Tag: accountability

Daily Food Diary – Day 224 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 224 days since I started posting my Daily Food Diary. That is a full 32 WEEKS! 🌹

You would think for such a notable day, that I would have done better for my diet yesterday. 

Net calorie wise, I actually did.  When I subtract the calories used I only use exercise – walking, aerobics, weights and cardio.  Yesterday, I walked with Molly and Dan and I did my aerobics.  It wasn’t a weight/cardio day, but I used a LOT of calories cleaning house.  Our house wasn’t that dirty, but I was clearing out our spare room and one thing led to another. (Including but not limited to: laundry – several trips up and down the basement stairs, dusting living room shelves and  rearranging  elephants, repacking Dan’s Mother’s china, hanging a couple of paintings, and cleaning out, sorting, and rearranging one kitchen drawer). 

Totally off topic here: Pet peeve time – This morning I caught a news blurb about how extreme heat is detrimental to one’s mental health.  After noting a couple of  ways that one can  help themselves, family, or neighbours during a heal spell, the experts have decided that our provincial and federal governments should be held accountable for providing extensive mental healthcare for people during such times. 

I agree that mental healthcare should be available and accessible to people when they need it.  Absolutely! 

But I am really tired of hearing how we as Canadians are too pathetic to deal with any and every challenge in our lives without government intervention.

On another topic (sort of), it reminds me of my son Dan’s Two Year checkup with the health nurse.   She was asking him a few random questions,  for whatever reason.   A couple of questions in, she asked him what his mother would tell him to do if he was cold.  Without hesitation, he said “She would tell me to put on my damn sweater”.   The nurse laughed and then she asked “What would your Mother tell you to do if you were hungry?”

In retrospect maybe I have never been into coddling people,  but I can’t imagine what good can come of constantly being told that our physical, mental, emotional, and  financial well-being should be the responsibility of our various levels of government.  🤦

Mark, Genie, and Dan – red pj’s (Does it look like I  ever starved him?)

* And for the record, all three of my kids have turned out relatively responsible and self sufficient.

Daily Food Diary – Day 224

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) sausage patty (150)

(1) cheese biscuit (151)

(1) egg (72)

(1) oz marble cheese (113)

(2) tsp butter (68)

Lunch:

(1) c homemade soup – white, red, green orange  (125)

Supper:

(1) Taco Time Mexi-fries (265)

(2) hard shell tacos – green, red, white (520)

(1) crisp meat burrito (428)

Total net calories: 1624

Net calorie goal: 1222 – 1624 = 403 over 👎

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

Genie taking a break at Waterfall Park (old pic/young Genie)

Daily Food Diary – Day 222 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 222 of my Daily Food Diary.   222 seemed like an auspicious number so I decided to run it past Google.

The number 222 signifies Balance, Harmony, and Trust.  That sounds pretty good to me!

I started my morning by taking Molly for her morning walk.   It went well – better than usual, so that backed up Google’s prediction for the day. 😊

Daughter, Jennifer and I are taking her dog Sasha to Pet Value today to introduce her to their dog bath.  We’ll see how powerful Number 222 really is.

Molly with Sasha.  Sasha isn’t short of sass and attitude (even when she’s not the big dog).

Yesterday, I learned something new about my eating habits. 

Left to my own devices, I am an evening snacker.  I knew that from the night shifts that Dan used to work and the Dart Nights he goes to in the winter since he retired.   Alone, I could mindlessly munch my way through countless empty calories. 

Now that I am more mindful and accountable for what I consume in a day, that is not so much of an issue.  But, I have a new one! 

This summer, Dan has been golfing quite frequently.  I am fine with that.   He sees his friends, gets out in the fresh (somewhat) air, and is relatively active.  It is all around healthy, quality time for him.  I have my time to do my workouts, read, do my nails, whatever.

