This Mom Says She Lost 200 Pounds Thanks to Walking Her Dog

Could a dog really be the best tool for weight loss? According to one woman who lost over 200 pounds, the answer is yes.

Karen Kelly has always struggled with her weight. As young as 11 years old, doctors were concerned with her size. She attempted numerous diets and regimens, but nothing seemed to work. The birth of her son initially compounded the issue.

“I felt guilty because I couldn’t offer that to him,” she said. “I had a child and couldn’t even push him [in a stroller].”

Things got worse after the death of her beloved mother. Kelly’s weight shot up to 365 pounds, and the resultant depression had her contemplating suicide.

Things came to a head one night when Kelly was on the road. A drunk driver careened into the wrong lane and was heading right for her. According to Kelly, she had an epiphany in that moment.

“I can just remember my two hands on the wheel and I did not turn. He pulled and I turned around and I guess it just clicked. I didn’t care because I think I felt like I was already dying. I said, ‘That’s it. I got to live.’”

Motivated by her near-death experience, Kelly was driven to get healthy. She decided, among other life changes, to adopt a dog in the hopes that the pet’s needs would be enough motivation for her to leave the house every day. However things with Mia, a labrador retriever, didn’t start out well.

“The first day I walked 100 feet and I was sweating, my heart was beating so fast, my pulse was racing. I looked at Mia and I said I’m never going to get home. I’m in tears because I’m so out of shape and I’m so tired. She just looked at me and her tail was wagging so we walked home.”

Kelly and Mia kept at it though, taking longer and longer walks each day no matter the season or weather. In four years time, Kelly was able to lose 200 pounds. Today she’s in the best shape she’s ever been in, and teaches fitness classes in hopes of helping others reach their fitness goals.

While Karen Kelly’s was a near-death experience, other weight loss epiphany moments can happen in the most unexpected of places.