fresh air – Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie

Daily Food Diary – Day 56 of 365

February 26, 2025March 2, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is Day 56 of my Daily Food Diary and a beautiful day it is shaping up to be. The sun is shining and our temperatures are hovering above freezing so it’s all good.

Thanks to the great weather, I am finding it easier to step up my activity level this week. My morning aerobics are, as always, the cornerstone of my fitness program. The rest of my day varies. Yesterday afternoon, I spent an hour outside – just doing odds and ends and getting a good dose of fresh air. I came in, had tea with Dan, and danced for an hour before starting supper. 💃

I haven’t been doing afternoon weight and strength training for a few weeks, since I had my hernia incident. I am looking forward to having my repair done so I can feel confident getting back to it.

Food Diary – Day 56

(2) c coffee (2)

(1) c Cheerios (147)

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

(24) oz water

(4) Chicken drumettes (172)

(1) c Rice a Roni (310)

(1) c tea

(1/6) c almonds & cashews (150)

(12) oz carbonated water

(2) c spaghetti with meat sauce (574)

(1) side salad (223)

(2/3) c Butter Pecan Ice cream (213)

(15) pecan halves (98)

(1) tbsp caramel sauce (70)

Total Calories: 1980

Yikes – but I am determined not to scrimp on nutrition just to have a bowl of ice cream. It’s all about balance. 🙂

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 23 of 365

January 24, 2025June 25, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I’m back – and I will be back for another 342 days. That’s a bit daunting, but it is getting to be a fairly locked in part of my morning routine – even when my day is anything but routine.

Yesterday morning I was on a mission to get blood tests done, which resulted in my going to the dogpark for the better part of an hour, eating soup for breakfast, and doing my morning workout at 2:30 in the afternoon. My day, was definitely not routine, but I did get my Daily Food Diary blog posted so yay me! I can get it done.

Speaking of blood tests… I did get some of the results yesterday after. So far, pretty good! Everything was within healthy limits except for my HbA1c/Total Hemoglobin which was 5.5. Anything 5.5 to 5.9 is considered ‘risk to become pre-diabetic’. I consider my 5.5 a fail but my last tests (three months ago) earned me a 5.6 so I have improved. 😊

Speaking of all things medical… My Nurse Practitioner called yesterday. She had reviewed the results from my hernia ultrasound and called to strongly advised me to see a surgeon. After my incident a couple of weeks ago when I landed myself at Emerg, I was quick to agree, so she sent off a referral to a local surgical group. To be honest, I would agree to anything Lara advised. She is that good!

Speaking of health in general… For the third day in a row, our temps were relatively moderate yesterday so I was able to get outside and enjoy some fresh air. Also, for the third night in a row, I was able to get through the night without coughing fits. Post nasal drip is brutal at night, and drinking copious amounts of water during the daytime has done wonders for my sinuses.

**This one was taken at our neighborhood dogpark. The snow is much deeper this year and becoming an issue as the dogs can step over the fence**. **(Molly may have done that the other day – and taken a friend with her. 🙄)**

Food Diary – Day 23 of 365

(10) oz water

(1) sm bowl of leftover wonton soup

(1) pear

(1/2) c raspberries

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(1/2) sm bowl of nuts

(24) oz water

(1/2) small tray of nachos

(12) oz carbonated water

(8) oz water

*** 78 ounces of water !!! 😳

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 21 of 365

January 22, 2025July 3, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness, Uncategorized

It is Day 21 of my Daily Food Diary. Three weeks since I began recording my intake and sharing it here on JetPack. 😊 (I cannot begin to express my appreciation for those who have checked in and especially those of you who have been regular visitors to my blog. Your support and encouragement goes a long way to keeping me on track!)

My diet still needs improvements, but daily tracking has already helped me to up my water intake substantially in the past few days. This has had two major positives for me.

Number 1 – My between meal snacking has decreased naturally and easily.

Number 2 – My sinuses have improved significantly, which in turn is beginning to improve my sleep and my lung function.

The best thing about building healthy habits is how easily one good thing leads to another. 🤗

Our cold weather snap broke yesterday, so with the our sun shining and feeling good, I went outside to feed the squirrels. I also took Molly’s new Frisbee to play fetch with her. Molly does not play fetch particularly well but I did get fresh air and a bit of exercise (fetching Molly’s Frisbee) in addition to my regular morning workout. I’ll take that as a win!

**An older pic of Molly heading outside not to play fetch.**

Food Diary – Day 21

(1) c coffee

(1 1/2) Cinnamon swirl pancake with cream cheese icing and maple syrup

(1 1/2) slices of thin sliced bacon

(12) oz water

(1) c tea

(12) oz water

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) pork chop

(1 1/2) c Sidekicks Herb and Butter noodles

(1 1/2) c Brussel sprouts with butter, salt, and pepper

(12) oz water

(1) c tea

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

Man Down

January 18, 2023January 18, 2023 by annemariedemyen, posted in Uncategorized

Last Monday, Dwight from our Volley fitness group suggested that we each commit to focussing on one aspect of our fitness journey for each week. It was a great idea, and one we eagerly embraced.

For myself, I committed to getting more fresh air last week and to “giving it my all” while engaging in my workouts (or doing anything 🤗) this week. And… continuing to get a good dose of fresh air each day. 🌞

It was going great! Then yesterday, Dan and I decided to get my fresh air by taking Molly to the neighbourhood dog park. Great idea, poor execution.

While, Molly raced around the open field with a little Shiba Inu, Dan and I chatted with his human. And I took my eye of the ball – or rather the balls of fur racing around us. The little dog ran between us, with Molly right behind. I never saw what hit me. I went flying and landed face down on the frozen ground.

Fortunately, I was bundled up for winter and I didn’t hit the ground face first. But, I did twist my left arm going down and managed to pull something in my shoulder in the process. I got up, none the worse for wear, except for the excruciating pain in my left arm and shoulder.

The pain is still there and as excruciating as ever. Nothing is broken, and the shoulder is not dislocated. I don’t even have a bruise or much swelling. But there is no denying the pain.

There is no way that I am heading out on the snow and ice to get my fresh air today. Nor am I doing any Zumba or lifting any weights.

But despite the pain, I am staying on track

– By keeping a positive mindset. This is just a set back, not the end of my fitness journey.

– By moving (as much as I can). Every movement causes pain, but walking around, moving on my Yoga ball, and gentle side to side motion is doable. Anything to keep the circulation going and the adrenaline pumping – even a little bit.

– By showing my body some love and patience with Aspirin, CBD cream, a warm Epsom salt bath, and some cozy pjs.

– By exercising my mind (reading a good book and playing a mind game on my phone).

– By skipping the pity party and accepting the challenge. There’s nothing like a good challenge to help us dig deep and find out what we are really made of. 😁

So, that’s where I am at today. Take care and have a great day! 💞🌞