The Physicality of Prepping…Tales from a Chunky Dunk

(15 min read)
I was never a skinny kid. I was active; I played softball in school on a team with a pretty tough schedule and rode my bike. Summers were spent at my great-aunt’s house in the suburbs, where I did more of both daily, jumping rope, hopscotch, etc. Unfortunately, my genetics made me short, stout, short-necked, broad-shouldered with a pot belly and the propensity for gaining weight just thinking about a candy bar.

 I became a very active musician who was generally too broke to buy enough food to pig out on, but gaining weight was too easy for me. I was one of those folks who tried everything to lose weight, not because I wanted to be healthier, but because I wanted to be considered “hot”. I was young, and dying young from a heart attack or getting Type 2 diabetes was not on my mind then. Society dictated that as a woman, I had to look a certain way to have value, especially if I dared to be on a stage. But I was having a rough patch with my family, a stressful job, and doing music promotion had me spending more time sitting on my butt getting yelled at by customers and navigating this new thing called “The Internet,” maintaining and building websites on the side among other side hustles for extra cash. Like many women, I put everyone’s well-being and needs ahead of myself, and eventually, I lost myself as time marched on. I wasn’t eating crap food, but I did have portion control issues and was an emotional eater. My doctors – when I would finally go to one – would always say the same thing. My vitals were great, but I went from overweight to obese. I shrugged because, by then, I had given up on myself. I was just going to be a fat woman, and no need to bother trying to be pretty in a world where I would never be. I was taking my health – and my run of good luck – for granted. 

By the time my second husband passed away, I was the heaviest I had ever been. Life had thrown me yet another curveball with losing a second spouse, and now I couldn’t afford to stay where we had been living. I kept it together and told everyone I was doing okay, but truthfully, I struggled in every way, and it broke me down a lot. It seemed like I just couldn’t catch a break. I will say this often – thank God for my support system of family and friends! However, I went from being chided by doctors to being warned. I had been fortunate up to this point not to be on any medications, and my doctors were pleased that all of my vitals were still good, but my weight had crept into the pre-diabetes zone. 

After I moved, the stress didn’t stop, but I promised myself that while my situation was difficult, I would take the opportunity to prioritize my health for the first time in years. My first husband’s passing had me do a lot of self-work on the mental and emotional level. While that work would never stop, after my second husband’s passing, I needed to focus on my physical self. The clock was ticking, and I was watching friends become ill and pass away. I could no longer keep pressing my luck. No socializing, no hobbies, no looking for a relationship, no backsliding into co-dependent habits that had me trying to solve everyone else’s problems but my own. No avoiding the issue. I had to get serious about this, especially since the day came when, after trying to cut back even more, thinking I was making progress, I looked at the scale and had gained more weight. I cried. 

Then, later that same day, one of my dogs had a leg issue and couldn’t go up the doggie stairs to the bed. He was 55 pounds then, and it seemed like only yesterday that 55 pounds was nothing for me to lift. Now, I struggled to lift him…and my arms gave out, and I dropped him 😭. I managed to stoop down and get under him before he hit the floor too hard, but that broke my heart. I struggled to get up, was breathing heavily, and spent from a task I couldn’t even complete. What if I had to lift him to safety, as in out of a fire? My other dog is 65 pounds. What if she had an emergency and I couldn’t carry her? That did it for me. I had to get my strength back and lose some of this weight. This time, it wasn’t for looks, for anyone’s approval, to look good in a selfie, or to be attractive to men. It was for me. For my health and, quite possibly, my life. 

I went to YouTube and watched videos on stretching. I began doing some light exercises when I got up in the morning. I purchased a couple of hand weights from Amazon to help restore my arm strength. Once I got my health insurance together, I was stoked to find out that a gym membership was free, and one was less than 10 minutes away. I joined and have been pretty consistent with going twice a week. I stopped numbing myself with alcohol. I don’t “reward” myself with food anymore; I reward myself with self-care, like taking a night to give myself a facial, a long soak in the tub, or a night on the couch absorbing prepper stuff or a phone call catching up with a relative or friend. 

I am down 20 pounds and can now lift 55 pounds more easily. I’m not where I want to be strength-wise yet, but I celebrate what I do to get there. I’m being patient with myself, finding other tools to cope when I’m emotionally hit hard. I want to be strong enough to lift my animals if I need to, lift myself if I have to, and – my new goal – get down another 20 pounds and be able to travel with my bug-out bag for at least a mile.

So yes, this absolutely applies to prepping. Understanding the importance of getting into better physical condition is crucial, not for looks but for strength and endurance. In case you have to lift your child out of a ditch. If you have to carry your injured pet to safety. In case you have to walk a couple of miles to the nearest safe area.  