The only problem is, supper is generally much later than I am accustomed to.  Even, if I have a good breakfast and lunch – or a hearty brunch, I am ready for supper by 6:30.  By 7:30 I am starving!  I am in a losing battle with any random snack that crosses my path.  Even if I have a good  mid-afternoon snack, it is a struggle until supper is served.  🤦

Daily Food Diary – Day 222

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) scrambled eggs (182)

(3) slices bacon (130)

Snacks:

(3/4) c ice cream with pecans, chocolate sauce, and caramel syrup (421)

(1) almond flour/chocolate chip cookie (50)

(48) oz water

Supper:

(4) oz pork cutlet (240)

(12) crinkle cut fries (82)

(1/2) c gravy (50)

(1) mini cucumber (green) 10

Total net calories: 1168

Net calories goal: 1222 – 1168 = 54 under

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 218 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 218 days since I began posting my Daily Food Diary.

It is six years since I began posting my blog on WordPress.   I had just given my boss a one year heads up that I would be retiring on my 65th birthday.  

For a few weeks, I had been sourcing out articles on retirement.  I’m not sure what I was looking for –  but it wasn’t the plethora of articles regarding the problems and pitfalls of retirement with less than millions of dollars in the bank, a substantial amount of investment income rolling in each month, and estate planning that I should have began before giving birth to my children (forty some years ago🤦).

Our retirement was not going to meet the standards of the financial gurus who write such articles.  But then our lives had never revolved around our finances.

So, I started a blog to help me find my way from full time employment to successful retirement.

Once I did retire, I soon realized that our  financial situation was  the least of our retirement challenges.   Financially, we are comfortable – even since Dan joined me in retirement.  We manage.

Our health is on shakier ground.   I learned three years ago that to enjoy retirement, I was going to have to get a handle on my chronic lung issues and the lack of strength and stamina that I struggled with.

My health and wellness journey began.  It  has been two steps forward, one step back,  and a series of twists and turns that I could never have imagined.

This year, the biggest and best change in my life has been seeing how I have become a better influence for my children and grandchildren.   It has been seeing and appreciating the time my son and his wife invest in being outdoors and active with their family.  It has been seeing my daughter-in-law and daughter deal with food allergies and personal fitness.  It has been seeing our grandchildren put down their iPads and get out and get active.  It has been seeing our granddaughter Genie & her  husband Alec, happily and healthily  married,  and planning  to one day add  a new generation to our family.  

Health and wellness has become a priority in our family and is the subject of many conversations – conversations started by daughter Jen, granddaughter Prim, or my husband Dan.

This morning, I went looking to source out articles on Generational HEALTH, to get more insight on the subject.

I didn’t look far, but from what I saw Google AI pretty much summarized everything I came across.

“the health conditions, risks, and patterns that are passed down through families across generations”.

That sounds pretty sad, but it is a definition that I see changing – in my family and others.

This is ‘Generational Health’ – Maddy and Prim at Wascana Park with sister Genie
And this – Granddaughter Gabby with brothers Lucas and Cason boating with Dan & Amanda
And this – Genie & Alec celebrating their life together in sickness AND health & fitness (physically, mentally, and spiritually)
And this – starting married life with a healthy bowl of vegetable soup! 😂  

Daily Food Diary – Day 218

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) granola bar (160)

Lunch:

(1/2) stuffed pepper – green, red, white (190)

(1) oatmeal lemon cookie (68)

Snacks:

(48) oz water

(5) Hint of Lime chips (125)

(1/3) c Weekender Mix peanuts (240)

Supper:

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) large dinner salad – Romaine lettuce, cucumber, broccoli, green onion – green, tomato, red pepper, radishes – red, sunflower seeds, dried fried onions, Vidalia Onion salad dressing  (263)

(3) sticks pork souvlaki (240)

Total net calories: 964

Net calorie goal: 1222 – 964 = 258 under

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 216 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is Day 216 of my Daily Food Diary.

We are home and our heatwave is over.  It is forecast to be cooler and wetter today.   The  humidity is already 100%. (Good thing I watered our garden yesterday!)

Between wildfire smoke and high humidity this summer, my lungs are struggling.  I can’t imagine how I would manage if I wasn’t on inhalers, using my Aerobika, doing  aerobics,  breathing exercises,  weights and cardio,  walking (weather permitting) – and running (a little bit).

It’s funny, in an odd way,  that  I used to think working out was for athletes and healthy young  people who joined gyms to keep in shape.

I am infinitely grateful that I have learned that living a life based on exercise and healthy habits is for anyone wanting to enjoy quality of life. (Even seventy year olds with multiple chronic lung conditions 😊). 

