Greetings and salutations!

[Live with Zeal]

Awkward Introduction

So, I've just joined up and making the dreaded "1st post" in the forum. Here goes...

 

My usual nom de guerre is livewithzeal or Zealina, but most of my friends just call me Z. I'm hailing from the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, but I was born in Wyoming. An average day has me working at a desk all day (Web/app dev and SharePoint admin) and getting my gaming on at night. I'm totally a super geek with way too many fandoms and interests, but here's a few...

 

• Tolkien's works 
• Star Trek (all, but my fav is TNG)
• Star Wars (Han shot first!)
• Studio Ghibli films (Howl's is my fav)
• Doctor Who (Baker/4th and up)
• Portal (series)
• Myst
• Bayonetta
• Destiny 2 (Zealina#1919)
• Final Fantasy IX
• Legend of Dragoon
• Final Fantasy XIV (Red Mage/Warrior)
• Elder Scrolls series (Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim)
• Dakota Krout's Divine Dungeon series
• Borderlands (Siren)

 

I would say my best traits are that I am very curious, love to learn, give sincere compliments often, do social and environmental volunteering regularly, and I am open to new ideas, experiences, etc. On the other side of the equation, I am stubborn, cynical, fiercely private, and have a streak of pride that I have been told will be my downfall. 

 

The most important person in my life is my teenage son. I'm also very lucky to be in a great relationship with a supportive fella who loves to geek out as much as I do.The three of us play video games and go to the movies.

 

Umm... I love lions and the color green. Yeah, that's all I got. Moving on...

 

Nerdfitness

I was so excited when I found out about NerdFitness and remember thinking...these are my peeps! What a great idea! The themes are fun, the blog is witty, and the whole setup feels so welcoming and actionable. Decided on the #warrior path and look forward to checking in with that community soon! I tend to do more incline on a treadmill than speed, can walk for long distances, and have done some work with free weights (with an interest in heavier lifting).

 

Background

Even as I child, I fought my Mother when she wanted me to go outside and play. This was mostly because I am VERY fair skinned, but also I was never interested in being active. As I child, I loved to swim, explore the woods/hike, and go camping. My family also tends to run on the heavy-side and I didn't learn great habits from that environment. I also inherited a health condition (narcolepsy with cataplexy) that has a great impact on my energy levels. The onset was during my pre-teens and I've only been able to find a stable treatment option within the past two years. Even with treatment, there are days where I am just not 100%. I count myself lucky that I finished college, found a great doctor to work with, and have a great job that is both supportive and understanding!

 

I could give you all kinds of reasons why I ended up where I am today, but the long and short of it is...it just happened and I need to deal with it.

 

Honestly, I've never been a healthy weight. I don't know what I look like at a healthy weight. I was a chubby baby, who grew up to be a chunky kid, a fat teenager, and an obese adult. For a long time, I was ok in my skin. However, now that I'm in my late 30s...it's getting harder to move and function on a daily basis. I feel trapped in a body that doesn't' want to cooperate nor does it align with who I feel I am on the inside.

 

Two years ago I went to the doctor and sought help. With my health condition, my doctor was hesitant for me to raise my heart too much with aerobic exercise. Instead, we went for more of an overall wellness approach. I made changes to my diet, habits, mindset and routines. Since then, I've lost 120 lbs. I felt great! I found out that I was diabetic and cut a good deal of sugar and processed carbs from my diet. Even managed to bring my A1C from 10.6 to 4 in less than 6 months! The mindset was to find ways to substitute bad habits for good ones, make small lasting changes, and to be healthier overall. 

 

Yet, the past 6 months I started slacking off by eating/drinking things I shouldn't and not getting the exercise I should. I gained 20lbs back and knew I needed to find something to help get back on track. All this feels like TMI, but meh...

 

I'm hoping to find a community in NerdFitness that will help to motivate and support me in my efforts. So, it's great to meet you all and I look forward to getting to know you!

 

[Guzzi]

Wow, well done on losing that much weight, that’s amazing!  

 

I think you will fit right in here, and it’s a fantastic community to be a part of.