50/50 Challenge: #6 - 'Philadelphia'

In an effort to watch every film Denzel Washington has been in, I watched "Philadelphia" for the first time. Yes, I was familiar with the Bruce Springsteen song and I had caught pieces of the movie here and there, but I had never watched it in its entirety until today.

Tom Hanks is a lawyer who has been fired from his firm and is now suing them because he feel there was discrimination against him because he has AIDS. Denzel Washington is the lawyer representing him who is reluctant at first with the idea of standing next to someone who has AIDS, let alone someone who is homosexual.

The movie, though made in the early '90s, still has issues that are relevant today: discrimination, gay rights. Denzel plays a damn good attorney and a person who stands by what he feels is right, not what he feels lines up with his personal preferences or preconceptions.

Both he and Tom Hanks look really young in the movie, but then again, I have to remember this was about 20 years ago. My how time flies.

Movie #6: Philadelphia

Tips for Losing Weight from Someone Half-Heartedly Trying to Lose Weight

It's almost the end of January, which means that either people are full force into their weight loss resolutions or they have given them up entirely only to pledge next year to do better. I fall somewhere in between.

I have never been the kind of person who thinks that I need to lose weight. However, it's constantly ingrained in me that perhaps it wouldn't hurt to lose a few pound. Plus, there's that thing about once you hit 30 that your metabolism drastically slows and you have the chance to turn into an obese whale overnight.

Surprisingly, vanity is not my reason to work out and watch what I eat. Of course it's always better to be able to fit into clothes than not, but really my weight loss goals are directly affected by my desire to...eat more.

I love food. I always have and always will. I don't want to be on some crazy diet that wouldn't suit me just so I can weigh ten pounds less. However, I know that my diet habits of years past just simply won't do. I can't eat french fries with every meal; one meal, but not for all three.

What are my tips for losing weight?

1. Get yourself a buddy who is in better shape than you. I have two friends who are training for their first half-marathon. They have dedicated to getting up before work to run to reach their goals. They can get up at the crack of dawn, so I feel like I can drag my ass to the gym at least three times a week. That's my personal goal at least. Gym or movement of some sort at least three times a week.

2. Be honest about your wardrobe. Understand that there is always going to be a pair of "skinny jeans" that you will want to fit into, but don't let that be the barometer of weight loss or gain. Judge by how all your clothes fit and if they are simply outdated or if in fact, you have packed on the poundage.

3. Don't eat all the french fries. Don't eat french fries with every meal and don't think about eating your companion's fries on top of yours. Stick to a half a plate. And if you really want a whole plate to yourself, just make that on special occasions. Not every other day.

4. Reward yourself for working out. Plan something fun in addition to planning the days you'll be going to the gym. Also, pick something you like. Don't do the treadmill if you loathe the treadmill. You won't automatically start to like it. You will not miraculously achieve a runner's high. Do what you want. But walking an extra few spaces in the parking lot doesn't count as a workout.

5. Don't beat yourself up for missing a workout. If you get off track one week, just start again the next.

Maybe this isn't new news to you and maybe your goals are a little loftier than mine. But if you're like me and are busy and don't really love the gym, but really love to eat, then these tips will help you not pack on extra pounds.

Who knows, you may actually enjoy the shift to a healthier lifestyle. Who knew I'd ever be able to turn down dessert just because I wasn't hungry or order a burger without fries. Who knew that I would find the gym would actually de-stress me and make me feel stronger? You learn something new everyday.

50/50 Challenge: The Mercy of Thin Air (Book #2)

When reading the premise for The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue I was excited at the idea of reading a story from the point of view of a ghost. Razi is in the in-between and she haunts a modern-day couple, Amy and Scott, while reflecting on the love of her past, Andrew. The idea of the "in-between" is something that has a fascinating quality about it on its own, but putting it into the story seems very romantic.

Unfortunately, I felt the book to be slow to get through. It's told at different time periods and going back and forth between the past (1920s New Orleans) and the present time of the novel with multiple stories going on at once. This muddled the book for me because each story seemed started and stopped without any real flow.

The secrets that the book holds weren't as juicy as I imagined them to be, so maybe that was a disappointment as well. Highlights of the book for me: setting of New Orleans (a magical city) and the appeal of ghostly actions. The rest of the details seemed just thrown in and not fleshed out to make me care about any of the characters.

I wouldn't recommend this book, but I might be in the minority on that one.