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

Being The Problem Solver

Hello Readers,

Today has been a bad day for me emotionally, and for a better part of the day I just sort of shut down, checked out, and basically didn't do anything that was productive. I get this way from time to time, because I have a bunch of people come to me at once trying to get my help. A few of my friends and family come to me to solve problems, because I am a psychology major and that means I have all the answers. Thing is, I don't but I end up having to come up with a solution to the problems or I am just not left alone. So lately I have been in this 'problem solution' mode, and stopped taking care of myself and started worrying more about others.

All of this started when I lost 15lbs and decided to share that with some friends and family and then everyone wanted me to tell them how to do the same. First off, I want to start by saying that weight loss is not that complicated, and there are like 100 apps in the app store that can help you if you want to lose the weight. Secondly, I have told everyone that I am following my Jillian Michaels app and she tells me what to eat what my fitness routine for the day is and helps me track my calories. I am not doing anything all that special, but even when I tell them that in order for them to know how they can go about losing weight I get weighed down by a bunch of other questions.

I am just going to lay this out there for all my readers now so that way I can just get this off my chest. I am not a fitness or nutrition expert! I can't help you figure out your diet, or tell you what you can do to help improve your lifestyle, these are all choices that you as a person need to make. If you want to know how I am doing it, I started looking into different programs and found the one that suited me.

I was listening to a podcast by Jillian Michaels earlier today and she was talking about an eagle, rabbit, and a turtle. She said that the species were so concerned about what they couldn't do that it became their focus. The turtle wanted to run as fast as the rabbit, and the rabbit wanted to fly like the eagle, and the eagle wanted to swim like the turtle. Thing is, no matter how hard they try they can't become the rabbit, the eagle, or the turtle, they have to be themselves and that is really what fitness is all about. The only thing I can tell you is what I did as my base plan to dropping weight. I found someone who inspired a change in me, someone who got me to think in ways I couldn't and I listened.

It just so happens that person is Jillian Michaels, but here is the thing, just because her program works for me, doesn't mean it is going to work for you. You may do better on a program by Bob Harper or J.J. Virgin,  but what it all boils down to is what suits you and your lifestyle.

I started by getting Jillian's book Unlimited, which was difficult for me to keep up with because of my dyslexia so I was thankful when someone kindly got me the audio version. I also listen to her podcast and listen to her book Slim for Life. This brought me in the direction of her app which I used at first to just count my calories. Then I learned that there was more to losing weight then just counting calories, that everyone's body needs different foods to function to be able to lose weight, AKA your metabolic system or oxidizer. These are things I can't tell you, so if you want to know how to start losing weight then that is a good place to start.

After months of research, and calculating gym memberships and whether or not I would actually go, I finally decided on paying the $4 a week for an upgraded version of Jillian's app. She gives me a meal plan and workout routines that fit my age, height, weight, and what i want my end result to be. So if you want to know all that information go to www.JillianMichaels.com and get started, I believe she gives you one week of free access to all the tools. I mainly use the subscription for support because I'm the only one in my life right now going down this venture.

So, there you go, now you know my secret, its that I don't have one.

Also, I have become this personal emotional bank for other people, because of my major. I don't mind talking to people and hearing about how crummy their life is going. I don't mind give some advice here and there, but what I do mind is people giving me their problems to solve. I don't have all the answers, and yes, I can eventually come up with them for people, but the thing is that all I do is get on google and search how best to help them. I am not a free therapist for people to come to, I am not even licensed as one. I seriously have enough of my own problems right now, that I don't really have the time or emotional capability to handle anyone elses.

The worst part about all of this, is the people who are coming to me for help, they know what is going on. I am looking at a second surgery for my hand, where they are going to have to break it in two places to get my  mobility back. I am out of a job, I have car payments to make, and insurance. I have to make it to physical therapy twice a week that is a 45min drive away. I have to put gas in my car, and buy myself food, not to mention that I have to worry about when my LNI benefits will stop and if I will be able to get a job quick enough to keep my car. I have a lot of shit going on right now, and I love my friends and family dearly but it is like they don't see that I have enough on my plate because I don't have a job, and I just 'sit around all day'.

I don't know if anyone out there is unemployed right now, but let me tell you, looking for a job is the hardest job you will ever have. Not to mention, I just lost the job of my dreams, the job I thought I was going to retire from and you know what... I wasn't given a reason. They fired me without just cause, because I was within my probation period, shitty part about it, they sent me a letter in the mail to tell me I lost it. So, I truly have a lot on my plate.

With that being said, I don't mind helping out with advice, but there is a big difference between me giving advice and me solving another person's problem. I get that life has dealt some people a shitty hand, but guess what, it happens to all of us. Having to do all of this has actually taken away some of the things that I enjoy, because I can't enjoy them because of how stressed I am. I am pretty sure that 15lbs I lost isn't lost anymore cause I probably gained some of it back.

What all of this has taught me, after sitting on my couch and crying for a better part of my day, is that I need to just worry about me. I need to get my life together and figure out what I am going to do because if I can't answer those questions for myself, then I am doomed to work dead end jobs that I hate. I want to make something of myself, which means that it is time for me to get selfish and that is exactly what I am going to do. It's time for me to take care of me, get my affairs in order and then, if I feel like I am stable enough, I can try and give advice to people, but for now I am done trying to solve everyone else's problems.

I feel like this blog as slowly turned into a place where I rant a lot, but that's okay. this blog is for me, and being able to get all this off my chest makes me feel better than I did a few hours ago. Thank you to those who stuck it through this entry, I do appreciate all my readers and hopefully here soon I will be able to get on to happier, more upbeat entries.

Sincerely,
Gypsy