Getting Our Wag Back

A friend recently related a true story to me that he found most ironic, and after hearing the story, I had to agree. He was visiting a friend and as they chatted, they snacked on a variety of typical snack foods, including taco chips. His friend's dog came over to sniff at what they were eating, which prompted his friend to quickly say, "Don't feed this stuff to the dog -it's not good for him." My friend couldn't help but wonder, "If we wouldn't feed this to a dog, why are we eating it ourselves?"

Good question! It's ironic that we are at a point in this country where we are feeding our pets better than many of us are feeding ourselves. The pet food industry is big business and there is a lot of emphasis on feeding our pets nutritious food. People who eat all kinds of junk food themselves are often incredibly particular about what they feed their pets, spending top dollar to purchase healthy, nutrient-rich food for Fido or Fluffy.

Honest, I am a dog lover and adored the dogs we had (we have been pet-less for the past few years, but I enjoy lots of doggie love when I visit my daughters). I'm certainly not advocating feeding our pets table scraps, especially since much of the table scraps today would make them sick. Why wouldn't they make our pets sick? What so many of us have been eating has made us sick, too! I find it ironic that so many people who carefully read pet food labels mindlessly shove unhealthy food into their own bodies (and the bodies of their children . . . )

One of the things that amazes people shortly after starting on Take Shape for Life/Medifast is how good they feel. People pretty quickly start feeling more energetic and have an all-around sense of well-being - I know I did. When I shifted to this nutrient-dense program and eliminated all of the empty calories I had been consuming every day, I realized that even though I was taking in far fewer calories than before, I was getting much better nutrition. As a result, I definitely got the "wag back in my tail" :-)

This isn't a diet - it's a nutritional program that helps us get to a healthy weight in a healthy way, and teaches us how to change our eating habits so that we stay there for the rest of our lives. If we embrace this concept and are willing to make permanent changes in what we eat and how we relate to food, this program will change our lives. Are you ready to make permanent changes in your life and "get the wag" back? Those changes will happen one day and one choice at a time - choose wisely :-)