Getting Back on His Feet With MOVE!
When Bill Cummings encountered mobility issues, he became determined to lose weight and get back to a healthy lifestyle.
With the help of the MOVE! team at the Buffalo VA Medical Center in Buffalo, NY, Bill learned new techniques that helped him establish healthy habits and get back on his feet.
The Decision to MOVE!
Bill’s struggle to maintain a healthy weight first began in the years after he retired from service. He explains that as of 2022, he had been at an unhealthy weight for over 40 years. While Bill had tried the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans once previously, he had struggled to maintain the changes he had made over time. When he began having trouble walking this past winter, however, his provider advised him that losing weight would likely help him improve his mobility. Bill decided to give MOVE! another try.
MOVE! works if YOU want it to!
Bill Cummings
Working Toward a Different Result
When Bill started MOVE! again, he did so through virtual group sessions which allowed him to pursue weight loss along with other Veterans from the comfort of his own home. Working together with other Veterans and his MOVE! team, Bill began taking note of techniques and strategies like calorie tracking, which he managed through a convenient phone app. He also began to increase his physical activity to go along with his healthier food and beverage choices. "I really don’t miss the Pepsi, Coke, or others," he explains. "I found that drinking water satisfies me." Though he cut out soda, Bill continues to enjoy all sorts of foods, but is now more mindful of portion size. "A small ice cream cone is just as satisfying as a super-large one," he shares
Walking the Path to Better Health
Since starting MOVE!, Bill has lost 60 pounds, and he has set a goal to double that number by maintaining his healthy lifestyle. While he acknowledges his accomplishment in losing weight, the benefit to his overall health is just as important. Thanks to his weight loss progress, Bill says his "life is so much better today." He has reduced his pain, can now enjoy walking, hiking, and riding his bicycle, and can sleep more soundly.
