active aging – Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie

Daily Food Diary – Day 349 of 365

December 16, 2025December 16, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 349 of my Daily Food Diary. 🥳

Yesterday, I had a few wins to celebrate:

1) I walked with Dan and Molly in the morning, did my aerobics in the afternoon and went for a spin on the treadmill in the evening.

2) I got most of the house vacuumed, scrubbed, and tidied up – while dan washed all of the bedding. Even if I am totally knocked down by my little surgery tomorrow, the house will be in order when son Dan and family arrive on the weekend.

3) I messaged with one of my nieces yesterday and it was all good news with her and hers! 🤗

This morning I awoke to a weird win…

I swear, since my Mother passed away in 2013, she communicates in music – music and hymns that I am vaguely familiar with. I woke up to this tune playing in my mind this morning. (?) Not my favourite but not the worst way to wake up. 😂

My Daily Food Diary win for the day…

Cutting back on restaurant meals and on using processed foods at home. We still get take out, eat out, and use some processed foods – but we have cut back a lot and Dan and I are both better off without the additives and extra salt and sugars. 👍

**Good, nourishing, and natural** (mostly)!

Daily Food Diary – Day 349

Breakfast:

(1l c coffee (2)

(1) granola bar (160)

Lunch:

(1) serving shepherds pie (340)

(5) hot chicken wings flats (156)

(60) Oz water

Supper:

(2) Harvest hotdogs (320)

(6) onion rings (150)

(8) tater tots (124)

(2) mozzarella cheese sticks (127)

(2) tbsp Dilly Dip (100)

Total consumed calories: 1479

Total used calories: 379

(30) min walking (137)

(30) min aerobics (171)

(30) min treadmill (71)

Total net calories: 1100

Net calories goal: 1208 – 1100 = 108 under 👍

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 345 of 365

December 12, 2025December 12, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 345 of my Daily Food Diary. 😉

My biggest win for today is that my pre-surgery clinic is behind me – including bloodwork, chest xray, EKG, and meeting with the anaesthesthesiologist.

It was two hours of fun-ness, but basically, I am hale and healthy (other than lung issues) and I got the all clear for surgery.

There were a few non wins –

1) This will not be the laproscopic surgery I was led to believe it would be – one hour full on slice and dice c/w opioids to follow and NO aerobics or light weights/cardio for six weeks. This will not be good for my lungs. 😢

2) When we went to the xray lab, we traveled down one lengthy hallway past a PCL construction work site. The site was an enclosed space, but it was vented into the hallway we were in. I am still coughing up a lung. 🤦‍♀️

3) In going over my overall general health issues with the anesthesiologist, I happened to hit on my and my family history of Ehlers Danlos/collagen issues. He believes I should go for a complete evaluation. I agree, but every doctor/nurse practitioner I have spoken to rolls their eyes and claims that collagen is nothing and I don’t get anywhere without a referral. So… that got a bit tense. But all in all, the anaesthesiologist was very nice and very calm (and calming). And while he asked that I discontinue all of my other vitamins & supplements (B12/D3/Lutein/Quercetin) until after the surgery on the 17th, he does want me to continue the collagen supplement I have been taking for the last six months – so that is a win of sorts.

For my December recap of my Daily Food Diary win of the day..

I am going to have to go with Martha’s advice to try collagen supplements. With zero undesirable side effects, these supplements have worked wonders for me – from joint stability, muscle strength, sinus and airway stability, healthier skin, nails, and hair, clear vision, better hearing and more! Thank you Martha for today’s HUGE WIN. 💗💗💗

Daily Food Diary – Day 345

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Honetnut Cheerios (147)

(1/4) c milk (28)

Lunch:

(1) Pork fried rice (290)

Snacks:

(2) coconut macaroons (220)

(1) 7 up (140)

Supper:

(1) c Campbell chicken noodle soup (120)

(5) soda crackers (63)

(1) tortilla wrap (170)

(2) Oz pillers shaved ham (57)

(1) slices havartii cheese (130)

(5) slices red onion (5)

Total consumed calories: 1372

Total used calories: 0

Total net calories: 1372

Net calories goal: 1208 – 1372 = 164 over 👎

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 344 of 365

December 11, 2025December 11, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 344 of my Daily Food Diary. 🤩

The win for my December Recap of my Daily Food Diary today is as simple and basic as they come – I started!