Daily Food Diary – Day 216

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Cheerios – no milk (147)

Lunch:

(4) radishes – red/white (21)

(1) c broccoli –  green (31)

(2) pcs celery – green (14)

(1/2) c red pepper – red (23)

(1) tbsp Dilly Dip (80)

(1 1/2) oz marble cheese (170)

(2) oz Piller’s Ham (57)

(9) Lay’s wavy lightly salted chips (131)

Snacks:

(48) oz water

(11) Hint of Lime chips (275)

(3) tbsp salsa – red (12)

(1) Rolo ice cream cone (310)

Total net calories: 1273

Net calorie goal: 1222 – 1273 = 51 over

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

I haven’t planted sunflowers for years, but always manage to have a few of them pop up in our flower bed.  I don’t have the heart to pull them out as they have always been granddaughter Maddy’s favourite flower.

Daily Food Diary – Day 214 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is Day 214 of my Daily Food Diary. 🙂💓

It was a busy day yesterday and today isn’t much better.  I am checking in late, but better late than never. It still counts!

Saturday is my serious house clean of the week.  After I got my aerobic workout done, I scrubbed down the kitchen, vacuumed, and moved furniture to do a thorough sweeping of the living room and the kitchen.  I also washed clothes and bedding, and we gave  Molly a thorough brushing.   And,  I fed the squirrels TWICE.

I also did a bit of garden/yard  work.  A BIG bit.  I watered EVERYTHING, fertilized the flowers and vegetables, and sprayed the tomatoes cucumbers, and peppers.  My ailing tomato plant is still alive, but hanging by a thread.   Most of the tomatoes are suddenly thriving, but the San Marzano are still fighting the rust fungus. 

By suppertime, I was ready for something  simple supper.  

It wasn’t our most colorful meal but there was yellow corn, white mashed potatoes, and dark brown brownies (which probably doesn’t count as a healthy colour). 

Daily Food Diary – Day 214

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) plain paratha (240)

(1) tbsp peanut butter (105)

(1) tbsp jam (90)

Snacks:

(60) oz water

Supper:

(1) Hungry Man Fried Chicken (520)

(1) Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookie (50)

Total Net Calories: 793

Net calorie goal: 1222 – 793 = 429 under

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

A touch of colour for Mom & Dad’s graves when we go to Gravelbourg.  Always red carnations for Dad and yellow flowers for Mom.

Daily Food Diary – Day 213 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 213 Days since I began posting my Daily Food Diary.  😊🌹

I have completed SEVEN of the twelve months that I set out to post.  Every month I choose a different focus and for August I planned to do likewise.

Choosing a new focus is always a challenge and this month (August) has been the most difficult.  I drew a blank for the past week, I settled on making this a month to focus on weekly meal planning.  But our summers are notoriously short and meal planning is just too September Greige for me to get excited about.

So… I chose to go with COLOURFUL foods for August.   While our garden is struggling this year, we do have a variety of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, rhubarb,  and  several herbs to provide color (and healthy goodness) to our meals.  Of course, we also have access to all of the fresh colorful foods  available at our supermarkets and local Farmer’s Market. 

To kick the month off, I sourced out this short article which offers information on why a colorful diet is beneficial, plus the specific nutrients relative to each basic food color.

Eat the rainbow for good health – Mayo Clinic News Network https://share.google/13HbshB2dmRhHkj45

A bowl of  mini  hot peppers that we harvested from our garden a couple of years ago. 

Daily Food Diary – Day 213

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Cheerios (147)

(1/4) c milk (28)

Lunch:

(1) mango (135)

(1) kiwi (46)

Supper:

(1) Caesar salad (440)

(12) chicken wing flats (510)

(2) tbsp Frank’s Xtra Hot sauce (26)

(1) pinch of dried HOT pepper flakes

Total net calories: 1009

Net calorie goal: 1222 – 1009 = 212 under

*** Yesterday’s diet entries included the  yellow mango,  green kiwi and lettuce in the Caesar salad,  and the red of the pepper flakes and hot sauce.

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 209 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is Day 209 of my Daily Food Diary.  🤗💞 I celebrate the accomplishment each and every day, but I am to the point where it doesn’t really surprise me how far I have come.  It is just a natural part of my day to day life.

