great Pyrenees – Page 3 – Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie

Daily Food Diary – Day 160 of 365

June 9, 2025June 10, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 160 Days since I started posting my Daily Food Diary. 😬

Yesterday was not a banner day in the the kitchen!

I was over on calories *, processed sugar, sodium, and saturated fats. I fell short on fruits and vegetables. 😞

There was a BUT on the calories. I was over because I didn’t do my aerobic workout in the morning. BUT, I was active all day – I was just doing things that I don’t count the calories used for.

I brushed Molly, we took her for a bath, and I walked her home from the pet store (to help finish drying her).

I finished the laundry, baked Lemon Squares for Danny and cut up all three squares I made and packaged them up. I watered the garden and the flowers in the front yard. I packed. I did the dishes from breakfast, lunch, and baking and cleaned the sink, counter tops, and stove top. I tidied up the house, had a bath and did my hair.

I had a short visit with granddaughter Genie and I brushed Molly AGAIN.

**Clean, fluffy, and totally exhausted!**

Today we hit the road to go up to son Dan’s to watch the boys for a few days. It should be a few active days and a few healthy days in the kitchen! 👍

Daily Food Diary – Day 160

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)

(3) crumpets (240)

(2) tsp butter (69)

(3) tsp jam (50)

Lunch:

(1/2) c macaroni salad (258) (1/2 SVG)

(1) radish (1) (1/4 SVG)

(1/5) c red onion (1/4 SVG)

(3) slices Piller’s shaved ham (50)

Supper:

(1) Hungry Man Chicken Cutlet Dinner (520) (1 SVG)

(1) Gluten free DK chocolate and peanut butter dessert bar (110)

(1) Lemon Dessert bar (193)

Total net calories: 1472

Net calorie goal: 1238 – 1472 = 234 over 👎

Fruits & Vegetables: 2 servings

Fruits & vegetables goal: 7 servings 👎

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 147 of 365

May 28, 2025May 28, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 147 Days since I began my Daily Food Diary. That is a full 21 Weeks ! 🎉

Yesterday, Dan went golfing at Katepwa, so having completed Molly’s walk and my aerobic workout I was looking at taking a day off.

Such was not the case when granddaughter Genie pedaled up on her bike. 💖😊💖

**An older photo of a bike trek to Grandma’s with sister Maddy.**

We headed outside to spend some quality time in the garden. At one point, Molly leapt over the strawberry plant in the corner planter to stay close to her favorite human. 🤦

About three hours later, we came back inside. While we continued our visit, Genie painted a couple of little yard ornaments.

I bought the angel one last year as a tribute to our beloved Kat. Genie touched it up to give it a bit more pop. The frog is the one I picked up at the Dollar Store last week.

Genie stayed until Grandpa got back from golf, then headed home before it got dark.

We had a quick supper and that was a wrap for my day. I forget if I mentioned it in an earlier post, but I have been sleeping like a rock! On multiple days I have been out cold by 8 or 9 pm and sleeping until 5:30 am (which is now Molly’s time to start our day)!

**It’s hard to lay around once Molly decides it is time to get up.**

Daily Food Diary – Day 147

Breakfast:

(1) coffee (2)

(3) 4″ pancakes (259) (2.4 grams)

(1) tbsp corn oil (120) (2 grams)

(3) sausages (405) (21 grams)

(2) tsp butter (69) (4.7 grams)

(3) tbsp Maple Syrup (165)

Supper:

(48) oz water

(1) cheese tortilla wrap (170) (1.5 grams)

(2) Low sodium Top Dogs (180) (5 grams)

(1.5) oz marble cheese (170) (8.5 grams)

(1) tsp olive oil (40) (.7 grams)

(12) Barbecue chips (135) (.8 grams)

(1/5) Red onion (13)

Total net calories: 1473

Net calorie goal: 1243 – 1473 = 230 over 👎

Total Saturated Fats: 46.5 grams

Saturated fats goal: 13.75 👎

WELL! We won’t be having pancakes and sausages again any time soon. 😵

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 52 of 365

February 22, 2025February 22, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

For 52 days now, I have been recording and posting my Daily Food Diary. Focussing on my diet does not mean that I am neglecting other aspects of my health.

I am doing my morning aerobics six mornings a week and with our much milder temperatures, I am excited about getting outside and enjoying our fresh air. With this in mind, I set out with Dan and Molly yesterday for a walk around our neighborhood.

I don’t know if you can see or relate to our ice rutted street or the sidewalk across the street, which is buried under two or three feet of ice and snow. I know you can’t see our sidewalk but Dan does keep it cleared and passable – unlike most residential sidewalks in this area and ALL sidewalks adjacent to city owned property.

Walking in conditions like this is extremely difficult and dangerous. Walking in conditions like this while holding onto a Great Pyrenees like Molly is pretty much impossible.

**Walking a Great Pyrenees on dry solid ground can be difficult enough.**

Fortunately, there are parks in the city with trails that are maintained and we have a large yard that I can access to get some fresh air. But, walking around our neighborhood again will have to wait until Mother Nature makes our streets and sidewalks passable. 🌞

Food Diary – Day 52

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) crumpets with butter & jam (211)

(2) thin sliced bacon (200)

(24) ounces water

(1/2) grapefruit with sugar (56)

(1) blueberry/oatmeal muffins with butter (190)

(12) ounces carbonated water

(1) tortilla wrap (170)

(12) pcs pepperoni (65)

(4) slices shaved ham (90)

(2) slices back bacon (35)

(1/3) c shredded cheese (120)

(1 1/2) c mushrooms, red onion, red pepper, green olives (35)

Total Calories: 1224

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 46 of 365

February 16, 2025June 25, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025

It is Sunday morning and I am celebrating 46 days in, eating more mindfully by tracking and posting my Daily Food Diary.

