Tag: gratitude

Daily Food Diary – Day 137 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 137 Days since I began posting my Daily Food Diary. 😁 And it is 1 Day since I finished my latest round of antibiotics and Prednisone! 😃

Yesterday, I failed to meet my goal for net total calories and for saturated fats.  There is no excuse for over cheesing the nachos – but I can justify eating the extra nachos.  They were VERY good! And.. I burned a lot of calories yesterday, some of which I did not deduct from my calorie intake. 

The bulk of those non- deducted calories burnt came from yardwork.  I trimmed our front yard and mowed the big half – much bigger, but easier.  The grass was marginally shorter than the other side, but I still emptied the grass bag four times into our big green bin.  That is the hardest part of mowing because our mower bag is huge and heavy, our green bin is almost as tall as me, and my face is right in the fresh grass (not ideal with grass allergies. 🙄) But I got the one side done before Dan decided I was done.  He did the more difficult side.  Today, our grandson Rory is coming over to give the yard a good raking.  I am excited to see him and excited to have another major project off the books!

Work mode!

After mowing, I took on one more project for the day – which I did deduct calories for.  I let Molly take me for a full walk around our neighbourhood ALONE.   That was the first time I have ventured out that far with her in TWO YEARS.  The first time since the dogpark collision/broken arm incident of 2023.  🙄  I just didn’t totally trust either her or myself to go alone since. 

Yesterday, Molly crushed it!  She did have to make one quick poop stop, but otherwise she was focused on getting me around the neighborhood and back home.  She just cruised right by other dogs, vehicles, lots of people, trees, sign posts, and the like.  

And we had one bonus moment… Granddaughter Genie drove past us with her sisters Maddie and Prim.  They waved and yelled at us.  I waved and yelled back to them.  You can’t buy moments like those and nothing can prepare you for them. ☺️

I am so blessed to have my health and my family and my Molly dog.  💞🌞

Daily Food Diary – Day 137

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) Paratha (240) (1 gram)

(1) tbsp all-natural peanut butter (90) (1 gram)

(1) tbsp jam (50)

Lunch:

(3) oz BBQ chicken breast (53)

(12) Lightly salted ripple chips (130) (.5 grams)

Snacks

(48) oz water

(1) Lemon oatmeal cookie (68) (.6 grams)

Supper:

(2) Lg servings of nachos – tortilla chips, lean ground turkey, orange, pepper, jalapeno , green onions, green olives, shredded cheese, salsa  (996) (22.9 grams)

Total net calories: 1369

Net calorie goal: 1243 – 1369 = 126 over 👎

Total saturated fats: 26 grams

Saturated fats goal: 13.75 grams 👎

That’s it for today.  Take care & have a great day! 💖😌

Molly – 2022

Daily Food Diary – Day 123 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I am at Day 123 on my Daily Food Diary. 🤗

May is shaping up to be a beautiful month here in Saskatchewan.  It is getting warm enough that Dan and I decided we had better take Molly  for her walk  before breakfast this morning.

Return home!

A few weeks ago, I started using the Lose It! app to track my calories and nutrients that I focus on month to month. (This month it is saturated fats).

At the end of each diary entry, I note Net Calorie Total, net calorie goal, and how many calories I am over and under by.  My net calories are my total calories consumed less calories used.  Lose It! totals my calories consumed and used and calculates the difference.

I have found that for most calories consumed, the Lose It! app is fairly accurate compared to nutritional labels printed on packages.

For calories used, I generally note my morning aerobics (110 cal.)and our walks with Molly (+/- 100 cal. for 35 to 45 minutes).  

Yesterday, I included the hour and a half that I spent pressure washing our patios. (325 calories)

* Walking with Molly for an hour and a half would earn me < 300 calories used.

Yesterday, I swept our patios, pressure washed them, did some general outdoor cleaning and maintenance, came in to have a Caesar and a snack & then helped Dan make supper.  And I was still relatively presentable!