I track everything I consume.  I am mindful of everything I consume.  My health is better for it.

Two years ago I quit eating yeast because I realized it was having a seriously detrimental effect on my health.  I am still on the waiting list to see an allergy specialist, but in the meantime  I am  working out the details of my yeast  issue.   I have learned that there are many yeast related foods – like mushrooms, which are also fungi.  There are foods that are very susceptible to mold (another fungi),  like strawberries and black berries.  There are foods that trigger yeast issues (generally any form of sugar).   AND, while we often think of yeast as being used to rise bread doughs or  to ferment beer and wine, it can be used and found ANYWHERE especially in processed or restaurant foods. 

Keeping a Daily Food Diary has been a huge help in sorting this all out.  I keep track of everything I consume over the course of the day.  When I come to post it the next day, I am feeling any ill effects from anything I should have steered clear of, and it doesn’t take long to pinpoint the problem.

It is pretty cool actually, for something that is just a natural part of my day. 🙂

This week,  I have started something else that I hope to make a natural part of my day. Yesterday,  while Dan and I were out walking Molly, I broke away to go for a short run.  I ran from a bench to the first intersection on our park path.   This morning, I did likewise except I ran  through the intersection to a big rock (just short of the small dog park).   It is still not much, but  I know that within a few days, I will be running the entire length of our park path.  🤗

Daily Food Diary – Day 209

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) crumpets (160)

(1 1/2) tsp butter (51)

(1) tbsp raspberry jam (50)

(3) slices back bacon (100)

Snacks:

(60) oz water

(4) oz lemon water

(1) apple (95)

(10) raspberries (10)

Supper:

(6) tempura shrimp (285)

(1) lg PC Buttermilk Chicken (240)

(3) Pork riblets (49)

(2) egg rolls (380)

(4) Gyoza (180)

(1) tsp plum sauce (6)

(1) tbsp shrimp sauce  (20)

(1) tbsp Gyoza dip (50)

(1/2) PC caramel toffee cake (525)

Total net calories: 1904

Net calorie goal: 1229 – 1904 = 683

* Highlighted items contain significant collagen or significantly  contribute to the production of collagen

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 207 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is Day 207 of my Daily Food Diary.  🙌

Yesterday was my birthday.  It was a great day.  I appreciated all of the well wishes from friends and family.  I appreciated the calls from son Dan and daughter Jennifer.  And we all appreciated the visit from the newly weds (Genie & Alec) – especially MOLLY!

I love the card and the flowers.  The sourdough buns are pretty good. (Toasted & buttered with ham & cheese omelets to fill). Grandpa and I might have to check out the farmers market ourselves soon!

My Daily Food Diary entry for the day looks pretty brutal, but it was my 70th Birthday and we did go to Montana’s for (a very early)  supper followed by Birthday Cake later in the evening.

Takeaway from this entry.. my total calories for the day were BAD And my food choices were not the most nutritionally sound.  While I ate what I wanted… I could have done worse.  Dan and I both had water with our meal.  We generally pass on soda or alcoholic beverages.  I gave Dan part of my (Ribfest) entree.  The one I chose had 4 breaded hot wings.  Dan ordered a smaller entree and took the yeast hit.   And when we had cake, we both passed on the ice cream.

This cake does not require ice cream!

Today we are both back on track.  We started our day with coffee before taking Molly on a good trek around the neighborhood.   And, we had a relatively  light meal for our Sunday brunch. 

Our air is finally clear and our humidity is  down.  I am breathing somewhat easier.   so I am thinking of going for a jog around our neighbourhood to kick off my 70’s tomorrow morning.    I’ll let you know how that plays out. 👍

Daily Food Diary – Day 207

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) crumpets (160)

(1 1/2) tsp  butter (51)

(1) tbsp jam (50)

Supper:

(6) Montana’s Honey Garlic Pork Ribs w/cornbread  (880)

(1) serving seasoned fries (790)

(1) side gravy (25)

(1) 85g side baked beans (110)

Snacks:

(72) oz water

(1) pc caramel toffee cake (1050)

Total net calories:  3118

Net calorie goal: 1222 – 3118  = 1898 😲

* Highlighted items contain significant collagen or significantly  contribute to the production of collagen

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 204 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 204 Days since I started my Daily Food Diary.

