Category: Health and Fitness

July 24th – Health and Fitness Update

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2023, Health and Fitness

It is (past) time again for another health and fitness update.  

For myself…    Fitness wise,  I am getting it done.  My ‘go to’ is still Zumba, dancing, light weights, and speedball but I take a walk to the dog park with Dan and Molly once or twice a week and spend time out and about in our yard.     Health wise, my only news is that I went for my COPD clinic Respiratory Function testing and I see my specialist next Monday to discuss the results.   

For Molly… She went to the vet for her annual checkup and vaccine boosters.  The vet is concerned about her weight, metabolism, and slow heart rate.  She did a thyroid blood test and while it didn’t come back bad, it didn’t come back great either.  It will be a watch and see situation. In the meantime we are working on getting her weight down as her joints are at risk of injury.    Our current goal is to get her down from 104 pounds to 88 pounds. 🙄

Molly…  💓

And for daughter Jennifer  – who went camping up north for the July long weekend  with her boyfriend Tanner, his brother,  and her daughters – Genie (19), Maddie(13) & Prim(11).      They met up with  other off-road enthusiasts and indulged in some off-roading fun and games. 

That did not go as planned…

The girls were not with them at the time of the accident.   Tanner suffered a severe injury to his left ankle.  Jennifer fractured a few ribs, had cuts to both of her shins, and got two black eyes.   🦝

After a few hours at the hospital in La Ronge, both Tanner and Jennifer were able to return to camp.  Following a relatively quiet Sunday, and with Tanner unable to put any weight on his injured leg, Jennifer and her girls broke camp and packed everything up Monday morning.    Jennifer (somehow) drove the crushed Jeep onto its flatbed, secured it,  and connected the flatbed to Tanner’s van – which she drove home (nine hours) with Prim and Tanner for company, while Genie followed in her Jeep – with Maddie and Tanner’s brother (who she dropped off on a detour through Moose Jaw 🤦) .      

Jen & Genie at a gas stop on the way home. (Jennifer has lost five pounds since the swelling in her face went down. 🤭)

Jennifer returned to work the next day, working a morning shift at the supermarket and an evening shift at the bar.   Both she  and Tanner are now recovering well.   Genie, who had been unwell for a few weeks before the trip, appears to be feeling much better. And… Maddie and Prim are well, happy, and justifiably proud of how they stepped up to help get everyone, and all of their gear, home safe and sound.

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

I finally painted the Dollar Store crate I bought a few years ago. 😁

July 5th – Health and Fitness Update

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2023, Health and Fitness

Things are pretty much status quo in the ‘Health and Fitness’ department these days.

Health wise, I am doing ok. We have a bit of smoke this week so I am more prone to coughing, but so far no major issues with that.

Fitness wise, I have been doing a half hour Zumba and one hour of dancing (Monday thru Saturday). I spend a few minutes on the speed bag (hit and miss). Monday thru Saturday, I do weight and strength training. I have been adding a few new things the last couple of weeks – push ups, lunges, and lateral lifts.

I have to admit, I have been struggling with my attitude/mindset lately. I’d rather be snacking and napping than getting fit and active. It happens. I just have to push through until my motivation returns. I have come too far to backslide now (and lose all the progress I have made).

Molly relaxing in the shade. I think she’s a bad influence. 🤔

I am still enjoying being yeast free. The longer I stay away from the yeast, the more I can eat other foods that were bothering me – like salad dressings, olives, horseradish, and salsa. Sadly, I cannot say the same for wine. I had a small glass on Sunday and lived to regret it. (At least I lived. 🙄)

I have been spending as much time as possible outside, enjoying the fresh air, and tending to the yard.

I finished cleaning up the sand in our Molly proof garden. I still have the planters to paint.
Dan set out the birdbath, his Toronto Maple Leaf gnome and helped me put up some protection for the beets (that the birds seem to think I plant for them).
Dan keeps the front lawn mowed.
The other side of the front lawn, a couple of flower beds, and the Blue Spruce that grows taller and spreads wider every year.
Our annual Welcome basket of Pansies.

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

June 19th – Health and Fitness Update

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2023, Health and Fitness

It is time for another health and fitness update and it is another good one! 

