Category: Uncategorized

Daily Food Diary – Day 79 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in Uncategorized

It is 79 days since I became mindful of everything I consume,  and started  keeping track of it in my Daily Food Diary. 

Yesterday, was not a stellar day for staying on track.  We opted for takeout from Taco Time.  It is one of the few restaurants here where I do not have to worry about avoiding yeast.  That is good, but the sodium served up in their food is through the roof and they do pack in the calories!

I was mindful of the sodium when Dan and I were deciding what to order.  We don’t order in  or eat out often, so I don’t beat myself up when we do.  But, I am still mindful of whatever I order and act accordingly.

Last night, that meant cancelling the Caesar I was planning to indulge in last night.  I wanted one, and I certainly deserved one, but no! After I finished doing our taxes (which made me crazy as usual) I filled my water bottle and sat down to enjoy my tacos, burrito, and Mexi Fries – almost guilt free.

Feeling like Maddy in her self portrait!

Daily Food Diary – Day 79

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2) (.3)

(1/2) c grapefruit (41) (.8)

(1) tsp sugar (16)

(3) waffles (300) (5.1)

(1) tbsp butter (103) (.1)

(2) tbsp syrup (94)

(3) slices bacon

Snacks:

(36) oz water

(1) c Lemon Ginger tea

Supper:

(2) crisp shell tacos (520) (28)

(1) sm. Mexi fries (265) (3)

(1) crisp meat burrito (428) (22)

Total Calories: 1899

Total Protein: 68.2 grams

Daily Protein Goal: 46 to 58.5 grams

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 64 of 365

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

I have been tracking, recording, and blogging everything that I have consumed for the past 64 days.  I haven’t been obsessing over everything I eat, but I have noticed one change in my eating habits.

Through January and into February, I had a lot of cravings or urges to eat or drink empty calories – a root beer here, a cookie there.  I had to make a deliberate effort NOT to nibble and snack from the time I got up to the time I went to bed.  Lately, that is no longer an issue.   Unless, I am sitting down to have a meal, or our afternoon tea and snack, I just go about my day – sipping on my water bottle and oblivious to the tempting  snack type foods on the table or in the pantry.

Due to this one change in habit more than anything, I am excited to report that as of this morning, my weight is down to 128 Pounds. On January 1st, I recorded my weight at 133.5 pounds, so I am happy with the progress I have made so far. 🤗

Food Diary – Day 64

Breakfast

(1) c coffee (2) (.3)

(1) c Shreddies (200) (6))

(1/4) c milk (31) (2)

Lunch

(1/2) c dark chicken (267) (4.9)

(1/2) c coleslaw (74) (1.2)

(25) Lay’s salt & vinegar chips (230) (2)

Snacks

(1/3) c mixed salted nuts with peanuts (85) (8)

(1) c green  tea  (2) (-)

Supper

(3) c chicken Caesar salad (350) (8)

(2) slices thin sliced bacon (87) (5.9)

(1) PC Chocolate Fudge Cake (300) (40.3)

Total Calories: 1759

Total Protein: 40.3 grams

Daily protein goal: 46 to 58.5 grand

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

Dan’s Bleeding Heart  – Daughter Jen and Granddaughter Genie keep replacing them  when our winters prove too much for them. 💞

Daily Food Diary – Day 60 of 365

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

I am SIXTY DAYS into my Daily Food Diary. I only have three hundred and fifteen days to go and I have this challenge in the bag. ☺️

It is Sunday morning.  I am about to start cooking up our Sunday Brunch.  We are having pancakes and sausage this morning, so it will be interesting to see how I do protein wise today.  😯

This afternoon, we are heading across the city to the Regina General Hospital.  I am having a CT Scan that the surgeon wants to see before he does my hernia surgery.  It’s odd that they book CT Scans on Sunday but it’s got to be done, and I know I am fortunate that they were able to get me in so quickly. 😉

Food Diary – Day 60

Late Breakfast

(1) c coffee (2)   (.3)

(2) Potato Patties (240)   (2)

(1) Egg (80)   (7)

(3) Slices back bacon (52)  (12)

(1) teaspoon olive oil (40) (-)

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

Supper

(3) pcs English Battered fish (390)  (18)

(21) Cavendish fries (169)  (2.8)

(1) tbsp Tartar sauce (85) (.2)

(1) c coleslaw (50) (-)

(12) oz carbonated water

Snacks:

1)piece of Chocolate Fudge Cake (300) (2)

Chocolate Fudge Cake needs MORE protein and LESS calories 🙄

(1/2) c sunflower seeds with shells (12)  (4)

(12) oz water

Total Calories: 1529

Total Protein: 48.3 grams

Goal for Protein – 46 to 58.5 Grams

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 58 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in Uncategorized

It is Day 58 of my Daily Food Diary.  It is also the last day of February.  Going into March, I am ready to decide how to ramp up my Diary for the next month.