This morning, I walked Molly for half an hour.   Dan shot the photo of us above when  we got back home.   Both of us looked like we were having a medical crisis.  🤦

Something doesn’t add up…

Daily Food Diary – Day 123

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) potato patties (240) (1 gram)

(2) poached eggs (143) (3.1 grams)

Snacks:

(40) oz water

(1/2) c raspberries (32)

(11) Hint of Lime tortilla chips (275) (1.8 grams)

(3) tbsp salsa (8)

(1) Caesar (168)

Supper:

(1) Lean beef burger (no salt) (243) (6.7 grams)

(1) tbsp horseradish (45)

(12) Lay’s lightly salted chips (67) (.5 gram)

(5) No Name light Salt ripple chips (54) (.2 gram)

(2) tbsp French Onion chip dip (45) (1.5 g)

(1/2) tomato

(5) slices cucumber (4)

Total net calories: 851

Net calorie goal: 1247 – 851 = 396 under 👍

Total saturated fat: 14.8 grams

Saturated fat goal: < 13.75 👎

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 99 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Day 99 of my Daily Food Diary and I am still here!  For those who have been checking in on a regular basis, I am happy that you are here and I do appreciate your ongoing support and encouragement. 💞

Our weather continues to improve, our snow and ice continue to melt, and our yard, sidewalks, and parks have deteriorated into mud.

Before we got Molly, I read a LOT about having a Pyrenees.  It wasn’t all flattering, but I was impressed that they have ‘self cleaning’ fur.  That was a big selling point for me.  I was so impressed, I missed the part that explained that these massive, hairy, white dogs will walk, roll, and plow through every bit of mud and crud that they can find and then ‘self clean’ by coming in the house and rubbing themselves against every piece of furniture and fabric that they can reach.  (Molly can reach anything she wants to rub against, around, or over. 😳)

Fortunately, Dan went out and bought Molly a new brush yesterday.  This thing is magical.  I brushed her for half an hour last night and I was amazed.  Not only did it remove mud, tree branches, dead grass  and the like, but it removed a waste basket full of fine undercoat – and did it without filling the air, house, my clothes etc. with those fine little hairs that are generally impossible to control.

Molly’s magical new brush. 😁
There is still some work to do but she is looking pretty presentable 👍

Daily Food Diary – Day 99

Breakfast:

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

(1) Bran muffin (148 mg) (14 grams)

(2) tsp butter (69) (63.3) mg

Lunch:

(2) chicken drumsticks (152) (291 mg)

Snacks:

(48) oz water

(1) c Cinnamon tea

(1/2) pear (52)

(14)  raspberries (14)

(6) mini Easter eggs (85) (10 mg) (14 grams)

(4) oz Sunflower Seeds (265) (225 mg)

Supper:

(2) c macaroni & cheese (320)(453.2mg)          (2 grams)

(4) oz minute steak w/seasoning salt & pepper, pan fried in olive oil (346) (190 mg)

(1/2) c mushrooms (fried with steak) (22)

(1) asparagus spears w/ butter, salt & pepper (67) (10.4) mg

Total net calories: 1357

Calorie goal: 1269 – 1357 = 88 over 🙄

Total Sodium:  1823.6 mg

Sodium goal: 1500 to 2300 mg 🙂

Total Processed Sugar: 30 grams

Processed sugar goal: <25 grams 🙄

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 81 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 81 days since I began my Daily Food Diary.  This month I have been tracking my protein consumption.  I obviously don’t have any trouble getting enough protein in my diet.  With only  a week to go of this particular exercise, we went all out yesterday.

Steak & Shrimp Supper – we do own real dishes and actual placemats 🙄

It is Sunday today – a good day for relaxing and contemplating life.  Dwight, one of my amigos, shared a quotation yesterday that made me think, so I decided to  pass it on today…

It is humbling  to consider how amazing we are – Body, Mind, and Spirit.  💞

Daily Food Diary – Day 81

Breakfast:

(1) c Coffee (2) (.3)

(2) eggs scrambled with back bacon, green onion, red pepper, and  asparagus fried in butter    (289) (25.8)

Snacks:

(1) c Lemon Ginger tea

(1/3) c Dill Pickle Peanuts (300) (11)

(2) sq dark chocolate (113) (.9)

