This week, it’s all about finding an activity you love. Fitness doesn’t always have to come down to running or the gym – there are plenty of activities that get you moving while having fun too.
Since it’s National Pet month, we asked horse riding aficionado Dannielle to take over the blog to share how much her life has changed since joining WW.
Hi, I’m Dannielle, or @thepointlessavocado on Instagram.
If you’d met me 5 years ago before my journey with WW began, you wouldn’t have recognised me. I’m not necessarily talking about the physical changes, which after losing five stone are obvious and apparent. I’m talking about something much more important – my mindset.
For me, WW isn’t just about weight loss
I’m talking about the subtle changes that happen slowly over time, without you even noticing. Until one day you wake up and you realise that you’re a whole new person. A happier person; a brighter person with an excitement for the future and a motivation you’ve never even known before.
Losing weight and embarking on my journey towards a healthier lifestyle has changed my life in so many more ways than I could have ever imagined. When I set out, my goal was to fit into a size 10…and that was about it.
Fast-forward to over five years later and yes, I am wearing those size 10 jeans (most of the time anyway), but I also have a completely different life and a whole new outlook on it.
Somewhere along the way I've gained a confidence I didn’t know I possessed, which has allowed me to try new things and put myself out there in situations I would have previously shied away from for fear of failing or looking silly.
SUCCESS STORY: Keisha’s confidence blossomed when she joined WW
I found the confidence to take up horse riding
By far the most rewarding aspect of this newfound confidence has been discovering my love and passion for horses and riding. Which would have been a pretty unbelievable and unattainable goal for my former (largely horizontal!) self.
My mum has always ridden, as has my little brother. But with my lack of confidence and the extra weight, it wasn’t really something that I could enjoy with them. After losing 4st I decided to take the plunge and book in for a riding lesson at our local stables and I think it’s fair to say, the rest is history.
I absolutely loved every aspect of it: the bond with the horse you’re riding, being outside surrounded by beautiful nature and of course, the physical aspect of working your body whilst doing something you love.
Now I have a pet pony!
After two years of riding, I decided it was time to take the next step and get a pony of my own. Enter, Twilight. She wasn’t exactly what I had set out looking for, but after seeing those sad, kind eyes I knew she was the one for me.
She didn’t have the best of starts in life and she was in desperate need of some love and TLC, which I happen to be very good at (even if I do say so myself). So in November 2017, our journey together began.
It’s been a bumpy ride with lots of ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. We’ve had a few surprises along the way, the biggest of which being a little foal who popped out in June last year. Unbeknown to us, she was pregnant when we got her. Now this wasn’t part of the plan, but after my initial panic and “what am I going to do?!” meltdown, I realised two ponies just means double the love and double the joy.
Horse riding is a great way to unwind
I feel so lucky and blessed to have the life that I do now. I get to spend my summer evenings and all my weekends in the beautiful outdoors surrounded by my favourites. It’s the best way to blow away the cobwebs after a long day or week at the office.
I achieved something I didn’t even know I was seeking, and this is coming from a girl who once complained that there “wasn’t enough concrete” when I was dragged on a camping trip.
For anyone thinking about starting their own journey towards a healthier lifestyle, all I can say is do it now! I’m not saying you all have to start horse riding, but do it for all those things you don’t even know about yet. Do it for your physical health, do it for your mental health, do it for your confidence and do it for a life you haven’t even dreamt of having yet.