diet – Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie

September 1st Update

September 1, 2023February 9, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2023, Health and Fitness

“Time flies when you are having fun!” Albert Einstein’s wisdom is obviously as relevant today as the day he coined this phrase. I have been having fun and this year has been flying by. 😁

I have been doing quite a bit of cleaning, yard work, and work on the spare bedroom. It is exciting to find that such tasks are so much easier, now that I am in better shape.

**I took down ‘The Mirror’, polished it, and rehung it. It is one of those jobs that I have always dreaded but it went surprisingly easy this time.** 😁

I have been upping the intensity of the Zumba workouts that I do and have been dancing almost every day. Or I was, until the smoke from the northern forest fires drifted back our way. It is supposed to clear up by tomorrow morning. We can only hope.

I splurged last week and ordered myself a new pair of dress boots. They arrived today and are a perfect fit. My wardrobe could use a bit of help these days too, but I would like to lose a few more pounds before I start investing in anything I will outgrow. (ungrow?). I’m not sure what the correct term is for that – when you lose weight and your clothes get too big for you.

Speaking of losing weight, that is one area where I have not seen a lot of progress. I have been working on this lately, by addressing my diet and eating habits. Deleting yeast from my diet has made such a huge difference to my health and well-being, that I have started to focus on what I eat in general.

**Supper – homemade baked beans and salad**

I have even, for the first time ever, started writing down what I eat, counting calories, and noting nutritional values. It has been interesting – and not that difficult. It has been very interesting seeing actual recommended portion sizes and adjusting accordingly, seeing how easy it is to cut calories without losing out on taste or being left wanting, and seeing how different foods affect my appetite – for better or worse. It isn’t really anything I didn’t know, but I just assumed I was doing ok diet wise. Maybe not!

When I began working out, last February, I was amazed at the benefits, and how quickly I noticed them. I have no doubt that being more mindful of what I eat, or do not eat, is going to be an equally exciting and beneficial part of my health and fitness journey.

**Onwards and upwards – this one might stay on my fridge for another month – or two.**

Take care and have a great day!💞🌞

Sixteen Weeks – The Struggle is Real!

June 6, 2022July 18, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in Health and Fitness, June 2022

It has been sixteen weeks since my fight to get fit began. So far it has been going well and I have no intention or concerns about allowing myself to drift back to where I was when I started this adventure.

There have been positive results – surprisingly so, since getting in shape was never a winning proposition for me, unless you count ROUND as a shape – which was not what I was going for. This time there has definitely been improvements – physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Unfortunately, there are some issues that seem to defy my efforts. While my lung capacity and function has improved, I still get winded going up and down our basement stairs. Since our washer and dryer are in the basement, that mean several trips up and down those stairs on laundry day. It isn’t undoable, but it triggers that voice in my head that mocks me with a snickering “You are old and fat – and you cannot even breathe right!” 😋). That voice is so mean, trying to undermine all of the progress that I have made. 😧

Then there is the weight. Not just the weight, but the stubborn FAT that clings to my upper arms, waist, and thighs. I know from countless past experiences that cutting calories is not the way to go for me. I cut calories, feel like a dishrag, cut all unnecessary activity, and then snarf down a box of Smarties so I have the energy to change my socks. I have improved my diet – eliminating virtually all empty calories but replacing them with foods that provide the nutrients my body needs. But, cutting calories? No way! I am not a heavy eater, I eat healthy foods, I am gradually upping my activity level until the weight and fat eventually drops.

Despite the frustrating struggles, I am happy with the progress I have made so far. I know it has only been sixteen weeks since I started this journey. That is less that four months – and the first month was very tentative. So in three months – My strength, stamina, flexibility, and breathing have all improved. My muscles have toned up, so my clothes wear better and overall I am looking better and feeling better about how I look. Mentally and emotionally, I am noticeably healthier than I was. It is good, I am impressed and ready to journey on.

***It is a nice day to sit back and enjoy the sunshine.***

Here’s the link to a new You Tube video I tried yesterday. It is a bit longer than the last couple I shared but I enjoyed it and made it through to the end. 😉

That is it for today. Take care and have a great day!

November 16th – Healthy Living

November 16, 2021November 16, 2021 by annemariedemyen, posted in Wisdom - November 2021

I started my day with a trip to our local pharmacy to get my third Covid shot and my annual flu shot. I had my pneumonia shot a few weeks ago and just finished a bottle of antibiotics. Bottom line, I should dodge any nasty bugs that are out and about this winter. 🧖

Everyone has their own level of health and fitness and we all have our own challenges in preserving or improving it. Hopefully, these ‘words of wisdom’ can inspire us all to make some healthy life choices today.

“The groundwork for all happiness is good health.”
– Leigh Hunt

“Love yourself enough to live a healthy lifestyle.”
– Unknown

“The best investment you ever make is your own health.”
– Unknown

“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”
– Ann Wigmore

“He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.”
– Unknown

” Health is much more dependent on our habits and nutrition than on medicine.”
– John Lubbock

“Exercise not only changes your body, it changes your mind, your attitude, and your mood.”
– Unknown

“Take care of your body. Its the only place you have to live.”
– Jim Rohn

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