Tag: calorie counting

Daily Food Diary – Day 91 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 91 Days since I began my Daily Food Diary.  That is a full 13 weeks! 🙌  As I had hoped, I have become more mindful of what I consume on a daily basis and I have made a few adjustments along the way.

This month, I have decided to become more mindful of my sodium (a major component in table salt, MSG, and baking soda) and processed sugar consumption.

Processed sugar and excessive sodium consumption is not (typically) good for anyone.    For someone like me, with multiple chronic lung conditions,  too much of either is particularly bad.

A major issue with lung conditions, such as asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, or bronchiolitis is MUCUS – the quantity of it and the viscosity of it.  Diet affects both.

Some foods, like dairy products, increase the production of mucus.  Other components of our diet dehydrate and thicken said  mucus.   Such mucus dehydrating items include caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks, sodium, and sugar.   Drinking an adequate amount of water helps to counter these issues but only to a point.

Fortunately, caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated drinks have never been an issue for me.  I enjoy my carbonated water – but I can live without it.  Sodium and  processed sugar are  more of a challenge.   Thus my April focus.

Yesterday, I kicked the month off with one of our fairly frequent,  favourite suppers – just to see what I am starting with. The sugar content wasn’t bad – the sodium was off the charts. 🙄

I did search out a healthier snack to go with my afternoon tea.  I can see switching  these crackers for my all too typical potato chips.

Kirkland Crackers from Costco
The chips in our pantry range from 240 to 360 mg of sodium per serving. (And +/- 260 calories)

Food Diary – Day 91

Breakfast:

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

(2) eggs (160)   (440 mg)

(1) tsp olive oil (79)

(2) sl back bacon (35) (500 mg) (1 gr)

(5) PC asparagus (16) (10.5 mg)

(1/4) c green onions (10)

Snacks:

(1) Green tea

(14) Multi Grain Crackers  (140) (110 mg)

(36) oz water

Supper:

(3) Riblets  (36) (116 mg)

(4) spring rolls (180) (440 mg) (3 gr)

(9) Tempura shrimp (350) (460 mg) 

(2) PC buttermilk chicken breast (250) (430 mg)

(4) Gyoza (170) (400) (2gr)

(1) tbsp seafood sauce (12) (110 mg) (2 gr)

(1) tbsp Dilly Dip (80) (110 mg) (.5 gr)

(1) tbsp Gyoza sauce (15)  (365 mg) (2 gr)

(1) tbsp Plum sauce (18) (15) (4)

Total Net Calories: 1372

Daily Goal: 1269 calories

Total Sodium:  3511.2 mg 😳

Daily goal: 1500 to 2300 mg

Total Sugar:  14.5 grams

Daily goal:  25 grams

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 86 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It’s been 86 days since I started posting my Daily Food Diary – FOUR DAYS in a row that I have met my calorie goal.  I am committed to meeting my goal SEVEN DAYS in a row.

I am concerned about how well I will stick to the plan on Saturday.  We are hosting a birthday supper for granddaughters Prim and Maddy who had birthdays this week and for Dan whose birthday is in early April. 

Yesterday, Dan and I went shopping for gifts for the girls and for the birthday supper, plus a number of odds and ends that we happened to  need.   We  got  the girls’ gifts, cards AND wrapping paper.  We got the pork for the pulled pork plus a few of the extras we needed.   Dan is going back today for everything I forgot – including the three stores that I totally missed.

I am not, and have never been, a great shopper.   I’ve always wondered why ‘shopping’ is supposedly a predominantly female pursuit?  The tide seems to be turning, at least 9 to 5 midweek.  Dan blends right in with all the other retired men cruising the aisles with their  shopping carts.  They all seem to know what they are doing – unlike the handful of women (like me) who are wandering around trying to find their husbands. 

Food Diary – Day 86

Breakfast:

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

(2) eggs (160) (14)

(2) oz ham (73) (13)

(1/4) c green onions (10) (1)

(1) tsp olive oil (40)

(2) potato patties (240) (2)

Snacks:

(1) c Hibiscus Tea

(40) oz water

Supper:

Beef Stir Fry:

(6) oz eye of round steak (264) (50.8)

(1/2) pkg ramen noodles (190) (5)

(1) tsp olive oil (40)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(1/2) red onion (23) (.9)

(1/2) c mushrooms (22) (1.7)

(1/2) c red pepper (23) (.7)

(1/2) c cabbage (17) (1)

(3) cloves garlic (13) (.6)

(3) tbsp stir fry sauce (60) (.3)

(1/2) c celery (8) (.2)

(1) carrot (25) (.6)

Total calories: 1253

Less 161 (walking 41 & aerobics 106)

Net Calories: 1092

Daily calorie goal: 1269 – 1092 = 177 under

Protein: 94.9 grams

Daily Protein Goal: 46 to 58.5 grams

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

RIP Kat – It’s been 3 years since we had to let you go. We will never forget you, our sweet little girl. 💞

Daily Food Diary – Day 85 of 365

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

It is 85 days since I began keeping and posting my Daily Food Diary.  My intention was to track everything I consume in a day, become more mindful of what I consume, and gradually make some improvements as  to what I consume. 

