Sam has lost 11 pounds since April. He was 99 pounds and is now 88 pounds. The vet wants him to lose 3 more pounds. We cut his food back, watch his treats and upped his exercise. Sam now gets 1 cup of kibble, a scoop of canned food, and a half can of no salt green beans twice a day. For treats, we now buy small sized biscuits and usually break them in half. We also give fruits and veggies for treats. Sam has always had plenty of leash walks during the week, but every evening we try to walk over to the elementary school by our house and do at least 15 minutes of fetch with the Chuck-it. Sam does have a solid recall and can be trusted off leash, but you could play fetch like this in a field with a long leash you can quickly grab if you need to. We also try to take him swimming at least once a week. Sam wasn't impressed with the cutting back of his food at first but the green beans add bulk to his meals to make him feel fuller. He is now used to his food portions and doesn't even beg. Good luck!