Tag: setbacks

Daily Food Diary – Day 127 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

It is 127 Days since I started my Daily Food Diary! 🎉  It has proven to be an effective goal for improving my eating habits.  Becoming mindful of anything we do is a good thing  keeping a food diary definitely keeps me mindful of what I am eating.

Nutrition is important, but it is just one part of my overall health and fitness lifestyle.  This morning, I got to focus on another part – professional medical advice and treatment!

This morning, I paid a visit to my respiratory specialist.  Expecting a refill of my regular inhalers and a “Keep doing what you are doing!”, I wasn’t overly concerned about this visit.

Needless to say, I left the specialist’s office with prescriptions for my regular inhalers, antibiotics and oral steroids for bronchitis, nasal spray for ongoing sinus issues, a requisition for a chest x-ray, and an appointment to go back to see the  specialist in two weeks. 😢

Asthma, bronchiectasis, COPD and bronchiolitis are chronic health issues.  Regardless of how hard you work to maintain a healthy lifestyle, they are always there.  It is frustrating, but fortunately I had a regular visit booked this morning,  and hopefully we can get a handle on this and move forward – sooner than later!

Daily Food Diary –  Day 127

Breakfast –

(1) c coffee (2)

(1) c Shreddies (200)

(1/4) c 2% milk (31) (.8)

(1) tsp sugar (8)

Lunch –

(3) oz dark, skinless turkey (150) (1.9 grams)

(1) c broccoli (31)

(1/2) cup cauliflower (13)

(4) radishes (6)

(1 1/2 tbsp) Dilly Dip (120) (1.9 grams)

(48) oz water

Supper:

(11) chicken wing flats air fried (420) (8)

(1) tbsp Frank’s Xtra Red Hot sauce

(2 1/2) air fried riblets (123) (1.7 grams)

(1) tbsp Frank’s Stingin’ Honey Garlic (40)

(1) carrot (25)

(1/2) c broccoli (20)

(5) slices cucumber (4)

(1/4) c orange bell pepper (9)

(1 1/2 tbsp) Dilly Dip (120) (1.9 grams)

Total net calories:  1168

Net calorie goal: 1243 – 1168 = 75 under 👍

Total saturated fats: 16.2 grams

Saturated fats goal: <13.75 grams 👎

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

Daily Food Diary – Day 33 of 365

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2025, Health and Fitness

I am thirty three days into my food diary and eleven days away from celebrating the third anniversary of my health and fitness journey.  I am pumped up!

I am also struggling to work my way through some strange form of seasonal flu.  I know it is a flu because my symptoms are a lesser form of all of the symptoms my daughter has been dealing with for the past few days.  It still sucks because I want to be going hard to wrap up YEAR THREE on a high note!  💪

All is not lost.  I will manage a less intense aerobic workout, possibly have a nap, and hopefully complete a sewing project that I am working on – making a couple of rice bag door draft stoppers.    Sewing is NOT one of my talents or passions.  Fortunately, daughter Jen lent me her Maddy’s basic sewing machine because she knew I would get overly frustrated dealing with her own  more complicated electronic madel. 

Two You Tube videos and one speaker phone call with Jen and Maddy AND I got the little beast threaded yesterday. 👍

Food Diary – Day 33 of 365

(1) c coffee (2)

(2) egg omelet with ham & onions    (254)

(2) Potato patties (240)

(24) oz water

(1) c tea (1)

(2) bowls Knorr vegetable soup – extra broth and fresh vegetables carrots, onions, cabbage, spinach, and celery.   (140)

(6) soda crackers (60)

(11) Hint of Lime Tostito chips (250)

(1) c tea (1)

Total calories (946)

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

August 11th Update

by annemariedemyen, posted in 2023, Health and Fitness

I’m still struggling to find the time or inclination to write these days but it’s time to have a go at it!

When I began my health and fitness journey eighteen months ago, I was unhealthy and unfit. I spent my days thinking that if I rested today, I could start doing something about it tomorrow. Of course, tomorrow came and I was no healthier, fitter, or motivated than I had been the day before.

I decided I just had to get up and do SOMETHING. I had no goals in mind – just do what I could, hopefully lose a few pounds and build up some strength, energy, and stamina. I started small and worked a little harder every day until I had built up to a respectable workout program.

My first six months or so went great. Then I hit setbacks – weeks of a serious respiratory illness, a broken arm, more respiratory issues … Finally, I felt I was somewhat ready for a return to full workouts. I was even cocky enough to think that it may be time to start setting some goals. In early May, I decided that in six months, on August 11th, my future self was going to be healthy, strong, and fit!

July 2022
August 11th, 2023

**I wouldn’t call this a win, but it’s not a total miss.

On the downside, my health is not what I would hope for at this point. I have been struggling with my workouts since being sick this spring. After x-rays, lung function testing, and a return visit to my respiratory specialist, I am back on antibiotics and Prednisone. The good news is they seem to be cleaning up the lingering infection I have been dealing with. I am feeling better and I can feel it in my workouts.

My fitness is not where I would like it to be – literally anywhere but hanging around my waistline. But, it is improving – notably on my upper arms and legs.

My strength is gradually improving. I have been getting out and doing some work in the yard and doing some deep cleaning in the house. I am even – FINALLY – starting a full redo of the spare room. I have been clearing out drawers and dressers and am ready to strip wallpaper and repaint.

After Dan spent hours prepping the porch, I gave it a fresh coat of paint and he finished it off by rebuilding the landing and steps. We are getting foundation work done on Tuesday, then we can begin some other projects that are well overdo.

In other family news, Jennifer and Genie are both feeling (and looking) much better. Genie is starting her HR courses and has started working with Jen at her second job – working at a restaurant/lounge for son Danny’s best friend from school. They both seem to be enjoying it – and from what I hear, Dave appreciates having them.

Genie, Maddy, Prim, and Jen at the Regina Ex.

And in more family news, Dan and I headed out of town last week for an impromptu camping visit with my sister Lorraine and her husband Jerry. We were joined at our rental cabin for a day by my sister Elaine and her husband John who live close by the camp – and their son Les and his son Ethan.

Elaine, Lorraine, and I.
King and Molly camping out.

Speaking of Molly, we took her for a weigh-in at the vet’s yesterday and she has lost 5.7 pounds. Another, 10 to 12 pounds and we can put her on a maintenance diet. 👍

All in all, life is good. My progress is not where I would like it to be at this point but my mindset is on course and my determination is holding strong, with the ongoing support of my workout buddies Dwight and Jackie.

Monthly Motivation

That’s about it for now. Take care and have a great weekend! 🌞💞

Year Two – Week Seven

by annemariedemyen, posted in 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. 
Moving Forward !

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

by annemariedemyen, posted in 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.
Watching her friends go by… 😔

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

Weeks  40 & 41 – Third Time’s a Charm!

by annemariedemyen, posted in 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!

If you are not into Goggins, my Volley friends have made this a ‘Rocky’ Monday to help get me back in fighting form…

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

Last but not least… A Prim smile from the archives. 💞🌞