Category: Health and Fitness

Daily Food Diary – Day 246 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 246 of my Daily Food Diary.  119 more days to go until the end of my 365 Day Diary – and the end of 2025. 💖

I am thinking that I need to really buckle down to make the most of this experience before I wrap it up!

This week I have been sidetracked by a lung infection.  I don’t know if everyone has their own special weakness, but my breaking point is fever.  Even a low grade fever – anything above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and I am useless. 

I am also pretty much the medical community’s worst patient.  Stress triggers my asthma, so walking into any medical facility,  doctor’s office or pharmacy is a major health event waiting to happen.   Then there is the time warp!  I can lose hours at home waiting for my nail polish to dry or for a pot of soup to cook.   Waiting five minutes for a blood test tries my patience.  And finally there is the medication…

I think the main reason I have these little health events is to remind me to have more empathy for people who truly suffer from chronic health issues.   People who regularly deal with frequent visits to health facilities, painful procedures, and multiple medications.

When I have these lung infections, I have to take THREE pills a day.   I take one antibiotic in the morning – on an empty stomach, no less than two hours AFTER I take any vitamins, followed by one hour before I can eat.  Then I have one Prednisone tablet to take, with food, but no grapefruit!  Then life proceeds as usual until after supper (except that I have to avoid sunlight or the Prednisone will turn ugly on me).    After 7 pm,  I cannot eat anything to be prepared to take my second antibiotic tablet on an empty stomach, at least one hour before going to bed.

I can’t imagine how people taking multiple medications, all with their own unique rules keep everything straight.  I would need some serious organizational skills update or things would go south PDQ.

I don’t know if it was the first pills yesterday or the chicken soup from the night before, but I felt pretty good yesterday.  I mostly took it easy, mostly relaxed outside in our gazebo, and mostly stayed out of the sun and avoided turning into a Prednisone werewolf – even when I was watering the garden, weeding, trimming plants, and picking vegetables.

Last night my appetite returned and I totally enjoyed the supper that Dan served up.

Salzburg steak, fries & gravy, broccoli & cauliflower. 😋

Today, I am doing good so far but I do have to go get X-rays and blood tests done.  😥

Daily Food Diary – Day 246

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Cheerios (147)

(1/4) c milk (28)

Lunch:

(3) oz Rotisserie chicken (150)

(6) Hint of Lime tortilla chips (150)

Snacks:

(1)2 c caramel corn (85)

(1/2) c chicken broth (27)

(48) oz water

Supper:

(5) oz lean ground beef patty (304)

(1/4) c onions (15)

(1/4) c mushrooms (11)

(1/2) c gravy (50)

(2) tsp olive oil (79)

(16) crinkle cut fries (126)

(1/2) c broccoli (27)

(1/2) c cauliflower (14)

(1 1/2) tsp butter (51)

Total calories consumed: 1266

Total calories used: 176

(1) hour gardening (176)

Total net calories: 1090

Net calorie goal: 1229 – 1090 = 139 under

Daily Food Diary – Day 244 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 244 of my Daily Food Diary.  We are officially 2/3rds of our way through 2025! 🥳

I know that my Daily Food Diary has been beneficial.  It has kept my unhealthy snacking in check.  It has helped me to pin down foods that cause me issues.  It has helped me to tweak some of my cooking habits.  It has encouraged me to add collagen supplements to my daily round of vitamins.  And while it is an ongoing battle – it has helped me to eat more fruits and vegetables and to drink more water.

That being said – I am struggling with my health and wellness lately.

As much as I love spring and summer, they have not been kind to me this year.  I am almost excited to see September arrive and with it the end of wildfire smoke, a drop in humidity, and hopefully an eradication of all the mould and mildew this year!  The last being the worst lately.  🥺

At least for today, I am just avoiding the not so great outdoors.

Making chicken broth for homemade chicken noodle soup tonight.
While Molly guards the neighborhood from the comfort of our sofa.

Daily Food Diary – Day 244

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1/2) grapefruit (39)

(1/2) tsp sugar (8)

Lunch:

(3) oz chicken (140)

(10) Hint of Lime tortilla chips (250)

Snacks:

(1/2) c caramel corn (85)

(1) 355 mil can Root Beer (170)

(48) oz water

Supper:

(1) cheese tortilla wrap (85)

(1/8) c pizza sauce (17)

(1/4) c shredded marble cheese (120)

(9) slices Pepperoni (89)

(3) oz ham (86)

(1/4) c mushrooms (11)

(1/2) c onions (32)

(1/4) c green pepper (7)

Total calories: 1226

Calories burnt:

(30) minutes walking – 101

Total net calories: 1125

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1225 = 104 under 👍

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 243 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 243 of my Daily Food Diary. 😁

Today is also Labour Day and a stat holiday in Canada. 