Healthwise, there are two things of note.  Last week, I went to see my respiratory specialist for a follow up on the lung infection that I have been dealing with.  He was properly impressed by how well I am doing AND super impressed by my blood work.  YAY ME!  He was particularly impressed with my blood sugar as apparently Prednisone has a tendency to jack that up.    His only concern was, that due to how severe my infection was when I went to see him a couple of weeks ago, going forward I need to have an ‘Action Plan‘.   So, henceforth I will have a prescription for antibiotics and Prednisone on file at my pharmacy so that when or if I get a bug that heads down into my lungs I will have immediate access to the medication I require.    Obviously, Dr. Muftah was right when he proposed such a plan last summer. 🙄

The second thing of note, healthwise, would be my new and improved diet.  I don’t know if it is due to the infection I have been fighting, but I have been eating LOTS of fruit.  Dan has our fridge filled with fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, pineapple, melon, mangoes, kiwi, and pears.  Fruit has never been my friend, but go figure! I am eating it and it is doing wonders for my skin, if nothing else. Also, I am doing a credible job of avoiding yeast in my diet and that is going super well. It seems odd to eat without swelling up like a frigging balloon and feeling like I swallowed a handful of icepicks with every meal. 😁

Fitness wise, I set out a few staggered goals some time ago. My next one is to be ‘healthy, strong, and fit’ by August 11th. With my new and improved diet and my ‘come back stronger’ fitness plan – it is looking good. This week, my fitness plan includes one half hour morning Zumba class, followed by one hour of dancing, speedball, fresh air, and yardwork in the afternoon, and half an hour of light weights, etc. in the evening. I feel so well that I know it is doable and I look forward to meeting my goal. Obviously, August 11th will not be the end of my fitness journey but it will signify the laying of the foundation for my next chapter. 📖

Other than health and fitness, Dan and I continue to work on the yard and we have been doing some painting around here. It has been so long since Dan has had any free time, and I have felt well enough to have the inclination, to get anything done! It feels good to get things done and the improvements are beginning to show.

That’s about it for today. I will leave you with one of the dance tunes that I have been enjoying lately. Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

June 5th – Weekly Health and Fitness Update

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2023, Health and Fitness

I’m kicking off the week with some positive vibes here! I have three chronic lung conditions – asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis – all of which have kicked into high gear since I developed a lung infection a couple of weeks ago. Forest fire smoke will do that for me, as will excessive heat, and super high humidity. We have been dealing with the trifecta and my lungs are not dealing all that well.

So, it is fight or die AND we all know which direction I am going. 😁

That’s about it for my Health and Fitness Update this week, other than continuing to research yeast intolerances and finding substitutions for some of my favourite foods on the ‘yeasty’ list, like soya sauce, vinegar, anything containing soya sauce or vinegar, sauerkraut, wine, black pepper, breads, breadcrumbs, and the like. The good news is… digestion wise, I am feeling better than I have for YEARS.

The rest of my life is under control. Our garden is in. It isn’t photo ready yet as we have some cleanup to do. It is slow going as I am not a lot of help these days and Dan had to make it Molly proof as we go.

Our front lawn is coming along. Between our monsoon season and Dan’s diligence, it actually has a chance this year to beat out the weeds and bald spots.

My little flowers are just peaking out. This area of the lawn struggles on.
I love my stepping stones after a fresh mowing. This flower bed has a chance to make something of itself with the addition of Peonies from daughter Jen.

I hope to have the garden area and large patio photo ready within the week. Dan lost his Bleeding Heart over the winter but I replaced it with a super pretty plant that I am anxious to share.

I also got my June fridge inspiration sign up a couple of days ago. So far the inspiration is more mental than physical but that’s okay. It all starts with our mindset – and my mind is set to come back STRONGER!

Soon!

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

Year Two – Week Thirteen & Fourteen

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2023, Health and Fitness

I’m back! It has been a few days since I have been on here, but fortunately it is not because I fell off of my Health & Fitness journey. I have just been rather busy. 🙄

First off, it has been mostly beautiful weather here so I have been outside cleaning up the yard and getting ready for summer. Secondly, we took a short trip up north to visit son Dan and family – and to help them prepare for granddaughter Gabby’s graduation party I did a lot of baking (while Dan was out shopping for a lot of fresh fruit to serve with said baking.) Third, I have been working really diligently to stay on course with my health and fitness program.

Getting There…

Speaking of health and fitness… Physically things have been going well. I did faceplant on our cement patio (chasing Molly) a few days ago. My skin has mostly grown back but my glasses were a write off – hence the new look.

Mentally and emotionally, I am crushing it. I am reading “Be Your Future Self Now” by Dr. Benjamin Hardy. It is one of those works that is just brilliant. There is so much wisdom to be found in every chapter. One such example “We all have a future ahead of us. In 10 years, 20 years, we will become our future selves. The question is: Who will your future self be?

