Like most riders of a certain age for me the question of fit and fitness in the saddle poses a significant obstacle to progress in my riding. Yes I have my excuses. A surgery nearly ten years ago that wrecked my hormone balance. But you have to take care of the yourself don't you. Actually, on reflection the surgery I underwent was possibly not the best option. Unfortunately my doctor did not relay to me the hormone impacts that would result from a fairly minor procedure. Not a major event in the grand scale. Though at the time I was very stressed. Certainly nothing compared to what others have suffered and continue to suffer. Net result was a massive weight gain, an incremental advance in all you don't want reflecting back at you in the mirror. In fact, you wonder where you've gone. Inside you feel the same. Outside you are completely different. And yes, people treat you differently. That's your own fault though isn't it. You should diet, exercise and get on it.
Dressage training advice for riders basic through Grand Prix from proven GP competitor/trainer Nikki Alvin-Smith of Willowview Hill Farm, http://www.WillowviewHillFarm.com, Stamford, NY. Horse breeding advice and training of young warmblood and Iberian horses, plus how to successfully shop for horses in the USA and Europe from an experienced importer and USA producer of performance sport horses and ponies.