Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Please Reply to: Dayna Weary dweary@xxxxxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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My husband sits in our office co-pilot seat with his panties in a bunch worried 
over what I am about to say here or what he thinks I am about to say.  Many of 
you have read his posts (Bruce Weary) and most definately he is the more 
politically correct between the two of us.  I have never posted on ridecamp 
though I am a frequent lurker.  Mostly I don't post because with only 3,000 
miles to my career I have little to offer, as I consider myself to still be a 
"newbie" in this sport and as such I defer to the wisdom of those of you who 
have more miles and experience.  But today my husband has read to me the thread 
on weight loss and regarding this I feel that I am equally qualified as anyone 
else out there who monitors their weight for the sake of their sport and their 
health.  Before I begin let's get some facts straight...I am no spring chicken, 
43 is knocking at my door and she is not pretty!  I am also in the post 
childbearing category.

The initial post came from a woman (I presume) who has lost 10 lbs, who feels 
that she has done herself and her horse a favor.  Subsequent posts, instead of 
applauding her, critisized her, lessening her accomplishment, wanting to make 
less of it by questioning the size she may have been before, her height, etc.  
Let's take stock my fellow endurance family, this country is getting fatter by 
the minute.  On average we are gaining 10 1bs every decade per person.  Over 
50% of our American family are obese.  Type 2 diabetes is now being battled in 
our children.  My husband as a physician is seeing for the first time in his 
career individuals in their 40's with joint replacement due to being 
chronically overweight. Bruce can more intelligently relate to you the cost to 
this country both medically, financially and in quality of life.  But what I 
know is that we cannot afford to feel insulted when one of our "family" tells 
us that they would like to see more of us "fit" on the trail.  If we continue 
to treat our "fat" as a private matter and get our fur up when a brave soul has 
the courage to speak up, we as a nation and individually lose!

So should we minimize a 10 lb loss?  Take this test, take 10 lbs of anything 
(dumbbell, sugar, etc.) and carry it in one hand for a mile on foot and see how 
you feel.   10lbs is 10 lbs is 10 lbs!  I propose that losing any amount of 
weight is helping the horse as well as ourselves.  This year I went to Tevis 
and I made a promist to my horse, "I'll get you through the canyons, you get me 
to the finish line".  I did and he did.  I did the canyon on foot because I 
felt that was the best help I could give my horse when he needed it most.  
Guess what my first order of business was?  That's right I had to lose that 10 
lbs.  Don't minimize a 10 lb loss.  To the woman who lost 10 lbs:  I am 
cheering you on the inside.  If you need to lose more than I say:  "you go 
girl, I've got your back".  To those "tubbies" who still have it to lose I say: 
"Get started girl,  I've got your back!  Love and respect to all,  Dayna






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