Prepping While "Plus": Fitness for the Rest of Us

We talk a lot about gear and budgets, but let’s talk about the one piece of equipment we can’t trade in: our bodies. I was never the 'skinny kid' on the softball team, and I’m definitely not the 'tactical athlete' now. But being a 'Chunky Dunk' doesn't mean I'm a sitting duck. Here’s the truth about getting physically ready when it seems you have to be a triathlete to survive.

When I was young, I was active; I played softball in school on a pretty tough team 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 semi-pro 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 my own, 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.

How does this relate to my prepping journey? Check it out on my Substack!
https://urbanladyprepper.substack.com/p/prepping-while-plus-fitness-for-the?r=53ynfj