If I had stayed the course fifteen months ago, my future self would have been pretty pathetic. Right now, I would be pretty pathetic – and miserable to boot. I am so grateful that I began making better choices last February. I am reaping the rewards now and loving it! 💖

I have started a timeline for becoming my future self. I have already reached my first goal – to be calm and confident. There’s always room for improvement (and I intend to keep working on it) but I have to say, I crushed it this weekend. My next goal is to be healthy, strong, and fit by August 11th. I am working hard to get there! Every goal met is encouragement to set more and to improve further on the ones I reach. Exciting stuff!

That’s about where I am at these days. We were not at Dan and Amanda’s for long this weekend, but husband Dan did manage to get a few cute photos of grandson Lucas hanging out with Molly. Molly was amazing this weekend. She even spent a fair amount of time strolling around leashless which was pretty cool to see. She was SO happy loping around free and easy.

That’s it for today. I hope everyone is keeping well. Take care and have a great rest of the day! 🌞💞

Year Two – Week Twelve

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2023, Health and Fitness

My new normal seems to be running a few days late with my health and fitness update.  🙄

This week our most entertaining workout was giving Miss Molly a bath down at PetValu.  They have a sweet setup and Molly loved it.    She didn’t even bark at the little dog in the next tub!   * It is only $12 per wash and more than worth it.  Molly was secure the entire time, we could easily reach her at all times,  they provide nice, big, absorbent towels to use,  a variety of shampoos, handheld shower, drier, and treats. 💞 And the entire setup is designed to be easily cleaned – unlike our bathroom and house if we had tried this at home.  😊

Last week, and so far this week, my workouts have been regular and going well. I have been getting my rhythm back with the Zumba workouts. My evening weights and strength training has been going well with the five pound weights.

I attempted Pushups and Burpees last Saturday. I have never in my life been capable of doing either and I am not there yet. But I did find an excellent video on YouTube for Pushups so I am working on them and when I nail that, I will revisit the Burpees.

It never fails to amaze me what you can learn on You Tube.

Anyway – it is supposed to start raining any time so I should hustle outside to see if there is anything I can get done before it starts. We have been spending a lot of time outside this week working on the yard and garden, but we have a long way to go.

Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞⛈️

Year Two – Week Ten

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2023, Health and Fitness

It is one year and ten weeks since I decided to get healthier and more active. I am still committed as ever despite the setbacks I have encountered. It’s definitely the lifestyle I embrace these days.

Since I was deemed healed from my broken arm, I have been working my way back up in my workout intensity. I am doing full-on two armed Zumba. (Which is way easier, graceful, and less confusing than trying to do Zumba with one arm).

I have been out walking with Molly as much as possible – which is when Dan or daughter Jen are available to hold her leash. I would love to walk her more but I can’t trust her if I am holding her leash. She was doing well last fall, until I was down with the flu followed by the broken arm. Now, not so much.

A few days ago, Dan and I were taking Molly somewhere in the Jeep. Dan went out to get ready, while I leashed her up and walked her out. She was fine. We got to the sidewalk and Dan opened the back hatch of the Jeep. We were ten feet away from it. Molly got so excited she jumped right in. The leash I was holding her by was six feet long. 🤦

She looks so innocent!
At least our streets and sidewalks are finally free of snow and ice. Still unsightly, but nice for walking…

The good news is that I am crushing my evening workouts. This week I am back to using my five pound weights. Yay! I am not struggling with the heavier dumbbells. I have cut back on reps and sets, and I have switched things up to doing arm and back exercise one night, hips and legs the next, so I am not doing the same muscles on consecutive nights. 💪🌟🦵

We are also still working on improving our diet by consistently planning ahead. Dan is really helping out with that. He seems to find it easier to come up with one weekly meal plan on Sunday night, than he does offering up a suggestion for one meal that can be prepared and served in half an hour – five or six consecutive nights of the week. Go figure!

That’s my health and fitness update for this week. Take care and have a great sunny rest of the day! 💞🌞

Can’t wait to see some green grass and flowers. 😊

Year Two – Week Nine

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2023, Health and Fitness

Another week of healing, health and fitness has passed and I’m still committed to the program. 💪

This past week I did my morning Zumba workout every day, did strength training almost every night (missed one night), and got outside for some fresh air. Molly and I went walking a couple of times – once with Dan and once with Jen and her daughter Prim. The walk with Jen and Prim was a long one on Saturday – around Wascana Lake.

Wascana Park – photo from my archives.

Wascana Park is in the heart of Regina. With the warmer weather that we have been experiencing, it was a good day for the park. The pathways were busy with people, strollers, and DOGS. Fortunately, Jen and Prim walked Molly and she was pretty happy just to truck along with them and stay out of trouble.

