A lot of the words that apply to the Feminine gender or are commonly found in our vocabulary as women influence our lives, shape our thoughts and choices & affect our sense of wellbeing and self esteem. Those words interestingly begin with the letter ‘F’ just like the word ‘Female’ and to a large extent are what women talk about every day.
Fat – The very thing every woman either struggles with, embraces or conquers. No woman wants to be labeled ‘Fat’ & even the slimmest super model thinks somewhere inside her lies a fat woman. Maintaining the right weight goes a long way to shape one’s choice of clothes, social lifestyle and even one’s health as a woman. Being fit and healthy involves maintaining the right weight and ensuring that one’s heart is working efficiently enough to enable one carry out all the activities of the day with as little fatigue as possible. Practical fitness and diet routines that can be fitted into the day along with every other thing the mum does, is a way out of the battle of the bulge.
Fitness – The working mum probably has more reasons to be fit and healthy than other members of the population. The nature of what she does daily requires a combination of strength, agility, alertness and perfect health. Sometimes the task of juggling a successful career with running the home front and being there for her husband & children leaves very little time for a much needed fitness routine. But the culture has changed and more women are seeking out ways to ensure they stay healthy and stay fit. Ensuring that one’s day is filled with physically exerting activities like walking, stair climbing, dancing, sex or one form of sporting activity at least thirty minutes to an hour a day is a great way to maintain fitness.
Food – We cook it, buy it, store it and we are around it most of the time. A woman needs to understand that food is meant to be a source of nourishment for her body to function properly. We often eat without thinking, at home, parties or social gatherings. We need to inculcate the culture of asking ourselves before we eat- ‘Will this give me the nutrients my body really needs or am I just satisfying my hunger? Am I eating because my body needs it or am I eating to fill up some other inner need or desire?’ This helps prevent needless binging and regulates the calorie intake that contributes to overall weight gain. A little extra pre planning & effort are also required by a woman to enable her ensure that she and her family are getting the right nutrition from the food they eat.
Feelings – Women generally operate daily based on how they feel. Our moods control how we eat, when we eat, how much we eat and whether we decide to exercise or not. In watching your weight as a woman, you need to learn to master your moods and feelings and refuse to let them control your life.
Friendships – We women are relationship oriented and we fare better in groups and with other women. The kind of company we keep reflects our social status, our value systems, and our character and also helps in achieving or attaining our life goals. In wanting to lose /maintain weight, surrounding yourself with likeminded individuals goes a long way to help. It’s amazing that your perception of your size changes depending on the circle of people around you. The same person who seems small amongst other big women will look &feel bigger amongst slimmer or thinner women.
Fun –Humans generally gravitate to whatever is fun and gives them a good feeling inside. As women we must constantly strive to make everything we do fun including our attempts to keep in shape. Find a fun aerobic class, have fun with your spouse in the bedroom, enjoy running around or strolling with your children. Fun signifies something that is alive and active and brings out the laughter in you. Having fun is significantly tied to living longer & also contrary to popular opinions, not necessarily related to eating, all the time. Fun, laughter and joy release endorphins (natural pain killers) and other feel good hormones that ensure you live longer.
Fear– The fear of looking old and unattractive, the fear of losing your hubby to someone else, fear of not being able to control your weight, most often fears are unfounded and should be done away with because they lead to needless anxiety and worry which in turn have negative effects on your outlook to life, your health& your emotional and physical wellbeing. Women need to be strong, courageous and avoid fears.
Faith – In this part of the world a large percentage of women trust God with their lives yet they lack the power and courage to change their lives because their inner thinking and spoken words reflect a lack of faith. Faith is a necessary tool for anything to succeed, even when it comes to little things in our lives like keeping our figure. A little positive attitude makes the job easier.
Fight– Life is usually a battle because the human body literarily hates exerting itself. Things don’t just happen, as women we need to fight to keep our jobs &homes running smoothly and fight to keep fit. Having a fighting spirit is key to leading a full &rewarding life. Looking trim and feeling good happens when we work at it and fight the spirit of laziness.
Flexibility – Having a flexible schedule ensures a woman gets everything she needs to do, done daily including finding the time for a fitness routine or time to rejuvenate herself. Flexibility in her joints and bones helps ward off early onset of arthritis and keeps her looking youthful.
The twenty first century woman, definitely uses a lot of these words from time to time but the key is to understand and study how they affect us and the decisions we make daily, paying attention to them as we perform our daily activities and strive to keep ourselves together for the benefits of our spouses and our children.
Beautiful piece.Thank you. To stay trim,I will eliminate Fat,keep Fit,eat the right Foods,master my Feelings,keep wonderful Friendships,have Fun,do away with Fear,exercise Faith,Fight the good fight and be Flexible.
Wonderful advice. Too many times we fail to pay attention. Thanks for the reminder to live life well.
yes, we do, thank you Elizabeth.