Tag: active living

Daily Food Diary – Day 101 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 101 days since I began my 365 Day Daily Food Diary. 

This month I have been tracking the sodium and processed sugar that I consume each  day.   Eleven days in, I should know better than to assume that I have any idea how much sodium or processed sugar there is in something BEFORE I decide to eat it. 

Unfortunately, once again I have proven that I obviously do not know better  yet  – and my assumptions continue to be my diet downfall.   Today’s fail…. 1135 mg of sodium in ONE Paratha! That is almost half a teaspoon of salt in one 7″ flat bread.  (2300 mg/ teaspoon) How is that even possible?   I need to start reading the complete Nutritional Value Label on foods before I eat – anything.   🤦

I made one good decision yesterday.  I chose a really good aerobic workout yesterday morning.  It was a full 42 minutes long and it was intense.  Fortunately, Dan came home with groceries when I was at the halfway point so I had to take a break to help him put them away.    😋

Daily Food Diary – Day 101

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2) (4.7 mg)

(2) eggs (160) (140 mg)

(1 1/2) oz ham (54) (46.8 mg)

(1/4) c green onions (10)

(1) tsp olive oil (40)

(1) potato patty (120) (210 mg)

Snacks:

(1) c Licorice tea

(58) oz water

Supper:

(2) c chilli with ground beef & beans (524) (600 mg)

(1) plain paratha (240) (1135mg) (2)

(1/2) Dill pickle (4) (324 mg) (.5 g)

(2) oz shredded cheese (208) (416mg)

Total net calories: 1078

Calorie Goal: 1269 – 1078 = 192 under 👍

Total Sodium: 2876.5 mg

Sodium goal: 1500 – 2300 mg 😕

Total Processed Sugar:  2.5 grams

Processed Sugar Goal: < 25 grams 👍

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

Flowers Dan bought me yesterday to celebrate completing 100 DAYS of my 365 Day Daily Food Diary. 💞

Daily Food Diary – Day 99 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Day 99 of my Daily Food Diary and I am still here!  For those who have been checking in on a regular basis, I am happy that you are here and I do appreciate your ongoing support and encouragement. 💞

Our weather continues to improve, our snow and ice continue to melt, and our yard, sidewalks, and parks have deteriorated into mud.

Before we got Molly, I read a LOT about having a Pyrenees.  It wasn’t all flattering, but I was impressed that they have ‘self cleaning’ fur.  That was a big selling point for me.  I was so impressed, I missed the part that explained that these massive, hairy, white dogs will walk, roll, and plow through every bit of mud and crud that they can find and then ‘self clean’ by coming in the house and rubbing themselves against every piece of furniture and fabric that they can reach.  (Molly can reach anything she wants to rub against, around, or over. 😳)

Fortunately, Dan went out and bought Molly a new brush yesterday.  This thing is magical.  I brushed her for half an hour last night and I was amazed.  Not only did it remove mud, tree branches, dead grass  and the like, but it removed a waste basket full of fine undercoat – and did it without filling the air, house, my clothes etc. with those fine little hairs that are generally impossible to control.

Molly’s magical new brush. 😁
There is still some work to do but she is looking pretty presentable 👍

Daily Food Diary – Day 99

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2) (4.7 mg)

(1) Bran muffin (148 mg) (14 grams)

(2) tsp butter (69) (63.3) mg

Lunch:

(2) chicken drumsticks (152) (291 mg)

Snacks:

(48) oz water

(1) c Cinnamon tea

(1/2) pear (52)

(14)  raspberries (14)

(6) mini Easter eggs (85) (10 mg) (14 grams)

(4) oz Sunflower Seeds (265) (225 mg)

Supper:

(2) c macaroni & cheese (320)(453.2mg)          (2 grams)

(4) oz minute steak w/seasoning salt & pepper, pan fried in olive oil (346) (190 mg)

(1/2) c mushrooms (fried with steak) (22)

(1) asparagus spears w/ butter, salt & pepper (67) (10.4) mg

Total net calories: 1357

Calorie goal: 1269 – 1357 = 88 over 🙄

Total Sodium:  1823.6 mg

Sodium goal: 1500 to 2300 mg 🙂

Total Processed Sugar: 30 grams

Processed sugar goal: <25 grams 🙄

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

Daily Food Diary –  Day 98 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

This is my 98th day of posting my Daily Food Diary.   That is a full 14 weeks.  🙌  It is a pretty solid habit by now.  One that I should be able to easily maintain,  moving forward. 😃

Staying committed to living  a healthy active lifestyle can be reasonably easy, if we build solid habits along the way.

