I’m Anne Bennett and I live in the Kansas City area. I have two standard poodles named Julia and William, and a grand pup, also a standard poodle, named Whitman. I have a husband, two grown children and a grandson as well, but they aren’t as mischievous as the poodles. So far none of the humans in my family has devoured an entire fruitcake in one sitting or gobbled up half a bag of frozen bread dough, which later thawed and rose (imagine the X-rays) and required an overnight stay at the emergency vet.

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Many of the photos on this blog feature the antics of the pooches, who daily teach me how to live in-the-moment. That’s the thing about dogs: like Mary Richards, (remember the Mary Tyler Moore Show?) they can “take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile”. If you have a dog, you know what I mean. If you have a cat, you need to get a dog.

 

For the last 20 years I have worked at WW (formerly Weight Watchers) as a leader. With our re-branding my new title is Wellness Coach. My years with WW have provided me with many new friends and lots of personal gratification. Hungry Poodle is the result of what I’ve learned about healthy living and great food.

 

I first joined WW in 1971 as an overweight college student. I lost about 50 pounds…unfortunately I gained it back and then lost it many times over the years. In 1999 I became a WW Lifetime member and soon after I became a WW Wellness Coach. Like most of my members, I struggle every day to eat healthy foods in the right amounts, to be active and to have a positive attitude towards myself and to all the uncertainties of life. It’s never easy, but it does have its rewards: the focus at WW is now on wellness rather than just a number on the scale. In other words, healthy is the new skinny.