Weigh-in 3: Previous weght- 83.1 lbs, New weight...

...82.6 lbs!!! She lost .5 lbs.

This might not seem like a lot, but last night we had dinner at my parent's which means Bella consumed many table scraps. I tried to warn my enabling mother about the seriousness of Bella's weight-loss challenge.

She said I was being ridiculous- and "it's just a little bite."

A little bite of cheese, steak, potato, green beans and cake, yes, cake.

I forewarned my mother if she kept of feeding Bella "treats", I would videotape it and put her on my blog. She's going to kill me...

Weigh In 2: Previous weight 84 lbs, New weight...

Previous weight: 84 lbs

NEW WEIGHT.... 83.1 lbs!

She lost .9 lbs- not much, but at this point I'll take anything. Josh (pictured) will be working with us from here on out- he works at a vet closer to my home which makes it more convenient for our "weigh ins".

.9 lbs downs, 13.1 lbs to go...

84 pound dog- not easy to weigh at home

Every Monday is weigh-in day for Belles. She's had such an active weekend at the lake (see previous blog), and Brian and I took her for a long hike on Saturday - we can't wait to see the results on Monday. But, our excitement got the best of us, so we cheated a little and tried to weigh her last night. Operative word here is "try".

Weighing a golden retriever on a $20 scale from Bed, Bath and Beyond isn't the easiest task. After many failed attempts of Brian trying to weigh her (the scale kept on reading "error") we tried a different tactic.

Putting Bella directly on the scale didn't work either. So I'll be heading to the vet tomorrow to have her weighed professionally by the young vet, who bet his life, Bella had a thyroid disorder. Wonder if he' put any wagers on her again?

On a personal note, some people might read this blog and deduce Bella's on the edge of an eating disorder, and we're the cruel owners who led her towards that destructive path.

Please rest assured Bella is treated like a queen. Any comments made about her weight are done so under our breath and out of her ear-shot. The laziest golden retriever lives a life of luxury, trust me.

Prepping for Weigh In 2: Living it up at the Lake

We're heading to my sister's lake house this weekend. Bella would be content to lounge on the deck enjoying the view. Not so much an option when you put into play my sister's 9 month old, rambunctious lab, Oakley. Did you ever watch the movie Marley and Me? Oakley gives Marley a run for his money, and I'm not exaggerating.

My niece, Madeline, drove to the lake with me, and she glanced down at Bella, napping in her lap and commented, "why does Bella always seem so tired? She looks old because she looks tired all the time. How old is she?" Again, shock and awe from Madeline when she hears Bella's only three.

Day 1 at the lake. Goal is to get Bella to swim. My niece helps guide her into the water, and lo and behold Bella ventures out to fetch the ball. We keep throwing it out farther and farther until Bella is officially swimming. Unfortunately, Bella can't quite keep up with Oakley. We throw a ball for Oakley, and then one for Bella, but somehow Oakley is able to get to his ball, bring it back to the dock and then swims back out for Bella's ball and happily deposits it next to the first while poor Bella is left bobbing around in the water looking exhausted. To keep Bella's self-esteem intact we come up with a game plan.

I'll throw the ball to Bella, and Madeline will grab onto Oakley's collar to keep him from retrieving it. We all watch Oakley frantically trying to escape the clutches of Madeline as Bella slowly swims towards the ball, and brings it back to the dock with an air of achievement. It's funny how Bella doesn't seem aware of her now dejected canine competition in shackles, unable to participate. Sad, I know, but watching both dogs in the water is comparable to watching a barge race a speed boat.

The good news is Bella had to have burned 1000 calories today. Between swimming and tryingto escape Oakley, the dog who truly has endless energy, she collapsed into her bed and didn't stir until she smelled bacon cooking in the kitchen (no, I didn't give her any- I am actuallyserious about this weight-loss challenge). If she doesn't drop any weight by Monday, I might have to go in search of ephedrine.

Weigh In 1: Previous weight- 82 lbs

As with any weight loss plan, consulting a professional healthcare is advised. So off to the vet we go...


