Mod it. Look something up for skill level headstart or extra stamina/regen and it should be allright. I play again after pause too but i started first when those food and stamina stuff was allready like that. Old character with 60-70 in movement and 40-50 in gathering using different weapons now so 10-20 in those and naked but with 'belt' increasing max weight caried over. Its better experience overall. Runing and mining/chopping is not as bad and fighting early mobs with low leveled weapons is fine. Swimming like brick still cause it wasnt leveled.