Tools of the trade… (Maybe my trade lunch 🙄)

Kudos to those who labour to provide the goods and services that we require.  And kudos to those who have in the past, and those who still do, dedicate their lives to ensure the safety, fair wages and benefits, decent working conditions, and fair/honest treatment of those in our workforce.  

Being employed in today’s work environment is far from perfect,  but fortunately improving work standards  is an ongoing process.

Happy Labour Day!

It is eight months since I began posting my Daily Food Diary. As I approach each new  month, I struggle to find another monthly focus.   This month (September) I have finally decided on calories used. 

Every month since February, I have counted my calories consumed and subtracted my calories used (by legit exercise).  This month, I am going to highlight all significant calories used – by exercise, housework, yardwork, Petcare, shopping, and the like.

Since being unwell the past few days, I need the motivation to get back to my regular level of activity.  Let’s see how that goes!

Daily Food Diary – Day 243

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) Eggs (160)

(2) slices Bacon (170)

(1/2) red tomato (22)

Snacks:

(48) oz water

(1/2) c caramel corn (85)

(1) c ice cream (120)

(2) tbsp chocolate sauce (105)

(10) filberts (88)

Supper:

(1) rotisserie chicken thigh/drumstick (320)

(1)c raw vegetables and – green onions, broccoli, & cucumbers, red radishes, orange carrots, white cauliflower (100)

(1) tbsp Dilly Dip (50)

(1) Lightly salted ripple chips (135)

Total net calories: 1597

Net calorie goal: 1229 – 1597 = 368 over 👎

* Another day of zero activity to deduct calories.   I walked with Dan and Molly this morning.  We’ll see if I can burn anymore calories off.

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 242 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 242 of my Daily Food Diary. 💯

Yesterday, I came out 76 calories over my Net Calorie Goal.  This was not because I ate more than I should have.  I just took a day off from any of the workout routines that  I  usually indulge in to burn off extra  calories. 

No walk with Molly, no aerobics, no weights, and no treadmill. 

I did drive Dan out to his golf tournament, did my typical house chores, and watered the garden.  By the time I finished my blog and did my check-in with my workout buddies I was done.

I have been under the weather this past week and yesterday I  had no gas left in the tank.

I’m not feeling any better today, so my plan is to post my blog and head off for nap.

Hopefully, by tomorrow I will be getting up to a better day – ALL DAY!

Looks good to me.  See you tomorrow!  🙂

Daily Food Diary – Day 242

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Cheerios (147)

(1/4) c 2% milk (28)

Lunch:

(2) scrambled eggs (182)

(1 1/2) oz leftover Tbone steak (125)

(1/4) c white mushrooms (11)

(2) green onions (16)

(2) tsp butter (34)

(48) oz water

Supper:

(1) Hungry Man chicken cutlet dinner with yellow corn (520)

Total net calories: 1305

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1305 = 76 over 👎

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 241 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 241 of my Daily Food Diary. 👍

Yesterday was a less than stellar day for me.  Despite our perfect weather and clear air, I struggled. 

My walk with Dan and Molly was too much for my lungs (For whatever reason!). I came home and had to rest easy for a few hours before I did my aerobics and weight workout.  We had takeout for supper and instead of doing my treadmill I went to bed.

After a couple of hours of sleep, I got up to have a bottle of carbonated water and a couple of aspirin.  My chest was congested, I was  feverish and headachy, and I felt nauseous.  

Having lived with asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis for years, it is easy to overthink these questionable days and start to panic.

I do have prescriptions for antibiotics and oral steroids at our pharmacy, but this being a long weekend our pharmacy is open limited hours today and then  closed Sunday and Monday.   Other pharmacies in the city are open but they do not have my ‘action plan’ on file.   If I can’t make it through the weekend without meds, it would mean a long wait in an overcrowded emergency ward being miserable.

Fortunately,  whatever was bothering me passed during the night. Today, I am perfectly fine.  I am ready to take on my aerobics, Saturday house cleaning, yardwork, and a session on our treadmill.  Plus, I drove Dan out of the city to his golf tournament this morning.

It is great to feel good again, but I do get rather frustrated with myself for panicking every time I have a poorly day.   My health has come a LONG way since a sniffle automatically meant I was in for an extended miserable health event.  🤦

It is hard to remember how strong, healthy, and resilient I am, after three and a half years of creating and maintaining a health and wellness lifestyle for myself.

