<human>: Part of my impetus in getting started losing weight this year was my dog. He's an adorable little terrier mix, and the first dog I've ever raised from a puppy.

One of the things that vets warn you about is letting your dogs get overweight. A half pound of extra fat on a small dog is the equivalent of 20 pounds or more on a human, and it really takes a toll on them as they age. I have recently watched my parents' dogs get old and fat, and the health problems they developed were heartbreaking. They weren't even that fat, but it made their later years a lot worse than they could have been.

So, I am very careful with my dog's weight. I make sure that I can feel, but not see, his ribs, and that he has a thin wasp waist. As he has grown, the amount of food he's needed has varied wildly, from nearly a cup of high quality (high calorie!) kibble a day as a tiny pup, down to only half a cup now as an adult. When his ribs receded or he lost a little of his waist, I cut back by an eighth of a cup, and when he felt a little bony, he got extra treats and an extra meal for a day or two.

And you know what? That hasn't stopped. He isn't growing any longer, he's at the weight he'll probably be at for the rest of his life. And still, when we go for more walks and play more fetch, he needs a little more food, and when the weather is bad or I have the flu, he needs a little less. I watch his weight and I alter his feeding plan.

At one point, I stopped and realized that this was just what I needed to do with myself. I realized that weight had to drive my food choices, and not the other way around. And I realized, because of my tiny and adorable lab animal, what an amazing difference a little alteration in diet could create. (And lastly, I realized what a hypocrite I was for keeping my dog thin and letting myself get away with an extra 35 pounds of fat!)

Can you give me the gist of the text in a nutshell?
<bot>: Your body is the indicator of how much you should be eating, and small changes really add up. Pay attention and take care of yourself.