Thanks everyone for the encouraging words. I swear every time I go to grab a snack, I hear someone here saying: "NO" LOL-that's exactly what I need. Reporting in has helped so much.
April: thanks, yes Patches (he came with that name) is part Dal: dad was a Dalmatiam, mom was a slut. He's my I'm-never-getting-another-dog dog. He was starving when they brought him to me. Now he's on the QB weight loss plan, too. We walk a couple of times a day and this is helping us both. It's a little difficult right now with all this %%$#%$ snow but we're doing it!!