
To be sustainable, we must also care for the wellness of our own bodies. Photo by timlewisnm – Flickr
We have made the decision to get our bodies in better shape as a part of our sustainability efforts. We believe that our health and wellness is a key component of our desire to be able to work and maintain our small hobby farm.
I have been chubby most of my life. Exceptions are when I was in the military, or when I chose to lose weight when I was considering rejoining the military. As an adult, I have been 255LB, and I have been 175LB. I know I can be in shape and healthy, but I fall into poor habits that always bring the yo-yo back around.
Planning Health is like Planning a Homestead
Jennifer and I are fairly linear minded. If we have a goal for something, like owning an animal, we know we have to plan out the process of what needs to be done on the homestead before we can reach that goal. Timelines are set, budgets are set, work is accomplished and, in the end, we buy the animal.
We believe the best chance for positive results in weight loss and health is to approach it using the same mindset.
However, we also get off on tangents. We have bought an animal we haven’t prepared for, and paid the price. Since, in the case of health and wellness, we would likely fall off the track and lose our way without a plan, we reached out for help.
In the end we chose to invest in a program by a company called Beach Body. The program is called Power 90. It is a 90 day program of exercises and dietary advice.
We like this because instead of having a “I want to lose a certain amount of weight” type of goal, our goal instead is “Make it to the end of 90 days”. Time is linear – so this works really well for our mindset.
Health is Sustainability
To be sustainable, we cannot be limited to only being able to tolerate an hour of moderate labor. We need to be able to have the stamina to work all day, when needed.
To be sustainable, we cannot rely on processed grocery store food.
To be sustainable, we cannot eat like food is going out of style. We have to eat what our bodies need, and not what our taste buds have become addicted to.
To be sustainable, we have to retrain the wellness our bodies and our minds.
All of these items will allow us to be able to keep up with the work of the homestead, keep up with raising 5 children, and be able to sustain ourselves with our own food.
Current Wellness Effort
We are now at the 1 month mark, and there have been some ups and downs. We were all really sick for a week and Jennifer also hurt her foot badly. That said, we have lost some time during our first 30 days. We have not given up!
Jennifer has developed her own program so that her foot can heal and I have been able to get back on the regular program.
Currently, I have lost 12 pounds, gained a lot of strength, and am wearing clothes that would not fit me this time last year. You can find out more about our current status by watching the video below (just skip ahead to the video labeled “Fat Farmer – 30 Days“, or click the link to go straight to the video on the J&J Acres YouTube channel)
A Part of the Homestead
Our health is a part of our Homestead, and you can be a part of our Homestead too by following along with our progress by watching our Fat Farmer video series by clicking the link or watching below:
Good luck on your weight loss journey! As a gal who went from fat to fit (losing over 100 pounds), I totally get the struggle and ups and downs. Go you, so worth it!
What a great story – Thank you for sharing ๐ I appreciate the inspiration and encouragement!
All right Jared!! I find your mission very inspiring and wish you and your family big, giant (healthy) loads of luck and love! Keep us all posted!
Thank you Karen, we will need all the luck and love we can get ๐ We will update again at day 45!
just wanted to share a book that had helped me through a weight problem, 4 hour body by tim ferris. since your living on the farm the food you eat should fit with the book nicely. keep grinding.