A New Perspective Leads to Better Health
Daniel Brimm adopted a new outlook and made small, meaningful changes to improve his health.
Working with the MOVE! team at the Tucson VA Medical Center in Tucson, AZ, Daniel learned how making lifestyle and behavior changes could have a positive effect on his weight and his health.
Starting to Adapt
Daniel began struggling to maintain a healthy weight in his mid-40s. During his active-duty time in the Army, he could rely on their standards to help him stay in shape. Once he retired, however, Daniel began to gain weight. After being diagnosed with diabetes, he resolved to make a change and achieved moderate success by changing his diet and exercise habits. In 2020, however, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a setback. Daniel shared that he achieved minor success by adopting a new diet that focused on Mediterranean foods, but when his progress slowed, Daniel’s provider recommended the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans.
MOVE! offers accountability and education.
Daniel Brimm
Answering the Call
Though Daniel was not familiar with MOVE!, he resolved to take advantage of the program’s support. He chose to participate in TeleMOVE! because of its convenience. Additionally, he experienced a sense of accountability to his MOVE! team that he says helped him start to build healthier habits. One such habit was measuring his portion sizes, where Daniel soon realized that his own estimations were not always reliable. In time, his new habits allowed him to move past the weight loss plateau that he had previously been struggling with. He lost an additional 20 pounds with MOVE! as well as other benefits to his health. Daniel shared that his success in reducing his A1c, cholesterol, blood pressure, and medications was a great motivator for staying on the path to better health.
Continuing to Succeed
In order to maintain his new lifestyle, Daniel continues to follow the Mediterranean diet and has embraced preparing food at home to avoid the temptation of fast food. He shares that he also swaps out healthy options for less healthy ones, like salad for French fries, and is more mindful now while he eats. Keeping track of both the calories consumed as well as those used through activity has been instrumental in Daniel’s sustained success. With the lessons he learned from his MOVE! experience, as well as the support of his friends, Daniel continues to strive for even greater success.
