calories count

CALORIES COUNT

A guest article was posted earlier.
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This is probably another “so obvious I can’t believe what an idiot you are for posting it and as we speak I am crapping out a bloody stool in frustration” article. But if I let that stop me from feeding the minions, I’d have maybe one article a month. Plus, this might, just might, have a bit of relevance since our lifetime’s habit has been to just eat whenever we were hungry and think nothing of it. Females are about the only ones bucking this trend, compulsively watching the caloric intact while exercising in an effort to look good, and then only long enough to trap a mate. Because we are an advanced society economically there is no where near the importance on having children ( they are very expensive to have, and they are not needed for the parents retirement- at least for awhile more ) as there used to be and the new norm is athletic looks rather than the look historically that screamed “adequate body fat to birth and nurse”. Staying in shape is a mark of a desired mate as the successful males bide for bodies. The rest of us, such as myself desperately looking for lucky wife #5 still, will pick from the dregs and be happy. And personally, I like them plump. Which has the added benefit come the collapse of extra meat on the hoof. Anyway, the point is that few of us count calories. When we do, such as when storing food, we tend to go to one of two extremes. Either quantity over quality, buying five years worth of wheat at 1500 calories a day or quality over quantity, getting four thousand calories a day for a few months.

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For the last few years, as food prices have increased ( for those of you drinking a meal, beer went up about 15%. And for all of us getting rid of food, Wal-Mart TP just went up 30%-the square feet shrunk 40%, the price went down 10%, plus the rolls went from six to four to cut back on their warehousing and shipping costs ), I was cutting back calories. Not because I couldn’t afford it but because it was cutting food or cutting books. Which at the time were almost nothing of my budget anyway. After I lost most of my superficial body fat from peddling and freezing in the trailer, I started paying attention to how many calories I was eating. I upped the amount to ease hunger pains somewhat. When unlucky wife #4 left, I put her portion of the food plus some of her beer money into my grocery budget. Yet, as I started getting serious about digging the trench, I still wasn’t getting enough calories. When I originally dug the pit, it was never a daily chore. When I started the trench, I didn’t dig long enough before the ground froze to feel the calorie drain. Come spring, I started to feel the daily labor in the form of periodical weakness. It was time to eat more calories than my 1800 to 2k. Now I eat 2500 at a minimum and sometimes 3k. All because I’m burning 600 calories on transportation and who knows how many on 20-30 minutes of digging the New Deluxe Future Underground Lair. I don’t bring this up to brag about my lean body or my disciplined eating less than needed. In point of fact, I’m just a cheap bastard that hates spending money unnecessarily ( but, if future lucky wife is reading this now, picture feline grace topped with a perfect mane- and I won't starve you least you lose upper front body fat ).

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No, I bring this up to point out that a pound of wheat a day is only enough to sit watch or other stationary endeavors. A pound of wheat and a half pound of beans might be enough to walk around a lot. But to perform any amount of labor you need three thousand plus calories a day. Which doesn’t even take into account the fuel your body burns keeping itself warm during winter without central heat. Let’s say that suddenly it all stopped tomorrow. It doesn’t matter how, this is always what you should be planning on anyway, prep wise. I wouldn’t have the lumber bought to cover the New Complex. If I didn’t want to move to the covered pit, I could dig up the lumber from the pit to use as a roof over the van ( as it stands, my plan isn’t to bury the van but build a 6x16 wood cabin with clearance all around underground and a clearance over the ceiling to increase the temperature stability- I’m just speaking of a worse case shelter ). But I’d still need to finish digging the new hole. Plus, I’d want to cut more sage brush around my area, on to other lots. Both to give it time to dry for cooking fuel and to really be safe on the fire danger. Many more calories will be needed.

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I’m not talking about a farmer growing the food he needs to eat to farm and the rest as profit. I’m talking about a prepper needing to live off stored foods for a time. You need your long term minimum calories, but also that initial “spurt” of extra calories for last minute projects ( such as sandbagging your thin sheetrock walls, hand digging a shallow well, whatever ). Most of us can live off our body fat, but don’t short change yourself on extra protein and fat for your heavy labor period. I’ve stocked about 125 cans of meat ( mostly spam, not just tuna which doesn’t pack much punch ). Originally intended as a weaning period off meat, I’ll most likely be using them as a period of gluttony and heavy work. I’ll add in the rice stash and a lot of my seasonings, so I’ll go from my present 1/3 of calories wheat to 2/3’s in a gradual fashion, as well as reducing my menu variety slowly. As I said, common sense stuff. But today, even with price increases, we pig out constantly, taking surplus calories for granted. It pays to look at these details now while the consumer is still king and food is still wasted.

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My e-mail is jimd303@netzero.com
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Anyone can submit a guest article. No minimum word length, no writing skill necessary ( just get the idea across ). You retain copyright ( this must be your original writing ) and I’ll just use the once. I’ve yet to turn down an article, just don’t use the N Bomb or libel another that can sue me. Send by e-mail ( please, label as “guest article” so I can find it easily later ). Payment will be your removal from my enemies list.
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By the by, all my writing is copyrighted. For the obtuse out there.
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