In January, my only goal was to record what I consumed each day and post it in my daily blog.   I upped my water intake and realized how many mindless empty calories I consumed in a day.  In February, I counted calories each day and adopted the Lose It! app to get technology on my side. 👍

In March, I am going to keep track of everything I consume, note the calories AND break down everything into Breakfast, Lunch, Supper and Snacks PLUS I am going to track how much protein I take in each day.  

I do want to be aware of the calories I consume, because I have  another fifteen pounds to lose. BUT, I also want to ensure that I am getting the nutrients that I need each day.  Protein is a big one for me because from day one of my Health and Fitness Journey, that I began three years ago,  my priority was gaining Strength and Stamina. I need the protein to build the muscle to gain strength. 

We are stocked up on meat but I’m going to have to work to include side dishes high in protein.

Food Diary – Day 58

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) eggs (140)

(1/3) c shredded cheese (120)

(1) tsp olive oil (40)

(3) slices back bacon (52)

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(1) Large chicken salad (974)

(12) oz carbonated water

*** Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, broccoli, radishes, green onion, sunflower seeds (3) chicken thighs, French salad dressing, fried dry onions

Total Calories: 1328

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

Not a flower today, but I get a kick out of this cocky little guy every time I scroll past him.  * The photo was one our granddaughter Genie sent me,  when she was in Toronto a few years ago.

Daily Food Diary – Day 51 of 365

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

It is the 51st day of  recording my Food Diary and posting it here on WordPress.

Better yet, this is the day that our brutal cold snap finally breaks and our temperatures soar up to the freezing point.  It has been the longest coldest February that I can ever remember, but the worst of it is finally behind us.

We do not have any huge plans for today, but I am looking forward to a walk – outside in the fresh air 😊 – with Dan and Molly.  I’m also excited to be going to Home Depot to pick up some garden seeds.  It is finally time to start some seedlings for our garden so we have them to plant once this snow and ice is behind us.   That is weeks away, but I am still excited to take that first step.

Food Diary – Day 51

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) Peach (51)

(1/2) c pineapple

(1) Granola bar (160)

(1) Egg (80)

(3) Slices back bacon (52)

(1) Potato patty (85)

(24) oz water

(1) c Lemon Ginger tea

(1) Homemade oatmeal blueberry muffin            (199)

(5) Licorice allsorts (110)

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) Lean hamburger patty (307)

(1/2) Sliced tomato (6)

(1/4) Red Onion (3)

(1/2) c lettuce (3)

(25) Lay’s Classic Potato Chips(160)

Total Calories: (1262)

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 50 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in Uncategorized

I am FIFTY days into my 365 day Daily Food Diary!   When I started this diary, I was not looking  at where I was,  or back to  where I had been.  I was looking forward to  improving my future – becoming stronger and healthier and happier.  I was looking forward to avoiding some of the pitfalls that aging can bring – loss of mobility, loss of muscle tone, loss of vitality. 

This morning, I was on the Lose It! app that I have recently started using.  According to the information I provided, and the calorie plan that was recommended, I will reach my goal weight of 115 pounds by September 8th, 2025.  That’s pretty cool! Of course that will not be the end of my Daily Diary.  Going forward, I will keep working to improve the nutritional value of the calories I consume and expand my knowledge of nutrition.  I will continue to learn how best to feed my body so that I can continue to live my best life and my best future possible.

I am not a ‘has been‘.  I am a ‘YET TO BE’

Food Diary – Day 50

(1) c coffee (2)

(1/2) grapefruit with sugar (56)

(2) crumpets with butter and jam (244)

(24) oz water

(7) oz canned pink salmon (240)

(2) tbsp light Miracle Whip (74)

(1 1/2) c. Lettuce (9)

(1/4) c green onions (10)

(1) c tea (1)

(3) oz pork chop (105)

(1/2) c Rice a Roni fried rice (155)

(1) Side salad (113)

(1/2) bag popcorn (190)

(12) oz carbonated water

Total Calories: 1229

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 49 of 365

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

Good Morning! I am a few days late, but this morning I weighed in at 129.7 pounds.  Yay!

Yesterday, I turned a corner with the app Lose It! that I have been working with the past few days.  Two things that I really like –

(1)  The app breaks down my daily calories into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.  Regardless of what I am doing, I always do better if I break it down into smaller parts.  This will help me to not only stick to an overall calorie budget for each day, but will also  help me to make healthier choices throughout the day. 👍

(2) This app helps me to track my activity for the day and see how it affects my available calories.  🤸

I have used a Fitbit activity tracker before, but this is the first time I have used an app that budgets calories for the day, tracks calories consumed and calories used.   I can see this becoming a really useful tool for me.