My main reason for starting this challenge was to get a handle on foods that were giving me grief and to eliminate them from my diet.

I decided the best way to do that would be to note everything that I consumed – for a full year. I figured the best way to keep myself accountable was to post these daily entries on my blog. Since it was mid December, it seemed to make sense to begin on January 1st.

It made sense until January 1st… our house was still filled with caramel corn, chocolates, nuts, and home baking. And.. I was facing a 365 DAY commitment.

But, you don’t get anywhere without taking that first step – so I started. As basic and simple as they come, but a BIG win for me!🎀

My real time/real life wins for the day today are also pretty basic:

1) I managed a relatively productive day yesterday, getting in three workouts, starting my Christmas baking, and making an early supper to get ready for Maddy’s band concert.

2) Attending Maddy’s band concert with daughter Jen. These events are so packed that we get there an hour early to get parking and seating, which made for some quality visiting time. The concert was excellent, as usual. I love that the teachers at O’Neil make these events ALL about the kids, showcasing their talent and their commitment to music. 💝

3) I was up at 6:30 this morning to drive Maddy to early morning band practice. Jen was at work at 6 so could not drive her, walking through their neighborhood, over ice and snow to O’Neil from their house before sunrise is a bit much.🙄 Plus, I got to see Maddy and get some extra driving in… Ok, I missed her school so we did a bit of touring around. She was still on time – with time you spare. Multiple wins!

4) Bonus win.. I made plans with granddaughter Prim to do more Christmas baking this weekend!

Daily Food Diary -Day 344

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(3) eggo waffles (270)

(2) tsp butter (68)

(3) tbsp maple syrup (157)

(2) slices bacon (87)

Snacks:

(48) Oz water

(15) Lays chips (218)

(1) almond roca (67)

Supper:

(2) c pork fried rice (580)

(1) butter tart (230)

Total consumed calories: 1679

Total used calories: 379

(30) min walking (137)

(30) min aerobics (171)

(30) min treadmill (71)

Total net calories: 1300

Net calories goal: 1208 – 1300 = 91 over 👎

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 341 of 365

December 8, 2025December 8, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

This is Day 341 of my Daily Food Diary. 🤗

Today is December 8th – another day closer to meeting my goal of maintaining and posting 365 consecutive days of my Daily Food Diary.

It is also another day to count my Daily Food Diary wins from the past eleven months. Today’s win is….

All of the love and support that I have received from my WordPress/Jetpack friends, acquaintances, and random visitors this year. I appreciate all of your kind words, encouragement, advice, and feedback more than I can express in words alone.

Dwight, from http://fadedjeansliving.com thank you for taking the time and effort to run ChatGBT through my 2025 blogs and sending me the list of 100 notable wins that were compiled. That was above and beyond! Thank you for being my friend and thank you for sharing your technical savy! 💓🤗

For my general real life win of the day today…

Our temperature was a bit milder this morning, so I joined Dan and Molly for our morning walk. For whatever reason, Dan and I both struggled to breathe. The last couple of blocks took some self-talk on my part. I just kept repeating “one step closer to stronger, healthier lungs”. EVERY STEP! Dan and I both made the distance, so persistence for the win ! 👍

Daily Food Diary – Day 341

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) eggs (160)

(2) slices bacon (87)

(2) potato patties (240)

(1) sm tomato (11)

Snacks:

(1) Oz Amaretto (110)

(36) Oz water

Supper:

(12) Oz carbonated water

(2) eggrolls (360)

(2) tsp plum sauce (12)

(2) chicken stripe (240)

(1 1/2) Oz rifles (74)

(1) tbsp Dilly Dip (50)

(4) gyoza (133)

(2) tsp gyoza dipping sauce (133)

Total consumed calories: 1489

Total used calories: 242

(30) min aerobics (171)

(30) min treadmill (71)

Total net calories: 1247

Net calories goal: 1208 – 1247 = 38 over 👎

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

**I miss my December PEACE** **sign but that was back a couple of years ago – when I was still chunky and Molly was still in her wood eating phase**.