Building good habits has been relatively easy when it comes to diet, activity, and developing  healthy sleep conditions.

Building good habits to develop stress management has been more difficult for me.  Chronic lung issues cause stress and stress exasperates lung issues.  (I think that is  true of any chronic health issues,  whether the issues are breathing difficulties, pain, heart palpitations…)

Fortunately, I have developed one habit that has helped me with healthy stress management.

Over a year ago, I started listening to You Tube meditations when I go to bed.  I have found countless guided meditations, nature meditations, musical meditations, etc.   The biggest issue I had was falling asleep wearing ear buds –  never ended well!

Fortunately my daughter, suggested trying  a soft sleep headphones product.  That was a gamechanger for me!

I didn’t put in a link as I use the Canadian Amazon site.  These are relatively inexpensive – about ($30. CDN) and well worth the price from my experience.

Daily Food Diary – Day 98

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2) (4.7)

(1) Bran Muffin (148) (264) (14)

(2) tsp butter (69) (63.3)

Lunch:

(3) oz Ground turkey (126) (49.3)

(1/4) taco seasoning (3) (93.3)

Snacks:

(40) oz water

(1) c licorice tea

(1/6) c dill pickle peanuts (149) (193) (1)

(1/6) c bbq corn nuts (115) (170) (.5)

Supper:

(2) chicken drumsticks w/seasoning & baked w/ olive oil   (231) (291)

(4) onion rings (180) (480)

(1) c green beans w/butter & pepper (78)

(7) oz French fries (280) (397)

(3) Mozza sticks (156) (246) (1)

Total Net Calories: 1320

Calorie goal: 1269 – 1320 = 50 over 😳

Total Sodium: 2251.6 mg

Daily sodium goal: 1500 to 2300 mg 👍

Total Processed sugar:  16.5 grams

Daily processed sugar goal: < 25 grams 👍

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 94 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 94 days since I started keeping my Daily Food Diary and making a serious effort to become a mindful eater.

This month, I am working on tracking and reducing my salt and processed sugar consumption – while still tracking my overall calories.   Yesterday, I hit the trifecta reaching all three goals that I was aiming for.  Yay me! 

Our weather is improving which is definitely going to help me reach some non food goals – especially the fresh air and exercise.  Yesterday, Dan, Molly, and  I took our longest walk  this year. We stayed in our neighborhood.  It isn’t the nice smooth paths that we have in our park walks, and the scenery is lacking.  There is traffic, streets to cross, and more people – so it is good for getting Molly acclimatized to more and different distractions.

Molly is getting better on our walks.  I have been taking her leash more and more often – and for longer periods.  Yesterday she did great.  We had one busy street to cross, so I made her sit for a break in the traffic.  She sat like a champ for a good two to three minutes! (We were at a crosswalk but back from the street as we didn’t want to disrupt the flow of traffic). 

Molly did have one moment yesterday.  I was distracted by the uneven sidewalk (ie trying not to trip and faceplant). Molly saw two teenagers sitting at a bus stop with their backs towards us.  Molly, stopped suddenly stuck her head in the bus shelter  and booped one of the young guys with her nose.  No harm done, but the poor guy jumped about a foot off the bench.

