The Dog Diet, A Memoir: What My Dog Taught Me About Shedding Pounds, Licking Stress and Getting a New Leash on Life [Hardcover]

Patti Lawson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2006

Boy does Ms. Lawson know dogs! Fantastic book for dog lovers and anyone who wants to stay in shape and lighten up their lives to boot!
--Richard Simmons

We live in a diet-obsessed age, when we lose five pounds just to gain ten, delude ourselves that the next exercise contraption we buy from that midnight infomercial will finally take that extra inch off our thighs, and become convinced that the latest diet fad of beet soup and goat's milk will help us look good in a bikini. But now you can forget the Zone, Atkins and South Beach! It turns out that the ultimate weight-loss plan is owning a dog: Man (and woman's) best friend is the fail proof personal trainer-dietician-nutritionist you've been looking for you all your life.

That's just what Patti Lawson found in her dog, Sadie.

A diet-obsessed, single lawyer, Patti spent the winter indulging in multiple brands of chocolate while mourning the demise of her latest relationship. Spring found her pudgy and pitiful, when Fate - and a fortuitous trip to PetSmart - brought rascally puppy Sadie into Patti's petless, pristine, if a bit sterile, life. Since that day life hasn't been the same for Patti or Sadie.

A life that began together with 3:00 a.m. walks through the park, incessant barking and stolen moments of trying to eat just a crumb of breakfast without puppy-interference soon morphed into a partnership of exercise and healthy eating with the added bonus that Sadie taught Patti a thing or two about letting go and stopping to smell the roses.

A memoir-cum-diet, The Dog Diet takes a tongue-in-cheek look at our obsession with weight loss and will have you laughing out loud as you recognize your own dysfunctional relationship with food. In the process you'll learn a simple and natural method for shedding unwanted pounds without the usual stress and disappointments that go along with typical dieting regimens.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Attorney Lawson was depressed. She was overweight but sick of dieting, successful in her career but tired of being lonely. All that changed when she adopted Sadie, a homeless puppy, and redesigned her life to keep up with her new ever-hungry, ever-energetic friend. Without meaning to, she lost eight pounds. Analyzing her experience, Lawson realized she'd actually invented a successful "dog diet." Since Sadie grabbed any vaguely appetizing food, Lawson had switched from savory snacks and pizza to foods the dog didn't want, like cottage cheese and black bean tortilla wraps. She'd given up her chocolate addiction—bad for dogs—and alcohol, too, since walking the dog with a hangover was not appealing. Sadie also became Lawson's personal trainer, taking her on long daily walks and other forms of "Dogercise." Lawson's adopted dog accomplished what tens of thousands of dollars worth of diets, spas and exercise machines failed to do; Sadie helped Lawson lose weight and feel better about her life. Although this starts out as a cute diet book, it ends as a book for dog-obsessives, as Sadie and Lawson sit down for sparkling water toasts to their new life together. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Award winning author Patti Lawson is a trial attorney and journalist. She is a frequent contributor to the Charleston Gazette and other publications. She writes a column titled 'DOGS…DIETS...DATING,' which appears in the Charleston Sunday Gazette/Mail. The author is also an accomplished public speaker and has presented numerous seminars to civic and women's groups on a variety of topics. She and her dog Sadie are very involved in fundraising events for shelter dogs.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 271 pages
• Publisher: HCI (April 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0757303943
• ISBN-13: 978-0757303944
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 6.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,146,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a lucky lady living in Charleston, WV with my wonderful dog Sadie. I am an attorney and a writer. I write a fun column titled DOGS...DIETS...DATING for the Charleston Gazette and Sadie and I will be happy to answer any questions you send us in our column. I love to travel and garden and the ocean is my ultimate destination. THE DOG DIET s my first book and it was fun to write and I plan two more books in the series. Sadie changed my life and the book is not only the story of our wonderful first year together, but a great source of information for pet lovers to find out how to get fit with your dog and enjoy your life a lot more! You will laugh at us...and at yourself while reading it! If your dog is a member of your family...you will completely relate to THE DOG DIET!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great, fun book!, June 22, 2007

By 

Joy Casey (Solana Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dog Diet, A Memoir: What My Dog Taught Me About Shedding Pounds, Licking Stress and Getting a New Leash on Life (Hardcover)

I loved this book! I really enjoyed reading it and I got some great dieting ideas (and life perspectives). For example, I am now implementing her idea of having a salad box. Actually, I have two of them that are about the size of shoeboxes that I bought for $1 each at the 99cent store.

Now, as soon as I buy my salad veggies, I clean them, chop or remove whatever leaves I need to, and put them in the salad boxes with a paper towel on top...and turn the box upside down (to let the extra moisture go into the paper towel).

Since I eat salads (with sprouts) every day, this has really helped me save time. Also, I find that I am throwing out less wilted lettuce and spinach or other salad veggies. So I am not wasting food and I am saving money.

This sweet book also shows how important animals can be in our lives...and that instead of complaining about having to clean up after them or take care of them...to realize...amoung other things...that you are burning more calories taking care of your pets...ha!

Thanks Patti for your inspiring book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DOGGIE DIET AND FUN TO READ, July 19, 2007

By 

Long Island Momma "Abigail" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dog Diet, A Memoir: What My Dog Taught Me About Shedding Pounds, Licking Stress and Getting a New Leash on Life (Hardcover)

This a very cute book regarding a professional woman who after two bad relationships decides to get a dog. She adopts a dog from a shelter and it really changes her life for the better. The author tells how the dog helped her lose weight, by changing her eating habits and making her exercise more. The dog not only helps her lose weight, but also lose weight in a fun manner. The author has a very humorous style of writing. I found this book very enjoyable to read and I highly recommend it. Besides for a humorous read, this book also has some good diet and exercise tips.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I feel the changes, July 3, 2006

By 

Sean Davis - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dog Diet, A Memoir: What My Dog Taught Me About Shedding Pounds, Licking Stress and Getting a New Leash on Life (Hardcover)

After hearing an interview on the radio with Patti Lawson, I bought this book. The book showcased every bit of the wit and bubbly personality that I heard on the radio. Not only is the book funny, but her plan makes sense and it is easy to put into practice. What is more important is that it is REAL. If it worked for her, then it was worth a try for me. My dog goes crazy at the word "walk" and, at my house, that was a forbidden word to say - sometimes my wife and I would just spell it so the dog didn't hear and so we weren't "forced" to have to take him for a walk. However, since reading the book, I say the word "walk" much more frequently. This makes for a happier dog and a happier me. Now that I have started to enjoy the walks and the fresh air and the increased energy, I started to want to make positive changes to my life -such as my eating habits and my attitude. This book made me realize that my dog was more than just a pet, but that he could be a positive influence and role model in my life too. Thanks Patti!