Lives. Homes. Furniture. Even beds. People share a lot when a dog or cat is part of the family. Unfortunately, one trait that far too many owners and pets have in common is excess weight.
The silver lining is that while many pets and their owners are tipping the scales, losing weight is something they can do together, as people and pets make great weight loss partners for reasons both scientific and psychological.
The following tips are for people and pets during weight loss:
Walk before you run. If you and your pet are new to an exercise program, set manageable short-term goals and gradually increase the level of difficulty and duration.
Play together.
Connect mealtime with exercise. Before breakfast or dinner, squeeze in a short walk. Teach your dog to earn his treat by performing a trick first.
Embrace snacking. Snacks for people and treats for pets can be built into a healthy meal plan, and can serve as protection against binge eating. Frequent small meals can also boost metabolism and keep hunger away.
Drink up. Don’t forget to always hydrate, before and after exercise, and throughout the day. Sometimes thirst can be confused for hunger. Plus, avoiding dehydration will eliminate many headaches, since a majority of headaches can be linked to not drinking enough water.
Of course, consult with your physician before beginning any weight loss, diet or exercise program.
And if your carpets are full of the fur from your fluffy companion, give us a call today and we’ll give you a free quote for a professional carpet cleaning.