Oh me, oh my. I've gotten so far behind, but before I even start ... Happy New Year!!!
Meme made a resolution, whatever that is. All I know is that all over the TV they're talking about resolutions and what I seem to see the most is everybody promising to lose weight. This is some sort of a big thing this time of year, I guess. Over the holidays everyone is running around to parties, baking, and making huge meals and tons of people come to visit. People pass around big plates of really good food and everyone grabs the goodies (wouldn't you think they could drop just a morsel???).
Then suddenly it's a 'new year' and everyone decides they need to lose weight! Hello!!! What was with all that eating? See I don't have any control over what I eat; I eat what's put in front of me or tossed my way. Every day I head out for my walk and forage for food, but I have very little luck and even when I do find a bone or two, Meme or Poppy yell "drop it!" and because I'm pretty well behaved, I do ... and then I wonder why.
Over and over on TV I see skinny women explaining the best way to take the pounds off. They show all this food that's good for you and all the food that's not and I have to tell you, it's easy to tell which is which. So they talk on and on and it always turns out they're selling a book!!! Meme says there are literally hundreds of books and they all explain different ways to lose weight.
And I thought to myself, why so many books? Obviously none of them work if people keep writing new ones. So what's up with that?
I have the answer; maybe I should write a book. First, stop feeding yourself and only eat what someone else gives you. I'm very trim, but if I were left to choose when and how often I eat? Believe me, I'd be one fat little puppy. So that's one trick you might want to try.
But there's something else I've learned. All of us, dogs and people too, see food as a reward. I should know because I get a treat when I pee and I get one when I poop. If I'm a good dog, there's a treat in front of me. So when people are used to rewarding themselves (or preferably me) with a delicious tidbit, it's pretty hard to suddenly just stop doing that. If they've always found comfort in food, it's hard suddenly not to anymore. How many people say, "oh, darn, it's time to eat again". I sure know I don't!
Meme was talking with a friend who said that just today. If food doesn't come out of the kitchen as a reward, it comes out for comfort. People think of a warm bowl of soup or stew as comforting. If they have a sad friend they say "I can make you feel better; we'll go for a nice lunch". When a guy asks a girl out on a date he suggests dinner, not something healthy like a nice walk (preferably with a dog).
Everyone associates eating with feeling good, feeling better, feeling rewarded. So I got to thinking and told Meme what she has to do is find another reward (not for me mind you, I'll stick with the treats!). But since she has this resolution she's committed to, she needs to choose a different reward (like taking me out for some really good grass time).
Know what? She thought that was pretty smart of me! She said she'd heard it before, but when I suggested the walk together she thought that was a really good idea.
Food should be the fuel that keeps us going, keeps us healthy and alive for a very long time. It keeps our 'engines' going. But if we get too fat, the engine clogs and slows us down and we can feel really uncomfortable and maybe even get depressed and disappointed in ourselves.
So that's the lesson I've learned in this new year and I thought I'd share it with you. Reward yourselves for all the good things you do, but plan something fun to do as a reward and try do it with someone you love.
'Til next time ...
Molly
Meme made a resolution, whatever that is. All I know is that all over the TV they're talking about resolutions and what I seem to see the most is everybody promising to lose weight. This is some sort of a big thing this time of year, I guess. Over the holidays everyone is running around to parties, baking, and making huge meals and tons of people come to visit. People pass around big plates of really good food and everyone grabs the goodies (wouldn't you think they could drop just a morsel???).
Then suddenly it's a 'new year' and everyone decides they need to lose weight! Hello!!! What was with all that eating? See I don't have any control over what I eat; I eat what's put in front of me or tossed my way. Every day I head out for my walk and forage for food, but I have very little luck and even when I do find a bone or two, Meme or Poppy yell "drop it!" and because I'm pretty well behaved, I do ... and then I wonder why.
Over and over on TV I see skinny women explaining the best way to take the pounds off. They show all this food that's good for you and all the food that's not and I have to tell you, it's easy to tell which is which. So they talk on and on and it always turns out they're selling a book!!! Meme says there are literally hundreds of books and they all explain different ways to lose weight.And I thought to myself, why so many books? Obviously none of them work if people keep writing new ones. So what's up with that?
I have the answer; maybe I should write a book. First, stop feeding yourself and only eat what someone else gives you. I'm very trim, but if I were left to choose when and how often I eat? Believe me, I'd be one fat little puppy. So that's one trick you might want to try.
But there's something else I've learned. All of us, dogs and people too, see food as a reward. I should know because I get a treat when I pee and I get one when I poop. If I'm a good dog, there's a treat in front of me. So when people are used to rewarding themselves (or preferably me) with a delicious tidbit, it's pretty hard to suddenly just stop doing that. If they've always found comfort in food, it's hard suddenly not to anymore. How many people say, "oh, darn, it's time to eat again". I sure know I don't!Meme was talking with a friend who said that just today. If food doesn't come out of the kitchen as a reward, it comes out for comfort. People think of a warm bowl of soup or stew as comforting. If they have a sad friend they say "I can make you feel better; we'll go for a nice lunch". When a guy asks a girl out on a date he suggests dinner, not something healthy like a nice walk (preferably with a dog).
Everyone associates eating with feeling good, feeling better, feeling rewarded. So I got to thinking and told Meme what she has to do is find another reward (not for me mind you, I'll stick with the treats!). But since she has this resolution she's committed to, she needs to choose a different reward (like taking me out for some really good grass time).
Know what? She thought that was pretty smart of me! She said she'd heard it before, but when I suggested the walk together she thought that was a really good idea.
Food should be the fuel that keeps us going, keeps us healthy and alive for a very long time. It keeps our 'engines' going. But if we get too fat, the engine clogs and slows us down and we can feel really uncomfortable and maybe even get depressed and disappointed in ourselves.
So that's the lesson I've learned in this new year and I thought I'd share it with you. Reward yourselves for all the good things you do, but plan something fun to do as a reward and try do it with someone you love.
'Til next time ...
Molly
