Getting in Shape for TEOTWAWKI: Week One

Do you have no idea what the heck this post title is about? Then you probably need to go read the Intro to this series here.


The first change I want to tackle is: No Seconds.


I've made no secret of the fact that I turn to food when I am stressed and/or depressed. The challenges of the past year have undermined a lot of the progress I made towards healthier eating in the past. Not only have I made worse choices in what I eat, I've realized that I have been chronically overeating, too, perhaps as a way to temporarily distract myself from all that has been going on.

Whatever the reason, overeating is not good. It is hard on the budget and the individual, leading to skinny monetary resources but a fat body. Even without the threat of TEOTWAWKI, this situation cannot continue. And at this time, it wouldn't take much to change the availability of food.

Food prices can rise easily. A drought in one part of the world can affect prices for that crop and ripple out to affect more than just that area. The worldwide production of wheat can be impacted by something as small as a fungus. Climate change is already allowing pests to survive year-round in areas where they used to be killed off, or at least dormant, during the winter. Commercial agriculture is heavily dependent on petroleum, from the fertilizer and pesticides to the harvesting and transportation of the crop. If oil prices rise, so do food prices. During economic recessions, every newspaper and magazine soon begins running articles on how to save money at the grocery store.

If food prices rise or there is a long-term disruption in food supplies or distribution, chronic overeating could make a difference not only in quality of life, but for survival. The food on hand and local sources, including one's garden, may be all that is available. Eating too much could mean not having enough food to make it through the winter before the garden can be planted again. Eating too much also leads to excess weight which can contribute to less energy and increased risk of disease, neither of which will make it easy to thrive in times of scarcity.

What if TEOTWAWKI never happens yet you've curtailed your overeating and learned to eat just what you need to live a healthy and active life? Well, I don't know about you, but I certainly would enjoy being healthier and more active! And easing up the demands on the budget and gardening needs would be a nice benefit as well. It's a win-win situation in my view.

Which is why I will be filling my plate with the food I need at each meal and enjoying every bite, but no more than I need. I will fight the urge to fill up again and save more leftovers for the next meal. And, I will be careful not to overfill my plate the first time to sneak the seconds in on the first round. That would, of course, be cheating and entirely beside the point.

Lest you think I am recommending a food austerity program, please note that I am not saying one should not eat enough to meet one's caloric needs or change, at this point, the type of food eaten.

Are you up for making this change with me starting this week?