Post SHTF Weight 'concerns'...

[texican]

Doing my weeks worth of cartoons this morning, and came across this gem...

I'm wondering, after a month or two of 'no more mass produced foodstuffs', the grocery stores have been looted, the food delivery system is but a cherished memory... would obesity remain a problem?

Can't imagine it...

Reminds me of certain third world cultures, where being 'overweight' was a sign of wealth...

[tinknal]

Does that mean that instead of being "fat" my 40 extra pounds is really an emergency prep?

[Cheryl in SD]

I wonder if one might be helpful in planning enough calories and not being malnourished, yet not over use valuable resources.

[mypatriotsupply]

Originally Posted by tinknal

Does that mean that instead of being "fat" my 40 extra pounds is really an emergency prep?

That's hilarious.

[oregon woodsmok]

It is funny, but I also believe that a calorie counter would be very valuable when resources are limited.

Americans seem to think that they must have more food than they need. The actual amount needed is awfully small, and a way to figure out exactly what each person needed, instead of wanted, to eat would make preps go a lot further.

[abckidsmom]

After a couple of years of watching my food intake, I am a human calorie counter. It's so easy to over eat, and in SHTF situations, some of the only stress relief is food, especially if you're well-prepped, like some around here are.

I could see the women gaining weight like crazy if they spent all day every day making food for the people who are working. Especially the high-carb comfort food that makes up much of our preps (rice, beans, oatmeal, grains).

As well as I have prepared, the quality of our diets would take a nose dive the first few weeks fresh fruits and veggies were limited. Unless it happened in summer, we'd have a quick little adjustment period.

[Txsteader]

Should we find ourselves in a post-SHTF world, I have every intention of appearing to be in no better condition than the masses, regardless of how much food I have available.

[texican]

Originally Posted by tinknal

Does that mean that instead of being "fat" my 40 extra pounds is really an emergency prep?

I figure I have 10 to 15lbs 'extra'... in an emergency, it would come in handy.
Been in a couple of 'scrapes', where an extra 10lbs or so came in real handy... unscheduled 'fasts', bouts with intestinal virii, etc. I can drop down to high school weight of 165 in a week, if I don't eat, or can't keep food down. Would've been 'interesting' if I were at the magic 165 before the 'scrapes'...
One of my worst scrapes, I lost 22lbs in a week... couldn't keep food down, and was burning 3x normal calories (hiking through subzero temps, over mtns and through glacial rivers)...

My mother had an extra 30lbs when she came down with cancer... that extra weight gave her an extra couple of months... by the end, she had zero extra.

[unregistered29228]

In almost all the photos I see of pioneer and frontier type women, they are large, substantial women. The women in my family in my great grandparent's generation were big, strong women who worked on the farm like men and ate like them too. I don't think that everyone will be skin and bones if they're living post SHTF. After the massive die-off of the sheeple, many people will hit their stride and live well. At least that's the scenario I plan on! I've lost nearly 25 lbs in the last six months, trying to get in shape and be healthier, but I don't plan on being skinny.

[Wags]

Originally Posted by tinknal

Does that mean that instead of being "fat" my 40 extra pounds is really an emergency prep?

that's my story and I'm stickin' to it

[postroad]

I should get a couple of years out of my emergency survival paunch.

[radiofish]

Plus don't forget to rotate those 'prep supplies' on a regular basis..

[Cyngbaeld]

Originally Posted by Mom_of_Four

In almost all the photos I see of pioneer and frontier type women, they are large, substantial women. The women in my family in my great grandparent's generation were big, strong women who worked on the farm like men and ate like them too. I don't think that everyone will be skin and bones if they're living post SHTF. After the massive die-off of the sheeple, many people will hit their stride and live well. At least that's the scenario I plan on! I've lost nearly 25 lbs in the last six months, trying to get in shape and be healthier, but I don't plan on being skinny.

Large and substantial. Yep, that's me. LOL but I'm not as big boned as my mother was.

I don't really expect to lose any weight after TSHTF since I probably won't change my lifestyle very much except for not having the electric washing machine. I hate doing wash by hand, but did it for a number of yrs and can again if I have to.

[Spinner]

DS & DH don't expect to lose weight after TSHTF, but they will. Yesterday I gathered up stuff to pack 30 bags of soup mix into a bucket. DS helped. I made the statement that we now have 30 meals for the family in that bucket (each bag makes a gallon of soup.) He said one of those bags only makes 2 meals for him.

Little do they both know that the cook will NOT allow them to eat a weeks worth of rations a day when it takes a full year to replace what they eat. I guess it'll make a difference that I'll be making bread and other things to go along with the soup so he won't have just a bowl of soup (but it may come to that one day.) I'll definitely have to ration and stand guard to keep a couple of people from downing the entire meal for the family. I didn't prep for them to gain more weight, just to provide a healthy diet. They'll both be healthier when they lose about 1/2 the poundage they're storing.

The good news is that neither of them have the foggiest idea of how to cook from scratch. I doubt they'll either one try to eat wheat berries, arrowroot, or other cooking supplies, but I keep the dehydrated apples & bananas hidden.

[Cyngbaeld]

All pantries need a good stout lock and mom should wear the key.

[Callieslamb]

Originally Posted by abckidsmom

...............I could see the women gaining weight like crazy if they spent all day every day making food for the people who are working. Especially the high-carb comfort food that makes up much of our preps (rice, beans, oatmeal, grains).............

I gonna make sure I'm not the cook!!!!

[chickenista]

Originally Posted by abckidsmom

I could see the women gaining weight like crazy if they spent all day every day making food for the people who are working. Especially the high-carb comfort food that makes up much of our preps (rice, beans, oatmeal, grains).

I would eat last and eat the leftovers in the pot.
DS is still growing and young (8) and needs the best nutrition.
DH would be working so hard to keep us in wood and keep us safe and taking care of all the big stuff that he gets second choice.
I would be working too, but not like him and I don't need the nutrition as much as DS.
And we would be sunk without DH, but they could get along without me.

There would no weight gain here...

[Harry Chickpea]

I'm with texican on this. An extra ten or fifteen pounds IS a safety margin, whether TSHTF or not. Had a dance with some bacteria from processing chickens and getting too lazy, where a few extra pounds were happy happy joy joy. Still needed a saline bag or two, but that stored energy helped a fast recovery.

[Sonshine]

I figure people will lose fat and gain in muscle, which weighs more than fat. One thing for sure, the preppers will probably be healthier if things fall apart. We eat from our preps on an every day basis, so I don't foresee and drastic changes in the food department, but in the working the land department I figure more time will be required.

[bourbonred]

Originally Posted by Spinner

but I keep the dehydrated apples & bananas hidden.

Yeah! Tell me about it!! I bought 5 extra big bags of apples to dehydrate. I've gotten through 3 of them and DH is eating them almost as fast as I can dehydrate!! At this rate he'll never need to see a doctor again.