Carol Buckley's journey to a healthy lifestyle

I had just turned 45 and was told I had a 10 per cent chance of having a heart attack or a stroke in the next five years.

At this time I was weighing around 126kg and couldn't bend to tie up my own shoe laces. Well, not without holding my breath for two whole minutes; my son used to tie my laces for me.

My trousers were a tight size 26, and my tops could have doubled as two-person tents.

"That means a 90 per cent chance you'll be fine," they said. Not good enough. I wanted to be around to watch my kids and yet-to-exist mokopuna grow up.

My life had to change, and this was the kick in my "gigantic pants" I needed to do something.

On my first visit to see Melinda at Wise Nutrition. I was told in no uncertain terms if I carried on with the lifestyle I'd had for the previous 30 years, I would die.

It was blunt, but truthful. And more than a little bit scary. At that stage, more than 40 per cent of my body was fat - I know this because she measured it with a contraption that pinches your fat rolls to see how big they are.

Melinda was fantastic. Up front and honest, encouraging and supportive and ready to celebrate any progress I made. Sometimes there was a lot of progress, and at others there was little or none, but Melinda was there to make sure I stayed focussed on my goal: to live.

We dealt with the food first - portion sizes, eating regularly, then the combination of food my body needed to perform well. In a nutshell, I was getting healthy.

The next step added in exercise. That was when I found I enjoyed walking. Well, not immediately, to be honest - it was such an effort to cart that weight around the block. I started with 30 minutes, three times a week. What a huge step but how exciting it was when I was "promoted" to 45 minutes. "The rest, as they say, is history".

That 45-year health check was in 2009. Here I am in 2013 40kg lighter and with 20 per cent body fat, able to tie the laces on my running shoes myself, and training for a Half Marathon.

"Who would have believed it? Not me."

Mind you, I would never have thought I would participate in the Round Lake Taupo relay two years in a row; complete the Tough Guy Tough Girl challenge and finish laughing and covered head to toe in mud; and follow this up with the 12km City to Surf event from Tauranga to Mt Maunganui either.

In November last year a friend told me about the Lake City Athletic Club's winter walks around town. I tried it and loved it. My extended whanau at the Lake City Walkers group have provided the perfect supportive environment to keep me motivated with the activity I need to stay healthy. With this new "addiction" to walking well nurtured by like-minded people, the new target will have to be good ... like the Rotorua Marathon.

I recently completed the Off-Road Half Marathon in 3h 11m so I'm pretty happy - "it was soooo hot".

Great support from club members all the way around. I've just had the most divine massage to make sure my legs wanna go tomorrow. Roll on May 4.