Living Her Best Life
Motivated by a goal to change her life for the better, Dalia Chacon sought the expertise and support of the MOVE! team at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center in Palo Alto, CA, to help her accomplish her goal.
Choosing to Feel Better
For Dalia, gaining weight was more than just a physical struggle. As a marathon runner in her younger years, Dalia benefited from regular physical activity as a way to cope with challenges. More recently, Dalia explains, "gaining the weight for me was a result of medication, depression, multiple surgeries, and I didn’t have a… way to cope." In addition, "I noticed that I didn’t want to go out in public or be seen by anyone and would stay home." After realizing that she didn’t even want to celebrate her birthday because of how she felt, Dalia became determined to create a healthy lifestyle again for herself and to be there for her son. When her VA provider told her about the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans, Dalia decided to give it a try.
I knew I could do it, I just didn’t know how, so I decided to join MOVE!.
Dalia Chacon
Part of a Group Effort
Dalia began attending MOVE! group sessions and quickly realized how helpful they were. She was reminded of the importance of reading food labels, choosing healthy foods, and tracking her food and physical activity to strike the right balance of calories. In addition to the information and strategies to help her develop and maintain healthy eating and physical activity habits, Dalia was grateful for her Veteran peers. "I felt like I became friends with some of the other members and we fed off of each other’s energy," she recalls. "I didn’t feel alone listening to other people’s battles…I was also excited to see others’ progress and oftentimes cheered them on." Dalia made great use of all the tools available to her including the Be Active and MOVE! program, video workouts, weights and bands to use at home, and food and activity tracking apps.
Living a Healthier Life
Dalia has lost 35 pounds since starting MOVE!, but the value of her journey extends far beyond the scale. "I finally have put myself first," she says, and prioritizes her regular runs and exercise in addition to healthier eating habits. As well as sleeping better and having more energy, Dalia can move her body without pain and stiffness, her mood has improved, and her Lupus is in remission. "I started living again," Dalia says, sharing that she feels great about herself and her new positive outlook. She enjoys being able to spend more time with her family, trying new activities like bike riding on the beach, and having the confidence to go out again. Dalia describes her MOVE! experience as "a complete 180" realizing that "If I’m no good for myself, I am no good to others like my son." Evidence of this 180-degree turnaround is that now she has become a role model for a friend who is also on a weight loss journey!
