A woman runs with a dog on leash. (Photo : Zing Images / Getty Images)
Thanks to her dog, 40-year old Karen Kelly claims to have lost a significant amount of weight just by walking her dog every day, whatever the weather. She started in 2012 and has lost total of 200 pounds since.
Kelly attempted numerous diets which according to her did not work at all, Today reported. When she saw a "high-energy" puppy for sale on Facebook, she bought it.
"I jumped in the car and picked up the dog, named Mia. I took her to the vet and they told me that once she was four months old, I'd need to walk her every day. So I had four months to prepare to change my life," Kelly said.
"It wasn't only that you didn't want to see people. I didn't want to see my reflection, a mirror, a camera. I was in the back of every room." Kelly remembered making excuses about her weight. She constantly refused to exercise and faked a flu when asked to participate in sports events, CBC News reported.
Kelly struggled with her weight since she was 11 years old. "I've always carried weight. I can remember my mom taking me to the doctor and I was 11 [years old] and 168 [pounds] and they tried to diet and all that and it didn't take," she added.
Kelly suffered from chronic depression because of obesity and the loss of her mother. She also became suicidal because she was not sure how to deal with her weight. She had a son and felt guilty because she was too heavy it was difficult for her to push him in a stroller.
After a near-death experience, Kelly decided to be serious about getting healthy. Along with adopting a dog came other life changes that helped her lose the pounds.
From 356 pounds, Kelly is now down to 167. "Mia", her dog, constantly needs to be walked whether under the snow, rain or fog. She believes that if it wasn't for her dog, she would not have lost a pound.
Here is a video that tells the story of Karen Kelly:
