Tag: aerobics

Daily Food Diary – Day 292 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, 2025

Today is Day 292 of my Daily Food Diary! 🌟

We had a nice quiet weekend.  Husband Dan  was a bit under the weather, but he was back on his feet by the time Maddy was ready to be picked up from work yesterday.

Not her work uniform 😂

Like all the grands, Maddy enjoys her time with Grandpa.  When she called to ask if she could get a ride yesterday morning, she made an effort not to sound disappointed when I told her I would be picking her up.  But, when she called to say she was done work and ready to go, she did not do as well at hiding her excitement when I told her Grandpa was on his way. 😂

To be fair, Grandpa does take a quicker route, let’s her drive home, waits while she runs in to change, AND THEN let’s her drive over to her friend’s house, before he comes home.  🙄

Number 1 Grandpa 💖

Today starts a new week.  I have decided that Monday, Wednesday, and Friday will be for aerobics and light weights (8 pounders!) and Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday will be aerobics and treadmill.

Aerobics will always be a solid part of my daily workouts.  The routines that I do help to clear my lungs, are good for balance and flexibility.  Apparently, a lot of people with chronic lung disease cannot lift their arms over their heads.  While that was a struggle for me at one time, I have overcome it and plan to keep it that way.

Plus these routines are just a great way to start the day. 😁

Weights workouts – light or not,  are great at any age but more important than ever as we age.  They provide multiple benefits but helping us to maintain muscle strength and bone density is reason enough for me to keep doing them.

Time on the treadmill (and morning walks with Dan and Molly) are great for cardio vascular health and lung function – which is always my top priority. 

I only take one full day off a week (Sunday), but my favourite day of the week is still  Monday, when I  get back to my weekly workout routine.   😁

Daily Food Diary – Day 292

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) eggs (160)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(2) potato patties (240)

(2) slices bacon (87)

Snacks:

(36) oz water

(9) wine gums (158)

Supper:

(12) oz carbonated water

(9) chicken hot wing flats (383)

(1) Caesar salad (250)

Total consumed calories: 1336

Total used calories: 111

(1) hour food prep/cook (111)

Total net calories: 1225

Net calories goal: 1229-1225 = 4 under 👍

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 281 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 281 of my Daily Food Diary! 🥳

Monday (October 13th) is our Canadian Thanksgiving.  Being the overachievers that we are, we are celebrating today! (Ok, some of us work this weekend so this just works better for our family.)  🙄

Dan and I started the day off early this morning with a walk for Molly.  I stopped enroute at Dollarama for a few things  that I needed.  Dan has already been back there plus he has made a trip to Superstore because I forgot we would need asparagus and corn yesterday when he did the last minute shopping. 🤦

I have the lemon meringue and pumpkin pies made, the turkey is stuffed and cooking, the ham is cooked and sliced, and Dan is in the process of making cabbage rolls.

Not picture perfect – but made with love! (Which is the most important ingredient)

I still have lots of food prep and setting up to go, plus my aerobics and treadmill – so best get back to work! 😊

Daily Food Diary – Day 281

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1 3/4) c Cheerios (249)

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

Lunch:

(2) potato patties (240)

(1) tomato (22)

(3) slices back bacon (52)

Snacks:

(1) c hot lemon water

(1/2) c beef broth (16)

Supper:

(4 1/2) oz baked ham (163)

(1 1/2) c potato au gratin (300)

(3/4) c corn (105)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(1) side salad (253)

Total consumed calories: 1465

Total used calories: 302

(30) min walking (53)

(30) min aerobics (176)

(30) min light weights (73)

Total net calories: 1163

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1163 = 66 under 👍

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 280 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 280 of my Daily Food Diary! 🤩

I am running later than ever this morning, but feeling much better than yesterday. 

I started my day by taking  Molly for her walk solo.  While some of our garden plants took a hit from the frost earlier this week, it is amazing how green the grass and trees are around here. 

Molly and I walked around  the baseball diamonds across the street, before heading onto our regular route.  The entire park was as fresh and green as it was in June.  That is not at all typical for October in Saskatchewan!  But I will take it as long as it lasts.

The rest of my day will revolve around cooking our ham and baking pies for our Thanksgiving supper tomorrow. 