Although I don’t have kids, a video clip from a security professional I follow also resonated. He posted a video of a lady putting groceries in her car while a toddler sat in a stroller. The stroller began to roll away from her, heading directly toward traffic. She turned and went to grab the stroller…and fell. Worse, she was in such poor physical shape she couldn’t pick herself up. She lay on the ground, watching helplessly as the child rolled toward a four-lane road. Thankfully, a passerby grabbed the stroller before it reached the curb. The poster’s caption was specifically about needing to mind your physical fitness. 

I also remember when one of my best friends in New York had taken the bus into the city and just crossed over the bridge when the planes struck the World Trade Center. Everyone on the bus had to go back over the bridge on foot. Would you have been able to walk a couple of miles if you had to?

Your size has nothing to do with your strength and endurance level. You can be skinny and unhealthy, just as you can be healthy with a BMI higher than a chart would tell you is ideal. Whether you are thin, average-sized, or overweight, strive to improve your physical fitness. 

I know, I know, this probably made the non-gym fans reading this groan, and it’s not easy, especially for the chunky dunks like me with little time to spare! I’m still a squatty, middle-aged woman who more resembles Buddha than a Victoria’s Secret model. I may never be an IG Hot Girl, but I will look good and feel better when I hike that mountain, carry that gear, and defend myself with a strength that will catch an attacker off-guard. I refuse to be weak. So should you! If you – like me – are prone to gaining weight easily (and yes, that is all about genetics and body chemistry in addition to the typical American sedentary lifestyle), that weight will creep up on you. Notice when that impedes your mobility and take action. So many free tools are available to at least keep you limber and maintain or improve muscle. Walking even 20 minutes a day will improve not only your health and endurance but your mental health as well. Don’t give up on yourself. You are already beautiful and resilient; you just want to keep any health issues at bay and be able to move effectively if you have to make your way in a hurry. My thin ladies, build your physical strength to ensure you can carry what’s important to you and walk a long distance if needed. 

The chart below shows how incorporating physical activity into your daily routines and/or joining a class can help your overall fitness. The numbers provided are a range, average, or approximate; the source links may have a calculator that will accurately give your individual anticipated results and more in-depth information.

It is a myth that weight training will give you too much muscle and make you look too masculine (of course, if you go into bodybuilding, it will; that’s not the goal here). You need muscle to burn fat effectively, not just for strength. Also, some reports indicate that middle-aged women actually benefit from weight training more than cardio*. 

Unfortunately, so many differing opinions and approaches regarding diet and exercise exist, but burning more calories than you take in is the one consistency. If you find yourself mindlessly snacking, finding what triggers that may help you combat it, and spend that time pursuing a prepper-related thing or an exercise session. Moms – have your kids join you; make it something fun! What has worked for me was creating an exercise plan where the activities interest and motivate, and a killer workout playlist! If the idea of the gym circuit drives you to tears, don’t do that; find some classes or pick exercises or machines that will help strengthen the area of your body that you feel needs the most work and give yourself a regimen. The key is to GET MOVING and STAY MOVING. It is hard to get excited, and some days you don’t want to be bothered. But once you notice how much better you feel, how it improves your mood, see the needle move on the scale, and feel yourself getting stronger…it gets easier to stick to. 

As I said earlier, I have a long way to go to get where I should be. But I won’t be discouraged. The things I’ve sacrificed for my health will go a long way to helping me reach my goals. Some days I miss a glass of wine until I remember it was really just a crutch and money I didn’t need to spend. My budget – and the facial bloat I was starting to get from drinking – notably decreased. Will I allow myself a drink now and again? Sure. But it won’t be often. I also cut back on my sugar and salt intake. Those were difficult, but because of where I was on the pre-diabetic scale, I had to. I allow myself a sugared coffee once a day and only add salt during cooking. And – my biggest achievement – I’m SO much better with my portions. No more seconds. One egg instead of two. No serving of anything bigger than my fist. No eating after 8pm. I increased my vegetable intake by adding a salad with different veggies and one hot one to my plate. I try to get in a smoothie daily to get my fruit in and sneak in a little veggie, like beets.

Maybe it’s the undiagnosed ADHD, but this website has been the biggest help for my diet. This mission I have given myself has breathed a new purpose into me. I was seriously floundering, but doing the blog, setting up the website, all the socials, and the equipment… kept me busy—too busy to feel sorry for myself and think about food. I would eat my dinner for lunch, then get to work on ULP. The next thing I knew, it was time for bed, and even if I was hungry, I was too tired to fix anything. My purpose keeps me full and focused, and the progress on this ULP adventure and seeing and feeling the difference in my body keep me motivated. By this time next year, I will be stronger, healthier, and really appreciate the gift that is my body. I wish the same for all of you!

I hope this confessional entry will help you find what motivates YOU. Check in with your body, see where you can make positive changes, and be better prepared for whatever situation requires the strength of your body as well as your mind. 

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