Tag: daily wins

Daily Food Diary – Day 345 of 365

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 339 of 365

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.

Cornelius
Bacarrdi

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 337 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 337 of my Daily Food Diary!🤗

Today I started my day with a BIG win! 🙌 I got up at 6:30 this morning  to go pick up our Maddy and drive her to school for band practice.  It was already fairly light out, thanks to the full moon shining bright above a thin cloud cover.  And it is always a  win to  see our Maddy – even before dawn! It was an even bigger win to back into our garage on the first try when I got home!

The picture of positivity! 😉

Today is another day to count the wins I have accumulated over the past eleven months.

The win I chose to appreciate today was  my ability  to use James Clear’s book “Atomic Habits” to make effective changes to stay on track with my Daily Food Diary and to make gradual improvements to my general diet.

By stacking my new habit of  posting my Daily Food Diet between my existing morning habits, I have managed to post 337 days in a row without missing a beat! 

And, by keeping a cruet of olive oil in a handy location beside our stove, I have successfully eliminated the habit of reaching for the butter dish every time I pan fry.

Other helpful habits, big and small,  have been made along the way, but you get the idea!

A book I would absolutely recommend for anyone working to make positive changes in their life.

Daily Food Diary – Day 337

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1/2) grapefruit (39)

(1/2) tsp sugar (8)

(1) granola bar (160)

Lunch:

(1) Taco salad (899)

(8) Oz water

Snacks:

(2) Belgium chocolate cookies (107)

(15) Lays lightl salted ripple chips (218)

(2) mini chocolate treats (80)

Total consumed calories: 1513

Total used calories:  377

(30) min walking (137)

(42) min aerobics (240)

Total net calories: 1136

Net calories goal: 1208 – 1136 = 72 under 👍

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 336 of 365

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 330 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Today is Day 330 of my Daily Food Diary. 🔥

Today our friends and family in the USA are celebrating  Thanksgiving. While we, in Canada, celebrated in October, we are thinking of you and wishing the best for you and yours during this holiday season. 

My day started off on the slightly rocky side.  While I was paying some bills online, I tried to check into our Canadian Tire account on my new phone.  Eventually, I managed to get myself locked out of my account.  I called their 1-800-welcome to hell hot line.   Ten minutes later, I was finally on hold to speak to a human.  Never happened.  I finally hung up to get ready to walk Molly.

Now for the wins..

1) Last night I made a roast beef supper for Dan & I.  The roast came out perfectly as well as all the sides.  🤗

2) For the third day in a row, Molly and I walked solo. (Dan is doing much better but he had a routine Dr’s appointment this morning.) It was COLD out and there were multiple distractions to be had – but Molly was exceptionally co-operative.  We went the full circuit and  I coughed ZERO times!  🎉

Cold and frosty!
Molly sat patiently while I photographed the frost. 

3) When we returned from our walk, I tried my Canadian Tire app and whoops hoo, I got in on my first try. 😅

Daily Food Diary – Day 330

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee(2)

(2) eggo waffles (180)

(3) slices bacon (130)

(1) tsp butter (34)

(2) tbsp maple syrup (104)

Snacks:

(36) Oz water

(4) pcs black licorice (19)

(15) light salted Lays wavy chips (218)

(1) Oz onion chip dip (40)

Supper:

(6) Oz roast beef (376

(1) c oven roasted potato (255)

(1 1/2) cup oven roasted vegetables – onion, carrots, celery (37)

(1/2) c gravy (50)

(1) tbsp horseradish (7)

(1) sidesalad w/ French dressing (246)

(12) Oz carbonated water

Total consumed calories: 1769

Total used calories: 337

(30) min walking (137)

(30) min aerobics (200)

Total net calories: 1432

Net calories goal: 1208 – 1432 = 224 over 👎

That’s it for today. Take care and have a good day!

Happy Thanksgiving