kiigan's Journal

Hey! So my weight dropped back down! I just counted for a few days, and feel like I'm on a better track now.  So I'm going to keep counting (mostly) for a while still, then go from there.  It's just SOOO nice to see the scale back in the 130s.  And both scales are down there now, thank heavens!

Didn't work out today or yesterday since I was at the boy's last night and up late the night before watching Project Runway (what a good episode!).  Then tonight, we're going on a belated V-day date to a Japanese restaurant I like and then to see Juno.  We were going to go see Juno yesterday, but the movie theater changed it's times from what we found online.  So we had a good dinner (and I had a large margarita with a good dose of tequila in it) and then just hung out at his place.  

Tomorrow I'm leaving to visit my good friend in Ohio--so I'm totally stoked about that. I haven't seen her since....oh....last April, I think.  She's leaving for Japan in a couple months, so I'm glad I get to see her.  Then Monday morning I'm driving to Indiana University to meet people there and visit the campus. I'm really excited about that, and am really hoping that I love the campus because it will make deciding to go there really easy.  One of the girls I work with at Ann Taylor actually has friends out there, and said she could talk to them about finding apartments and stuff, and one is actually going to be moving out of the 1-bedroom house she's in right now.  So that's exciting.

Anyways, have a good weekend all! 

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I don't totally loathe my scale anymore :) Apparently, unlike most people, I LOSE weight over the course of the day.  I weighed myself around 6:00 last night, and I was down a pound from the morning! Craziness! Then this morning, I was back in the 130's on both scales! 138.5 on the old scale, and 139.5 on the newer scale. *Happy Dance*

So last night I didn't eat too well for dinner. But it's the night I do dinner with friends at the boy's parent's place (his parents cooked dinner for 6 of us last night--they're awesome) and we had a pancake dinner (so pancakes, sausage, bacon, and eggs). I stayed away from the bacon (I only gave a couple pieces to the dogs, didn't consume any myself, though...), had a couple sausage patties, and three large pancakes :) But it was SOOOO tasty. Only drank water though! Plus I shoveled the driveway for about 30-45 minutes after I got home from work so I figured I earned it, and would have to eat A LOT to be over calories burned.

This AM, my mom and I did the 20 minute workout and the Ab Jam.  I think maybe we should just do one workout per week so that she can start learning the moves.  But I'll have a busy day today! Wee! Hope everyone is doing well!

I've just been in a great mood for the past week or so :)  

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Okay first a rant on my scale: this morning, I weighed the same (142.0) in my birthday suit as in a robe with a big wet towel in my hair.  Then, I tried it on the stairs (a flat, wood surface) instead of the small tiles in my bathroom which pushed it up to 143.5 with the towel--which at least makes sense that I'd weigh more with the towel than without.  Then I brought it back into the bathroom and I was 141.5 without towel.  Then, just because I was so irritated, I brought out my OLD scale which said 140.0 sans towel.  Needless to say, I like that number better.  This whole ordeal took up a lot more time than weighing yourself ever should, and I know that, but it's just so da** frustrating! I hate my scale...sigh.  So I might switch over to my old one because, well, it says I weigh 2 lbs less :) And I know that it doesn't mean I ACTUALLY weigh less, but it makes me feel better :)

Did my 3T (Totally Tubular Turbo) workout this morning--I'm still pretty sore from my Sunday strength training (it KILLED my thighs and butt--one legged squats....*shudders*) and the 3T isn't SUPER intense and it's easy to modify so I did that one.  Still a good workout though.  My mom and I have decided to just start working out at home in the AM since it's easier than driving to the gym and back--so I'm pretty happy about that.  Gonna keep on doing the Turbo Jam--so maybe I'll have to buy some more of the workouts when I get a little more disposable income.  She seems to really enjoy it, though--which is pretty fun for me :)

I also monitored my calories yesterday, and ended up around 1300-1400 for the day--which is around what I should be aiming for.  Of course, the last 500-600 were pizza :( But I didn't have any pop and I got in some veggies and fruits.  I found some new Fiber One yogurt--so I'm going to give that a shot since I'm always looking for ways to increase my fiber intake.  Beginning the uphill battle to weight loss again, but right now, I'm feeling pretty good about it!  Just gotta stay disciplined...I really need to work on my veggie servings--they're just hard for me to just snack on.  Carrots make my throat itch--which is really unfortunate cuz I don't like to eat them, and they're the easiest for me to munch! I like dipping celery and red pepper but I can't cut too much pepper at a time cuz I don't eat it before it gets mushy.  Any suggestions? I just don't cook all that much...maybe I should start...I'm just at my b/f's place so often....Oh well.  Anyone have good resources for quick and easy recipes? 

