Finding the Right Tools
Vanessie Byers found the support and guidance she needed for her weight loss journey from the MOVE! team at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center in Oklahoma City, OK, and created a new, healthy lifestyle that she looks forward to keeping as long as possible.
A Second Attempt
For Vanessie, her weight loss journey was originally a self-directed one. A visit with her VA provider inspired her to adopt a self-improvement mindset, a challenge she took on as a solo effort. "I was determined not to return the following year in a similar state," she recalls. Then a year later, while meeting with her health care team, Vanessie chose to give the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans a try. She began this new journey with a fresh mindset and the support of her MOVE! team. She explains, "my health care team has been very supportive, therefore, it’s my responsibility to meet the standards set before me to improve my health."
Get out there and live again through good health!
Vanessie Byers
Tools of the Trade
"The MOVE! Program provides tools that help you to succeed," Vanessie shares, "such as the importance of properly balancing your meals." In addition to being mindful about the types of foods and beverages she consumed, Vanessie also became more aware of other factors like salt content and things that would trigger her to revert back to unhealthy eating habits. She also benefited from the structure of her MOVE! group sessions, saying that "the in-depth discussions and going over everything within the workbook" was paired with Veteran-focused advice. She observed that sharing her efforts with other Veterans also helped to keep everyone on track.
Enjoying Better Health
Vanessie explains that thanks to her new eating and physical activity habits, "everything else in my life has improved, especially my focus." In addition to improving her physical fitness and her lab results, she reports that she is happy and in good health. "I have always been an active person," Vanessie says, "but this program showed me where I had gotten off the right path with health." Now she is on the new, healthier path she developed and looks forward to enjoying the benefits of better health for a long time to come.
