A Change Of Surroundings Has Changed Everything

 There was my life before I discovered a nearby lake and there is my life now - Everything has changed. Changes for the best to say the very least. A few days ago, I stumbled upon a lake in my city that I never knew about. As a result, I have been visiting this wonderful place everyday.

I am so much more at peace near water. The beach is my absolute favorite place to go but lakes have become a close second. There is something about being around water that soothes my soul and give me so much inspiration.

For much too long, I had been sitting inside my house wishing I could go somewhere and do exciting things. If you do not seek you will definitely not find. Riding my bike around town is what started everything. My goals was to save gas and get some much needed exercise but it quickly showed me a new way to get involved with the world. 

Get outside and get inspired. Do not wish for things. Make them happen.

Since I have been eating healthy and exercising, I feel better than I have in years. It is strange that I really didn't think of myself as an "outside person" but under the correct conditions, I really love it. Find what works for you. Find healthy food, exercises, etc that will result in a healthier lifestyle.

I love this front and center view of the lake. You have no idea how silly I felt after finding this lake after living in this town my entire life. To be honest, I have asked around and my relatives did not know about this lake either. Also a lot of people visit the lake say it is their first time. I am just glad I happened to look in the newspaper to find a new place to go for a walk/hike and saw the park's name. Do your research. Search out things to do. Go out and grab inspiration.

Today I painted a tiny watercolor of the lake scene, wrote in my journal, knitted a (maybe it will be an edging of a T -shirt or a strap for a small bag - I don't know yet) and ate a bit of fruit while enjoying my surroundings. I am so thankful I finally got out of my head and my house. My adventure begins.

Thanks for reading!

The Four Big Mistakes That Caused Me to Gain Weight

I try to walk this challenging trail once a week. Lots of hills.

1. Stress Eating

Eating fast food for lunch every single day to distract myself from a stressful job. I did not know what I was doing to my health. Fat, sugar and salt in a lot of meals is not going to lead to good health.

2. Not Exercising Regularly

Not only was I eating horribly but I was sitting down a lot.  Also,I had a long distance commute to my job, I sat in the car for two hours a day for travel. At work, it was  mostly sit down type of job. Every once in a while I exercised but not as often as I should have. Eating and being active to burn it off. I keep the weight on.

3. Unhealthy Snacking

Lunch time was not the only time I was eating foods that were bad for my health. At certain times of the morning and then in the evening, I would make my way to the snack machine for my daily dose of sugar and fat. As I am typing this, I am remembering all the plastic wrapped junk I ate that I am still to this day fighting a daily fight to get off my butt and hips. Makes me so angry with myself.

4. Drinking Lots of Sugary Drinks 

 I'm southern which means I grew up on syrupy sugary sweet iced tea. There is no telling just how much of my weight happened from just the sugar in those tall glasses of tea. Not to mention the Koolaid I grew up drinking and the no nutritional value liquid known also as soda. If I had just eaten the bad food but drank water the whole time, I bet I would have gain about a half or maybe a third of the weight I gained over the years.


"We live and learn" is my lesson. If I had known back then what I know now, there is NO WAY I would eat and drink unhealthy foods the way I did. Once a week of fast food or not at all would have been the best options for my health. Everything in moderation.

It is convenient to go to the fast food place but it is not good for your health in the long run. Taking the time to pack healthy meals I have prepared and fresh fruit has completely changed my life. It is never too late to improve your health. Not planning my meals or paying attention to how much fat and sugar I was consuming has a negative impact on my health and ultimately my self esteem.

No one could every tell me back then that I would be carrying around the fat on my body from those fast food days for YEARS to come. Think about what you are eating. Think about how you want to feel after you eat your meal. You should have energy and feel really good. Not sleepy, low energy or bloated.

Lessons learned.

Read my blog post book review about the fast food industry here.

What do you eat for lunch on a daily basis? Healthy or unhealthy?

Thanks for reading!