This post was written in March 2008 following an Art and Crafts Fair, that I participated in.

When I arrived at the convention center for the exhibition I was struck by the sight of so many familiar faces in the 120 exhibitors there, most of whom I have now known for some 20 years.
Many of these arty, crafty, women had been like me, in mid life, um.'pleasantly’ plump.
Then a few years ago, like me, they too were getting very overweight to obese...just like me as they aged.
Well this time, many of these women were....'struggling'... is about the best that I could say.
Limping, waddling badly and grossly obese.
Mind you I did the occasional limp myself, only not as bad as the others and remembered that once I was one of the worst, if not the worst of the waddling limpers.

None of the ladies commented about my weight release, (26 kilo) it was possibly painful for them as they were obviously conscious of the weight they carried, it was a large part of their own conversations even if it was to say, 'how it suited them' and 'they were built that way'.

The new me saw it was the excessive amounts of food they were eating, given their sedentary life style and the relative inactivity of the hand crafter's life.

This lack of physical exercise, of those engaged in time consuming craft work takes it's tole on the body.
Today, more active, no longer engaged in the craft business, I wear a pedometer and get up and walk very frequently, striving to get in my 10,000 steps though achieving only half of the desired amount over this busy Easter show period.

The entire overheard conversation at this show, amounst the overweight stall holders, was about knee surgery or other health problems most of them obesity related or at least aggravated by obesity plus comments like 'my Dr says I must get off another 18 kilo or he will not operate as he says I will die'. Another saying, 'don't take any notice, you don't need to loose weight, tell him to do the operation.' Then another person comments.... 'Oh i tried to loose weight but I was getting wrinkles, it really did not suit me, I am fine as I am'. Others agreed. Then they waddled away in obvious great pain and difficulty. Some told me, 'I lost 30 kilo last year but i have put back 20 in the past couple of months as soon as i stopped dieting'. I found seeing people like this and hearing this talk, was all very sobering.

I was SO very grateful that I had changed my life, changed to being active, and reclaimed my health.

I have often remarked to Reg that the entire crafts business is 'fattening'. just as I have remarked that, about the office hours required for EBay selling.

I felt like 'one of these craft's people', when I last exhibited crafts, 2 years ago. Now I saw them as 'where I was headed,' back then and I was sad to see they were less fit but so relieved I had changed my life when i did.

Three former craft exhibitors I knew, have actually died during that two year break since I last exhibited with these friends. Yes, I too, had come close to that, that scary fact was the main motivation  behind my transformation of my life style.

Most of the women have gained weight..a lot ..and were suffering physically as a result and wearing huge hide it all, flowing shapeless robes, at a guess size 28 to 34 clothing. Few could walk without obvious pain and none chose to walk other than for essential reasons, most having a slim husband doing the collecting of the stock for sale from the vans, and bringing the meals, to these sedentary craft workers.
There was a sales trade of huge shapeless, tents (OK, huge ladies clothing), for sale. 

A few ladies, about size 32 at a guess, ladies sitting at tables, claiming to be  'physic' and charging to tell your fortune. Between the occasional gullible client, (forgive my scepticism if you believe in them), they rarely got up and walked at all, over the four day time period of the show and I was saddened that it would not take a lot to read their future if they don't start moving and stop sitting all day.

So sad!
I found it even sadder as I could see that this would have been me this year or worse, I could have been like one of my friends who had died from a lifestyle disease and I may have, had I not changed my behavior and become active.

Yes I was glad I have ditched the craft making, that's for sure.

My own husband, Reg was wonderful, allowed me to get up and walk Indigo very frequently, between doing his teddy bear crafts for him.
He did all the selling and did a fantastic job, working at his very best.
We worked like a fine tune team.
He spoke with pride about me as an artist when representing my art work and sold quite a lot of art as well as the art supplies and the crafts he likes.

Watching the lady who's Dr said get '18 kilo off or die', tucking into sour cream and butter on potato and thinking how I used to hate people reproaching me when I ate, (as they did,) when I was also obese, I thought how what she was eating would now feed me all day, as three meals and then I would prefer to have had low fat unsweetened yogurt on it rather than sour cream and butter.
How I have changed.

Thank goodness I changed.

It was like looking into a mirror and seeing where I would be today if I had not made a lifestyle change a year ago.
It wasn't about the 25 to 30  kilo (I swing), I have released, it was about how much I certainly would have gained and how I would have gone downhill if I had not changed my lifestyle when I did.

If you have been inactive for years, if you have painful injuries or have illness, or demanding sedentary jobs, and stressful life, please don't 'give up on yourself'.  Seek advice from experts, motivations from friends, do something loving and nurturing for yourself today and then tomorrow, then the nest day.  Don't look for a diet to correct a decade of self abuse and neglect just set out on a lifestyle path you can live, not one you can't stick to, one you will love so much you will want to stick to it, because of what it is giving you back in rewards far greater even than just seeing your body become slimmer. :-).  If I can do it, You can do it.

I was morbidly obese, I was ill, I had injuries, arthritic pain, it was hard to move.

I started by moving gently in water, gradually increased to exercising in water, then I walked, now I can briefly run, lift weights, jump.

Once it was excruciating pain to simply take my weight on my feet to stand up in the morning.  Once I used a walking stick for several years and thought the electronic, walker was next, now I can jump.  It's only two years ago, I was entering hospital almost twice weekly in heart rhythm or breathing difficulties, today I have enough oxygen in my blood and a heat beat so sound I can run for almost one minute several times a day, walk for 10 kilometres in one go or swim upstream for an hour.    Becoming active did more that take me out of the morbidly obese classification, it has saved my life and given me a body I can move free of pain, something I never believed I could have again, and a new lease to enjoy life.

Age, health, does not have to have the last say, if you want something, ask for professional help, if there are problems holding you back, I saw physiotherapists, dieticians, nutritionists, and shoe fitting experts and I enlisted friends, and family as my support team.  You do not have to go on a journey alone. 

I just want to  share that YOU CAN DO IT. :-).