Author: annemariedemyen

Wife, mother, grandmother dogmother - lover of nature, peace and tranquility. RETIRED. Life is good!

Daily Food Diary – Day 32 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I am posting my Food Diary for February 1st.  In reality, today is February 2nd which of course is Groundhog Day!

I am not counting on spring magically bounding into Saskatchewan if some rodent didn’t see his shadow this morning.  Incredibly, on this day three years ago that is exactly what I was counting on.  Counting, hoping, praying, wishing ( THE WORKS)! 🤦

The fact was I was always hoping, praying, and wishing for something that would happen to turn my life around – something that would have me bounding out of bed to do what needed to be done, to take our little Cavalier Kat for long walks, to find myself whole and fit and healthy,  and to be fully embracing and enjoying life as it is meant to be.  The fact is, I was delusional. 😳

But three years ago, Groundhog Day 2022, I had a major epiphany.  I realized that nothing was going to change unless I did.  It took me twelve more days to act on this realization but finally on February 14th, I did act.  I took my first step on my health and fitness journey and the rest is history!

My life isn’t perfect, my commitment to my  health and fitness is not always perfect,  but it is in my hands – and not at the mercy of some rodent who is out and about looking for his shadow today.  🤗

Our precious Kat, who we lost to congenital heart failure in March 2022.

Food Diary  –  Day 32

(1) c coffee (2)

(3) eggo waffles with butter and syrup (411)

(24) oz water

(1) c tea (1)

(27) onion & garlic chips (260)

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) Dbl Arby’s beef with horsey sauce (300)

(1) medium fries with gravy (465)

(1) mozza stick (115)

(1) c tea (1)

Total calories: 1555

A nutritional fail today  but this diary is about reality – and ultimately a commitment to do better.

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💓😊

Daily Food Diary – Day 31 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Down one month – eleven to go! I have maintained and posted my Daily Food Diary for a solid month.  So far,  I haven’t really changed my diet, other than trying to drink more water and  avoiding mindless snacking.  I have experienced some benefits from the effort including losing a total of three pounds this month. 👍

In February, I am going to count calories.  I did count calories in the past and I’m not a big fan of doing it to control  calories.  It works, but at what nutritional cost? In my mind, it is rather a drastic measure when used for weight loss.  I’m not  actually looking for weight loss.  I am just working on maintaining a reasonable and healthy calorie count.   In future months I am going to focus on specific nutritional targets.

Yesterday, Dan and I celebrated the end of January by taking a hike through a couple of Regina’s best parks – Wascana Lake and Waterfall Park.   I love walking and when I can walk through nature with my favourite human and our Molly dog, that is my perfect  date. 

Wascana Lake
Waterfall Park

Obviously these photos were from my archives of summer pics.  Climbing icy  inclines and stumbling along snow packed trails, in frigid temps, while holding on to a hundred pound dog is not conducive to great photography.  It is fun, a challenging workout, and it must be good for developing balance.

Food Diary – Day 31

(1) c coffee

(1) c Shreddies with 1/4 c milk

(24) oz water

(2) ginger cookies

(1) c tea

(1/2) sm bowl mixed nuts

(20) oz water

(1/2) lg chicken pot pie made with puff pastry crust

** Dan made the chicken pot pie for supper and it was amazing.  It was filled with leftover roast chicken, onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, peas, potatoes, and gravy.

That’s it for today!  Take care and have a great day!

Daily Food Diary – Day 30 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! It’s another day and once again time to start planning another supper menu.

Deciding what to have for supper is one of the biggest challenges of my day.   Dan is generally open to whatever I come up with.  I am fairly  easy to feed as well – or at least I was until I discovered that I cannot tolerate anything with yeast in it.  Yeast, or  yeast extract, is a very common ingredient in prepared foods.  These days our meals are generally homemade and made from scratch.

Most of the time, I can make any meal yeast free.  A lot of meals are meat, vegetables, and starch (potato, rice, pasta).  Extras can be added by adjusting to be yeast free.   Non yeast batter can be made with eggs, breading can be made with crushed cornflakes, baking powder biscuits can be used for breakfast sandwiches, Yorkshire pudding can be used instead of dinner rolls.  The options are pretty limitless with a little extra time and effort.   Anything can be made without yeast extract so I’m not sure why it shows up in everything from store bought salad dressing to canned gravy. 😯

What I can’t do is make a basic hamburger with a basic hamburger bun, something I have been craving for a week.   Since I haven’t been craving the nausea, bloating, and cramps that would come with ingesting yeast, my supper last night revolved around a naked burger surrounded by sides. 

