New "Getting in Shape for TEOTWAWKI" series

I am going to start posting on Sundays Mondays about my efforts to lose weight, get in shape, and be more prepared physically just in case TEOTWAWKI actually happens in my lifetime.

What could cause TEOTWAWKI, or "the end of the world as we know it"? Well, the recession we went through recently sure changed the world for a lot of people in this country and around the world. People lost jobs, houses, security, and more. Future economic challenges could change your, or my, world pretty easily. Climate change is another factor. This is affecting food production around the world, increasing chaotic weather, and changing sea coasts already, and it really hasn't ramped up yet to the significant levels of disruption predicted for this century. Peak oil, with its associated increasing costs of the fuel used in every aspect of our industrial society, certainly has the capacity to change the world as we currently know it. All of these can also impact, and be impacted, by governments and other players globally.

For those of you who thinking I'm being paranoid and/or spouting nonsense, that's fine. I'm not here to convert you. Getting in shape and losing weight, if you need to, will enhance your life even if the world continues on just as it is right now. I'm just putting my own efforts into the context of how it will enhance my ability to survive and thrive if the poop hits the proverbial fan.

From personal experience with this journey of trying to lose weight and get fit, I can tell you what does not work for me. A sudden enormous change in diet and exercise does not work. I will quickly "cheat" on my new eating plan and I will overdo the exercise resulting in injury or overtraining. On the other extreme, making changes too slowly will result in such minor improvements that I lose the incentive to keep up my efforts. I am going to try a moderate approach and see where it takes me. I am not setting a deadline for when I must hit a particular goal weight or level of fitness. I do want to see steady, even if slow, progress though.

What I intend to do, subject to modification if it's not working for me, is institute one change per week. Each week's change will add on to the previous one so that I will gradually be incorporating more and more changes. Supposedly it takes three weeks to establish a new habit so as time progresses, more of these changes should become habits. You are welcome to follow along with my changes, make your own, or just read the blog and be amused at yet another attempt on my part to improve my life.

I'll write each week about the new change, results from the previous change(s), and perhaps a bit about why I think it's important to make the change especially in context of TEOTWAWKI. I'm starting now and will post this week's change in a separate post.