Introducing Säde

[sade]

Hello! I am Misty, aka Säde (Sade is okay, too, if you can’t easily write an ä). I’m currently a stone giant, because I’m just a shade under 6 feet, and around 240 pounds. In my past, I weighed as much as 300. In 2011 I got down to 175. But I had not set up the tools for lifelong maintenance, aka Joyful Vigilance, and let most of my work fade away. I have three lovely children (a 7yo and two 5yos) and a husband who supports me, but has a very unhealthy lifestyle. Recently, my sister-in-law and her two young children also moved in with us, so we have a very full and busy household. I used to work full time as a Data Analyst, but last year basically had a mental breakdown and finally got to stay home with my children. Since then I’ve become a stress-reducing machine, but haven’t yet concentrated on helping myself get healthy again. I do suffer from daily headaches which have been resistant to medication. I also have PCOS. In the past I’ve really enjoyed running--I’ve run two half marathons and many 5ks--and weight lifting and rock climbing. My resources have dwindled, so I can’t currently afford to have a gym membership, but I can work on a bodyweight routine, and setting up the small amount of free weights I have. I can also run outside or on our treadmill (when I find the key for it ) and we have a lovely nature preserve nearby with a decent hiking trail. I also have a bike and plenty of places to ride. I tend not to use bike riding as exercise because I can coast; if I’m running and get lazy, I stop running. I can’t ‘coast’ through running and other exercise. I’m pretty knowledgeable about diet and exercise and all that, and I don’t really see it as a big hurdle to remove 60 pounds (I refuse to say ‘lose’ -- they’re not vanishing by accident!). What will be the big question is if I can maintain it when I get there.

 

I absolutely love the ideas behind Nerd Fitness, and am so happy to be here for my first challenge!

[sade]

And here is my character backstory!

 

    Säde’s family line had been cursed for as long as anyone could remember. The story had grown vague, with differing tales of evil sorcerers, vengeful ghosts, and shady deals. Whatever the origin, the ongoing results were all too real: plaguing the line with poor health and fortunes, excessive weight, and melancholia, among other ills. When Säde was a youth, it seemed as though the much of the curse might pass her by. She excelled at academic studies, much to the astonishment (and a bit of fearful bewilderment) of her kin. She had a drive to better herself and her lot; this led her to set out for far-off lands in an attempt to flee the curse. She worked tirelessly and had a great measure of success in her efforts. Her fortune was better than any others in her line. She had removed excessive weight, and the melancholia and poor health were minimal. Then she grew weary, and complacent, and distracted. Aspects of the curse flew to her. Suddenly she was afflicted with melancholia like she had never experienced in herself. Head pains grew to be daily occurrences. She allowed the results of her hard work to fade away, and stopped working against the curse.

    One day, when she was studying yet another tome, she realized that for herself and her children, the curse may not be liftable. But it could be lessened, and whittled down through the generations until it only existed as a child’s tale. She had taken great strides towards this before, but had been missing a key aspect in the fight against the curse. She would need to find the talisman of Joyful Vigilance. Without this talisman, the curse would always find a way around anything Säde could do. She learned that the talisman had been broken into nine pieces, each made into an amulet, and spread far and wide across the lands. She had to have it. So she kissed her children and headed out, determination renewed, a long quest ahead. There would be fierce beasts, treacherous lands, and unforeseeable obstacles. Yet there would also be breathtaking views, rousing celebrations, and joy ferreted out from innumerous hiding places.

[sade]

These are the nine amulets which make up the talisman of Joyful Vigilance:

1) Amulet of Nourishment

2) Amulet of Movement

3) Amulet of Health

4) Amulet of Mana (aka Mental Health)

5) Amulet of Creativity

6) Amulet of Embodiment

7) Amulet of Balance

8) Amulet of Frolicking

9) Amulet of Buttressing

 

1) Nourishment: Making sure that I’m happy and sustainable with how I’m eating. Building good habits, like preparing healthy food ahead of time.

 

2) Movement: Making sure that I always have time built in for moving my body, and that I’m enjoying myself while I do so.

3) Health: Do everything possible to keep up my end of the ‘health’ card. I can’t guarantee that I’ll feel great, but if I’m doing everything I can do, that’s all I can ask.

4) Mana/Mental health: Working on the reasons behind depression, and setting up a system to make sure depression doesn’t negatively impact my life.

5) Creativity: I love to create. From crafts, to poetry, to just about anything which catches my fancy. I need to build in time for this because it’s for ME. It’s not serving other people. It’s because I enjoy it, and doing these things makes life more bearable.

6) Embodiment: Because of a pretty bad youth, I developed a coping mechanism that separated my mind and body to an extent that it became detrimental. I’m seeking to bring the two back together, through mindfulness, and nourishment, and movement, and everything else I’m doing.

7) Balance (and priorities): Elusive but oh-so-important.

8) Frolicking: I need more play in my life. Play with my kids, with my husband, with myself, with friends.

 

9) Buttressing: I did not build up a good support system before. My running partner moved away, and I did not seek out someone else to be an accountability partner. I did not surround myself with people leading a healthy lifestyle.

[Ensi]

Welcome to NF, Säde! You seem very enthusiastic about changing your life, and you're gonna have a lot of support here!

 

By the way, what does Säde mean? Just wondering whether it's Finnish or not...

[Purple_Panda]

So much awesome reading this.

Best of luck!

[sade]

Thanks for the welcomes, Ensi and Purple Panda!

Yes, Säde is Finnish...my friend in Finland has nicknamed me it. It translates to beams of light/sunbeams :-)

[Ensi]

Cool! I'm from Finland, so that's why it caught my eye And it's a nice coinsidence that sade translates to rain, so your name "works" either way!

 

Great to have a stone giant in the rebellion. Have fun!