So far I believe I am getting as much out of the exercise as I thought I would.  I am also getting more support and encouragement from my regular followers than I expected.  For this, I am so grateful! 🤗

Reading what I consume every day can’t be that exciting for anyone.  For me, the real magic happens when I decide what not to eat or bake or buy, knowing that I am going to have to write it in my diary and post it for any and all to see.  

This week I decided to work harder to meet my daily calorie goal of 1269 calories a day. On Monday, I posted that would be my focus for this week and so far so good.  Monday and Tuesday, I was substantially under my goal.

Last night was Dan’s dart night.  We eat early on dart night, so we decided to make supper easy by indulging in some take out.  That used up most of my calories for the day. 🤦

After Dan left, I had 88 calories left to fill my “600 Pound Life” and “911” marathon evening – my biggest snack event of the week, which I often fill by sharing a bag of popcorn with Molly.  Last night, determined to stay on track, I indulged in RAW BROCCOLI drizzled with salad dressing.   

Raw broccoli will never replace hot buttery popcorn, but last night it was broccoli for the win and I stayed under my calorie goal for the day – just barely.   How exciting is that? 👍

Daily Food Diary:

BREAKFAST:

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

(3) crumpets (240) (6)

(2) tsp butter (68) (.1)

(2) tsp raspberry jam (33) (.1)

Snacks:

(1) c Cinnamon tea

(25) Classic Potato chips (160) (2)

(36) oz water

(1/2) c raw broccoli (15) (1.3)

(1/2) tbsp Kraft Sweet Onion Dressing (12)

Supper:

(1) Big Mac – no bun (463) (25)

(1) sm fries (230) (3)

(7) McNuggets (233) (18.7)

Total Calories: 1456

Less 126 calories 30 min.  aerobics

Less 90 calories 40 min. walking

Net Calories: 1240

Net Calories goal: 1269 – 1240 = 29 calories under

Total Protein: 56.5 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 76 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 76 Days since I started my Daily Food Diary.  One thing that may, or may not,  be noticeable is that almost everything we eat for meals is homemade and made  from scratch.   That is a matter of personal preference, and done in an effort to avoid yeast, which I cannot tolerate.

That being said, last night we tossed a couple of TV Dinners in the oven after getting home from a walk with Molly.  We were walking a wide clear, level path.  When we came to a section of path that ran parallel to a high ridge of snow and ice, Molly went mountain goat on us.

Dan managed to maintain a hold on Molly’s leash throughout her adventure.  I stayed on the nice clear path.  Regardless, I managed to slip on a miniscule bit of ice and pulled something in my left knee AND I tripped over nothing and twisted my right ankle.  Both are still bothering me a bit today, but I plan to do my aerobics and hopefully head out for another walk.

Food Diary – Day 76

Breakfast:

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

(1) c Shreddies (200) (6)

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

(1) tsp sugar (16)

Snacks:

(36) oz water

(1) c Licorice Tea

(1) pc matrimonial cake (139) (1)

(1/2) c Sunflower seeds (with shells) (70) (5)

Supper:

(1) Hungry Man Chicken Cutlet Meal (550) (23)

Total Calories: 1008

Total Protein: 37.3 grams

Daily Protein Goal: 46 to 58.5 grams

Note: Hungry Man Chicken Cutlet Meal is the only one  sold here that does not contain yeast.

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 75 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today,  I am celebrating 75 Days since I began recording and posting my Daily Food Diary.  75 DAYS and I am 75 hits and 0 misses. 👍

Today, I am also celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.   (Photo from my Jigsawscapes App.  My daily jigsaw obsession).

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you and yours,  especially to all of my Irish friends who are celebrating today!

Today, I am ALSO celebrating what would have been my Father’s 116th birthday!

My Dad & Son Dan

My Father passed away 32 years ago. That is inconceivable to me. For some reason, my Father and my Mother have been popping up in my dreams on a regular basis lately.  To me, there is nothing odd or upsetting about their appearances.  The dreams are not about them, they are just there, very normal, very natural, very familiar. 

I was fortunate to have parents who worked hard to provide a stable, secure home for my siblings and I.   I appreciate all that they both did for me, but to be honest, I was closer to my Father.  Yes, I was a Daddy’s girl.

My Dad was everything I strive to be –  kind, gentle, strong, happy, caring, determined,  dignified (and determined to respect the dignity of others). 

