I KNEW BLUE WAS A COUCH POTATO BUT!........

As most of you know, I take my dog Blue with me to work everyday, I take my Boston Terrier mix - Jimmy (Chew) and my Jack Russell mix Ralphie (Lauren) along with us too. The little guys sleep in the back of the car and then go into high gear as soon as we arrive at work. Those little guys love to race around the huge enclosed play area. They chase each other around with tennis balls and rope toys and sometimes Blue will join in the fun. He's like a big horse romping around with them. They haven't really been able to play as much since the snow came and it's been so unbelievably cold outside. But God as my witness I really thought that Blue was getting some good exercise! I assumed that he might have even lost a few pounds.
So... I take him into the clinic to get his nails trimmed.This is usually a four person deal with me on one side holding him and another person on the other side bracing up against him and then someone standing in front of him rubbing his head and talking(mouthing) words to him, (remember he's deaf) and then the fourth person actually cutting his nails. ( He hates people messing with his feet!)
Anyway, in conversation I'm telling everyone how the day before someone was screaming out their car window as Blue and I stood in the driveway -"Oh My GOD! Look how big that dog is!" and I was saying that there isn't a day that goes by without someone wavy, pointing or gawking at him. I go on to say that I know he's a big guy but haven't these people seen a BIG dog before!?
All of a sudden I notice this exchange of looks between everyone and then they all start telling me that they think he's gained weight and how bad it is for him. So of course I get very indignant and say that he HASN'T! and I will weigh him to prove it. One of the Veterinarians said he would make a bet on it and RUNS up to the big floor scale to see what Blue weighs in at...............173 lbs.
I could feel the tears just well up. I am so embarrassed. I am one of the stupid Mothers who are in denial.
Maybe it's because he's with me night and day but I truly didn't see it.
This winter has been hard on both of us. To say we are pudgy would be putting it lightly. The word they used for Blue was Morbidly Obese. (I'd hate to know what word they use for me when I'm not there)
anyway, drastic measures need to be taken. I must measure out his food. The cup that I was using and thought was 1 1/2 cups turns out to be 2 1/4cups! So instead of the 3 cups AM and PM totally 6 cups a day turns out to be 9 CUPS!!AAHHHHH! and no more cookie bone treats! I bought some baby carrots for treats and when I tossed him one he jumped up and grabbed it in his mouth like usual but rolled it around for a moment and then dropped it on the floor....poor guy, I know what he's feeling! Tomorrow I'm going to pick up some rice cakes and try pieces of that.
So today while he was sleeping in his kennel at work I took a photo of him and Whoa, he does look big! I had the same reaction to that photo as I do when I see one of myself! It's like "How did that happen!"
So, most of my life I've been on that roller-coaster of weight loss. In my twenties I was thin but weighed myself 3 times a day, so terrified I'd gain an ounce. As the years have gone by my priorities have changed.
I know that I started to gain weight after my Dad passed away and then I had a MAJOR career change where I no longer had to wear dresses to work and every year a few pounds more....
well. 2010, a nice ROUND number! And while I couldn't find the motivation in the past for myself, I know that I will find it for my BLUE.
Here's a couple of photos. These will be Blue's "before" pics!