Dan, Molly, and I are also celebrating Molly’s third birthday! We aren’t doing much but Molly is going for a ride out to the cemetery for a visit with Dan’s dad, Nick who would likewise be celebrating his birthday today.

I can’t believe how fast these past two years have gone since Dan has been home full time. The first year of Molly’s life, Dan was working thirteen hour shifts, twenty four seven. That year lasted forever! I felt a profound sense of relief and gratitude for every day that we survived and counted the days until Molly would be a year old and capable of reining in her attitude and exuberance. (Spoiler alert – I’m still waiting, but things have improved now that Dan is retired. Dogs choose their own pack leader and Molly chose Dan to set some boundaries.)

**Cooling off. Also…. Wet fur is great for collecting sand, dirt, leaves, branches – pretty much anything she could drag into the house.**

**Molly going through her lapdog phase.**

**Having her first bath – thankful for Pet Smart bathing centres!**

**She loved company – especially if it was the grandkids**

Over the past two years, Molly has dialed it back a bit.

**With the grandkids…(Primrose & Molly)**

**Running at the dogpark (until four feet of packed snow turned the fence into a suggestion) 🤦**

**And just being our big, beautiful, goofy, girl MOLLY!**

Food Diary – Day 46

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Shreddies with milk and sugar (247)

(21) Tater tots (300)

(24) oz water

(1) c tea (1)

(25) Ripple chips (270)

(4) oz dark skinless turkey meat (183)

(1 1/2) c macaroni & cheese (350)

(1 1/2) c steamed brussel sprouts with butter, salt & pepper. (120)

(1) Side salad (150)

(12) oz carbonated water

(2) mini chocolate cupcakes (200)

Total calories: 1822

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 40 of 365

February 10, 2025June 30, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Yesterday, I posted a few photos of summer in Saskatchewan. Today is Monday and it is time to get back to the reality of winter in Saskatchewan.

**Quick pic of my front yard flower bed.**

**Molly Dog – Her spot was on the sofa beside Dan. Since we got our new living room furniture, she is torn between Dan and** **her blanket which I appropriated to protect my chair in case she** **happened** **to jump up on it.**

**Molly and I out walking Waterfall Park yesterday.**

It’s a minus 41C (feels like) this morning. We are in preservation mode at this point. Dan and I just started a big pot of stewing hen broth. Tomorrow, we will be warming up with hearty homemade chicken noodle soup.

A couple of chicken soup suppers will be a good thing this week. First because it will be great for warming us up, second because it will be lean meat and lots of fresh vegetables (plus egg noodles).

Today marks FOUR DAYS until I complete three years of my health and fitness journey. When I started out, I was tipping the scales over 160 pounds. Now I am just a few ounces over 130 pounds. I would love to weigh in under 130 pounds this Friday. Our chicken soup might do it for me, especially if I up my aerobics to make up for the lack of weight workouts and minus 40 walks.

Food Diary – Day 40

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) Breakfast Sandwich – Back bacon, egg, cheese & tea biscuit. (465)

(24) oz water

(8) Licorice allsorts (167)

(25) BBQ chips (270)

(1) c tea (1)

(2) chilli dogs – no bun, with cheese, onions, and (14) multi grain crackers (710)

(12) oz Carbonated water

Total calories: 1515

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

No outdoor flowers to enjoy for a while, but the orchid Dan got me last Valentine’s Day is still blooming! (Blooming again for the forth time)

Daily Food Diary – Day 38 of 365

February 8, 2025June 25, 2025 by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Thirty-eight days in and this isn’t shaping up to be a good one. A few years ago this would have been one of those days that put me over the edge – or at least kept me clinging to it for dear life.

There is nothing drastically wrong in my life today. It is just one of those days where every little thing goes wrong.

I woke up to a balmy minus 40C (feels like). In reality it was only minus 30C. I made sausage and egg breakfast sandwiches and Dan’s sausage decided not to cook. My computer was glitching, also my phone. My phone worked, it just refused to make calls. Since Dan was going to drive our Maddy to work, I needed to call her to make sure she was ready. Dan took the garbage out when he left. I got into a battle with the new garbage bag. I wanted to put it in the garbage can and it did not want to go. Ultimately, I prevailed, but things got ugly. Meanwhile, Molly dog was on a tear while I was trying to do a video for my accountability group. Again, I prevailed but not before I accidentally deleted my video. Finally, I managed to complete my aerobics without incident but I have been experiencing coughing and sneezing fits ever since. Sigh…

It could be a long day. I might even make a few poor food choices. 🙄 But this will be a good day to mark on my diary, because I know that tomorrow is another day – and it will be better! Looking back through this year, there will be more days like today – and more better days that follow. And this Daily Food Diary will be the solid proof I need to remind myself that such is life.

Daily Diary – Day 38

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) tea biscuits with butter (234)

(3) slices thin sliced bacon (270)

(24) oz water

(4) air-dried chicken wing flats (320)

(1) egg roll with plum sauce (100)

(1) c tea (1)

(2) chocolates (130)

(12) oz carbonated water

(3) c chilli with cheese & fried dried onions (640)

(25) Salt & vinegar chips (270)

(1) c tea (1)

Total calories: 1968

(I knew that one was going to be ugly! 🙄)

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