I can relate to people who lose hundreds of pounds of  weight, but feel mentally stuck in that pre-weightloss mindset. 

It’s a weird challenge, but one to be conquered nonetheless. 🥴

I need to see myself as I am now, not like I used to be.  (Dan is looking pretty good too these days! Retirement looks good on him.)

Daily Food Diary – Day 241

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(26) Light sugar Mini Wheats (190)

(1/4) c milk (28)

Snacks:

(1/3) c mixed nuts (238)

(48) oz water

(12) oz carbonated water

Supper:

(1) Crisp Meat Burrito (428)

(2) Hardshell tacos (520)

(1) Sm. Mexi Fries (387)

Total net calories: 1321

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1321 = 92 over 👎

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 240 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today  is Day 240 of my Daily Food Diary! 🥳

Today is also our daughter-in-law Amanda’s birthday!  🎂

Every day is special, but when we have one dedicated to someone we truly appreciate, it makes days like today all the better

There is so much to appreciate about Amanda that it is difficult to put into words – she is caring, upbeat, hilariously funny in her unique Amanda way.  She is adventurous, intelligent, LOUD but unassuming, high energy, and totally loving and loveable. 

Best of all, Amanda is an amazing mother and a genuinely great wife and partner for son Dan.    Truly, those two deserve each other and the life they have built together!

Happy Birthday, Amanda – and MANY more! 💞

Daily Food Diary – Day 240

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) sausage patty (150)

(2) potato patties (240)

(2) eggs (160)

Snacks:

(15) Lay’s lightly salted ripple chips (218)

(60) oz water

Supper:

(5) oz Tbone steak (375)

(1) baked white potato (100)

(1) yellow ear of corn (80)

(5) tsp butter (171)

(1) red tomato (22)

(5) slices green cucumber (4)

(1/2) c  brown mushrooms  (8)

Total net calories: 1253

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1253 = 24 over

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 239 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 239 Days since I started posting my Daily Food Blog. 💗👍

I continue to enjoy this exercise, especially the benefits that I have received from it,  and the comments that I receive from posting it.

What I do not enjoy is interacting via technology. 

The most frustrating aspect of technology this year is the emergence of AI, which is hellbent on making life difficult for the technically challenged folks like Yours Truly.

But,  I have a couple of glitches that have been  directed specifically towards me.  A few weeks ago the letter  ‘A’ vanished from my online vocabulary.  Tht ws frustrting!

My ‘A’ has returned,  but with its return, my spacebar has retired any reliable operation.  I’mgettingtoooldforthisnonsense!

Yesterday, while Dan and I were walking Molly, we started talking about all of the progress over the past few decades that have proven to be less than positive..

– Anything/everything disposable from plastic bags, to diapers, to appliances….

-24 hours a day television along with streaming services (any electronic device that keeps us from fresh air and regular human interactions and activities)

– Technology in general, but specifically software updates

– Electric vehicles (especially in the wide open spaces of Saskatchewan but pretty much anywhere)

– New math (what was wrong with the old math?)

– Fast and/or junk food (remember real food that wasn’t packed full of sugar, sodium, chemicals, and yeast?)

I am probably missing a few here.  Feel free to add them in your comments. (Space breaks and random vowels  optional). 🙂

Daily Food Diary – Day 239

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(3) crumpets (240)

(3) tsp butter (103)

(1 1/2) tbsp jam (75)

Snacks:

(12) Doritos (153)

(1/3) c mixed nuts (238)

Supper:

(3) c salad – green lettuce, onions & cucumber, white cauliflower, red tomatoes & radishes (190)

(2) sticks pork souvlaki (270)

(2) tbsp French salad dressing (146)

Total net calories: 994

Net calories goal: 1229 – 994 = 235 under 👍

That is it for today.  Take care and have a great day! ☺️💗

It would appear that I have finally killed my last orchid.   Dan went out of his way yesterday to secure this one to take its place. 💞😊

Daily Food Diary – Day 238 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 238 of my Daily Food Diary.  That is a full 34 weeks without one miss. ☺️

Today is almost two full weeks since we got our ‘new to us’ treadmill.  The first night we got it, I used it for fifteen minutes, the second night twenty, and every night since for a full thirty.

Until last night!  For the past three or four nights,  using the treadmill had just been getting harder and harder.

Over the past three and a half years, I have found that making commitments was more effective for me than setting result driven goals.  I have found that modest, persistent, consistent efforts were more effective for me than occasional grand gestures.  And I have found that muscle fatigue is a real thing!

When my muscles turn to achy, breaky, jello, it is time to set some down time for rest and recuperating.

