One day, I noticed something bulging from under my midriff. At first I didn't pay attention to this mountainous structure going up and down with every breath I took but gradually it caught my eye. It was my tummy showing up in layers from underneath my dress! I straightened myself, sitting up and pulling my dress down a little. But after a few minutes the folds started coming into my view again. This time I held my breath to suck my tummy in but to no avail. What else could I expect from sitting at home with absolutely nothing to do but eat and sleep? That's been the case for past two months. Extreme hot weather is making it impossible for me to step out to do anything. I tried to convince myself I am doing fine with my weight. But my profile that day told me a totally different story. My tummy's up and I need to do something about it soon.
As most people grow into adults they tend to become more sedentary. Metabolism starts slowing down by the mid-twenties. As the adolescent age comes to an end so do the physical activities such as running, walking, and being out of the house more often. As we become more job-oriented with all the education behind us we concentrate on responsibilities at work and getting settled. We spend more time working and trying to make money. But all the while we continue to eat the same way as we did when we were teens.
Most men in their 30s and 40s continue to drink as they did when they were in college. They tend to housework such as lawn mowing while drinking a beer, watching television at the end of the day or weekend with a beer in hand, or speak to the next door neighbor while having a drink. They might think they earned a right to relax and enjoy after a hard week. In the meantime the physical exercise part of everything is put in the back burner. So their beer starts showing up in their tummies. Most men boast about having a pot belly as being a sign that they are prosporous. I didn't see the connection between having a big belly and money. But they are a little bit luckier than we are in the sense they don't have to go through biological changes like we do. Hence, they get to keep their lean muscle intact. And most men do eat more protein than women.
Women tend to put their well-being as the last thing to do in a list of a zillion other things they do for the house, kids, husband, work and everything else. They forget that if they do not care for themselves first they cannot take care of the family. They cope with this stress by over eating, drinking lots of soft drinks and coffees. Some women who are homemakers get used to soap operas, popcorn, hot chocolates, pizzas, and chips among other things to keep their boredom to a minimum. As more and more women are becoming working moms, frozen dinners are becoming a way of living in households. There is no time for good old home made meals such as oats, grits, salads, home made yogurts, baked potatoes, beans, grilled chicken dishes, casseroles, barbecues, homemade lemonades, jams, jellies, breads, etc. Yes, everyone of the above mentioned are available plenty in the markets, but so are the added sugars, salts, and preservatives to keep these foods on the shelves. There are so many attractive food choices such as donuts, bagels, ice creams, meals, and juices that one has a hard time in choosing. Working moms who stop by at the grocery stores at the end of the day especially find it hard to be patient in finding the right foods. They just grab some food to feed the kids and the husband and call it a day. Leftovers are usually the way for many women who try to save money for the next day's meals. With rising pressures for adults and children alike every one is on the run. Nobody has time to fix their own lunches any more. The result is often precooked meals at schools, snacks from vending machines at work, and potlucks with all fatty foods from grocery stores. Stress levels are so high for most women trying to catch up with the assignments at work, doctors' appointments for kids, after school sports for kids that they have to chaperone, and volunteering that most women just ignore their main meals or grab something on the go. Most of the time what they grab are loaded with carbohydrates whether it be a pop tart or a frozen burrito. For most women fruits and veggies are the last thing in mind when on the go. They need soul food to keep them up and about. And soul food is definitely not just southern fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy.
As pressure to work grows more and more, women are becoming victims of their increasing stress levels. Stress often correlates with lack of interest in food choices and physical activities in most women. Physical exercise is the last thing that comes to mind when a whole day is gone with so many different roles to play. Mental tiredness contributes to couch potato syndrome at nights and continues into the weekend where some more chores await. Women tend to gain weight in different parts of the body. Some women gain in the upper arms, some at the hips and thighs, and some gain in the upper abdomen while most gain at the lower abdomen. Of all the areas of fat deposits there is a direct relationship between abdominal fat and diabetes as well as heart disease. While gaining weight in the hips and thighs is not a contributing factor for heart disease, it does affect the overall health of a woman. Excessive consumption of carbohydrates, oily and fried food, red meats, sugars and salts all are reasons for a woman to gain weight.
Cosmetic surgeries such as liposuction and tummy tucks do help the physical appearance to be improved but the total number of fat cells in the body remain the same which lead to weight gain again. Bariatric surgeries in extremely over weight women help them in overcoming certain conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and heart problems. A multiple vitamin regimen is recommended for women who go through bariatric surgeries as they tend to eat less food after the surgery and lose essential vitamins. Any kind of surgical procedure is not successful unless physical fitness along with a nutritious diet and balanced mental health are priorities for women.
A period of a 30-minute workout per day is necessary for the heart health as it provides the heart muscle enough oxygen in order to supply oxygenated blood to all the other body parts, which in turn helps in reducing chances of complications. Also, two to three times a week we should be working on different body parts with weights such as dumb bells; this will help tone the muscles that aid in burning calories and keeping the fat accumulation to a minimum. Allocating at least an hour a day for personal well being could not only help a woman take care of herself and from falling prey to different diseases but also should help her perform better at work, home and in personal relationships. It is said "a house is not a home until there is love and warmth among people who live in it" but I say, " a healthy mom makes a happy home" for today's women because, 'OUR LIFE MATTERS'