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Well, so much for getting on here quickly every day :)

Soo....I ♥ TurboJam.  I rekindled my affection last week when my mom and I decided to workout together at home due to inclement weather instead of heading into the gym in the AM.  So we did TJ together, and man, it was pretty fun :) My mom isn't particularly coordinated, and I forgot how complicated it can get if you're not used to the movements (once you're familiar it's fine because she pretty much uses all the same basic moves).  So I'm trying to say, "right left right right" or whatever, but I'm all out of breath, and my mom was just trying to keep up.  But it was a lot of fun--and she seemed to enjoy it.  I know she's done it a few times by herself, too.  I got my Learn & Burn/20 minute/Turbo Sculpt disc working again (yay! it was just dirty) so she did the Learn & Burn per my recommendation.  We did it together again today--also due to inclement weather.  But this past week I've done Cardio Party 1, Cardio Party 2, Fat Blaster, 20 Minute, Turbo Sculpt, and Punch, Kick, and Jam.  I also threw in a couple other strength training workouts--so I actually think that I did pretty good this past week--I did take Fri and Sat off though :)

This year, I seem to really be preferring to workout at home instead of heading into the gym.  I just enjoy these workouts more than cardio at the gym, and I end up sweating and working a lot harder--plus I don't have to bundle up in the cold, drive out there and drive back.  Just for feedback--do you guys think I should be concerned much with my body acclimating to the workout if I keep changing discs? I think I'm fine--it's not like the elliptical where the movement is just repetition over and over.   

In other news, my weight is still up--it's been hanging around 140-142 the past week or two.  Which is really frustrating because I was in the 130s all summer, and actually even through December! Grr! My clothes still fit, so I'm just trying to be patient knowing that if I keep working out and moderating my eating habits, I'll get in better shape.  But it's frustrating every time I step on the scale.  I might try to count calories for a while just to re-examine my frame of reference--because if I'm 200-300 calories off every day in my head--that adds up (which is probably what's happening).  My sweet tooth is out of control right now--so I've just started having 1/2 cup of rainbow sherbet or sugar-free fudgsicles as treats.  Trying to give them up would only end up in downing lots of milkshakes :)

But I hope everyone had a good weekend! And oh! I was accepted into George Washington University for grad school! Not my first choice, but at least I definitely have a place to go! :) 

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So it's Thursday--which is pretty cool.  Cuz tomorrow's Friday and I'm going out with some friends to celebrate a huge conglomerate of birthdays (4, to be exact; in fact, I'm the only one whose birthday we're NOT celebrating).  Then Saturday is a night out with the girls, which will be fun, and Sunday is the Superbowl.  Not that I'm all that excited about the game--not a fan of either team--but we're having a party and I'm making salsa and guacamole.  Should be fun!

My weight went down today--I was just happy to see the number change :) I made it to the gym for some cardio yesterday--treadmill, stairclimber, and bike combo--after work, then spent the evening reading Secret Life of Bees (very good, btw) and got to sleep around 9:45.  Awesome :) Didn't go to the gym this AM because the roads were still really bad last night.  However, I did not get up early to exercise at home either (oops) and I won't be able to go tonight (double oops).  So eat well today and early rise tomorrow!

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So, I'm going to try journaling again. Perhaps I will be consistent? Who knows--I'll try to read through other people's, too.  But I have a new fulltime job that ACTUALLY keeps me busy--unlike last year's.  So perhaps a bit less time spent here.