Last night was one of those nights, and I’m thinking I am  going to have to start taking regular  break nights from the treadmill until I build up some muscle strength. 

It is unfortunate, because I  enjoy my evening treadmill time – physically and mentally.  But it has to be done!

Maybe our treadmill will appreciate the necessary break times.
Intermittent weight lifting is helping me to develop some arm muscles!  🥳. (I’m still working on the Bingo wings. 🙄)

Daily Food Diary – Day 238

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(3) crumpets (240)

(1 1/2) tsp jam (75)

(3) tsp butter (103)

Lunch:

(1 1/2) c chicken, green, white, orange, red vegetable, stir-fry (307)

Snacks:

(60) oz water

(15) barbecue chips (130)

Supper:

(1 1/2) c chicken, green, white, orange, red vegetable, stir-fry (307)

(1) red tomato (22)

(3/4) c Butterscotch ice cream (180)

(10) hazelnuts (88)

(1) tbsp dark chocolate sauce (52)

(1) tbsp caramel sauce (130)

Total net calories: 1360

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1360 = 131 over 👎

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 237 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is Day 237 of my Daily Food Diary. 😋

Our skies are clear, our air is smoke free, and we are finally starting an entire week of actual summer temperatures.

Dan and I took Molly for an uncharacteristically uneventful walk this morning.  We did stop at the dog park where Molly got in a few short solo runs across the park.  

I have to cut this one short.  Our garden is starting to wilt and it’s not going to water itself!

Daily Food Diary – Day 237

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Cheerios (147)

(1/4) c 2 % milk (28)

Lunch:

(1) cheese tortilla wrap (170)

(2) oz ham (57)

(1) oz marble cheese (113)

(1/4) c white cooking onion (3)

Snacks:

(14) hickory smoked almonds (70)

(48) oz water

Supper:

(2 1/2) c chicken stir fry – orange carrots, green onions, cabbage & celery,  brown mushrooms, red pepper, chicken filets, ramen noodles (622)

(1) vegetable spring roll (100)

(4) Gyoza (133)

Total net calories: 1022

Net calorie goal: 1229 – 1022 = 207 under 👍

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 236 of 369

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 236 of my Daily Food Diary.😍

Almost eight months ago, I started keeping a Daily Food Diary.   My main goal was to eat less high calorie/low nutritional foods and to eat more foods that are high in nutritional value.

One of my secondary goals, was to determine which foods I am allergic to, or for whatever reason I cannot tolerate. 

I have a few foods that I knew I cannot eat – pumpkin seeds (home made pumpkin pie is fine), cranberries (but I can drink cranberry tea), and YEAST.

It isn’t terribly difficult to avoid pumpkin seeds or cranberries.   Yeast is a whole different story.  Despite avoiding brewers yeast and baking yeast (in obvious products) I have still been having issues with yeast showing up in less likely foods.  I have found that restaurants use red and white sauces that contain yeast, canned gravy and store bought broths contain yeast, some soda crackers, potato chips and  other snack foods  contain yeast.   But there are other foods that bother me for no conceivable reason – store bought or restaurant served cakes, pancakes, muffins and the like.

Recently, I found that a LOT of commercial baking, including cake (icing), pancakes, and  muffins contain powdered egg whites and powdered egg whites contain Yeast.  🤦

According to Google, yeast is added to egg white powder to improve product stability and prevent discoloration and off-odors.

So, there’s that!

I have also discovered recently,  as has my daughter, that foods containing palm oil cause an allergic reaction.  (A severe one for Jen!). One more thing to check for on product ingredients.

We are fortunate that in Canada  we have strict packaging labels for food that contain comprehensive ingredient and national value lists.

I am also fortunate that my daughter, and hers, work at a restaurant where they have access  to information on typical commercial food ingredients used.   (Unfortunately, they both share my food sensitivities plus have their own to deal with). 

And I am fortunate that I have become more mindful of what I eat, by using my Daily Food Diary.   It is definitely helping me to zero in on foods that I should avoid going forward. 👍

Daily Food Diary – Day 236

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) scrambled eggs (182)

(3) strips bacon (130)

(2) potato patties (240)

(1/2) red tomato (22)

Snacks:

(60) oz water

(1/2) bag popcorn (160)

(3/4) c Butterscotch ice cream (180)

(9) pecan halves (59)

(1) tbsp chocolate sauce  (52)

(1) tbsp caramel syrup (130)

Supper:

(3) c potato soup: white potatoes & onions, green chives & parsley, bacon bits, & cream mixed with water from potatoes  (420)

(1/4) c shredded marble cheese (120)

(5) soda crackers (63)

Total net calories: 1587

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1587 = 358 over 🤦

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