Daily Food Diary – Day 339 of 365

December 6, 2025December 6, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is the 339th day of my Daily Food Diary! 😁

Recently, I have been noting my daily WINS. With the full moon finally behind us, it would appear that things are finally starting to line up for me again.

Yes, I am still booked for surgery on the 17th and NO I am not happy about that, however..

1) Yesterday, I stayed under my daily calorie goal and I did my walk with Dan and Molly, plus my aerobics, plus 30 minutes on the treadmill. 👍

2) This morning, I walked with Dan and Molly – Minus 19° Celsius (- 2.2 F) feels like Minus 26° Celsius (-14.8F) and I made the full route with very mild breathing trouble. YAY!

3) I received a text from our DIL Amanda this morning. They will be here from the 21st to the 24th to celebrate an early Christmas with us. They stay at a hotel when they are in Regina, but we host their two little dogs for the duration.

It was a bit of a doggy free for all when they were younger, but things are calming down as we get past the puppy years – and Molly loves the company.

Dan is gone shopping, which brings me to my Daily Food Diary WIN!

Dan does virtually all of our shopping. Since I have become more mindful of what I eat, we have both become more engaged with the shopping process and it has brought about a new level of communication between us. We discuss our menu and Dan has educated both of us when it comes to ingredients in prepared foods that we buy. He has read a LOT of labels and eliminated or changed a number of products that we used to buy. In the process, he has also become much more mindful of what he eats. In this way, my Daily Food Diary has become OUR Daily Food Diary WIN.

Daily Food Diary – Day 339

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Cheerios (147)

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

Lunch:

(1) chicken drumsticks (121)

(10) Lays lightly salted ripple chips (70)

(48) Oz water

Supper:

(1) 6 Oz ground beef burger on sourdough bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon, & horseradish (785)

(1/2) c brown beans (123)

(1) Almond Roca (70)

Total consumed calories: 1346

Total used calories: 379

(30) min walking (137)

(30) min aerobics (171)

(30) min treadmill (71)

Total net calories: 967

Net calories goal: 1208 – 967= 242 under 👍

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

**We dont have this level of snow yet this year but I am modeling the same fashion sense nonetheless 😬**

Daily Food Diary – Day 338 of 365

December 5, 2025December 5, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 338 of my Daily Food Diary. 👍

Recently, I have been trying to recognize and appreciate the wins in my daily life. I was anticipating my annual December funk and thought this would help me to keep my emotions and stress in check. It was going fairly well, too.

And now..it isn’t.

For ten months I have been waiting for a hernia repair. This morning surgical booking called with a date.

December 17th .... not a good date for me historically and four years to the day since my last hernia surgery (which failed).

I am going to have to ramp up the wins if I am going to get through this without having a massive asthma attack heading into the operating room.

Anyway, back to the wins… this morning I did an aerobics workout that I had never done before.

**Apparently the one and only video on YouTube Tube that cannot be shared but worth looking for if you need a good workout!** 😊

My December Daily Food Diary roundup win for today is a timely one…

While I started this Food Diary to improve my physical wellness, I learned how much my diet could improve (or destroy) my mental and emotional wellbeing. That being said, I am looking forward to a heaping helping of comfort food for supper.

