Tag: healthy living

Daily Food Diary – Day 68 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I am 68 days into tracking everything I consume in a day and recording it in my Daily Food Diary. 

This daily practice is part of my personal health and fitness journey that I began three years and one month ago. 

My ‘why’ at the time was just being sick and tired of being sick and tired.  Over the past thirty seven months my ‘why’ has changed and evolved.  Overall,  I feel healthy and strong and I want to stay that way – and continue to get healthier and stronger.    I love fitting into clothes that I hadn’t worn for years.  I love knowing that I am doing my best to avoid being a burden to our already overburdened health system. I love being able to easily do things that I struggled with for years. 

For years, I struggled to do my own hair. Reaching my arms up to hold a curling iron or a blow drier was exhausting and beyond painful.   A few months ago, I was told that this is normal for people with lung disease.  People with lung diseases – asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, or bronchiolitis (I have been diagnosed with all four) find it difficult to lift their arms due to physiological changes caused by lung disease. 

For the past thirty seven months, I have been doing aerobics six mornings a week.  (I did miss a very few weeks due to illness, a broken arm, etc).

I still have chronic respiratory issues and I always will,  to some degree.  But!   I do not struggle to do my own hair.  I can wave my arms in the air, LIKE I JUST DON’T CARE, anytime anywhere – for any reason!

The freedom to move as I want, when I want, is ‘WHY’ enough to keep moving forward on my health and fitness journey,  but I do it for this and for so much more!

Food Diary – Day 68

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2) (.3)

(2) scrambled eggs (196) (12)

(3) thin sliced bacon (130) (8.9)

(26) oz water

Snacks:

(1) c Licorice tea

(6) Hint of Lime Tortilla chips (150) (2)

(1/4) c sunflower seeds (180) (6)

Supper:

(14) oz water

(2) c homemade wonton soup (250) (19)

(2/3) c Butter Pecan Ice Cream with extra pecans and  butterscotch & chocolate topping(415) (5)

Total Calories: 1322

Total Protein: 53.2 grams

Protein Goal for the Day:  46 to 58.5 grams

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 67 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 67 days since I began tracking everything I consume each day.   This is just another step to living a healthy lifestyle.

Fresh air and exercise are both important to  me as well.  Yesterday, I nailed both with a nice walk along the bike paths in the A. E. Wilson Park on the west side of Regina.  It is a huge park with playgrounds, a toboggan hill, a creek opening up into at least one small lake, open prairie, and miles of well maintained paths for bikers, hikers, and dogs to enjoy.

It was warm enough to take my gloves off, so I took a few photos. You might have to zoom in to see what I was trying to take a picture of.  🙄

Canada Geese by the open water
Dan & Molly – Molly was excellent yesterday, even when we encountered other dogs. 👍
Bunnies in the snow

Food Diary – Day 67

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2) (.3)

(2) potato patties (240) (2)

(2) Eggs with ham and green onions pan fried in olive oil (260) (24)

Snack:

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(1/3) c Dill Pickle peanuts (170) (8)

(1/2) c Raspberries (32) (.7)

(1) Vodka Caesar with Pickled Asparagus                   (178) (3)

Supper:

(1) c Homemade Bacon Beans (300) (12)

(2) Hotdogs (no bun) (360) (12)

(1) Side Salad with dressing & dried fried onions  (160) (5)

(14) oz water

Total Calories: 1702

Total Protein: 67 grams

Protein Daily Goal: 46-58 grams

Notes:

  1. It has been a few weeks since Dan bought me a cruet for olive oil to keep on the cupboard next to the stove.   We have been using the oil for any pan frying, instead of butter.   It has been a simple and painless cut to a less healthy option.
  2. The baked beans yesterday were amazing.  I found a recipe that we both like.   I did switch out the one cup of tomato juice and five cups of water for two cups of tomato juice and four cups of home made chicken broth.         https://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-baked-beans-in-tomato-sauce-341593

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 65 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It has been 65 days since I started to monitor what I consume in a day.  AND… It has been just over 3 years since I started working on my overall health and fitness with exercise, fresh air, and meditation.

