How a boring prep can save your life

I wouldn't call physical fitness a boring prep, to me it is fun and is at times an adrenaline rush, if anything it can be hard work finding the time for it and that can be annoying. I strength train and run 4 times a week. I gave up smoking about 5 years ago, best decision i ever made and have now made a complete recovery in lung capacity.Limit the drink to a few beers on the weekend and try to eat right, no fast food etc, my weak spot is ice cream and ice cream cones like the cornettos. Having situational awareness is something i try to incorporate into most aspects of my life, so i am cautious and sometimes over cautious in aspects of everyday life, driving especially.All in in all though you are right frostbite, those boring preps you mention are the most basic and the most needed as you set out exploring what it means to be prepared. Good thread.

Yeah, it's an area I thought I was lacking in and having decided to do something, I've lost 5kg in the last 2 weeks through fitness and through reduced Kilojoules intake. Whilst I'm a big lad, I had 25kgs more than I ought to on me, so the goal is down to 90kg. I knew better having had fitness accreditation from 20 years ago, though I'm very much on track to being back to an ideal weight in 3-4 months and including fitness in my life again to which I'd neglected for a bit, though in recently months I've been putting my BOB on my back and going for a walk. That and having being active quite a bit early in my life and until about 5 years ago, seems to have helped in that I'm already doing 1.5 hrs of heavy cardio without issue. The big advantage in terms of prepping I see is in loosing 25kgs, is carrying a pack of 20kgs will feel like my old weight and I can literally walk all day and night on that weight. The disadvantage is reserve stores of food, fat IS the bodies way of prepping, albeit it at cost of health and increased mortality rates, you don't see many fat 85 year olds.

Another interesting angle is the psychological perspective to being on a fairly restricted diet, it's not nearly as emotionally challenging as one would think, so long as you're getting 'something' I've been quite fine on energy levels and on attitude. Not that it's real evidence as such, I have noticed that drinking balanced meal replacement drinks are GREAT at appetite suppression, certainly compared to just portion control. The drinks aren't meant as a dietary drink, so I'm guessing it's more about having the right amount of nutrition content [probably protein ratio]. I'm eating only about 3-4000Kj a day which is well under my BMR [about 12000 it seems] which is one of the main reason for the speed of loss. There's new science supportive of rapid loss and I have a bunch of PT trainers [friends] I know whom I'm sharing my progress with and position, as per all of these things seeking medical/expert advice is wise.

When researching about canning, I discovered the world of Mason jars. I hate eating salads out of pastic containers as by the time you open it, it's a soggy mess especially if you are in and out of a car all day. This is one way to be disciplined in preparing a salad using a Mason jar. A couple of hours (if that) spent putting these together on Sunday arvo will see 5 days of salads. I decided to give them a go for my son who travels a great distance between mine sites in his work. He really enjoyed just taking one out of the fridge each day or if he was arriving home after being underground for the 11-7am shift, he could go to bed and a healthy meal was ready in the fridge when he woke up. Hubby loved them too but forgot to take a fork one day!(make sure the fork is ss as plastic is hopeless. The sky is the limit on what you put in the jars - but there is a secret order in which they go in the jar. Liquid (like oils go in first). See below. Another way is to use your mason jars to fill individually with say carrot, broccoli, mushrooms etc., and build it each day. The veges/salad will stay fresh due to seal on the lid.  A couple of pics to show you what they look like, but there are zillions of ideas on PINTEREST. Search under 'salads in a mason jar'.  There are now recipe books available and the one I have included is available via Amazon, but I would search ebay first as they are now becoming very popular in Australia. (bit like the cupcake craze only better for you).  

NB: Book Depository has the book below for $18.00 - FREE postage - as is all books from this company. Check here before you buy any prepping books etc before Amazon as I said postage is FREE. I also purchased a book today on Preppers natural medicines for when there is no Doctor. The author has a blog called the Herbal Prepper. 

I'm reasonable with all that, my daily routine is pretty active and I plan to up that, never smoked, hardly drink, eat reasonably well, weight within a couple of kgs from what's probably ideal for me, can do 10-day+ walks with a full pack, etc.

Can do better though.

I have friends who are in terrible shape, one said to me the other day that after 20 minutes weeding the garden they are stuffed. And when my 60-year-old neighbour was being shown the land by an agent the agent was puffed and had to stop for a rest, he said something like "It's not easy when you get to my age". "How old are you?" asked my neighbour. "45" was the response

I have doing this for 20 years and while physically fit I was a fat bastard.

About 3 years ago, modified diet, stopped drinking, improved exercise and now 40 kgs lighter and I rate that as the single most important prep I have done.

yep that is where survival and preparedness should begin, ones health and wellbeing.

I was sitting on the front porch last summer when a young bloke (mid-late teens maybe?) rode his bike along the footpath in front of our house - while texting with both hands. He hit a bump, fell off his bike, broke his phone, and - as he pushed his bike away later - damaged his bike.

Apparently he didn't like me laughing my ass off at him. But I really couldn't help it.