It’s a dreary, cold, wet day in May and I am sitting at my kitchen table waiting for my timer to go off while my oven bakes the last pan of chocolate chip cookies. This might not sound too unusual to most of you because you probably make it a habit to bake treats for your family. In our household we typically avoid having cookies and the like on hand because we try to avoid the extra calories. But his social distancing has me doing things I haven’t done in years.
To counteract the excess calories I have been taking my sweet, sweet Sadie on regular Burley walks around the neighborhood. She has become so accustomed to hearing the sound of my shoes being added to me feet that I barely have to announce my intentions. She typically makes her presence known in very short order.
Sadie and her Burley
So that’s one small glimpse of my activities while practicing social distancing; now share something about yours!
My little sweetie Sadie was entered into a Biggest Looser contest through our Veterinarian’s office early this summer. Sadie had very sadly gained an enormous amount of weight. The extra pounds were due to the medications she is on for her genetic disease. The medications accompanied by the side effects of her disease have made her life very challenging.
When we agreed to enter her in the challenge we figured her chances of winning were very slim. Not letting our doubt hold us back we set out to make her outcome the best one possible.
Guidelines for food, treats and exercise were provided by the Veterinarian clinic. To follow those guidelines we purchased and fed Sadie the prescribed food. We eliminated all table scraps and greatly curtailed her treat consumption. The exercise program was no at all attainable for Sadie. Sadie’s Chiari Malformation makes it challenging for her to move about as other dogs do. We also faithfully participated in the biweekly weigh-ins.
As the weeks went by we were encouraged by her weight loss. Pound by pound the fat began to melt away. Sadie’s beginning weight was 31 pounds. At the close of the competition she weighed 26.7 pounds. The difference between her starting point and the end of the competitions was 4.3 pounds. That’s a whopping 13.8% weight loss.
The competition drew to a close at the end of September. Early in October we received an email announcing the Biggest Looser of the competition. Much to our surprise Sadie was crowned the WINNER! We were absolutely flabbergasted when we read the email.
Aside from the awesome accomplishment of being crowned the Biggest Looser Sadie has experienced numerous improvements in her health. She has benefited through:
increased energy
she is happier
her coat has changed dramatically (her fur is shiny and smooth) and
she loves her food (finding a food that Sadie likes has always been a challenge)
Participating in the competition not only brought Sadie fame for winning but it also restored her health to a level that we hadn’t seen in years. We feel like we are the Biggest Winners because we have the Sadie back that we used to know.
So what’s in store for Sadie now? Well, there are no tours, speaking engagements or photo shoots scheduled. 🙂 Sadie will continue on her on her weight reduction protocol until she reaches her optimal weight. When that happens we will establish a new eating regimen.
Before I let you go let me share a before and after photo of Sadie as well as the prize she received.
Sadie Before Beginning Her Weight Loss Challenge
Sadie At the End of the Competition
Sadie’s Biggest Looser Winnings
Congratulations SADIE! We love you dearly. You are a winner in our hearts, no matter what!
