My Dogs As My Diet Buddies

Last week, reality hit me. I knew I was gaining weight but I never realized how much. Because pounds can be so intimidating, I'm going to share with you the percentage I gained. Sure enough, when I crunched the numbers, it came out to a 14.7 percent increase. With that bump in weight gain, I have reached the heaviest weight I've ever been.

There's been a lot of reasons on why I gained weight. For one, I was working at a job with no job security and really didn't give us a lunch hour. We would go out and bring our lunch back to the desk. In that environment, nervousness becomes a factor of what you put into your mouth.

Another reason is that my living situation has changed with more people and more pets. With the two extra dogs we have living with us, it's harder to take Cookie, Gigi and Homer for a long walk like I did last summer. Our other dog Fancy loves to go on walks with us, and I enjoy taking her. However, with her massive frame and being overweight, she can only last a short time.

I've also been preoccupied with Gigi's bladder stones. Even though she's slowly improving, it's a situation that you constantly have to be watching. You can't let the medication schedule lapse. As I found out when I went to get more medication, I learned that the stones are solidified forms of the bacteria that built up in her bladder. Many times, Gigi just doesn't want to eat.

Yet, these in the end are just excuses. Sometimes, we push aside things until they snowball out of control. That's when you have to take a step back and say no more. Knowing how to lose weight is easy. You just cut your intake of food and increase your exercise. However, when it comes to putting this into action, that's where it gets tricky. Weight gain doesn't happen overnight unless it's a freak thing. You're therefore not going to lose weight that quickly either.

Strategy For Losing Weight With Dogs As Your Diet Buddy

I've been doing this for only a week. I'm working at a place right now that offers a lunch break which is something I enjoy. It gives me time away from the computer and helps me pay more attention to what I'm eating. I also have the option to take the stairs a couple of flights. I find that taking the stairs over the elevator is much more satisfying because you don't have to wait around. It also strengthens your calf muscles.

Now, even though I'm off to a good start, I need to figure out how I can exercise the dogs and myself so that everyone benefits. Dogs, like their human counterparts need to build up to higher activity levels. So what I'm going to do is try to wake up earlier on weekdays, to take the Cookie, Gigi and Homer on longer walks. Fancy likes to sleep in so she won't feel slighted.

When getting home from work, I wait to walk the dogs so their food can digest. It's also a cooler temperature compared to the middle of the day. Instead of taking the dogs on long walks, I'll be able to take them on shorter walks with more frequency. So my plan is to take them once in the morning and two shorter walks in the evening.

On weekends, I plan to take the dogs to the park in the morning. Since I'm always out doing stuff, I feel like at least one good walk is something, until my schedule becomes more regular.

What This Has Taught Me

Even though I have a long road ahead of me, I look at the situation as more of a challenge than a detriment. This is what I've learned:

• Whatever your eating and activity levels are, it will trickle down to your pets.
• That there's no quick fix for losing weight, no matter what those ads will tell you.
• You have to become focused and don't let the naysayers get the better of you.
• When you truly think healthy you will become healthy.
• Don't let a couple of splurges sway you from your main goal

I do feel fortunate that I have a great support system that includes family, friends and my pets. As much as I need to lose the excess weight, this whole matter is reinventing itself by helping me to look at it as a challenge instead. Sometimes the hardest things we do in life involve taking the first step.

Let's Discuss!

How do you and your dogs stay healthy?

It's All Related!

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When Your Dog Is Beyond Chubby

The Aha Moment

I decided to take both dogs on a long walk on Halloween. A huge part of this was to tire Cookie out so that she wouldn't be barking like a maniac when the trick or treaters came to visit. It turned out to be a day full of surprises.

I had found a grassy area and decided I would run them for a little. Cookie tended to get tired out easily but Gigi came to life running in a set of circles just like she did when I got her a year ago. In that moment, I realized that I had not been doing enough to give my dogs adequate exercise. I was being cautious with Cookie because of her injury. However, time has passed since then and she has recovered pretty well and Gigi's higher activity level was not being met. Both wound up calmer that day and weren't as antsy as they usually are.

Our Society Today

The way our dogs live, is a direct result of how we raise them. We all slack off now and then. I myself have done so on more than one occasion. However, four out of ten dogs are either overweight of obese in the U.S. While there are medical factors as well as some breeds having a disposition to a slow metabolism, this post isn't about those dogs. Some of the breeds that tend to gain weight easily are: Golden Retrievers, Bassett Hounds, Pugs, Cocker Spaniels (like Cookie) and Collies.

For some dogs, giving them an extra dog treat a day is like us having an extra candy bar. Giving them table scraps isn't much help either. It can just make them more finicky and throws their feeding schedule off track. Dogs are best when they have a solid routine for feeding and exercise. Our society has changed from having a more physical workday to having a more sedentary one, especially with all of the technology we have.

Even now, there's even a drug by Pfizer called Slentrol which was created for dog obesity. I think any drugs for that should be used as a last resort, but after cruising their site, they do have a great obesity risk indicator.

If you feel that your dog doesn't have the energy that he did compared to when you first brought him or her home, then you may want to step up the exercise regimen and/or reduce calorie intake. Doing this gradually is the best method. Dogs don't become obese overnight and it's not healthy for them to lose weight that way either.

Steps for prevention

Watch the fat content! Dry dog food can contain anywhere from 11 to 16 per cent fat. If you feel you're feeding them the right amount of food, then you may want to switch to a food with a lower percentage fat content. Some of you may want to make your own food for them. When you do that, there's less preservatives involved but it can be time consuming.

Make time for exercise! Many days can be really stressful. Sometimes the last thing a person wants to do is go out and exercise. Really, it helps both the person and the dog because it helps to release the stress.

While Cookie is overweight, she is still healthy enough to enjoy a run or chase the neighborhood squirrel. Anything extra I'm doing for her now, is to improve her quality of life as she gets into her senior years. Also, I aim to keep Gigi as active as she used to be.

Have any of you been in a similar situation? If so, what did you do?

Well thanks for stopping by. I hope your week is off to a good start.

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