“She’s just friendly!” 🤦

Food Diary:

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2) (4.7 mg)

(2) Potato patties (240) (420 mg)

(3) sl bacon (300) (645 mg)

Snacks:

(1) c Tumeric Tea

(6) mini Easter eggs (85) (10 mg) (14 g)

(36) oz water

Supper:

(3) oz minced turkey (111) (85 mg)

(1) tbsp taco seasoning (40) (280 mg)

(25) Low salt tortilla chips (260) (80 mg) (1g)

(1/2) c Habanero cheese (165) (315 mg)

(1/2) c red onions (32) (3.2 mg)

(5) black olives (18) (140 mg)

(1/2) c red pepper (23) (3 mg)

(1) jalapeno (4) (.1 mg)

(2) tbsp salsa (19) (273 mg)

Total Net Calories: 1109

Calories goal: 160 under 👍

Total Sodium: 2260 mg

Sodium goal: 1500 to 2300 mg 👍

Total Processed Sugar: 15 grams

Processed Sugar: 25 grams 👍

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 89

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It has been 89 Days since I started my Daily Food Diary.  Some days look better than others. 

This one missed the mark. I went over on calories and I went under on protein.  But, if I average the calories and the protein for the past week, it does average out.  And if I take a panoramic view of how I am doing lately, I am not disappointed.

I have been working at improving my water intake.  I was drifting back to my pre diary days for a while, so have been working on a correction there.  I have also been foregoing the carbonated water for regular filtered water.   I read lately that carbonated water is not recommended for people like me, with lung issues. We will see if this helps.

With the cold wind finally dying down, Dan and Molly, and I went walking yesterday.  We stayed in our neighbourhood, traveling down sidewalks that are still covered with ice ruts, snow, and water.   It doesn’t relate well to what I can claim for calories burnt but it is walking, at a slow pace, all stumbling and sliding aside.  One doesn’t get credit for staying upright for the duration – or for the fresh air that helps my lungs.

I have been sleeping well, using my soft headphones to listen to sleep meditations when I go to bed at night. 

And I have been making progress with my stress and anxiety management, which is huge for controlling my asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis.

Overall, my life is pretty good, and I am doing a pretty solid job of managing my health and wellness.  Candy coated Easter eggs aside… And spoiler alert, if you thought that matrimonial cake went on forever, don’t hold your breath waiting for me to polish off my JUMBO bag of Easter Eggs. 🙄

Food Diary – Day 89

Breakfast:

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

(1) fried leftover baked potato (139) (3.7)

(2) eggs (160) (14)

(3) sm. Slices bacon (130) (8.9)

(1) tsp olive oil (79)

(3) tsp butter (103) (.1)

Snacks:

(1) c Lemon Ginger tea

(27) Old Dutch salt & vinegar chips (250) (2)

(1/2) Cup Sunflower seeds – (120) (4)

(6) candy coated mini Easter Eggs (85) (2.4)

(48) oz water

Supper:

(1) 8 oz bowl Cream of Asparagus Soup (278) (15.3)

(5) soda crackers

Total calories: 1409

Less 75 calories (walking) = 1334 Calories

Daily Goal: 1269 calories – 1334 = 65 OVER

Total Protein: 51.1 grams

Protein Goal: 46-58.5 grams

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 83 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It has been 83 days since I began keeping and posting my Daily Food Diary.   It has been 3 years and 10 days since I began my health and fitness lifestyle.

Nowadays,   I keep plugging along with my efforts, always with a quiet appreciation for how far I have come and how many benefits I have received from living a healthier more active life.

Then there are days like yesterday! While I have washed our Jeep on occasion, it is generally one of those chores that Dan handles.  Yesterday, I decided it was my turn. 

I headed down to a self-serve carwash ready to do battle.   Half an hour later, I was heading home with a sparkly clean Jeep.  Not only did I do a great job, best job ever – but there was no battle.  I sprayed the pre-soak, used the foamy brush to scrub down the Jeep top to bottom, sprayed it all down with more soapy spray, and gave it a thorough rinse.  

I came home, did my aerobic workout, had a granola bar AND headed down to Wascana Lake for a walk with Dan and Molly.

There was a time (3 years ago) when I thought that being a flabby, clumsy old  wimp, that having asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis, that being sick and weak and miserable, that struggling every day was who I was.  

