I overheard a lady at the gym talking about her dogs. Her veterinarian had instructed her to help them lose weight. She was getting ready to pick them up and take them for their daily mile walk at the park.
“I cut back on how much food I give them, too,” she said. “I figured if it’s not there, they can’t eat it.”
Funny how the same principles work for dogs that work for humans.
Weight loss is not rocket science. Nor is it magic. Or luck. Or great genetics and a super metabolism. Weight loss really comes down to eating less calories and moving more.
Here are three basic canine principles for weight loss that work great for humans too!
Exercise Daily: Walking is a great way to start. Add in some weight training and workout DVDs. Take a class at the gym or community center. Go swimming with the kids. Take a bike ride. And, of course, walk your dog.
Reduce Intake: Watch your portions carefully. The best way to do this is by measuring your food (if it’s not in a proportioned package). It’s too easy to overeat. When you measure, you get the right portion and you can accurately count the calories.
Remove Temptation: How true is the saying, “You can’t eat what’s not there.” Make sure your home, office, and car are free of all temptation foods. Be honest – you know what calls your name. Then stock up on healthy options so you have the good food you need.
So, a few weight loss lessons from man’s best friend.
Yesterday I was buying 2 large bags of Purina Dog Chow at WAL-MART for my dogs: Winston, Chief, Gus and Maximus. I was about to check out when a woman behind me asked if I had a dog. What did she think that I had ? an elephant?
Since I had little else to do, on impulse, I told her that no, I didn’t have a dog, and that I was starting the Purina Diet again, although I probably shouldn’t because I ended up in the hospital last time. On the bright side though, I’d lost 50 pounds – before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of every hole in my body and IV’s in both arms.
I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry and that the food was nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was enthralled with my story by now).
Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food had poisoned me. I told her no; I had stopped in the middle of the parking lot to lick my privates and a car hit me.
I thought the guy behind me was going to have a heart attack, he was laughing so hard!
WAL-MART won’t let me shop there anymore………….
Funny. But what’s true is that people will try all sorts of strange and horrible “diets” instead of simply eating healthy and exercising.