Some of the leaves are changing color on our street – but they are still on the trees.  Our lawn is looking better than it has all summer. 🙂

Daily Food Diary – Day 280

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(3) cinnamon eggos (330)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(2) tbsp Maple Syrup (104)

(2) slices bacon (87)

Lunch:

(1) c beef broth (31)

Snacks:

(1/3) c mixed nuts (216)

Supper:

(3) c Beef Stew (552)

(3/4) c Maple walnut ice cream (225)

(2) tbsp caramel sauce (105)

(1/8) c chopped walnuts (96)

Total consumed calories: 1782

Total used calories: 287

(30) min walking (53)

(30) min aerobics (176)

(30) min treadmill (59)

Total net calories: 1495

Net calories goal: 1229 – 1495 = 265 over 👎

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

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 45 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Yesterday was the first day of Year Four of my health and fitness lifestyle.  🎊🎈🎊

45 days ago, I began noting and posting everything I consume from one day to the next.   Meeting my nutritional needs (and breaking unhealthy eating habits) is just part of this lifestyle that I am creating for myself, but one I am ready to tackle.

There are three other major parts of this equation.  

The first part, and the first step I took to  improve my lifestyle was literally taking that first step, doing that first dance, lifting that first dumbbell, completing that first You Tube aerobics workout.   Over the past three years I have gradually increased the intensity, the amount, and frequency of the activity in my life.    

Most of my fitness routines come from Emma Fitness, Eva Fitness, and Aerobics Inc.   I remember the first time I tried one of these workouts.  It was Eva Fitness, I lasted a miserable two minutes and thought I was going to die.   Now, I go through one of these workouts every morning (with the very very occasional miss) and I am energized, breathing easier,  loosened up, and happier coming out than I was going in. 👍🤗

The second part of my health and fitness lifestyle is working to improve the quality of my sleep.  To this end, I purchased a pair of soft sleep headphones and have adopted a habit of going to sleep listening to You Tube meditation videos.  For the most part, I sleep like a rock from the time my head hits the pillow until I wake up to Molly’s smiling face.

Every Morning MOLLY!

The third  part of my health and fitness lifestyle is the ‘health’ portion of my lifestyle.   I have a number of health  professionals who monitor my health, help me to prevent issues, provide me with the means to maintain my health, and when worse comes to worse – deal with any issues that arise.  I am fortunate that I don’t have to see them too often, but also fortunate that they are there for me any time that I do need them.

Cycling back to nutrition – Looking at any day of my Food Diary, it doesn’t look like I am making a lot of progress so far – but overall I do know that this exercise is helping.   There are a lot of things I am choosing not to eat (that I would have previously mindlessly munched on).  There are also the healthier raw  fruits and vegetables that I have been making more of an effort to incorporate into my day.  I have increased my water intake.   AND..  while I have never been a heavy or regular drinker, I have decreased my alcohol intake. 

“It’s about progress, not perfection.”

Food Diary – Day 45

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) Eggs (160) (2) slices back bacon (40) green onions (10)

(13) Tater tots (210)

(24) oz water

(1) c tea (1)

(1/2) c raspberries (40)

(25) Salt & vinegar chips (270)

(1) Gin & tonic with lime (179)

(6) oz sirloin grilling steak (no fat)  (280)

(1) c mushroom fried rice (200)

(1 1/2) c steamed asparagus with butter, salt, & pepper (100)

(1) sm side salad (150)

(2) mini chocolate cupcakes (200)

Total Calories:  1842

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

Happy Leap Day

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2024, Health and Fitness

Any day is a great day to start a new workout program,  but what day could be better than LEAP DAY !

Before I started my “Health and Fitness” journey, I had countless excuses for not working out on a regular basis.    My favourite one had to be “I don’t feel well”.   Seriously?  Feeling unwell tends to happen when one barely moves from one week to the next. 

Now, I have been on this journey for two years.  For every excuse that I have dropped, I have gained a dozen benefits.  My favourite one …. I feel good! I especially feel good during and following my morning aerobics class.    Stretching, bending, stepping, and leaping loosens every muscle and joint and just gets your blood moving.   It is fun and like any good fitness program, the classes start off easy enough for a beginner and get progressively more challenging.

This is the class I did this morning.  

Later in the day, I will do some strength training with five pound dumbbells and a few basic exercises like squats and pushups.  They are not as much fun, in my mind, but super important as we age.  

Whatever you do today, take care and have a good one! ☺️ 💞