Yesterday after we got back from brunch and gift giving at Genie and Alec’s, we settled in for a peaceful afternoon with Molly.
My afternoon snack consisted of one Gin and Tonic and three delectable chocolates. Our supper was leftover Chinese Food from Dan & Amanda’s visit followed by a cup of hot tea. Again, for the second day in a row – no calories were counted.
Today is Boxing Day in Canada. Traditionally, people would rush out today to take advantage of post Christmas sales. (A tradition that I consistently avoided).
I prefer the rest, relax, and recover tradition.
Enjoying memories of Maddy’s very first Annual Boxing Day Sleepover… this year she will be at work hosting little ones on their way home from Boxing Day sleepovers. 💞And, indulging in my annual Christmas Jigsaw puzzle event.
I will also be getting into Recovery Mode by doing my aerobics this morning and heading outdoors for some fresh air this afternoon.
It is time to start rebuilding so that I am ready to head into the new year with the strength and stamina to work on reaching my AMAZING, FABULOUS, GINORMOUS 2026 HEALTH AND FITNESS GOAL!
Yesterday after I posted my blog, I hit a setback of sorts on my way to recovery. I did get the livingroom floor done, decorations up, and some general tidying up done before I crashed. My surgical wound was swollen and ITCHY and I was just exhausted. Fortunately, today I am back on track and I feel just FINE!
So, for today’s wins:
1) I feel FINE!
2) Dan, Amanda, and family are on the road and the roads are in relatively good shape today. (Much better than usual these days!) We are looking forward to seeing them and their pups.
Bacardii & Cornelius
3) We have sunshine today! Once again, Dan and Molly walked without me due to the cold and the poor walking conditions which I am not quite ready to tackle – but it is uplifting to see the sunshine, nonetheless!
My Daily Food Diary roundupWIN for the day…
Balance – Balancing calories, protein, cholesterol (saturated fats), and collagen was a challenge for sure – but it is something that I have, and continue to, work on!
Air fried chicken wings – high in collagen, protein and calories – relatively low in fat. 🤷♀️
Daily Food Diary – Day 354
Breakfast:
(1) c coffee (2)
(3) crumpets (240)
(2) tsp butter (69)
(1) tbsp jam (50)
Lunch:
(2) Harvest hotdogs (320)
(8) Hint of Lime tortilla chips (200)
(1) pc Christmas cake (240)
Supper:
(1 1/2) c stirfry with beefsteak, vegetables, and udon noodles (714)
Total consumed calories: 1835
Total used calories: 0
Total net calories: 1835
Net calories goal: 1208 – 1835 = 627 over 👎
That’s it for today. Take care and have a great Sunday! 🤨💞
Today is Day 351 of my Daily Food Diary and I am still on track for a perfect run of 365 days! 😁
I have plenty of wins to celebrate today!
First and foremost, my hernia surgery is behind me. I do NOT do hospitals well, but I was fortunate that Dan plugged through the latest experience with me.
Second, despite yesterday’s ‘Alberta Clipper’ which apparently is a heavy freezing rain followed by plunging temperatures and a major blizzard – our family (and our vehicles) survived it with no major issue. (Our power didn’t even go out, while that was the norm in much of the city.)
And third..Yay for warm winter outerwear and the new snowblower we got last year. Dan got our walks, patio, and area behind our garage cleared up in an hour. (Plus did in front of and behind a couple of our neighbours’ homes.)
For my Daily Food Diary December Wrap-up Win of the Day I would have to go with focusing on nutritional values. This morning, Dan made me an awesome breakfast of poached eggs, bacon, and potato patties. An abundance of protein to help me heal from my surgery – easy peasey!
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! 🥰💓
Today there are seventeen days until 2026 and ten days until Christmas.
I am infinitely grateful that we offered our newlyweds, Genie & Alec, the opportunity to host Christmas this year. And moreso that they accepted the offer with the full support of Alec’s mother Denise.
That being said, it is ten days until Christmas and in two days I am booked for surgery…
And son Dan and family are coming on the 21st..
I am not ready. Not by a long shot.
But my win for the day yesterday was Christmas baking with granddaughter Prim!
We had a good time, filled a few baking containers and our bonus win was having Grandpa (Dan) making an awesome supper of Shepherd’s Pie.
My Daily Food Diary win for the day was learning in real time the benefit of long term gain over instant gratification.
I am not good at meeting specific result driven goals. I get too frustrated if I cannot see my goals getting closer with every passing day. My power is in commitment and longterm persistence. I just plug along doing what I know has to be done – one day at a time. The win is looking back over the year (or years) and seeing what I have accomplished. ☺️
Daily Food Diary – Day 348
Breakfast:
(1) c coffee (2)
(1) 2 egg scrambled eggs with bacon (415)
(2) potato patties (240)
Snacks:
(36) Oz water
Supper:
(12) Oz carbonated water
(1.5) servings shepherds pie (735)
Total consumed calories: 1392
Total used calories: 0
Total net calories: 1392
Net calories goal: 1208 – 1392 = 184 over 👎
That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 😍💖
Yesterday, I had a great win! While I was making my mother’s Whipped Shortbread Cookies, my sister Lorraine called to discuss how to make … our mother’s Whipped Shortbread Cookies. 😂
There is nothing like having a random meeting of the minds with a sister to make a good day great.
