Obese Pets & New Weight Loss Ideas for Owners

Obese Pets!

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention estimates that half of the dogs and cats in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Like the human epidemic, this is putting our pets at risk for many of the same ailments as the human epidemic, including heart disease, respiratory disorders, osteoarthritis, and diabetes.

How does this happen to our pets?

* They don't get out and get enough exercise, they're owners don't take them out for walks, its to the curb and back in.
* Rather than throw out food they are given what the kids leave on their plates in addition to their meals.
* So that they are not left out they are fed table scraps like pizza, cake etc. which is not healthy for a pet.
* They're food is not measured and they are given more food than their weight and activity level warrant.

Hmmm.

Is you're weight loss plan losing ground? Here are some ideas for pet owners.

1) I had a client that got a dog, started walking it each morning and lost 15 pounds.
A dog can be a great motivator to get out for a walk, of course only get one if
you are able to care for it. If you don't have a dog to walk, just take yourself
out each day for a walk.

2) Know how much you should eat each day for your level of activity. Google calorie
calculator and find one that works for you. If you don't know your calorie needs
and calorie intake AND your "diet" is failing, you are not taking it seriously.

3) Measure your food. Do you measure your pets food or at least know about
how much he/she should have, assuming their weight is appropriate for them,
and limit their food to 1 or 2 times per day. Get a food scale and measure
your food - - again, if what you are currently doing is not working, and you
are serious about weight loss then take more serious measures.

4) Only eat food from a plate. You're own plate. Don't finish your kids food,
don't eat a bag or the fridge, and use a small plate. A great book that
encourages this tip is called:
Mindless Eating: Why we eat more than we think.

Heard these things before? Have you used them all consistently for any length of time? If you are struggling with weight loss I know the answer. Most people know what to do but don't do what they need to do to lose weight.

Heathly Winter Soups: Vegetable (Bean)

Striving for 5 each day? You can have 3 servings of vegetables for about 200calories with this soup!

Vegetable Soup with Beans
1/2 lb carrot
1/2 lb celery
1/2 lb zucchini
1/2 lb string beans
1 can of whole tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
garlic powder, parsley, salt, pepper to taste
bay leaf (optional)
8 cups of stock (or water)
handful of lentils or 1 cup of white or kidney beans
****************************
In a large pot heat olive oil and add can of whole tomatoes. Using a hand blender, blend tomatoes until smooth and add stock or water. Chop and add all vegetables. Add garlic powder, parsley, salt, pepper. Bring to a boil add lentils or other beans, and then simmer 45-60 minutes.

Healthy Winter Soups: Yellow Split Pea

Dried peas, in the legume family, have excellent nutritional value, including a no-fat good source of fiber & protein. Dried peas also great amounts of four important minerals, two B-vitamins.

And dried peas also feature isoflavones which are phytonutrients whose dietary consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of certain health conditions, including breast and prostate cancer.

Fiber: Dried peas, like other legumes, are rich in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that binds bile (which contains cholesterol) and carries it out of the body. A single cup of cooked dried peas provides 65.1% of the daily value for fiber.

Dried Peas also provide energy to burn while stabilizing blood sugar.

From the Williams-Sonoma Library:
Yellow Split Pea Soup
1 1/2c yellow split peas (*look carefully for small stones)
3 tbsp butter (*I recommend Land-o-Lakes light butter with canola oil)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced (*I add more carrot to my recipe)
7 cups of stock (or water)
2 tsp grated fresh ginger (*This is optional)
salt and ground pepper
****************************
Melt butter in large soup pot. Add the onion & carrots and saute until soft. Add ginger if you choose and stock and bring to a boil, add peas. Simmer 45-60 minutes. Once peas are soft, use a hand blender to puree until smooth or use a food processor.