The Shape Of A Woman

Week 43

Weight: 17st 8lb
This Week: Maintain
Total lost: 73.5lb

I did a unique thing this week - I stayed the same! That never happens ever! I'm almost pleased with that just for the novelty factor. And frankly I didn't do anything to help the cause for getting a loss on Halloween, so no angst from me for this one!

No blog entry today would be complete without saying a mighty Congratulations to Barack Obama. What wonderful news to wake up to this morning. A historical landmark, and a very emotional result. Well done.

Apologies for the late entry - I worked Sunday and Monday night, and was way too tired to blog yesterday, having got no sleep because I had to run around trying to get solutions to the problem of fireworks and a terrified dog. I'm not against fireworks, I love a good organised display. On November 5th. I hate hate hate the incessant banging that has been going on for the last week, and which I don't expect to really stop until January. If it were up to me, fireworks would not be legal for anything other than organised public displays by people holding a special expensive licence.

Rant over. For now.

Today I am thinking about the shape of women. Without the influence of TV, Heat magazine and Photoshop telling us what shape we should be, what would we all be happy to look like? I was watching Last Man Standing and couldn't help but notice that all the Wauja women where overweight by any western standards. But these women are hardworking tribal women. They eat the food that they and their menfolk can catch, they don't have fast food restaurants and takeaways. They can't even nip to Sainsbury's for a handy prepacked salad. They look happy, healthy and fully loved up - they even complained on the show that the foreigners (the contestants) were taking too much of their mens' time up, causing them to have less sex! These are strong confident women, and not a breast implant in sight!

I'm not for one moment suggesting that I'd swap my life for theirs. But how I'd love their body confidence, belly overhang, swinging breasts and all. I wonder how many western women would share that confidence, no matter how toned, slim, tanned, waxed and enhanced they may be? We are bombarded by photoshopped images of women, never the real deal. Breasts are always perfectly pert, bellies are always flat. Skin is airbrushed to plastic perfection, and of course the body is posed and positioned to create an artists impression of beauty. Meanwhile in the pages of Heat et al our celeb women are ripped to pieces for being too thin, or a few extra pounds later, too fat. No wonder they develop issues!

I revelled in seeing those Wauja women last night. I will continue my journey to conform to the acceptable standards of our society, while feeling quietly chuffed to bits that there are communities out there that would love me just as I am!