To summarize:
Started going to the gym again, and I feel really good about it.
Weight, however, is up. My scale says 142, but I've weighed that every day for the past several days with zero fluctuation, and it also said I weighed 142 before my shower, and 142 AFTER the shower with a big wet towel in my hair. So I don't know--don't totally trust it.
Food is mediocre.  I usually do well for most of the day, but have one bad meal--so I'm working on controlling that. Not really counting calories very strictly, but I'm pretty sure that I'm not eating enough to be actually GAINING this much weight.  All my clothes still fit, though, so that's a good sign!

Last time I started exercising, I didn't see results for the first month then I dropped 5 lbs overnight.  So maybe that will happen again--I'd just like to get back under 140 consistently--I was until a week ago (hangin' at 139.5) then it jumped to 142. So who knows!  My new salary is such that I'm going to try to work out with a trainer once a week beginning in March. My goal is to get in shape by the summer, and really focus on building muscle and losing fat as opposed to dropping pounds.  My strategy is to do cardio in the AM before work with my mom, and then 3 times per week, head to the gym after work as well to do strength training. I can only go for about 45 minutes in the AM, so that's not really enough time to get in a good strength workout with stretching and all that.

Hope everyone is well, and I am really going to try to keep on here! 

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Hello all! I'm back from Japan!  Here's a quick summary of the trip:

I didn't really exercise. I went jogging a few times, and I brought my resistance tube with me and some tapes, but didn't use any of them :) However, in my defense, we were walking EVERYWHERE. So instead of my usual sitting around with 45-60 minutes of intensive exercise spliced in, I was just changing my lifestyle for the month.  So I would have consistent low expenditure exercise.  And it worked pretty well! I didn't count calories or even watch what I was eating too much. I was careful to avoid tons of butter and mayo (which is all over stuff in Japan, oddly enough) but I indulged in some sweets, higher cal meats, etc.  But I was also eating a lot of low cal fish and TONS of veggies. 

The last week of the trip got INCREDIBLY stressful for me because we had several people get mild food poisoning and then a stomach bug went around.  So basically we had one night where several people were vomiting, and we even had to take three to the hospital because they also go dehydrated due to the heat.  I can handle that--one day of high stress and being completely out of control I can deal with.  But AFTER that, a new person kept getting sick for the next 3-4 days.  That's what set me over the edge.  I just could not handle people continuing to get sick (especially since some of them were the other student leaders) and not being able to do much for them.  Just to clarify, I was one of two head student leaders out of a group of 16 student leaders in charge of a group of 70 other students for the whole month.  No experienced adult leaders, it's just the students.  It's intense.  Plus there was the heat, accumulated exhaustion for the month, and the accumulated frustration of being around and working with people that I just didn't really care for.  So I experienced some pretty intense stress eating. I wasn't scarfing down pizzas or anything, but I'd just keep eating even when I wasn't hungry.  I was getting frustrated with myself for that. But I took a day off and just rested for the afternoon and felt a lot better afterwards.

So I came back, and was actually down about a pound and a half.  Just imagine what I could have done if I had been eating consciously too :)  But now the weight is back since I'm not walking all the time (even though I'm eating better) and I'm at around 139.  So no serious damage done.  Plus I'm re-energized and motivated to get back into exercising and really shaping up.  I've decided to start going to as many of the group fitness classes my gym offers as I can because I'm tired of making up my own strenth training routines. I do much better and get a much better workout when I have someone there telling me what to do for how long and at what intensity.  I didn't know about the group classes, but now I've got a schedule and have classes highlighted every day of the week that I want to go to as my schedule permits.  I'm pretty excited about it :)  Having something regularly scheduled will be good for me.

I've also started my new internship, and I found a job at Ann Taylor that will start next Monday.  The discount is AWESOME and the starting pay is a lot better than other retail, so I'm actually pretty excited about it.  Plus that gives me several hours a week where I will have a job that requires standing and moving around instead of staring at a computer.  My internship is going to be pretty standard office work, so that will be a lot of sitting at a computer.

Anyways, I'm back and hopefully I'll be around fairly regularly!


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Hello! been a LONG time since my last journal entry.

The 5K was a total blast--Tyler and I had a really good time. We got to the start line a couple minutes late due to a slow start in the morning so our clock time was 32:52, but the real time was probably somewhere around 30 or 31 minutes.  So I'm very happy with that. It was a nice run--hills weren't bad--and then we got to spend the day at the zoo.

