I love it, Tuscany. This is similar to what I have been doing. I need to walk more and perhaps count calories more religiously, but so far when I counted them, it only showed me that I tend to eat less than I should. That being said, I was with family and friends lately and there were certainly a few indulgences.
My weight loss has been somewhat stiffled but I have been losing inches and gaining muscles. I did a long hike on Sunday and my muscles are still ridiculously sore/inflammed. Totally
worth it, see what your neighbour province has to offer.