It was.   But three years later,  I am stronger and happier and healthier than I ever could have imagined.  And some days that is just so beyond  exciting!   😁

Daily Food Diary – Day 83

Breakfast:

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

(1) c Raisin Bran Crunch (190) (3)

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

Lunch:

(24) oz water

(1) Granola Bar (160) (3)

Snacks:

(1) c green tea

(25) Lay’s Classic Potato Chips(160) (2)

Supper:

(1) c white rice (242) (4.4)

(2) tbsp soya sauce (30) (2)

(3) sm. Chicken drumsticks(300) (30.5)

(1) tsp olive oil (40)

(10) asparagus spears (33) (3.6)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(5) pcs cucumber (4) (.2)

(1/2) med. Tomato (11) (.5)

Total Calories: 1237

Less 126 Calories for 30 min. aerobics

Less 85 Calories for 37 min walking

Net Calories: 1026

Daily net calorie goal 1269 calories

1269 – 1026 =  243 calories under for the day

Total Protein: 51.2 Grams

Protein goal for per day: 46 to 58.5 grams per day

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

Happy Birthday to our newest teenager PrimRose! We love you and wish the best for you – ALWAYS! 💞🎂

Daily Food Diary – Day 82 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 82 days since I started my Daily Food Diary.   With the arrival of spring, we have been getting out and about a lot more.

I love the fresh air and the opportunity to get out walking the trails around Regina.  My only issue is that the more time I spend outside, the more calories I and protein I am consuming. 

Reaching my ultimate weight goal, isn’t my biggest concern.  However,  I have to start working on scaling back or I will be heading in the wrong direction.  That will be my focus for this week…. scaling back. ☺️

On yesterday’s walk, I stopped to take a couple of pics of the flowing creek. 
I told Dan & Molly to go ahead and I would catch up. 
* Nobody tells Dan or Molly what to do.  ☺️

Daily Food Diary – Day 82

Breakfast:

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

(3) PC back bacon (52) (12)

(2) Scramble Eggs (212) (14.8)

(2) Potato Patties (240) (2)

Snacks:

(1) c tea

(25) BBQ potato chips (230) (.2)

(36) oz water

Supper:

(12) oz carbonated water

(6) Pierogies (330) (9)

(1) tbsp onion chip dip (45)

(2) oz Drake Sausage (190) (16)

(1) sm side salad (230) (7.8)

(2/3) c Butter Pecan Ice cream with caramel & chocolate syrup and pecans (381) (3.6)

Total Calories: 1913

Total Protein: 67.5 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 80 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I am 80 days into my 365 day Daily Food Diary.  There’s only 285 more days to go before I will have to find something else to do first thing every morning.  With my hernia repair hopefully behind me, I am considering upping my daily activity by starting a 365 day Daily Workout Diary. 💪

Right now,  I am maintaining my morning aerobics.  I have been doing You Tube aerobic workouts for over two years now.  While the results have been subtle, they have been there.  I have lost +30 pounds, toned up my body, improved my lung function and  increased my stamina.  I have also  noticed a major improvement in my flexibility and balance – two things that are of major importance as I will soon be in my seventies.  Being able to move forward easily and confidently, is a huge win!

Dan, Molly, and I have also been out doing more walking, with the official arrival of spring this week.  I love walking and  spending dedicated time with Dan and Molly. 

I am looking forward to getting back to more strength training, once my repair is done.  Working with weights – even light weights is important to maintaining muscle and bones.  

I am still looking at  moving outside of my comfort zone and trying some of the  professional workout facilities around the city.   We have a variety of gyms, indoor tracks, climbing walls, trampoline parks… and more.  A Daily Workout Diary – especially one that I posted on here – would definitely give me the incentive to get out and do it.   Hmmm…

Daily Food Diary – Day 80

Breakfast:

1 c coffee (2) (.3)

1 c Cheerios (147) (2.7)

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

Snacks:

(2) pc Matrimonial Cake (278) (2)

(1) c Licorice Tea

(1/2) c Sunflower Seeds -inc shell (120) (4)

(26) oz water

Supper:

(4) oz Drake Sausage (380) (32)

(1/2) c Sauerkraut (20)

(7) Cheemo Pierogies (385) (10.5)

(1) tbsp Butter (103) (.1)

(1) med. Onion (46) (1.4)

(2) tbsp onion chip dip (45) (2)

(12) oz carbonated water

Total Calories:  1557

Total Protein: 57 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 74 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 74 days since I headed down this rabbit hole of tracking and posting everything I consume each day. 