Yesterday was my birthday, and I had a nice day. Lunch out with Mom, then dinner with the boy at his parents' house with two of our friends (a weekly thing, just happened to be on my bday).  I also ordered myself a new laptop bag/briefcase as a birthday present and I love it--I got the pink one. It came in the mail on Tuesday :) So I took it out yesterday and it was fun.  But with the conference just a week and a half away, I've been spending most of my days getting ready for that--either shopping for stuff, emailing, making lists, doing work, etc.  So that's where I've been and where I will be for the next week.  Then I leave for Japan so I won't be on here.

However, I've decided to ramp up the exercise for the last 2 weeks before I leave :) Just get in a last minute push :) So I decided to alternate jogs with Slim in 6 workouts.  I missed my run yesterday, but I'm going to play golf tomorrow so that's 4 hours of walking with a bag.  Then next week I'll caddy for her during a tournament on Mon and Tues, then Wed I have a manicure and pedicure that my boy got me for my bday so I'm very excited! I'm going to try and keep a nice manicure and pedicure going during my time in Japan, so I'll buy the nail polish color and keep it with me.

Anyways, I have a lot to do today, so I must be off. But if you ever feel like chatting while I'm gone, just shoot me an email! morgan.k.swartz@gmail.com!


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I've been good about getting to the gym this week so far.  Went for runs Monday and today, then did strength training in the afternoon.  Tuesday I got there for a good elliptical session and then came home for an ab workout.  So I'm pretty proud of myself.  I was going to go tomorrow for another cardio but I am going to the beach instead. Woohoo! My little sister is going with some of her friends, and I'm not doing anything, so I'm being lame and tagging along :) LOL. My sister used to tag along with me when we were younger, but now, I tag along with her :)

Weight isn't moving, but today when I stepped on the scale after my workout at the gym, it said my body fat had gone down 1%! So I am pretty excited about that, but my hair was also wet with sweat so that probably threw it off. 

Run today was shorter, and I'm going to rest until the race.  I run best when I've had a few days off so I figure I should run pretty well on Saturday. The boy went for another 1.5 mile run, but he goes so fast! The first half he chugs along at like a 6 minute mile, but then can't make it back without resting.  Ridiculous. I told him he'll have to tone it down on Saturday so that I can keep up with him :) I mean, I can't sprint like that, but at least I can do the whole run without dying :) Although really, if I was just sprinting, I probably could go that fast.  He said he was going to sprint a mile then walk a mile then sprint the last one :) So ridiculous.


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Just writing to say that I'm back.  I took a short hiatus from CC because I was having some mental struggles with general life issues.  I'm at that point in between college and career and was getting really frustrated figuring out what I wanted to do, applying for jobs and not getting anything, and most of all--people constantly asking me about what I was going to do.  It was hard because I know everyone was just trying to be polite, but it made me never want to go out where I might run into people I only kind of knew, because then I'd have to talk about all this stuff again.  But I had a good talk with my boyfriend, and just teling someone about it made me feel a lot better.  I had a really productive week last week, and am reinvigorated and have found motivation again.  I heard back from a university about setting up a possible internship next year while I apply to grad schools, and I got an email back right away saying it looks like a good possibility--so I am very excited about that.  I'll just find a part time job to bring in some money--hopefully enough to move out and get an apartment :)

My weight hasn't budged in about a month, but I don't actually care.  I'm happy with the size clothes that I wear, and really just want to build some muscle and lower my fat.  I didn't exercise as hard as usual the past couple weeks, but I still got in a good 30-40 minutes 5-6 times a week--so I definitely didn't stop.  But I'm upping my exercise this week, and hope to get back into the gym on a regular basis until I leave for Japan in July.  Today I got in a good run this morning and hit the gym tonight for strength training--and boy, could I tell I hadn't been there for a while.  :)  The 5K is this Saturday, and I'm excited, although the boy is a little nervous.  He hasn't been running, so he did it tonight for the first time and got so winded after the first 1.5 miles that he had to stop.  But he's athletic, so he'll be just fine on Saturday.

Anyways, I'm back and doing well, so hopefully things keep moving in a good direction.


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