While I am counting the calories that I consume each day, losing weight is not my sole or main  goal. 

I am doing this in an attempt to eat better, not necessarily less.  I have cut some foods out of my diet, added others, and tweaked a few.    This week, I had a craving for chocolate chip cookies.   Switching out the normally  processed white flour for almond flour, using dark chocolate chips and adding chopped walnuts all helped to make them a bit more nutritious – and didn’t hurt the taste any.

Other than baking (way too many) nutritionally improved  cookies,  my week hasn’t been going too bad – but it is definitely not one of my best.

Our weather has been cool, our  HUMIDITY  high, and we have poor air quality due to smoke from northern wildfires.   The humidity does nothing for my respiratory system and the smoke (which I am allergic to) destroys it. 

I have been managing… Taking my meds, clearing my lungs and sinuses,  doing my aerobics and weight & cardio exercises, watching my diet, keeping active, managing my stress … and avoiding outside air (as much as possible). 

But my lungs are struggling and I am booked for my annual pulmonary function test tomorrow.   I cannot see this going  well.

Am I the only one who is mortified at the thought of  failing a health test?   🤦

Daily Food Diary – Day 204

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1/2) grapefruit (39)

(1/2) tsp. Sugar (8)

(2) crumpets (160)

(2) tsp butter (34)

(1) tbsp raspberry jam (50)

Lunch:

(1/2) c potato salad (236)

(1/4) c radishes (5)

(1/4) c green onions (10)

(1 1/2) oz Piller’s Ham (43)

(5) Hint of Lime tortilla chips (125)

(2) Almond flour chocolate chip cookies (100)

(48) oz water

Supper:

(1 1/2) servings nachos – tortilla chips, ground turkey, red pepper, green onion, hot pepper, black olives, shredded marble cheese, salsa (657)

Total net calories: 1188

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1188 = 40 under 👍

* Highlighted items contain significant collagen or significant contribute to the production of collagen

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 203 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is Day 203 of my Daily Food Diary.  💖🤗

That is a full 29 weeks since I became mindful of my daily diet.   The real story is what does not appear in my diary – everything I reach for, then walk away from  or  each time I pivot and  go with a healthier choice,  rather than my first choice.

I have done temporary Food Diaries in the past (for medical reasons) and I found them to be an  annoying inconvenience – and not particularly useful to anyone.  For two or three days, I could easily deprive myself of anything that might seem questionable to a doctor or nutritionist.  Which of course would  defeat the purpose…

Now,  I  appreciate having this constant nudge to eat mindfully and (relatively)  responsibly.   

It is  bizarre how seldom it is that we seriously consider what we consume.  In that regard, I think we are far more aware of how we nourish our pets and our plants than our own bodies. (Maybe it’s just me.  😔)

This is a supermarket orchid that Dan bought me.   The instruction card said it should bloom once a year.  I have replanted it in a specific orchid potting mix, I water it sparingly, and I feed it a mixture of ground eggshells and dried banana peels.  It has been blooming for three years.  Every  set of blossoms get bigger, last longer, and are replaced by a new set as soon as they fall. 

In retrospect, it seems beyond bizarre that I have been more conscientious about nurturing a  plant than my own body.   (Even if it is a cool plant. 🤔)

Daily Food Diary – Day 203

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1/2) Grapefruit (39)

(1 1/2) c sugar (24)

(1) c Shreddies (200)

Lunch:

(2) oz Rotisserie chicken (100)

(8) Lay’s BBQ potato chips (75)

Snacks:

(1) Coffee Crisp Ice Cream cone (280)

(1) Almond flour/dark chocolate chip cookie (50)

(48) oz water

Supper:

(1) Chef Salad – lettuce, green onions, radishes, cucumber, tomato, olives, ham, boiled eggs, shredded cheese, sunflower seeds, dried fried onions, Black Peppercorn Ranch salad dressing (500)

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) Almond flour/dark chocolate chip cookie (50)

Total net calories:  1146

Net calorie goal:  1229 – 1146 = 83 under

* Highlighted items contain significant collagen or significant contribute to the production of collagen

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