Last year, my sister Jeanne reminded me of something that I had forgotten about my Father.  Something that seems so timely with all of belittling, dehumanizing, and hateful treatment towards people nowadays – based on their color, religion, nationality, sexuality or whatever!

My Father had a Grade Two education – French education.  Despite this, he was a very intelligent man and accomplished in many ways.   I knew that his Mother struggled with serious health issues and that when my Father left school, he went to work to help his father provide for his siblings.  He sat in the basement of the general store, removing the eyes from potatoes, to keep them marketable. 

Over the years, I came to believe that Dad quit school because  his family needed his help at home taking care of little ones and bringing in what little money he could from his humble position at the general store.

What I forgot was that he was expelled from school. IN GRADE TWO! Why? Because his teachers, good Catholic Nuns that they were, decided that he was stupid and unteachable because he was left-handed and refused to change his wayward ways.   He was deemed unworthy of an education.

Amazingly, they did not break him.  He was who he was – caring, kind, strong, loving, respectful, patient, and more.  Most important to me … He was my Dad.

Food Diary – Day 75

Breakfast:

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

(2) potato patties (240) (2)

(2) eggs (160) (14)

(3) slices bacon (135) (7.5)

(1/2) medium tomato (11) (.5)

Snacks:

(36) oz water

(1) c Cinnamon Tea

(1) PC Matrimonial Cake (139) (1)

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

Supper:

(1) Large bowl Baked Onion Soup – beef broth, caramelized onions,  (soda bread) croutons, shredded marble cheese (368) (19.5)

Total Calories: 1222

Total Protein: 48.3 grams

Daily protein goal: 46 to 58.5

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

 

Daily Food Diary – Day 72 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It has been 72 Days since I began my Daily Food Diary.  I do not plan  our meals for the week or the day in advance,  consider the calories involved, or the nutritional value.  For me, this exercise is about keeping a record of what we eat, watching for unhealthy trends, and ultimately making  adjustments as I progress through the year.

One thing that I have been doing, adjustment wise, has been tweaking a few recipes, and trying a few new ones.

Yesterday, for the very first time, I baked a loaf of NO YEAST Soda Bread. This was the recipe I used.

https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/irish-soda-bread/

This was my result:

Going into the oven
What came out of the oven…

Honestly, I don’t know what the hell my oven did to my soda bread.  Fresh out of the oven it tasted pretty good.  Neither Dan, nor I, had ever tasted soda bread, but it tasted much like regular bread (sweeter).  It also had a similar texture. We tried toasting it. That was a fail. Rather than toast, it dehydrated. 

I have not really missed bread since I quit eating yeast.  I have missed buttered toast with raspberry jam.  This was not the answer.   AND… I have really missed Baked French Onion Soup topped with croutons and hot melted cheese.  I have tried a couple of other options but they were NOT the answer.  I am going to try making croutons out of this Soda Bread and test them out on a couple of bowls of onion soup for Dan and I this weekend.  Wish me luck! 🤞 

I am  going to check out other Soda Bread recipes to see if I can find one with less sugar.  I don’t know how crucial the sugar is to the texture of the final product.   If anyone has  experience making soda bread, I  would be grateful for any advice!

Food Diary – Day 72

Breakfast:

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

(1) c Shreddies (200) (6)

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

(2) tsp sugar (33)

Snacks:

(24) oz water

(1) c Lemon Ginger Tea

(1) Slice homemade soda bread (68) (10)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(1) tsp raspberry jam (17)

(12) Tortilla Hint of Lime chips (300) (4)

(2) Tbsp salsa (8)

Supper:

(4) oz lean roast beef (219) (29.9)

(1) tbsp horseradish (15)

(1) c mashed potatoes (113) (1.9)

(1/4) c gravy (20) (.3)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(7) asparagus spears (23) (2.5)

(1) pc Matrimonial square (139) (1)

(12) oz carbonated water

Total Calories: 1254

Total Protein: 57.9 grams

Protein goal per day: 46 to 58.5 grams

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 70 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 70 Days since I started my Daily Food Diary.  That is 10 WEEKS! Whoo hoo! Only forty two more weeks to go.

This month, I have gone beyond tracking calories and have been tracking how many grams of protein I consume in a day. 

In January, I learned how little water I drank.  I am still working on it, but I am doing better.

In February, I realized how little it takes to eat a LOT of calories.  After one stop for fast food, I realize how easy it would be to consume  thousands and thousands of extra calories a day.  

In March, I am surprised at how much protein there is in our typical meals.   I am not concerned, because I am trying to build muscle, but I am shocked.