I have been encouraged by the benefits that I have experienced along the way.   Recently, I have celebrated excellent results on blood tests, a slight drop in weight, and  perfect blood pressure readings.    Yay me!

The only health issue I have experienced has been ongoing problems with my epigastric hernia.  Recently, I saw a surgeon who sent me for a ct scan to check out the exact details before he goes in for the repair.

I went in for the scan last Sunday,  feeling confident that the only thing of note on the report would be the details of my hernia.  That report showed up on my Saskatchewan Health Account a couple of days ago.

The report noted the hernia details.  It included numerous non hernia related details.   Everything was normal and healthy from my liver to my spleen, and other internal bits and pieces. 

Then things started to get a bit disturbing…

VASCULATURE:  Normal caliber mildly
atherosclerotic abdominal aorta. (Not bad but why is my abdominal aorta anything short of perfect?)

BONES/SOFT TISSUES:  L5-S1 advanced disc height loss and bilateral pars
defects with associated grade 1 anterolisthesis. (Google notes this is a slipped disk, suggests pain management.  Which could be a plan, except I have never experienced any pain in my spine or radiating elsewhere – so there is that.)

PELVIS: The bladder is collapsed.  (News to me and I have had  zero symptoms.)

LUNGS:   Diffuse bronchiectasis of the visualized lungs with tree-in-bud nodularity within the lower lobes is suggestive of small airway disease such as infectious bronchiolitis. (No indication of infection in blood tests taken last week 🙄.)

The only really disturbing note is the one regarding the new lung issue.  I have already been diagnosed with asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis 🙄. I should probably call my respiratory specialist to see if this is anything worth checking into.   😢

Food Diary – Day 65

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2) (.3)

(2) potato patties (240) (.2)

(3)strips bacon (130) (8.9)

(2) eggs (160) (14)

(24) oz water

Snack:

(1) c licorice tea

(1/3) c almonds and cashews (192) (6.6)

Supper:

(1) c linguine with sauce (270) (9)

(9) large shrimps (180) (34.5)

(1/2) c asparagus with butter (47) (1.5)

(1) Side salad with French Dressing (210) (5)

(12) oz carbonated water

Total Calories: 1431

Total Protein: 81.8 grams 😯

Protein daily goal: 46 to 58.5 grams

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 61 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It has been 61 days since I started my Daily Food Diary.  I am still eating and still tracking! 👍

This weekend was a double win for my health.

Yesterday, I went for a CT Scan that needed to be done before my hernia repair.  I had an appointment but they called me three hours early to ask me if I could pop down to the hospital right away to get it done.  That alone was a double win – I got it done and I didn’t sit around worrying about it for three hours. 😂

Also yesterday, I received the results of blood tests that I had done last week.  My results were a perfect win.  All the usual tests – cholesterol, blood sugar etc came in at mid normal.  AND There was no indication of any infection or inflammation.   That was all accomplished with exercise and diet. 👏 No medications used or required.  That is huge for anyone and especially anyone like me who cannot tolerate any drugs.

Food Diary – Day 61

Breakfast:

(1) c coffee (2)  (.3)

(2) breakfast sausages (270) (20)

(2) pancakes (173) (4.9)

(1) tbsp Pure Maple Syrup (55) (-)

When I spoke to a nutritionist last fall, she told me that Maple Syrup is the best natural sugar to use. (Still in moderation)  I don’t remember if she said why, but I think it is because it is the least processed.

Compare ingredients! No contest. 💓

Snacks:

(24) 0z water

(50g) Frito Lays Hoops (270) (3)

(1) c licorice tea

Supper:

(12) oz water

(1) Ruben Wrap

  1. 1 Tortilla wrap (170) (5)
  2. 4 oz Montreal smoked meat (136) (15.1)
  3. 1 slice Swiss Cheese (106) (7.1)
  4. 1/2 c sauerkraut (23) (.5)
  5. 1 1/2 tsp hot mustard (10) (-)
  6. 1.2 pc chocolate fudge cake (360) (2.4)

Total Calories: 1643

Total Protein:  58.4 grams

  • In the past week I consumed 257 calories over my goal of a net 1276 calories  a day
  • My protein goal is 46 to 58.5 grams per day

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

Photo compliments of our granddaughter Maddy who was in Alberta this weekend, staying in Calgary and visiting Banff.

Daily Food Diary – Day 57 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I am fifty-seven days into my Daily Food Diary.   I have been using the fitness app Lose It! For 10 days now and it gets easier and more useful every day.  I don’t know if I will ever ramp up to the paid version, but will see as time goes on.

These days, I am trying to get more active,  do more deep breathing exercises,  and focused meditation to get my lungs as functional as possible for my hernia repair.  My biggest issue going into this,   is that in recent weeks my asthma is triggered easily and often by any stress.  AND hospitals stress me out.  My surgeon is using general anesthesia to have me as relaxed as possible so I won’t have a coughing fit while he is trying to work on me – but general anesthesia is not the best for someone with my respiratory issues.  So… There is that!  (as my friend Jackie would say 😁)

Yesterday, I did make a little progress in the activity end of things – and I got some fresh air as well.  Dan and I headed down to the walking trails at the south end of the city with Molly.  I took the first shift with Molly’s leash.  That meant crossing the road, climbing over a snowbank, getting across an icy bridge and travelling down a trail  – while holding on to a hundred pound Pyrenees who was excited about being out in the snow, bopping from one side of the trail to the other, and occasionally losing her mind altogether and leaping into the deep snow beside the trail.   Half a kilometre in, I was ready to relinquish the leash to Dan so the rest of our walk was a lot less eventful – at least for me. 

Molly in her element💓

Food Diary – Day 57

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Shreddies with milk & sugar (287)

(1) c Vegetable stir fry (72)

(1) oz pork loin (77)

(24) oz water

(1) c tea

(1) small peach (51)

(2) c fried rice with lean pork loin and LOTS of vegetables – onions, celery, red pepper, & mushrooms (580)

(12) oz carbonated water

(1/2) bag popcorn (190)

Total calories: 1259

Using the Lose It! app I registered -206 calories for aerobics and walking.  I’m sure, I earned a few more for sharing popcorn with Molly (which is more physically challenging than one would think – but not  in their list of  exercises. 🫤)

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 55 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

Another day in the life of my 365 Day Daily Food Diary.   I have 310 days to go and I am starting to see how challenging this could get before I am done.  We have one trip planned and another one that we are hoping to take.  I have my hernia repair coming up.  Spring is coming soon and that will lead to all of the outdoor activities that I love.  Life in general is about to get a lot busier than it was when I set out on this venture.  

As I was reminded this morning, by my friend Dwight Hyde from http://fadedjeansliving.com , regardless of what I am struggling with, ‘I choose‘.   Whether, it is continuing a challenge of my own making, dealing with  chronic health issues, or dealing with situations that are  totally out of my control,  I can always stop and deliberately choose how I go forward.    Knowing that I choose, makes the right choice obvious and it is the first step to being committed to following through with it.

Another 310 days of  tracking  everything I consume and posting it in a blog  is about to get daunting but not undoable!   Every day is another opportunity to choose to move forward – and at this point, there is no going back! 😊

Food Diary – Day 55

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) Crumpets (160)

(2) tsp butter (68)

(1) tsp jam (17)

(2) slices thick sliced bacon (200)

(24) oz water

(1 1/2) c French pea soup (271)

(5) soda crackers (63)

(1) c tea

(2) c vegetable stir fry (144)

(2 1/2) oz lean pork loin(141)

(1) c white rice (242)

(4) air fried chicken flats (170)

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) oz fresh coconut (70)

Total calories:  1548

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 52 of 365

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 49 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness, Uncategorized

Good Morning! I am a few days late, but this morning I weighed in at 129.7 pounds.  Yay!

Yesterday, I turned a corner with the app Lose It! that I have been working with the past few days.  Two things that I really like –

(1)  The app breaks down my daily calories into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.  Regardless of what I am doing, I always do better if I break it down into smaller parts.  This will help me to not only stick to an overall calorie budget for each day, but will also  help me to make healthier choices throughout the day. 👍

(2) This app helps me to track my activity for the day and see how it affects my available calories.  🤸

I have used a Fitbit activity tracker before, but this is the first time I have used an app that budgets calories for the day, tracks calories consumed and calories used.   I can see this becoming a really useful tool for me.

Note: I haven’t checked it out yet, but Lose It! also tracks the nutritional make up and values of the foods I eat.   That will be very helpful as I continue to work on improving  my diet this year.   Also, while I am starting out with the basic free app, there are benefits to be had with a paid subscription that I will check out down the road.

Food Diary – Day 49 of 365

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) lg pear (133)

(1) Granola bar (160)

(24) oz water

(3) oz DK skinless turkey (160)

(6) Original Triscuits (120)

(1) c tea

(2) sq. dark chocolate (120)

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) lg garden salad with pan fried (in olive oil) white chicken (473)

Total Calories: 1169

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 32 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I am posting my Food Diary for February 1st.  In reality, today is February 2nd which of course is Groundhog Day!

I am not counting on spring magically bounding into Saskatchewan if some rodent didn’t see his shadow this morning.  Incredibly, on this day three years ago that is exactly what I was counting on.  Counting, hoping, praying, wishing ( THE WORKS)! 🤦

The fact was I was always hoping, praying, and wishing for something that would happen to turn my life around – something that would have me bounding out of bed to do what needed to be done, to take our little Cavalier Kat for long walks, to find myself whole and fit and healthy,  and to be fully embracing and enjoying life as it is meant to be.  The fact is, I was delusional. 😳

But three years ago, Groundhog Day 2022, I had a major epiphany.  I realized that nothing was going to change unless I did.  It took me twelve more days to act on this realization but finally on February 14th, I did act.  I took my first step on my health and fitness journey and the rest is history!

My life isn’t perfect, my commitment to my  health and fitness is not always perfect,  but it is in my hands – and not at the mercy of some rodent who is out and about looking for his shadow today.  🤗

Our precious Kat, who we lost to congenital heart failure in March 2022.

Food Diary  –  Day 32

(1) c coffee (2)

(3) eggo waffles with butter and syrup (411)

(24) oz water

(1) c tea (1)

(27) onion & garlic chips (260)

(12) oz carbonated water

(1) Dbl Arby’s beef with horsey sauce (300)

(1) medium fries with gravy (465)

(1) mozza stick (115)

(1) c tea (1)

Total calories: 1555

A nutritional fail today  but this diary is about reality – and ultimately a commitment to do better.

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 26 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness, Uncategorized

I have been noting and posting my daily food and liquid intake for twenty six days.  I have found some room for improvement, made some adjustments, and have begun to realize some benefits. 🤗

Obviously, my health and fitness journey is about more than what I eat and drink.  I do aerobics six days a week, typically do strength training Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and I rest on Sunday. 

Yesterday, my rest day included time spent grooming our dog, Molly and time outside enjoying a rousing game of fetch.  It is a bit challenging when you have a hundred pound  Pyrenees who is less than co-operative. 🤦

* My husband Dan helps position and brush Molly.  He also gives the porch a good vacuuming when we are done. 💞
I don’t fetch.

Food Diary – Day 26

(1) c coffee

(3) Thin slices pcs of bacon

(2) Eggs

(1/2) Tomato

(2) Potato patties

(12) oz water

(1) c tea

(1) Apple

(24) oz water

(12) oz carbonated water

(1 1/2) c pork souvlaki with mushrooms

(1) c cheese ravioli with minimal butter and fresh garlic

(1) sm side salad

(20) oz water

(2) chocolates

(1) c tea

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