setbacks – Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie

Year Two – Week Seven

April 3, 2023April 3, 2023 by annemariedemyen, posted in April 2023, Health and Fitness

Year One of my healthier, fitter lifestyle ended with back to back to back setbacks. (Flu/brutal winter season/broken arm). Year Two brought healing and an eminent improvement to our weather. April brings a new fridge sign to our kitchen….

I am ready to Move Forward – and moving forward I am.

My big news, this week and moving forward, is that am working in partnership with my daughter. We haven’t been on the same path for a few years but here we are – Moving Forward together.

Health and fitness wise, we are coming from the same place and heading in the same direction.

We both have chronic health conditions that neither of us have been managing well. I have my respiratory issues (asthma, COPD, and bronchiectasis) plus genetic collagen issues. My daughter Jen shares my collagen issues, plus having IBS, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and multiple severe allergies. We share an ongoing battle with weight issues.
We are both tired of television commercials offering a magic bullet for anything and everything that ails us. They do not work unless we do – and their side effects are often as bad or worse than the conditions they supposedly ‘cure’.
We are both concerned about our healthcare system which is struggling to survive an aging population and an epidemic of unhealthy life choices.
We both want to do better. We know that nutrition and activity are key to improving our health, our fitness, and our lives. We bring complimentary tools to the table. I am strong in sourcing out motivation and a variety of suitable workouts. Jen is strong in cooking, baking, and sourcing out healthy recipes, nutritional information, and dietary needs and restrictions.
We are both ‘dog people’. Since Jen is dogless at the moment, I gladly share Molly. Since I am still dealing with some arm recovery issues, Jen takes the lead with Molly on our walks. We have managed several lengthy and relatively challenging walks in the past couple of weeks.

All in all, we have made a promising start. Our frequent walks are augmenting my morning Zumba and evening strength training. Jen works a physically demanding job but has also started her own at home workouts – which typically include and enhance sweeping, dusting, and laundry 😂.

That is my (our) health and fitness update this week.

Take care, have a great week, and let’s welcome back some serious SPRING weather this week! 🪻😊

43 Weeks to Health and Fitness

December 21, 2022December 21, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in December 2022, Health and Fitness

It is forty-three weeks since I decided to get on my fitness journey.

I am rather disappointed that I got sidelined for a few weeks by a miserable flu bug and the ongoing issues that it caused, but I do have a few reasons to celebrate.

I do finally appear to be on the mend, although my voice is still hit and miss and I am still dealing with a couple of minor issues.
As mentioned previously, I managed to lose a few pounds. 😁
I made it through the past few weeks without having to resort to a visit to a health clinic or emergency room. That is definitely a bonus with how crowded they are these days with those suffering from a variety of viruses and bacterial infections. Not places I want to be for sure!
Other than the first few days, I managed to be up, dressed and groomed every day – and I managed to handle meals, dishes, laundry, and general housekeeping.
I finished reading David Goggins book “Can’t Hurt me” and I am ready to start his second book “Never Finished”.
And finally… Yesterday, I got back into my workout routine! 🙌🙌🙌. I am not where I was before I got sick, but I am in way better shape than I thought I would be! I can dance for about half an hour in the morning and lift lighter weights for fifteen minutes or so in the evenings. It is a (re)start.
It feels so great to get back on track! My year one to a fit and healthy lifestyle wraps up on February 13th and I am excited about regaining any progress I lost AND ending the year with a strong finish. I have accomplished so much, health and fitness wise, that I can’t even imagine what I can accomplish in year two.

***Molly is getting super excited about heading out for our daily walks soon.***

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

Weeks 40 & 41 – Third Time’s a Charm!

December 5, 2022December 5, 2022 by annemariedemyen, posted in December 2022, Health and Fitness

Just when I thought that I had built up my health and wellness levels as to be bullet-proof, Dan and I went for a third round of the 2022 flu season. This time we both went down hard, and I am still struggling to get back up. I have no voice and if a dishrag could feel, I am pretty sure this is what it would feel like.

This flu is brutal – everything a flu can throw at us and then some and it doesn’t spare anyone. Granddaughter Genie, her fiance Alec, and her brother Rory were all taken down hard these past couple of weeks as well.

But, everything has an upside and this little episode has been no exception. December, my famously least favourite month of the year, managed to arrive with much less todo than usual. I caught a few strains of some holiday carol, was pretty much able to ignore that, and let it go. I tried to find anything unholiday related on television on Sunday night. There was one non-seasonal Willy Nelson special on, but that turned out to be more depressing than the ubiquitous Christmas specials. I ended up watching a marathon of ‘King of the Hill’ episodes.

It never fails to amaze me how there is not one television channel that has not clued into the seasonal angst of so many in December. I would think now more than ever!

How many people in North America no longer embrace the holidays?

People from different countries, cultures, and religions who have never celebrated Christmas
People who have been force fed tales of Christmas Miracles, Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards All for decades and know it is nonsense or at least non-existent in December?
People who are beyond dealing with the commercialization of Christmas – and the greed and garbage that it entails from September to January.
People who have lost loved ones during the holiday season and walk a field of landmines – PTSD triggers during December – EVERY December – every friggin Holly Jolly holiday display, every Christmas Carol, every holiday movie.
People who’s families are, or have been, torn asunder for whatever reason.

It is so ridiculous. So much is ‘said’ about mental health and well-being these days – but what is actually done to support those who mentally or emotionally struggle through the holidays? A ‘King of the Hill’ marathon, SERIOUSLY!

Anyway, on a true upside – I have had the time to do some meditating and some You Tube browsing in anticipation of my health comeback. If you are looking for some motivation for the week, I hope this Goggins helps to inspire you!