Today’s post might piss off some of you. Before you go off just thinking, that James guy is a dick, let my words sink in. Im not here to put anyone down, I want to us all to be lifted up. Today I’m talking about weight loss and physical fitness. Especially since healthcare and the Obamacare tax is a hot topic these days. It’s been my main concern in prepping lately. I know many don’t see health and fitness as a prep, and they are dead wrong. Literally. Neglecting a huge facet of survival, one which many others rely on, could be the last mistake you make. Today I’m going to go over some reasons why you might want to shore up this hole in your plan and how to go about doing that.
Biggest Mistake
Weight seems to be the elephant in the room of the survival community. It’s a huge issue holding us back and no one is talking about it. Spend some time watching YouTube and browsing the various survival blogs and you will find a large number of overweight folks. Many not just a few pounds over the ridiculous government BMI number but over 400 pounds big. Being seriously obese carries so many health issues that are detrimental to your Survival. After all the first rule of Survival is staying alive.
In normal everyday life things are much harder being overweight. Not being able to perform many physical activities is one. You can’t run as fast if at all. You are more likely to get hurt from having to carry the extra weight. Being obese comes with increased health risks as well. Diabetes is on the rise and being overweight usually leads to it. That’s during the good times, during a disaster things get a 1000% times worse. There is no insulin to go around when the shit hits the fan. Maybe you can walk with a pack just fine with the weight. What if you need to put on the speed and do some E&E to get away from some bad guys? No I don’t want to hear you’ll just shoot an entire army and get away. What about climbing over obstacles? All this get harder and harder.
Lighten The Load Get Fit
I get it I’m not seal fit and I was pretty overweight. I’m 70 pounds lighter and much more fit than I was. It didn’t happen overnight and was not a cake walk but I turned things around in 6 months. It doesn’t have to consume your every waking moment. I usually spend 3 hours a week in the gym and eat amazing food. Who would say I’m depriving myself on bacon? I’ve written about my methods for weight loss you can read about How I lost 20 pounds in a month. My recommended diet for those overweight is a Ketogenic low carb high fat diet. Nothing works faster or better. The hunger control and energy levels while on it are great for survival too. Being able to go 12 to 24 hours without eating nor getting “hangry” is an amazing tool. You can check out Jimmy Moores blog for more tips on it.
For me diet was only half the equation I needed to get some muscle and endurance. Being skinny wont save you from the zombies you need to be able to run and lift things. For me the answer was crossfit. For you find whatever works and gives you a full body workout. I’ve done those in the past and not got the results or community I get from Crossfit.
I don’t want anyone thinking I’m preaching to you here. Were all in this together and I’m pulling for all of you to make it. I had to look at myself and accept the truth that I would be screwed in a long Bug Out. I could not be blinded that I would be safe with my guns and food stores. If I wanted to survive I had to be fit for survival. I still have a ways to go, I’m about 15 pounds from my goal weight at this point, but I’m much closer than I was. Join me on this journey for a more complete survivability.
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Great post, man! Weight is a huge struggle for many people, but one of the toughest things for most to look at themselves and be honest about. The other factor you didn’t get to is that it’s a cumulative effect. Someone might be 20-30-40 years old and overweight, but still manage to get around ok and be relatively active. What they don’t realize is that extra 20, 30, 40, 50 pounds wears on their knees and shoulders and back a little more every year. Chronic pain sets in, they have a harder time being active, then a harder time even moving around the house or up and down stairs. They gain weight. They walk less, take the car everywhere, use the elevator, gain more weight, and by age 50-60-70, they can hardly do more than sit around or have to spend thousands on knee replacements, hip replacements, back surgery, just to be functional. Get on it early and save yourself the heartache later!
Exactly Gary. The damage done over time multiplies the problems.
Physical fitness and self defense should be the #1 prep on anyone’s list.
It’s sad you even need to write this post but it raises awareness.
No one is prepared if they are weak and out of breathe when shtf.
The physical is the easy part. How do you strengthen your mental muscles to handle stressful situations? Can it be practiced?
Good thoughts Hermes. I run mental exercises often and will have to write about it
Thank you. So many people are afraid to talk about how being obese can affect them in an emergency situation. I continually apply what I learned about physical training in the Army so that, despite my physical disabilities, I am able to hold my own when it comes to carrying loads and maintaining a high level of endurance.
I have tried getting my wife, who is overweight, on that same train but she simply refuses to accept she lacks any discipline when it comes to being healthy. I told her that if in the unlikely event zombies become a problem that she’s screwed.
Get your wife a shirt that says Zombait for Christmas lol
I’m sorry you’re so unaware that being “fat” is actually a survival thing. Because the more we lose weight the more our bodies strive to put weigh on to keep us from starving. This is why only 5% of those who lose weight are able to keep it off, 95% will regain and add more on. Because that’s how the body works. And, face it, person with a slow metabolism is going to be far better off, if fit, than a fit person with a high metabolism who needs to eat constantly in a survival situation. Fit does NOT equal skinny, fit is fit. And you CAN be Healthy At Every Size(sm).
I’m a fitness professional who is sick of my industry being now part of the weight loss industry and rather than the actual fitness industry. I am sickened that preppers are buying into the propaganda while overlooking the science and the benefits of having a true survival response. But I am not going to bother arguing, I realize how pervasive this propaganda has been. If you DO want to understand why this is dangerous and ignorant, there are several links here, including published peer reviewed findings. http://bigliberty.net/truth-behind-fat-links-science/
Saigh I did not say for people to get skinny. I want them to get fit and you CANNOT be fit at 400 pounds, unless that’s solid muscle and even then it’s going to stress your joints and limit your mobility. So I am preaching, as I think the article said, to loose weight and to get fit and healthy.