A bonus win came from perusing my James Clear motivational email of the week, and coming across this gem..
“Do not merely think that you are going to become great; think that you are great now. Do not think that you will begin to act in a great way at some future time; begin now. Do not think that you will act in a great way when you reach a different enviornment; act in a great way where you are now. Do not think that you will begin to act in a great way when you begin to deal with great things; begin to act in a great way with small things.”
– Wallace Wattles from ‘The Science of Being Great’
It is so easy to feel insignificant and victimized in this day and age. I just love empowering quotes. We only get one life, anything that helps us live it in a proactive, productive way is a huge win!
My ‘December Wrap Up’ Daily Food Diarywin for the day has become a proactive part of my life this year..
Learning to notice and appreciate the wins in my ‘day to day’ life.
Yesterday, sister Lorraine and I were discussing our chronic health issues and how the smallest glitch can kick off a downward spiral and how the smallest win can turn it around.
That is typical of life in general. Notice the wins in life and there are more wins to notice every day. 😁
Daily Food Diary – Day 347
Breakfast:
(1) c coffee (2)
(3) crumpets (240)
(2) tsp butter (69)
(1) tbsp jam (50)
Supper:
(1) caesar salad (250)
(9) hot chicken wings flats (383)
(1) lemon tart (175)
Total consumed calories: 1269
Total used calories: 71
(30) min treadmill (71)
Total net calories: 1098
Net calories goal: 1208 – 1098 = 111 under 👍
That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 🥰💞
Today is Day 346 of my Daily Food Diary. Only nineteen more days to go! 🥳
It is hard to believe there are only nineteen more days to go in 2025. Looking at everything that is scheduled to happen between now and 2026, I’m not at all sure how it will happen… 😯
Today my win is an easy one… once again my husband Dan is front and centre! Yesterday, he spent the morning with me at the pre-surgery clinic, followed by taking me out for lunch, followed by going to pick up the groceries we needed. This morning he is off for a walk with Molly. It is Minus 32°Celsius without the windchill. That is bloody cold!
My Daily Food Diary win for the day is an easy one as well..
Balance and sustainability… when it comes to creating a new lifestyle, I leaned that it had to be doable and flexible to meet the needs of the day, while keeping mindful of the overall goal. Yesterday’s Diary entry was all about keeping it real. It was not a fail (calorie or nutritional wise) – it was just about focussing on protein and simple and fun. I’ll take that as a win. 😁
Daily Food Diary – Day 346
Breakfast:
(1) c coffee (2)
(3) crumpets (240)
(2) tsp butter (69)
(1) tbsp jam (50)
Lunch:
(1) A & W lettuce wrap teen burger (330)
(1) A & W onion rings (350)
(1) A & W gravy (50)
(8) Oz A & W rootbeer (110)
Snacks:
(24) Oz water
(1/2) c mixed nuts (360)
(2) coconut macaroons (220)
(1) peanut butter snowball cookie (132)
Total consumed calories: 1913
Total used calories 71
(30) min treadmill (71)
Total net calories: 1842
Net calories goal: 1208 – 1842 = 633 over 👎
That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 💞
Mini Maddy decorating the Christmas tree with the BIG kids.
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!🎀
Happy New Year!
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. 💝
Maddy – our musical reindeer.
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! 😄😍
1) I went for a morning walk with Dan & Molly. 100 % humidity and I made the full route!
2) Dan remembered that I had to go for blood tests today in preparation for my pre-surgery appointment on Friday (which I may or may not remember). He also drove me to the blood clinic, so double win! The streets are icy, the traffic is heavy, and no people can’t drive. 🤦♀️
3) Dan stopped at the Dollar Store on the way home so I could pick up a few things for Christmas..
2 plastic containers for baking (because they only had 2 of the size I needed). Yes they will go to Dan and Amanda’s full of baking and they will never come back. (Which is why I buy them from the Dollar Store 😂) Gingerbread girl & boy because we need one new decoration, gift ribbon, and new dish towels.
For my December Round Up of my Daily Food Diary, I have one win today but it was/is a biggie…
I have pretty much eliminated evening snacking. It was never about being hungry – just mindless munching. Not only has this helped me to drop 13 pounds this year, but it has also helped me to sleep better. I am generally out cold from 10:30 until Molly starts booping me with her big cold nose (6:30 ish at this time of year).
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 PEACEsign but that was back a couple of years ago – when I was still chunky and Molly was still in her wood eating phase.
Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie 