said:


> Does anyone know where I could find a sample menu specified to horse riders?


I don't know that such a thing exists. A healthy diet is a healthy diet, and doesn't really matter that you ride horse. 

There's a million diet methods out there. As already discussed, not everything works for everyone. If you don't have a clue where to start, go take some personal training sessions at a gym along with nutrition counseling. Again, if this is something you want to achieve, then set yourself up for success. That's no different than someone wanting to try something new on their horse. What do we always say on this forum? Find a trainer!!! We are always telling horse people to find a trainer to help them. Why should your weight loss goals be any different?



horseponycrazy27 said:


> Also I have IT Band Syndrome in my right knee so walking can be a bit hard.


What have you done so far for your IT Band Syndrome? 
Doctor visits?
Pain management?
Physical Therapy?

Ailments are real and they need to be taken into consideration, but do not use it as an excuse. If walking bothers it, then find things that do not (of course, you've already suggested the swimming). 

I have a bone spur and a labrel cartilage tear in my left hip. I've always had trouble with that side for 10+ year but this year was the first time it literally "caught" and "got stuck". I physically could not stand up straight (was bending over to pick up some kids toys). After that, I got to my doctor, started physical therapy, kept regular sessions with my chiro and massage therapist, got an injection in my hip, and am set to have a consult with the surgeon this week, to see if surgery is a good option for me or if I should wait. It's much much better than it was with everything that I am doing, but I also know better to do the exercises I can and avoid the ones that irritate it.


----------



## horseponycrazy27 (Nov 15, 2015)

beau159 said:


> Why are you stressed about living with your parents?
> First off is because I am an older adult, I don't want to be relying on my parents for living and food. I do help around the house with cleaning but I do not pay rent. I do pay for my horse on our family farm. Also there are things that we don't agree about and it can cause stressful situations, which leads me to emotional eating.
> 
> Are your parents wanting you out?
> ...





beau159 said:


> What have you done so far for your IT Band Syndrome?
> Doctor visits? Yes, I have bee for the doctor and did physical therapy for awhile which did not help. I ended up getting a cortisone shot. (October 2019)
> Pain management? Icing sometimes help and not putting to much pressure on it.


----------



## livelovelaughride (Sep 13, 2011)

Re the IT band syndrome. If you can find a physiotherapist who does IMS (intramuscular/tendon medical acupuncture) it does wonders to release tight tissue. Its momentarily uncomfortable, but you would see results almost immediately.


----------



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

horseponycrazy27 said:


> Yes, I have bee for the doctor and did physical therapy for awhile which did not help. I ended up getting a cortisone shot. (October 2019)
> Pain management? Icing sometimes help and not putting to much pressure on it.


Well if it's been over a year since you've had medical attention, I would get going on that again. If the physical therapy didn't help (and you truly tried it and did everything as recommended), you could either try a different physical therapist, AND/OR also explore other options. When things hurt, tissues get tight. That's what inflammation does. Yes, icing can help, but it's also important to keep things as mobile as possible. IMS as mentioned above or massage therapy or a body worker, etc etc etc. Even things we do on our horses like PEMF treatments, can be helpful for humans too. Foam rollers can be really painful, LOL, but great for working on muscle tightness.

And really, losing weight would help your IT Band syndrome too. Extra weight puts stress on your joints and the rest of the tissues.

You've got some good ideas going, now you just have to start implementing!

Does an elliptical bother your IT Band? You said walking does, but perhaps an assisted machine such as elliptical would help. You can also get cardio in other ways that you can adapt so that it doesn't involve/hurt your lower body, such as boxing or rowing, or similar.


----------



## livelovelaughride (Sep 13, 2011)

This is such an interesting discussion. Coming from a body building background ( began at 25 now 65) i can attest to the fact muscle is metabolically active over fat. I used to be a flabby 118 lbs at 5'4. Now around 130 but smaller in hips except waist lol. More toned everywhere and thats from 2 workouts a week plus riding or walking 4-5 days weekly.

As an aside a friend of mine who was training for bodybuilding comp, dieted with i think was 600 cal a day trying to get "cut". It took two years to get her metabolism back to normal because any calories over her new "set point" she stored as fat.

I would def recommend weight training in combination with whatever diet works for you. Added advantage of stronger bones to boot!

I used to run/ dance but knees now say forget it. So ways to burn calories are limited to riding/gym/walking. I eat healthy but sometimes find myself up 3-4 pounds from snacking. My strategy and its worked, has been the lemon juice cayenne pepper maple syrup cleanse for 7-10 days. I use it as a kick start to better and cleaner eating and it works for me. No hunger, enough energy as the mapje syrup provides brain glucose. Ive done it probably 4 times- maybe once every 3 years or so. 

Sorry if this post seems weirdly written. Seems some paragraphs werent where i thought i put


----------