Daily Food Diary – Day 30

(1) c coffee

(1 1/2) c Mini Wheats with 1/4 c  2% milk

(24) oz water

(1) Apple, raspberries, and 1 PC dark chocolate

(1) c tea

(1) Hamburger with red onion, horseradish, mushrooms fried in olive oil with a teaspoon of butter for taste, brown beans, onion rings, and a few potato chips

(12) oz carbonated water

(20) oz water

That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 💞🤗

Daily Food Diary – Day 29 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in Uncategorized

It’s Day 29 and I am still here – working to get on track with what I consume in a day. 

There are two main reasons that I get off track in the first place.

The first is just plain mindless eating.  Being retired,  and at home for the most part, I can eat what I want, when I want.   Starting this food diary has been great for dealing with that.  Having to note everything that I consume  and knowing I will have to post it for anyone to see has been a major deterrent to mindless eating.

The second reason for getting off track is stress.  I am a stress eater and being stressed has me craving unhealthy food choices.   For the past few days, my stress level has been through the roof.  There have been some stressful happenings around here but nothing that I cannot typically handle.  This week I am really struggling and I am pretty sure I figured out why this morning.   Ironically, I am stressed because of my Daily Food Diary.  Specifically, the amount of time that I have been spending on my phone – writing my blogs, reading blogs, scrolling for photos, and being distracted by notifications from other social media apps and the like.   It’s not good for my eyes, and not good for me.  So, I have to work on less screen time to get my stress  back under control – while maintaining my commitment to keep up my Food Diary for the next 336 Days.

Food Diary – Day 29

(1) c coffee

(1) c Cheerios with 1/4 c 2% milk

(2) Chicken wings and (1) drumstick

(1) sm bowl chips and cream cheese dip

(2) chocolates

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(24) oz water

(2) small pot pies (store bought)

(1/2) bag of popcorn

That is almost it for today!  Yesterday, I received a letter from a surgeon at the Pasqua Hospital.  February 24th, I have an appointment with him to discuss getting my hernia re-repaired.  That’s pretty impressive since my Nurse Practitioner told  me on January 23rd it would be eight weeks before I heard from his office!    I also checked him out online and he seems to come from a pretty amazing medical background.    It all sounds good. 🤗

Now that is all for today.  Take care and have a great day! ☺️❤️

Daily Food Diary – Day 28 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness, Uncategorized

We are wrapping up January and for those of us in Saskatchewan,  we are fortunately enjoying some unseasonably warm weather.  Our temperatures have been straddling the freezing point for a few days now and I have  been showing my appreciation by getting out and about.

I have even been heading to the dogpark with Dan and Molly every morning.  Walking there is a bit challenging because our streets and sidewalks are, for the most part, icy ruts and snow banks.  Navigating them while walking an excited hundred pound dog is a workout.   Yesterday, although the temperatures were mild, the wind was anything but.  My lungs did not appreciate the wind.  By the time I got home I was pretty much exhausted by constant coughing fits, but after a bit of a rest the coughing subsided and I was able to do my morning aerobics and get on with my day.

Food Diary – Day 28 of 365

(1) c coffee

(3) waffles with butter and syrup

(3) slices thin sliced bacon

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(2) sm bowls of Hint of Lime tortilla chips with salsa

(24) oz water

(1) Large chef salad

(1) c tea

I came up a bit short  on my water yesterday,   but my salad included a generous serving of lettuce, spinach, tomato, cucumber, radishes, orange pepper, and green onion.  Plus I had a couple of cups of tea. 🙂

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Daily Food Diary – Day 27 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Twenty seven days and I am still here – keeping track and posting my food diary.   I  am making a little progress and building habits to carry me through the year.

I have been getting outside for some fresh air and a bit of exercise.  I kicked that up a bit yesterday.

Dan and I walked Molly to the dogpark in the morning and we spent an hour watching her and her friends cavort, while we got some fresh air and socialized with the other humans.