I found out it takes $64 to evaluate a dog's overall health, and $96 to test a dog's thyroid. The young vet assitant told me he'd bet his life Bella had a thyroid disorder. He looked down at my obese, lifeless retriever, and assured me we could solve this quickly and affordably. Hmm....


I spent $160 to be told my golden retriever is just fat...just plain fat (and not ph-at). No thyroid disorder, no major health flags- just fat. He put her on Canine RD twice a day and NO TREATS!


I employed my father-in-law (pictured above) who was in town for a visit to help me do the first official weigh in after her first week on the diet. Very technical, highly scientific method: he weighed himself on my $20 scale from Bed, Bath and Beyond, and then quite easily (again, see picture above) picked up Bella and stepped ont the scale again.


She gained 2 lbs. From what I recall, the vet said she would lose 2 lbs the first week. I'm flabbergasted. I haven't fed her one darn table scrap, no treats and this is the look I get from her at meal time..

I'm not going to lose hope. We now have 14 lbs to lose, and I actually have a few followers on this blog to keep me accountable. Great.



Instead of drowning our sorrows in chocolate we played basketball. If you want to get Bella's heartrate going just pick up a basketball. She goes crazy. Following a hearty Italian meal, I came home motivated (thanks to the sudden spike in my blood sugar from my dinner of refined white sugar in the form of pasta) to help my golden lose 12 (wait now it's 14) lbs. My dad and dad-in-law helped me have Bella huffing and puffing tonight at 9:30 pm CST by a quick game of pick-up. For you followers out there...this workout was for you...

Meet Bella

The picture says it all. You might be surprised to find out this isn't a 12 year-old, arthitric golden retriever with hip dysplesia (note the hind leg hanging off the sofa), but shockingly this is a 3 year-old pup in her prime. Let me start from the beginning...



My husband (who should be referred to as Brian from here on out) and I decided after 2 blissful years of marriage it was time to add to our family, yet weren't quite confident in our parenting skills, so we figured we could practice on a four-legged friend first. I've never had a dog, and could already see myself jogging along the beach with leash in hand. I did extensive research on what type of canine could join me on my morning runs. FYI (in no particular order) dalmations, weinarimers, labs and golden retrievers fit the bill. We were wavering between a golden and a lab, but it was Oprah who pushed us over the edge by dedicating an entire show to her adorable English cream golden retrievers. I was sold. We found a breeder, and Brian made the drive to Canada (we couldn't afford one in the U.S.- similar to prescription drugs) and smuggled in our beautiful new puppy who we aptly named Bella.



The first couple of days I was puzzled by her lack of enthusiasm for playing since I heard how rambunctious puppies tend to be. She just sat around, and didn't even seem to notice the dozens of toys we had carefully picked out weeks before her arrival. I figured her attitude could be attributed to the stress of her new U.S. citizenship, coupled with the fact her new mother looked nothing like her previous maternal figure. It didn't help our three cats didn't give her the warmest welcome. Weeks later, I remember my neighbor commenting on Bella's unusually calm behavior one sunny afternoon as my pup sat on the porch quietly instead of running around with Susan's kids who were begging to her to come play. At that moment, the image of Bella jogging beside me on a beautiful spring day was tossed out the window. About a month later, huffing and puffing as I carried my now 20 lb pup for the last half of our walk, I wondered if Red Bull would hurt a dog. My vet suggested against it.

So, hopefully you now have a pretty clear picture of Bella in your head, and if you don't please take a glance at the first picture posted. Due to Bella's lack of enthusiasm for walks, playing, fetch and exercise as a whole, she is now a whopping 82 lbs. The vet says she has to lose 12 lbs or she will most likely develop hip dysplesia along with a decreased life span. I have taken on the challenge. If you know me then you know when I take on a new project I put everything I have in it. I might not always finish the project, but for the first few months my full attention is put into play, and astonishing things can happen from that point. I am now dedicating myself to the future well-being of my beloved Bella. If I get her to lose 12 lbs it would be an enormous feat. Stay tuned.