Daily Food Diary – Day 338

Breakfast:

(1) coffee (2)

(1) plain paratha (240)

(2) tbsp peanut butter (105)

(1) tbsp jam (50)

Snacks:

(2/3) c maple walnut ice cream (198)

(2) tbsp chocolate sauce (105)

(1/8) c planters dry roasted peanuts (162)

Supper:

(1) Garden salad (367)

(2) Chicken drumsticks (242)

(1) Rootbeer (170)

Total consumed calories: 1640

Total used calories: 71

(30) min treadmill (71)

Total net calories: 1569

Net calories goal: 1208 – 1569 = 360 over

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 336 of 365

December 3, 2025December 4, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 336 of my Daily Food Diary! 💥

I am three days into my Food Diary recap. As I have mentioned regularly, this challenge was never about losing weight, however in February I decided to up my effort by counting calories. This led to 3 distinct wins!

1) I did lose a total of 12 pounds in 2025

2) Terry from http://radicallyretired.com, a friend that I have made here on Jetpack introduced me to Lose It! an app that has been very educational and extremely helpful in maintaining my Daily Food Diary.

3) Counting calories was far more interesting and educational that I thought it would be.

I thought I had a pretty good handle on portion control (I didn’t). I was comparing the portions I ate versus those that others ate – like my 220 lb husband, who until recently worked 13 hour, 24/7 shifts in a steel pipe plant. 🤦‍♀️

I also thought I had foods figured out calorie wise..

Salad was good… until I put salad dressing, sesame seeds, or cheese on it.

Nuts are good for you – until you look at the calories in them! (Salt and saturated fats add to the mayhem)

Sugar has tons of calories..not really, but sugar seriously ramps up my appetite so leads to a revolving door of calories

Chicken is low in calories – unless like me you like the dark meat skin on. That is where they hide the calories but that is also where the collagen is – so I have to balance that one.

Anyway, counting calories takes time but I would definitely recommend it, especially if one is trying to lose weight.

I am super late posting today. I didn’t forget to post, we were just out and about so I did not have time to post …walking Molly, running errands, doing a bit of shopping, having lunch at The Canadian Brewpub – which was win Number 1 today. Neither of us had brew but Dan’s chicken wings looked delicious and my taco salad was amazing.

**Paying our annual house insurance was painful, but I did score a new fridge calendar for win Number 2.**

Daily Food Diary – Day 336

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) Denver wrap (537)

Snacks:

(1/8) c peanuts (162)

Supper:

(1) Manwich bun (811)

(8) lightly salted lays chips (116)

(1/2) Oz chip dip (20)

Total consumed calories: 1648

Less calories used: 337

(30) min. walking (137)

(35) min aerobics (200)

Net total calories: 1311

Net calories goal: 1208 – 1311 = 103 over 👎

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 332 0f 365

November 29, 2025November 29, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 332 of my Daily Food Diary. 😚

This morning, Facebook sent me a ‘memory’ of the last Christmas tree we had. That was FOUR years ago. That was not a memorable Christmas Season, nor was it a memorable Christmas tree – at least not in a good way.

The tree was perfect, in every sparkly way – until we realized it came complete with a family of shrews. A big family – and they were indestructible, cocky, bizarre little creatures. They lived with us for months before the last of them moved out in the spring.

I am so glad that life has turned around and that we are at a place where I can count my wins each and every day!

**#1 – Our first REAL snow of the season.** **I declined to walk Molly solo this morning, but I did go outside with her to clean our walks and paths around our patios**.

#2 – I did laundry, including the living room blankets. A win for me because it didn’t bother my lungs AT ALL to spend time in our basement. (Dan has been doing the laundry because it had gotten to be such a struggle for me.) 😊

**#3 – A win for Molly – Dan had to run over to a friend’s, so he took Molly to meet Tucker, their young Labradoodle.** 😁

#4 – Yesterday, I finally hit the trifecta – a walk with Molly, time on the treadmill, and a session with light weights and cardio. 👍

Daily Food Diary – Day 332

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) paratha (240)

(1) tbsp peanut butter (105)

(1) tbsp jam (50)

Lunch:

(1) Harvest hot dog (160)