In the afternoon, I drove our granddaughter Maddy to Walmart to grab a new pair of sneakers.  She was in high spirits as she had just finished her finals from her  first school  semester and was confident that  she would make the honor roll.  She not only found her new sneakers, but had the funds left to pick up a couple of small things for herself  and her younger sister Prim.  We came back to the house and I made her favourite Toasted Bacon and Tomato Sandwich and grabbed a box of costume jewellery that I wanted to send over to Prim.

Maddy & Prim with big sister Genie on the left.

I always enjoy time spent with any of the grands and yesterday was no exception.  They never fail to amuse me, enlighten me, and inspire me to be better.   Whether it is your children, your grandchildren, or any young people that you have regular contact with…

YOUR CHILDREN WILL BECOME WHAT YOU ARE;  SO BE WHAT YOU WANT THEM  TO BE…

For better or worse that is the truth!

Food Diary – Day 27

(1) c coffee

(1) 2 egg omelet with ham and green onions

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(1) sm bowl chips and dip

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) Roasted chicken drumstick and thigh (with skin)

(2) c air fried French Fries with Gravy

(1 1/2) c green beans

(3) sm scoops of Butter Pecan Ice Cream – with 12 pecan halves, 2 tbsp butterscotch sauce and 1 tbsp chocolate sauce (which is why I avoid eating ice cream 🤦)

(16) oz water

That’s it for the day.  Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Maddy helped me pick out a few packets of seeds to start flower plants in February. 🤗

Daily Food Diary – Day 26 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness, Uncategorized

I have been noting and posting my daily food and liquid intake for twenty six days.  I have found some room for improvement, made some adjustments, and have begun to realize some benefits. 🤗

Obviously, my health and fitness journey is about more than what I eat and drink.  I do aerobics six days a week, typically do strength training Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and I rest on Sunday. 

Yesterday, my rest day included time spent grooming our dog, Molly and time outside enjoying a rousing game of fetch.  It is a bit challenging when you have a hundred pound  Pyrenees who is less than co-operative. 🤦

* My husband Dan helps position and brush Molly.  He also gives the porch a good vacuuming when we are done. 💞
I don’t fetch.

Food Diary – Day 26

(1) c coffee

(3) Thin slices pcs of bacon

(2) Eggs

(1/2) Tomato

(2) Potato patties

(12) oz water

(1) c tea

(1) Apple

(24) oz water

(12) oz carbonated water

(1 1/2) c pork souvlaki with mushrooms

(1) c cheese ravioli with minimal butter and fresh garlic

(1) sm side salad

(20) oz water

(2) chocolates

(1) c tea

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Daily Food Diary – Day 25 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I’m still here and I am not looking to abandon my food diary until my 365 days are done.   🥶🐣🌹🍂. (For my son who appreciates my use of emojis. 😂)

Speaking of appreciation, in a few days  (February 14th) I will be celebrating three years since I began this health and fitness journey that I am on.

During these years I have appreciated having  the support and encouragement of a number of people – my husband Dan (who always supports and believes in me), my family (siblings, nieces, children, and grandchildren), my fitness friends and so much more, Jackie and Dwight (who are a part of my life every day and my motivation to keep going especially when life throws me a curveball), everyone on WordPress who has been SO supportive (those who have been with me from the beginning, those who have joined me since, and those that have passed through and left a kindly word), my friends (who check in on me through Facebook), my medical experts (especially Lara my Nurse Practitioner and Katie my respiratory therapist) and last, but not least, ME.

I am almost in awe of the me that I was three years ago.  That me was exhausted and cold and miserable, that me struggled to breathe and experienced heart palpitations every time she got up from her rocking chair, that me was anxious and unhappy, that  me was fat and flabby and bloated – but THAT ME decided I deserved better and made it her mission to take responsibility for MY health, fitness, and future.   That me could not possibly imagine how her decision would change me or the quality of life.   But she did it – she got up and danced (shuffled) through one little Buddy Holly song and she changed my life.