(1/2) c sunflower seeds with shells (120) (4)

(36) oz water

Supper:

(12) oz water

(1) c white rice (242) (4.4)

(2) tbsp soya sauce (15) (1)

(10) Asparagus spears (33) (3.6)

(4) oz minute steak (267) (33.3)

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

(7) Jumbo shrimp (140) (26.8)

(3) tsp butter (1030 (.1)

(2) tbsp Honey Garlic Sauce (45)

Total Calories: 1689

Total Protein: 112.6 grams 😲

Protein daily goal: 46 to 58.5

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 25 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I’m still here and I am not looking to abandon my food diary until my 365 days are done.   🥶🐣🌹🍂. (For my son who appreciates my use of emojis. 😂)

Speaking of appreciation, in a few days  (February 14th) I will be celebrating three years since I began this health and fitness journey that I am on.

During these years I have appreciated having  the support and encouragement of a number of people – my husband Dan (who always supports and believes in me), my family (siblings, nieces, children, and grandchildren), my fitness friends and so much more, Jackie and Dwight (who are a part of my life every day and my motivation to keep going especially when life throws me a curveball), everyone on WordPress who has been SO supportive (those who have been with me from the beginning, those who have joined me since, and those that have passed through and left a kindly word), my friends (who check in on me through Facebook), my medical experts (especially Lara my Nurse Practitioner and Katie my respiratory therapist) and last, but not least, ME.

I am almost in awe of the me that I was three years ago.  That me was exhausted and cold and miserable, that me struggled to breathe and experienced heart palpitations every time she got up from her rocking chair, that me was anxious and unhappy, that  me was fat and flabby and bloated – but THAT ME decided I deserved better and made it her mission to take responsibility for MY health, fitness, and future.   That me could not possibly imagine how her decision would change me or the quality of life.   But she did it – she got up and danced (shuffled) through one little Buddy Holly song and she changed my life.

The last three years have not always been smooth or easy.  I broke my arm, experienced health issues, and had other setbacks,  but the me that was has persevered and now my future self is calling me forward.   That is pretty cool and something that I never fail to appreciate. ☺️

Food Diary – Day 25

(1) c coffee

(1/2) grapefruit with sugar

(1) granola bar

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(1/2) sm bowl Frito Hoops

(24) oz water

(2/3) 10″ tortilla crust pizza with ham, back bacon, pepperoni, mushroom, red onion, red pepper, and black olive pizza

(2) chocolates

(1) c tea

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

Perfection

by annemariedemyen, posted in July 2022

This came up on my Facebook feed this morning. It has probably been around forever but I do not remember seeing it before. This relates to everything that is wrong with the world today compared to when I was growing up.

Things are never black or white – they weren’t when I was young and they are not now, but generally speaking, we grew up learning to make the best of what we had – as our parents did, and their parents did before them.

Nowadays, people are so often the opposite. If it isn’t perfect, if it isn’t the best – it is worthless. Waste it, destroy it, and throw it away. ‘IT’ is everything – homes, vehicles, food, clothes, people (parents, siblings, partners, friends, anyone). As a society, ‘IT’ is healthcare, roads, education, the environment, natural resources. EVERYTHING. Waste it, destroy it, and throw it away.

And so many people are miserable – struggling with their health – mental, emotional, and physical AND finding themselves with less and less. Still they are demanding more and more – AND ‘the more’ has to be perfect or they waste it, destroy it, and throw it away.

It is an unsustainable obsession that we have these days, this desire for perfection or having only ‘the best’.

It is kind of funny that this came up for me this morning. This week wasn’t going well for me. My lungs are not liking our weather, I am feeling blah and bloated, I put on a couple of the pounds that I have worked so hard to take off. 😢 So, I decided it was time to change directions. I am not giving up on my health and fitness. It is just time to quit moping and start cleaning cupboards and closets, polishing up the Jeep, maybe give my dog a bath. Just make the best of what I have, instead of being so focused on what’s not working for me this week. This post came up at the perfect time to give me the boost I needed to get on with it. 🥰

Feeling grateful for what I have.🤗

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