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

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.)