For April, I am seriously thinking of tracking my (processed) sugar intake.   I am not sure I want to know, but I do know it is a problem. 🤦

The only thing I love more than cake is the icing! 🙄

Food Diary – Day 70 of 365

Breakfast:

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

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

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

Snacks:

(24) oz water

(1) c Hibiscus Tea

(1) PC matrimonial cake (139) (1)

Supper:

(12) oz carbonated water

(6) oz lean roast beef (328) (44.8)

(2) medium onions cooked w/ roast (88) (3)

(1) c mashed potatoes (113) (1.9)

(1/3) c gravy (20) (.3)

(7) pcs asparagus (23) (2.5)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(1) tbsp horseradish (15)

(1/2) c coleslaw with dressing (114) (1.2)

Total calories: 1113

Total protein: 60 gram

Daily goal for Protein: 46 to 58.5 grams

* Six ounces of lean roast beef is a bizarre amount of roast beef, but I powered through and finished it off!  I am sure I used to order 6 oz steaks back in the day, but those days were a while ago! 😯

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 65 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It has been 65 days since I started to monitor what I consume in a day.  AND… It has been just over 3 years since I started working on my overall health and fitness with exercise, fresh air, and meditation.

I have been encouraged by the benefits that I have experienced along the way.   Recently, I have celebrated excellent results on blood tests, a slight drop in weight, and  perfect blood pressure readings.    Yay me!

The only health issue I have experienced has been ongoing problems with my epigastric hernia.  Recently, I saw a surgeon who sent me for a ct scan to check out the exact details before he goes in for the repair.

I went in for the scan last Sunday,  feeling confident that the only thing of note on the report would be the details of my hernia.  That report showed up on my Saskatchewan Health Account a couple of days ago.

The report noted the hernia details.  It included numerous non hernia related details.   Everything was normal and healthy from my liver to my spleen, and other internal bits and pieces. 

Then things started to get a bit disturbing…

VASCULATURE:  Normal caliber mildly
atherosclerotic abdominal aorta. (Not bad but why is my abdominal aorta anything short of perfect?)

BONES/SOFT TISSUES:  L5-S1 advanced disc height loss and bilateral pars
defects with associated grade 1 anterolisthesis. (Google notes this is a slipped disk, suggests pain management.  Which could be a plan, except I have never experienced any pain in my spine or radiating elsewhere – so there is that.)

PELVIS: The bladder is collapsed.  (News to me and I have had  zero symptoms.)

LUNGS:   Diffuse bronchiectasis of the visualized lungs with tree-in-bud nodularity within the lower lobes is suggestive of small airway disease such as infectious bronchiolitis. (No indication of infection in blood tests taken last week 🙄.)

The only really disturbing note is the one regarding the new lung issue.  I have already been diagnosed with asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis 🙄. I should probably call my respiratory specialist to see if this is anything worth checking into.   😢

Food Diary – Day 65

Breakfast:

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

(2) potato patties (240) (.2)

(3)strips bacon (130) (8.9)

(2) eggs (160) (14)

(24) oz water

Snack:

(1) c licorice tea

(1/3) c almonds and cashews (192) (6.6)

Supper:

(1) c linguine with sauce (270) (9)

(9) large shrimps (180) (34.5)

(1/2) c asparagus with butter (47) (1.5)

(1) Side salad with French Dressing (210) (5)

(12) oz carbonated water

Total Calories: 1431

Total Protein: 81.8 grams 😯

Protein daily goal: 46 to 58.5 grams

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 59 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is Day 59 of my Daily Food Diary and  February is finally behind us. 

Heading into March, I have made a couple of changes to my Food Diary.

I have started breaking down my day into meals.  How each day breaks down and what I eat depends on what I am doing.  Yesterday, I had a quick breakfast, went to our local lab for blood tests, came home,  and Dan and I headed to a park,  to take Molly for a walk.   The blood tests took forever, so by the time we got back from our ‘morning’ walk, it was about 1:30 PM.

Breaking down my water isn’t an exact science.  I fill my 24 ounce water bottle in the morning and drink it throughout the day.

I have started tracking the protein I eat in a day.  Without particularly trying, I hit the higher end of my goal for eating 46 to 58.5 grams of protein per day. 💪

Food Diary – Day 59

Breakfast

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Cheerios (147) (2.7)

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

Late Lunch

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(2) sm peach (51) (1.2)

(1) lg pear (116) (1.4)

Supper

(12) oz carbonated water

(2) c spaghetti with meat sauce (574) (27.6)

(1/3) c shredded cheese (120) (7)

(3) Dill pickles (23) (1.2)

(25) Lay’s Classic chips (160) (2)

(2) tbsp Kraft Philadelphia onion dip (45) (2)

Evening Snack

(2 1/2) oz fresh coconut (175) (2)

(2) tbsp dark chocolate sauce (110) (6.8)

Total calories: 1552

Total protein: 55.9 grams

  • For my age, sex, and size my goal for protein is 46 to 58.5 grams per day (46 grams should maintain the muscle I have, up to  58.5 grams should build muscle).

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! 💞🌞