Getting Back in the Swing of Things

Whew! It has been a while since I last posted to this blog.

I believe it is going to be a very busy winter season here in the southeast. There are more opportunities for local competition than there have been in a long time. I don't know if the GMO's are taking advantage of the fact that people are trying to save money (rated shows are expensive!!), or some other reason, but I am glad for it. Not that there has been a decrease in the number of rated shows scheduled for here, either! I am looking forward to all of it!

I have also noticed that my own business has actually increased. I am contacted by potential new students daily, and my regular students are taking more lessons than they were even one year ago. This is a very good problem to have as a business owner! It is a challenge, however, since I am only one person, and there are only so many hours in the business week. It isn't like selling a product, since I can't "make more" or be much more efficient (although time management is something that I work on all the time).

I feel that I am very lucky, and if I had to identify a reason for this increase, I would have to guess that people are spending a larger percentage of any discretionary income on self-improvement and continuing education rather than travel and luxury expenditures that will be gone as soon as the trip is over.

Long term enhancement is much preferable to instant gratification. I have long thought that people are much more happy when they focus on self-improvement than when they chase material possessions. I wonder if the recession might be the best thing (long term) to happen in a very long time?

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The On-Again Dressage Show

Whew. Bogart is officially completely sound, and I have sent my entries off for the recognized show, Dressage on the Beach, for June 19-20. Now, to lose 10 pounds by then.
Think I can't do it? Watch me! I know, I know, you are probably thinking, that is a bad way to diet. Yes, it is. but still......
I have all the patience in the world for training horses and students, and abolutely no patience at all for any other aspect of my life. If I don't lose 1 pound per day, I feel like I am not trying hard enough. The key, though, is to balance good nutrition into those few calories that I allow myself to eat for these days that I am losing weight.
I feel like high protein, low fat, low carb, lots of dark green veggies, and 'grazing' rather than sitting down to a meal work best for me. Today, I have probably gone to the fridge five times, and taken out about 1/2 ounce of seared top sirloin slices each time, and at noon (or thereabouts) I steamed about 1 cup of broccoli and grated 1/2 ounce of Irish Cheddar Cheese over top. I will steam some more broccoli/cheese around dinner time, and might have another 1/2 ounce or so of steak if I feel like I need something heavier on my stomach. Then tomorrow I will trade the steak for either turkey or tuna for the protein and maybe asparagus or zucchini for the veggie. I will continue on this until I reach the weight goal, and then will add in some starch like rice. It should take about 10 or 12 days.
Then I will be in good shape for the show clothes. I am riding two to three horses per day now, so the fitness level is good, it is just my penchant for great food--I love to cook gourmet meals for my hubby and myself--that is my downfall. But I certainly don't suffer when I want to lose some weight. I love the food I eat on my "diet". I don't deprive myself of anything; I just think of it as simplifying.
Now that I have gone off on this tangent, I will post more about the show later.......