This story originally appeared in the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center newsletter in Houston, TX and is being republished here in an edited format with permission of the author, Nathan Schaeffer, Public Affairs Specialist
TeleMOVE! Gives Houston Veteran Tools and Support to Sustain Weight Loss
From 1992 to 2006, Army Veteran Greg Hammonds lived his life on the go. He deployed to Iraq, and when he was home, he spent time preparing for his next deployment. "When you're in the military, you're constantly doing physical training and training maneuvers," says Hammonds, who is 63 years old.
After retiring from service, Greg encountered an issue that many Veterans experience after leaving the military. "You want to keep eating like you're working out and exercising all the time. But you're not exercising all the time." After struggling with his weight for years, Hammonds decided to try TeleMOVE!, a home telehealth weight management program that focuses on nutrition, physical activity and behavior change.
Veterans in the program are provided the tools needed to record their progress on the TeleMOVE! online platform. Veterans also complete daily education on the platform and have periodic telehealth appointments with a dietitian.
"The biggest thing Veterans say they appreciate about the program is having accountability," explains Carey Smith, Houston VA TeleMOVE! dietitian. "There's just something about knowing that you have to step on the scale each day and report your steps. That keeps us honest and on track."
In 2022, Hammonds completed his first 90-day program and lost four pounds. In September 2023, he tried the program a second time. He not only lost 19 pounds, but he has also since kept if off.
"It's not a quick weight loss program," shares Hammonds. "It's a lifestyle change. That's what I didn't understand and appreciate the first go-around. For the second go-around, I embraced this with a whole new mindset and my results were much more dramatic and so far have been ongoing and lasting."
Along with commitment, Smith explains that one of the biggest keys in weight loss is timing. "Number one, they just have to be ready," says Smith. "Is this a good time in their life to focus on weight management? A lot of us want to lose weight, but there are too many things in life getting in the way."
Hammonds urges other Veterans to take advantage of the program and jump in with both feet. "I just can't stress enough the importance of the program for any Veteran to try it out," he shares. "It has so many positive benefits. What are you waiting for? Take a chance and do something good for yourself."