Molly did manage to come home dirty and tired.

I also spent a bit of time outside putzing around our yard yesterday. I put out some peanuts for our neighbourhood squirrel(s) and swept some of Molly’s destruction off the back patio.

It is too early to start planting outside but our cactus bloomed and Jen brought me a new ivy and spider plant to nurture.

This week will be business as usual with my fitness plan. My biggest push is to get my evening strength training back on track. My plan is for six exercises – ten sets of ten reps with three pound weights plus 10 sets of ten reps for wall pushups Monday thru Saturday. If all goes well, I will be moving back up to five pound weights next week. Yay!

That’s all I have for this week. Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Year Two – Week Eight

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2023, Health and Fitness

Before I jump into this week’s ‘Health and Fitness’ update, I wanted to explain why my blog writing – and READING has been so sporadic over the past few months. 

With weeks of being down with the flu before Christmas, and then with a broken arm in January/February, one would think I would have had all kinds of time on my hands.  Which I did… but I also had a big bored dog on my hands who took offence every time I sat down to do anything.   She has been getting better these past couple of weeks. Hopefully, she will only improve going forward. And hopefully, I will have more opportunity to read and write on WordPress.

As for this week’s update…

My health and fitness journey has been a bit rocky these past few weeks.   My fractured arm has healed, but there is still random pain or discomfort when I move or stretch. I understand it will take a while for any tears or tweaks to muscles, tendons, and nerves to heal completely. But… It does get rather frustrating.

That being said, there has been a lot of positive movement – and more than I had anticipated a few weeks ago. 😁

I am back to doing full on, two armed, Zumba most days. I am not as comfortable or capable as I was last fall, but I am excited to be back at it. There are days that I just dance, but even the dance workouts are more intense as time goes on.

I have been getting out and about with Molly as often as possible. I am still going only when Dan or Jen are free to handle Molly’s leash. That is due to treacherous walking conditions, which are quickly improving thanks to our double digit (Celsius) temperatures this week.

At the dog park on Saturday where Molly had a bit of a run with Rocko.

I have also taken on a 21 Day Stretching and Balance Challenge, starting this past Saturday.

Molly makes any horizontal workout a challenge.

Finally, and best of all, I have been doing my strength training six nights a week and I am crushing it! I am going to stick to three pound weights for the next couple of weeks, increasing the reps and sets each week. Then, I will switch back up to five pounders. Yay!!!

That is it for this week’s update. I am anxious and excited about getting back on track and enjoying all the benefits of health and fitness, going forward.

Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞

Year Two – Week Seven

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness

Year One of my healthier, fitter lifestyle ended with back to back to back setbacks.  (Flu/brutal winter season/broken arm). Year Two brought healing and an eminent improvement to our weather.   April brings a new fridge sign to our kitchen….

I am ready to Move Forward – and moving forward I am.

My big news, this week and moving forward, is that am working in partnership with my daughter.  We haven’t been on the same path for a few years but here we are – Moving Forward together.

Health and fitness wise, we are coming from the same place and heading in the same direction. 

  • We both have chronic health conditions that neither of us have been managing well.  I have my respiratory issues (asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis) plus  genetic collagen issues.  My daughter Jen shares my collagen issues, plus having IBS, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and multiple severe allergies.  We share an ongoing battle with weight issues.
  • We are both tired of television commercials offering a magic bullet for anything and everything that ails us.  They do not work unless we do – and their side effects are often as bad or worse than the conditions they supposedly ‘cure’.
  • We are both concerned about our healthcare system which is struggling to survive an aging population and an epidemic of unhealthy life choices.
  • We both want to do better.   We know that nutrition and activity are key to improving our health, our fitness, and our lives.   We bring complimentary tools to the table.  I am strong in  sourcing out motivation and a variety of suitable workouts.   Jen is strong in  cooking, baking, and sourcing out  healthy recipes, nutritional information, and dietary needs and restrictions. 
  • We are both ‘dog people’.  Since Jen is dogless at the moment, I gladly share  Molly.   Since I am still dealing with some arm recovery issues, Jen takes the lead with Molly on our walks.  We have managed several lengthy and relatively challenging walks in the past couple of weeks. 
Moving Forward !

All in all, we have made a promising start.   Our frequent walks are augmenting my morning Zumba and evening strength training.   Jen works a physically demanding job but has also started her own at home workouts – which typically include and enhance sweeping, dusting, and laundry 😂.

That is my (our) health and fitness update this week.

Take care, have a great week, and let’s welcome back some serious SPRING weather this week! 🪻😊