The last three years have not always been smooth or easy.  I broke my arm, experienced health issues, and had other setbacks,  but the me that was has persevered and now my future self is calling me forward.   That is pretty cool and something that I never fail to appreciate. ☺️

Food Diary – Day 25

(1) c coffee

(1/2) grapefruit with sugar

(1) granola bar

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(1/2) sm bowl Frito Hoops

(24) oz water

(2/3) 10″ tortilla crust pizza with ham, back bacon, pepperoni, mushroom, red onion, red pepper, and black olive pizza

(2) chocolates

(1) c tea

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Daily Food Diary – Day 24 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Good morning! It’s my 24th day of posting my food diary and I am excited at how well it is going so far!

Anyone who has been following along with me knows that my diet went far off base last fall and I was less than happy with the results of blood tests I had taken in late October.   I agreed with my Nurse Practitioner to make the adjustments that needed to be made, and to go for retesting this week.   I went on Thursday, received some of the results Thursday night and the rest yesterday. 

The only issue with the first set was my HbA1c/Total Hemoglobin (which measures your risk of diabetes).  In Canada, a 5.5 to 5.9 means you are at risk of becoming pre-diabetic.  In October, I rated a 5.6.  This time I had dropped to 5.5.  It’s an improvement, but I still have work to do.

The rest of my tests ALL came back with results in the normal range. 😊

I am thrilled with the results but committed to working at dropping my risk of diabetes and keeping the rest of my levels in the normal range.

While diet is my focus here, I also remain committed to working out, getting fresh air, meditating, sleeping well,  using my Spiriva and Advair inhalers as prescribed, and drinking adequate water and using my Neti Pot daily to keep working to improve my sinus health.

It sounds like a lot and a big commitment of time and effort.  It really isn’t that much of either,  especially compared to the consequences of allowing my health to slide.   

I love reading self help books and two that have helped me immensely on my journey are: Atomic Habits by James Clear  and Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins.   These books were life changers for me.  David Goggins made me realize my potential.   James Clear helped me to get organized so I can actually achieve the results that I aim for. 😊

Food Diary – Day 24 of 365

(1) c coffee

(1/2) Grapefruit with sugar

(1) leftover cabbage roll

(24) ounces of water

(1) cup tea

(1) small bowl of caramel corn

(24) oz of water

(12) oz of water

(1) dinner plate of ham, scalloped potatoes, corn, plus a small side salad

That’s it for today.  Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Daily Food Diary – Day 23 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I’m back – and I will be back for another 342 days.  That’s a bit daunting, but it is getting to be a fairly locked in part of my morning routine – even when my day is anything but routine.

Yesterday morning I was on a mission to get blood tests done, which resulted in my going to the dogpark for the better part of an hour, eating soup for breakfast, and doing my morning workout at 2:30 in the afternoon.  My day, was definitely not routine, but I did get my Daily Food Diary blog posted so yay me! I can get it done.

Speaking of blood tests… I did get some of the results yesterday after.  So far, pretty good! Everything was within healthy limits except for my HbA1c/Total Hemoglobin which was 5.5.  Anything 5.5 to 5.9 is considered ‘risk to become pre-diabetic’.  I consider my 5.5 a fail but my last tests (three months ago) earned me a 5.6 so I have improved.  😊

Speaking of all things medical…  My Nurse Practitioner called yesterday.  She had reviewed the results from my hernia ultrasound and called to strongly advised me to see a surgeon.  After my incident a couple of weeks ago when I landed myself at Emerg, I was quick to agree, so she sent off a referral to a local surgical group.   To be honest, I would agree to anything Lara advised. She is that good!

Speaking of health in general… For the third day in a row, our temps were relatively moderate yesterday so I was able to get outside and enjoy some fresh air.  Also, for the third night in a row, I was able to get through the night without coughing fits.  Post nasal drip is brutal at night, and drinking copious amounts of water during the daytime has done wonders for my sinuses.

This one was taken at our neighborhood dogpark.  The snow is much deeper this year and becoming an issue as the dogs can step over the fence.  (Molly may have done that the other day – and taken a friend with her. 🙄)

Food Diary – Day 23 of 365

(10) oz water

(1) sm bowl of leftover wonton soup

(1) pear

(1/2) c raspberries

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(1/2) sm bowl of nuts

(24) oz water

(1/2) small tray of nachos

(12) oz carbonated water

(8) oz water

*** 78 ounces of water !!! 😳

That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 💗🌞