(10) Lays lightly salted chips (1=5)

(1/2) Oz onion dip (20)

Supper:

(2) servings nachos with ground turkey, red pepper, jalapeños, olives, green onions, shredded habanero cheese. Salsa (865)

Total consumed calories: 1587

Total used calories: 280

(30) min walking (137)

(30) min treadmill (71)

(30) min light weights (71)

Total net calories: 1307

Net calories goal: 1208 – 1307 = 99 over

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 329 of 365

November 26, 2025November 26, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 329 of my Daily Food Diary! 😆

This morning we woke up to find our city shrouded in fog. That seems to be the norm lately, more often that not. I am not loving the high humidity, as it is one thing that triggers my asthma – and the one thing that I cannot control.

Staying indoors does help, but it is 11 AM and the fog is still hanging on.

Molly is not a happy camper. Dan’s back went out a couple of days ago. The pain is easing off but he is not ready to take Molly for her walk. It will be on me again, but we won’t get far if this fog does not ease up.

**There is nothing sadder than a sad Pyrenees 😔**

Other than the fog (and Dan’s back issue) , all is relatively well. I have a couple of more wins to celebrate…

1) Yesterday, for the second day in a row I put together a passable healthy lunch for myself – raw vegetables, bacon, and crackers.

2) Plus, I got in two workouts on top of my walk with Molly yesterday – light weights and treadmill

Also, not really a win for me, but definitely something to appreciate… I have spoken to granddaughter Genie. If Grandpa is still struggling on the weekend, she will be able to detour out of her way and drive Maddy for work. It is so nice that they are sisters, workmates, and the best of friends!

**Genie training Maddy on the first day** **of her first job. (March 2024)** 💞

Daily Food Diary – Day 329

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) Granola bar (160)

Lunch:

(2) slices thick cut bacon (170)

(2 1/4) c raw vegetables (37)

(2) tbsp Dilly Dip (100)

(14) crackers (128)

(48) Oz water

Supper:

(1) c cream of mushroom soup (200)

(1) Pan fried Ham, cheese, and onion wrap (382)

(2/3) maple walnut ice cream with chocolate sauce (303)

Total consumed calories: 1483

Total used calories: 280

(30) min walking (137)

(30) min treadmill (71)

(30) min light weights (71)

Total net calories: 1203

Net calories goal: 1208 – 1203 = 5 under 👍

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 323 of 365

November 20, 2025November 20, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

This is Day 323 of my Daily Food Diary. 323 Days in and this is the closest I have come to missing posting my blog. 😳

Our humidity was finally down this morning, so I joined Dan and Molly for a walk. We stopped at the dog park for a while so Molly got in a good run with her friends, but set us back a bit.

We got home and I did some poo cleanup in the yard, fed the squirrels, brought in the mail, and had a bath. By then, I was just all sorts of off track for the day.

It has been almost five months since I started taking collagen supplements. I have seen a number of benefits and a few changes in my health/body that I wasn’t expecting.

The weirdest change could be to my hands. They feel a little better and they are stronger, but they also look different!

**They look kind of alien- ish and the color is off (seriously difficult to take pictures of my own hands) but my veins (or arteries?) are almost gone. The left side photos were taken in July.**

I have been noticing the change for a few months. Whatever is going on, my blood pressure and pulse are fine. 🤷‍♀️

Daily Food Diary – Day 323

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1/4) c milk (28)

(1) c brown sugar Shreddies (210)

Lunch:

(2/3) c chicken broth (10)

(3/4) c Hamburger Helper Lasagna (210)

Snacks:

(1) tbsp honey (40)

(10) Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips (200)

Supper:

(1) Hungry Man Chicken Dinner (520)

(1) extra brownie (50)

Total consumed calories: 1360

Total used calories: 174

(30) min aerobics (174)

Total net calories: 1186

Net calories goal: 1208 – 1186 = 22 under 👎

That’s it for today. TAKE CARE AND HAVE A GREAT DAY! 😊💖