Being Useful

Hello Readers,

I know it has been like 11 days since I last wrote an entry, I have just been feeling rather blah lately because of some of the stuff going on in my life. I recently had to drop out of college because of my hand issue, but I am determined to get back in class by September. As I sit here writing this I realize how rather uneventful my last few weeks have been because I have mainly just been getting my stuff ready for surgery. I did however go and see a couple of movies. I went and saw Now You See Me and Fast and Furious Six, and Star Trek: Into The Darkness.

Personal Review: Does Not Contain Spoilers!

Fast and Furious 6: I have to say that out of all the F&F movies, this one had to be one of my favorite movies. I am especially looking forward to the next one. If you haven't seen it yet, sit around a bit after the credits, there is an awesome extra scene. I thought this one had way more action than the other movies, and I was blown away by what they were able to visually accomplish. It had a good story line and didn't take away from any of the previous films like sequels often do. In all I give it 4.5/5 stars, just because there was a few things I didn't like, but to remain spoiler free I won't say anything here.

Star Trek Into The Darkness: This was a visually outstanding movie, there was some bloopers here and there that was hard to miss but at the end of the day it was still an amazing movie. I used to watch the series on TV so I especially like that they have made it to where the movies had no impact on the television show. I also like that they are bringing in younger versions of characters from the show to mix things up a bit. I have to say this is one of those movies you just have to see in theatres to really get a good impact from the visual aspect of what is going on. That and I am a nerd and movies like this are always a must see in theatres. 4/5 stars, because of all the noticeable bloopers.

Now You See Me: WOW, this movie is by far the most original concept for a movie that I have seen in a long time. Now, this is a must see movie!! I knew the ending from the beginning but that didn't take anything away from the movie at all. I liked that they unravelled a lot of the old magic tricks (which they tell you in the previews) and the concept is simply amazing. It just goes to show that a little magic can go a long way. For me this movie was more entertaining because I was able to pick up on how they did certain magical tricks. Sure, some of them were done via script, others via movie magic, but there were other tricks in there as well. This is my must see movie of the summer. It is a good movie for kids, there is some violence and cussing, but it visually appealing. The story line isn't the same story that has been told for the last 10 years, and more importantly! it's not another reboot! I was so getting tired of those. For this movie 5/5 for sure!

Over the last few weeks I fell off of what I call my fitness wagon, I just wasn't hungry and didn't have motivation. I thought that I had packed the weight back on, but come to find out I am holding steady at my weight loss. That made me feel good to know that after 30+ days hard to get healthy, it wasn't blown in a week like it could have been. I still can't believe that it only takes 2 bad days to undo a weeks worth of work or more.

Today was a pretty exciting day for me and for a lot of people in the United States. It is a historical day with Prop 8 being overturned by the supreme court and DOMA being filibustered. It is a great day to be a woman, because we have our right to choose back, and a great day for the gay community because we are one step closer to equality that we all deserve. Equality for all is no longer a thing of the past, who would have thought?

I also did something today that I normally wouldn't do. I was at Barnes and Nobles picking up a couple of the Jillian Michaels books I didn't have when I saw a lady looking over all these different diet books. She seemed vaguely confused with everything and I asked her if she needed any help. Being on the fitness journey myself, I know that seeing all those books just makes you want to scratch your head and wonder who's guideline to follow. After talking to her for a bit I asked her if she had ever read anything by Jillian Michaels, because she kept talking about all these fad diets that she had tried. She said no, so I took a moment to explain how some of her books work. Just incase people are curious, I will break down her books for you incase you are interested in giving her a read.

Winning By Losing: To sum up this book in quick detail, it is about getting you psychologically ready to lose weight. Lets face it, if our minds aren't into what we are doing then our motivation drops and we stop something all together. This book also helps you with the nutritional aspect of losing weight. For people who are wanting to get in shape but lack the focus this is a good place to start.

