Meet Naiya. Naiya is my German Shepherd “baby” and has been for the past 8 years. When Naiya was little she was full of energy. Some of her favorite pastimes were searching on command for treats hidden strategically throughout the house and also flipping her metal water dish upside-down and kicking/chasing it all around the driveway in the backyard. Who ever said that dogs do not have their own personality!?!?

Over the past 6 months or so, Naiya has become…sluggish. She has not been her usual self. She’s been spending much of her time curled up on her pillow, sleeping the day away. At her last check-up the vet said that Naiya is 10 pounds overweight. It seems that processed dog food and those multiple Chewies a day were getting the best of her. Time to call in the recruits. With the help of a fellow dog-lover nutritional expert, I put together a diet and exercise program for Naiya, based on whole foods (think beef, pork, peas, carrots, beef stock, and oil) made in batches twice a week, supplemented with turmeric, glucosamine, and MSM, along with daily walks.

Since D-Day of her diet, I have noticed some interesting changes in Naiya’s overall demeanor. She is about a month into it and thank goodness, she’s got her old zip and vigor back, bouncing off the walls, wanting to play all the time. She is truly back to her old self. Beyond that, she has also been acting a little funny. Kooky even. Which gives me some serious deja-vu feelings. Hmm, why you ask? Dieters, pay attention…

Obsess Much?

Naiya has become obsessed with ice cubes. We started her on ice cubes to get her through her Chewy withdraw. She will go to town on five cubes at a time and then come back for more. She is willing to do pretty much any trick in the book in order to get her ice cube fix, whereas in the past, she was getting pretty stubborn about giving her all for the standard “shake” and “speak” in trade for a Chewy treat. I know that if she had opposable thumbs she would be in that freezer so quick it would make your head spin.

Deja-vu: Ok, who cannot relate to this feeling??? Naiya baby, I can! When I was cutting, it was not uncommon for me to go through a pack of gum in a day, I am almost ashamed to say. YES, a whole pack! Calories or no calories, the mental aspect of chomping away on something food-like really helps to get ya through the day.

Miss Cranky Pants

In addition to the cube fetish, Naiya has become quite ornery at times. She has never really been the barking type, but recently she’s been getting loud and obnoxious any time someone comes to the door. The hair on her back even stands up. I like to imagine the things that go through her mind, like “Somebody get the door already, there is someone at the door, get the door, somebody get the doooor””!!

She goes from happy, play-time, tilt-the-head-cute Naiya to cranky, grr-I’ll-get-you, trying to-be-scary Naiya with just one knock of a knuckle. It’s all a front though. She’s really just a softy that talks a big game.

Deja-vu: So… I can clearly remember times during my cut where I have all but bit my husband’s head off for asking the simplest question. Sorry, babe.

More Food Please

Some days Naiya stands at her empty food bowl and barks at it. Staring. Barking. Staring. Barking. As if she is going to mentally manifest delicious yummies right before her eyes. A few times in fact, I have come to see what is wrong, and there will be a little tiny piece of meat stuck to the side of the bowl that she can’t quite reach. I adjust the bowl, so she can get at the right angle, and she inhales that sucker like a Dyson. Talk about not wasting a morsel!

Deja-vu: TOTALLY been there… I have been known to scrape my bowl clean, LITERALLY, scrape with a spoon, and I am not going to lie, I’ve even contemplated licking the bowl myself, when eating my chocolate protein powder peanut butter dessert (the liquid version of this recipe) while cutting. I go into some sort of deprivation mode, as if my body knows that after this meal, I won’t be getting anything more for the next 12 hours.

Exercise Malfunction

Any time, day or night, mention of the word “walk”, and Naiya is ready to go. Once you head out on you adventure with her, prancing along with her little black booties on her back feet because she has sensitive pads and her little toes get all beat up if she doesn’t wear them (pause for a moment and picture an 80 pound German Shepherd with little reflector booties on her back feet, it’s really quite a sight) and then about five minutes in, she loses her steam. Putters right out. She is ready to go home. The minute you say “home” she takes off, retracing your steps in a mad sprint. Once home, she immediately heads straight for her food dish, in hopes that the food fairy magically graced us with her presence while we were gone. No such luck. Darn, back to squeaking Mr. Turtle…

Deja-vu: How many times have I thought, “Wow, what a beautiful day. Can’t wait to get out there and run.” Only to get halfway down the block and feel like someone glued concrete blocks to the bottom of my shoes.

Temporary Sacrifice For Long-term Gain (well, actually, long-term loss)

I laugh and joke about Naiya’s quirkiness because I am biased, and think she is so cute, but the funniest part of all is how I have totally, 100% been right there with her. I feel her pain. I wish that I could explain to her that this is only temporary and that soon, she will be able to bask (or bark) in the glory of more food.

We all have to deal with the crappiness of dieting. I think back and remember how I too was obsessed with when and what I got to eat next. I too would try to find ways to trick myself into thinking I was eating, when I really was not. I too WISHED the food fairy would surprise me with a bowl full of goodies. And I too walked that fine line between feeling great, but then also lacking energy.

No matter what species you come from, dieting is never easy, but can be necessary part of life. And we should take comfort in knowing that as hard as it is, we are not alone. Many have gone down this road before us and succeeded. Dieting and eating healthy is not new and not really a complex formula. It is pretty standard across the board actually.

The reality is, if you want to make changes in your current situation, whether that is for health purposes, or just physical appearance, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to get there. It is no fun, but it is what it is and you make the best of it while you are there.

Naiya is almost done, just a few pounds shy of her goal weight. Ironically, I will say that she loves her new whole food way more than any processed dog food she has had in the past. And for the small price to pay in making it rather than buying the bagged food, the difference in her overall well-being is more than worth the extra effort. Think about THAT when you are trying to decide between microwaving a frozen meal or stopping for fast food versus throwing together a stir-fry or a quick wrap at home.

So the next time that you’ve got to shed some fat, remember Naiya and me, and trust that although it is never easy, you are not alone. And if you need something to tide you over until your next meal, go grab an ice cube to chomp on.

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