Dogs, Ducks, and the last days of Summer.

First off I need a waterproof camera so I'd have pictures from today. Moving on. Today was possibly one of the last warm days I have off and we had no plans. So, we decided the best way to spend today was to go enjoy the weather. Now most people would think that we would spend so many days like this because we live on a farm. However, little known fact, farms require A LOT of work. So, especially during summer if we're off work we are still working on the farm. But sometimes towards the end of summer we get wonderful days like this!

First thing we did was to go to where we have let our Ducks down to the river and make their path a little smoother so they can get up the hill. We fed them and spent some time watching them enjoy the river. Then we came home and decided why not take the dogs down to the river. So we got Sasha and Riley loaded up and took them down. It is part of being a responsible pet owner to make sure you keep your pets happy, which for Sasha means water. She is a Lab mix it's in her blood. So we get to the river and she goes nuts she swims all the way up and down that stretch she runs up and around and across the bridge (While continually looking like she was going to jump and terrifying her humans) Riley however doesn't have a love of water yet. He's working on it. He is a Puggle so half Pug half Beagle. Pugs have stubby noses which makes them less likely to enjoy the water as they have a much higher chance of drowning. But Riley also loves making us say Good BOY!! So he tried. He swam a little but only right by mommy. He mainly just walked around in the 2 inch deep part of the river. All in all we had tons of fun.

Then we came back and our Duckies that prefer to be house ducks were anxiously awaiting their daily bath! We set the hose to mist and they enjoy splashing around. We filled their water and talked to them to make them wag their tails because in case you have never seen in there are few things in this world cuter then a Muscovy duck happily hissing and wagging it's tail. Seriously it's amazing!

I think it's important to work hard but also just as important to take days like today and enjoy the world and what God has blessed us with. I think my husband and I could sit by the river all day with our dogs and our ducks or just with each other and be blissfully happy!

Accountability

I have decided to make some small changes in my life. I want to feel better. I have never been a person who's self esteem is tied to her weight. I have been thin and chunky and I'm still the same me. The only difference is my health. I have also been thin and unhealthy and chunky and healthy. But currently my weight is not helping my health problems so I'm changing some stuff. Now I have never believed in diets I think they make you feel deprived and fail most of the time. In the past when I've lost weight it has happened just from increasing my water intake and working out. I currently have some health issues that make hard workouts pretty painful and dangerous so until I can begin a workout regime I am making other changes while I heal.from this health problem. My changes so far are. 
-I have a veggie filled salad with grilled chicken as one of my meals almost everyday. I adore salad and naturally gravitate towards a vegetarian diet but hubby helps me keep protien in my diet. So this was an easy step.

-I downloaded an app called my fitness pal. Which allows me to have a food diary right in my phone. It tells me when I'm not eating enough to loose weight and warns me that not consuming enough can slow my metabolism.

-I record everything in my food diary. It takes just a minute and there is no reason to lie because it's just for my own benefit.

-I make sure to start off with a healthy breakfast. Usually a yogurt and some fruit. But sometimes I splurge and have frosted flakes or waffles.

-I also downloaded an app that will allow me to track my water intake and it tells me how much I need to consume a day to keep hydrated and healthy. This is also helpful for keeping my kidney stones and migraines at bay. Also it alerts me when it's time to drink more water.

-Once I am done healing I have 3 different apps with workout videos on them. There is tons of variety so I won't get bored.

-I've decided that on days I don't feel like working out I will still walk on my treadmill for as long as possible.

-And finally I'm taking accountability. I am the only one who can make me healthier and I can do it. I've lost a lot of weight before and I can do it again.

Now I'm off to try to get hubby on board. Everything is better when your love and best friend joins in. Think about what small changes you can make to feel better and try it out! It's slower but usually drastic changes don't last as long. Hopefully I can stick with this and keep you all updated! Wish me luck!