Unlimited: Believe it or not, this book isn't about getting physically fit! This book helps to guide you into discovering your dreams and setting up a game plan to reach them. Those goals and dreams could include getting physically fit, finding your dream job, or something else completely different. If you need some guidance to help you figure out what your life goals are, this is a good book to start with.

Master Your Metabolism: This is all about the science behind losing weight. JM teaches you how to boost your metabolism and make the most out of every meal. If you are tired of having fallen victim to diet fads, this is a good book to read because it tells you everything you need to know about calories in and calories out. This book is truly a godsend to those who don't understand why fad diets are bad and why programs like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, may not be your best option. Don't get me wrong, those programs are proven methods that do work to help you lose the weight, but they are programs that are a lifetime commitment so if you get off the track you have to go back and start all over. With learning the science behind weight loss you control your diet without having to count points, or depend on meals to be sent to you, because you already know how to make any meal work for you.

Slim for Life: This was my first JM book that I started to read, when I realized that dieting wasn't as easy as they show on TV. The nice thing about this book, is that she explains various eating habits and lets you decided what you will and won't give up to lead a healthier life. She also debunks weight loss myths and helps instill confidence that you aren't giving anything up by trying to get healthy. If anything it teaches you that for every unhealthy option out there, there is a healthier option available.

Making the Cut: This book is all about losing those vanity pounds. What are vanity pounds? Those are the last 10-20 lbs that people want to take off to look as good as they feel. This is that little bit of flab that just won't seem to go away. It is important to know that this is not a book to target problem areas. There isn't a way to target one area to lose weight in that area, you have to work the whole body to get results, because everyone's body stores fat in different areas. This book is all about how to lose those last few pounds, it even comes with a meal guide to help ensure you will succeed.

Now, some of you may be thinking that Jillian Michaels is just a name, and she is making money off of things that people already know. Just so you are aware, this is something that JM has said herself, that she has made her living off of four simple words 'Calories In, Calories Out.' She isn't reinventing the wheel with her books, she is giving you the tools that you need to succeed. With that being said she also doesn't consider herself a trainer or a guru, she likes to see herself as more of a life coach. She is just one of many people in the world that are trying to help the world get healthy. She may be just a name to some people, but she is also a name that knows what she is talking about and all of her books help to make sure that you get the most out of life.

With that being said, I was really proud of myself because just randomly talking to people isn't something that I can typically do without freaking out with anxiety. I should let you all know that having a sleeve of tattoos and purple hair doesn't really make people want to talk to you. If anything it intimidates people because they think that I am some weird person when really all I am doing is just expressing who I am without having to fit myself into the box that society has been trying to put me in. I have let go of that responsibility sandwich and I am doing things that make me happy, because despite what others may think, I do deserve to be happy.

After talking to the woman in the store, she gave me a really good compliment. She said she was grateful for having met someone with the knowledge that I have, Thank you Jillian Michaels, and that she was glad that I had been there because it made it easier for her to decide where to start. Needless to say, she picked up every one of Jillian's books... minus the cookbook because I had taken the last copy, and she bought them. She also told me that I needed to pursue a career in dieting and health care because of what I have learned. Really, I didn't tell her anything that people don't already know, it is just that the little voice inside of our heads that tell us not to eat that has been silenced by commercials and ads that we see on TV. Her stuff is all about getting back to reality and it works.

Before leaving the store, I told the woman that I was going to become a therapist and she told me that she would happily pay money to come see someone as insightful as I am. That is a huge compliment for someone who has been riding a wave of negativity for the last few years. It encouraged me to keep doing what I am doing, and that encouraged me to want to continue to help people. So here is my questions for all my readers out there.... Do you have a question that you have done to help a stranger? I am not talking about a good deed, I am talking about taking time from your day where you actively engage with someone you don't know as a way of helping them accomplish something. Leave a comment below and let me know how you help to make the world a bit of a better place.

That is all I have for now, I will try to write more often until I go in for surgery. Have a great day!

Sincerely,
Gypsy