Some days, I impress myself.  Some days, not so much!  Yesterday would be  ‘not so much’.

First off, there was the lack of any fruit and very little vegetables.  There was nothing in the fresh fruit or vegetable category.  I have noticed for the past three months that I haven’t been eating much fruit or vegetables – fresh or otherwise.  I do eat a lot of both in the summer but I am going to have to start working  on the other nine months of the year.

Second, this month I have been tracking my protein intake.  It is almost always higher than I would have thought.  Yesterday, I set a dubious record. I did a particularly intense aerobics workout yesterday morning  AND I went outside to get some fresh air yesterday afternoon. While I was outside, I shovelled the snow off of all of our walks, broke up and cleared away some ice, and I did my deep breathing exercises to clear my lungs.  Maybe I needed all that protein? 🤔

I have made progress on the quality of my snacks.  I have cut back on potato chips and that Root Beer that has been sitting on the little table in the porch taunting me is still there.

I have decided  that in April  I am going to track my processed sugar consumption. A woman is supposed to limit her daily sugar consumption to 25 GRAMS.   With that Root Beer weighing in at a hefty 46 GRAMS, it might be sitting there until we go to stay with Lucas and Cason in a few weeks.   They are active enough to burn off a little extra sugar. 👍

Cason & Lucas with their big sister Gabby

Food Diary – Day 74

Breakfast

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

(1) c Shreddies (200) (6)

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

(1) tsp sugar (16)

Snack:

(1) c Lemon Ginger Tea

(24) oz water

Supper:

(10) chicken wing flats (425) (46)

(1) tbsp Extra Hot Frank’s Sauce

(3) Egg rolls (225) (3)

(4) Riblets (74) (12)

(12) oz carbonated water

Total Calories: 1356

Total Protein:  94 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 69 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I have been recording and posting everything that I consume for the past sixty nine days.   Being mindful of every single thing that I eat is a bit challenging, less so as time goes on.   Being mindful that everything I eat (at least at mealtimes), also affects what Dan eats, is slightly more challenging.  It isn’t that much of an issue.  Having been married for almost twenty six years, we have worked out meal plans that work for both of us.

Then there is Molly!

Molly is fed Blue Buffalo dog food, two cups twice a day – plus the occasional dog treat, popcorn, or nut.  For the past several months, we have been putting one Omega gel cap in with her morning food.   Molly would get up every morning, head outside to do her business, walk the perimeter of our yard to make sure everything was in order, and come back in the house to snarf down her breakfast – including the Omega. 

A few days ago, Molly decided that she was offended by the Omega gel cap.  She would balk at eating her food, take the Omega out and place it on a small mat, and finally eat her food.  THEN, she decided she could not eat until she removed the offending gel cap AND we dumped her food and replaced it with fresh, non Omega tainted food.

This week, Molly will eat her breakfast AND her Omega, BUT only if she sees Dan putting her food and the Omega into her bowl.

Trying to improve my eating habits, and Dan’s by default,  has its challenges.   Living with a Pyrenees – and feeding one, these days, takes that challenge to a  whole new level. 🤦

Food Diary – Day 69

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)  (.3)

(1) c Honeynut Cheerios (147) (2.7)

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

Snacks:

(24) oz water

(1) c Tumeric Tea

(2) pc’s  matrimonial cake (278) (2)

Supper:

(12) oz carbonated water

(1/2) c brown beans (300) (20)

(3) Pork Spare Ribs  (300) (16)

(1) Side salad with dressing and dried fried onions  (180) (7.7)

(20) oz water (after supper)

Total calories: 1238

Total Protein: 50.7 grams

Daily goal for protein: 46 to 58.5 grams

* The recipe I used for the matrimonial cake called for Maple Syrup instead of sugar, plus it omitted the lemon juice,  in the date filling.  I am not sure why it would need Maple Syrup or sugar with dates.  We didn’t notice the difference in taste using the Maple Syrup, but I certainly missed the lemon juice! 

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