Note: I haven’t checked it out yet, but Lose It! also tracks the nutritional make up and values of the foods I eat.   That will be very helpful as I continue to work on improving  my diet this year.   Also, while I am starting out with the basic free app, there are benefits to be had with a paid subscription that I will check out down the road.

Food Diary – Day 49 of 365

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) lg pear (133)

(1) Granola bar (160)

(24) oz water

(3) oz DK skinless turkey (160)

(6) Original Triscuits (120)

(1) c tea

(2) sq. dark chocolate (120)

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) lg garden salad with pan fried (in olive oil) white chicken (473)

Total Calories: 1169

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 39 of 365

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

Day thirty nine and another bitterly cold day in Saskatchewan.  I don’t know if February is typically this frigid or if we are having a particularly rough go of it this year.  It seems worse than ever.

This appears to be  a good day to go through my archives and remind myself that summer does come to our chilly corner of the world. 🥶

Food Diary – Day 39

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) breakfast sandwich – 1 lg biscuit, 1 egg, 1 sausage patties, 1 slice Havarti cheese (490)

(24) oz water

(1/2) pear (70)

(1/3) c raspberries (20)

(5) licorice all sorts (107)

(1) c tea (1)

(1) med salad with pork souvlaki, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, cauliflower, radishes, green onions, sunflower seeds, dried fried onion. (430)

(11) Hint of Lime chips (250)

Total calories:  1378

That is all for today. Take care and have a great day! 💗😊

Daily Food Diary – Day 37 of 365

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

I am thirty-seven days in on my Food Diary and my mission to become more mindful and responsible in what I consume.  

This exercise is just part of what has become  my health and fitness journey to adopt a strong and healthy lifestyle. 

I have learned a lot in the past three years but there is one quote that I came across recently that really sums up the method to my (possible) madness.

“If you are persistent,  you will get it.  If you are consistent, you will keep it.“

This quote has been credited to Harvey Mackay who is a successful American businessman, author, and syndicated columnist.

His advice is obviously relative and effective to more than creating a fit and healthy lifestyle.    Words worth noting.   (Take note Genie. 💞)

Granddaughter Genie (with her Mom and our daughter Jen). 
I recently discovered Genie has been stalking me (following me 😂) on my Food Diary blogs. 

Food Diary – Day 37

(1) c coffee (2)

(3) Crumpets with jam & butter (408)

(1/2) c pineapple, (1) peach, (1/2) cup raspberries (123)

(2) cookies (146)

(25) salt & vinegar chips (270)

(2) c beef stew (300)

(2) Tea biscuits (200)

(12) oz carbonated water

(1/2) Bag popcorn (250)

Total Calories: 1699

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 36 of 365

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

I’m thirty six days in with my daily food diary and it hasn’t been going too bad so far.  This month, I am counting calories to add to the challenge.  I am  glad February is a short month because I struggle with this exercise. 

Counting calories isn’t that big a deal if one is eating one pear or a bowl of cereal.  If one is dealing with a plate of homemade stew, chilli, or soup, things get complicated.   Then there is meat!  Two slices of thin sliced bacon is 180 calories – RAW bacon.  So what if you cook it in the oven, drain the fat, pat it with paper towel AND use most of it for later use, when it is microwaved and once more patted down with paper towel to remove extra oil.   Air fried chicken wings are 80 calories each.  What constitutes each chicken wing?  Dan and I get packages that are an equal number of drummets and the other piece with two skinny bones.  Dan eats the drummets and I eat the other pieces.  Is each piece 80 calories? Are all pieces considered equal.  No idea!  It gets so confusing!

Speaking of struggling with exercise, yesterday Dan and I took Molly back to Waterfall Park.  As I was getting her out of the Jeep, I caught a glimpse of a dog coming up behind us.  Trying to keep her from mowing me down and bouncing over to make a new friend, I did not even realize the other dog was her bestie Willie from the dogpark.

It turned out to be a great outing.  Molly and Willie walked together, veered off a few times to tumble in the fresh snow, sat to watch the squirrels playing in the trees AND Dan and Randy had the chance to catch up as they walked their dogs.  I wandered behind and managed to get one shot of our little crew.

Food Diary – Day 36

(1) coffee (2)

(1) c Cheerios with 2% milk (200)

(24) oz water

(1) sm taco salad with 5 Hint of Lime chips (264)

(1) c tea

(1/2) pkg ramen noodles with vegetables (342)

(2) No Name egg rolls with plum sauce (235)

(2) Riblets (60)

(5) Air fried chicken wings, refried with Frank’s Extra Red Hot and Frank’s Honey Garlic Sauce. (400)

(12)  oz carbonated water

(1) c tea (1)

Total calories:   1404

** Yes, two riblets (I’m not a fan but I like to make them for Dan) and it was 10 wing pieces (not the drummet).  And what is that piece of the wing called?  If they even have a name! 🙄

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