Positivity and Persistence Pay Off
Craig Jordan’s positive perspective helped him make changes to his lifestyle and achieve better health.
Craig’s experience with the MOVE! team at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, Washington, empowered him to build a new, healthy lifestyle.
Finding a Sustainable Solution
Craig shares that his first attempt to manage his weight was in embracing what he calls a "carnivore diet." Though he was able to lose 50 pounds, he explains that the benefit wasn’t worth the cost. "My cholesterol went through the roof," he recalls, "and I felt miserable. At first the ‘carnivore diet’ felt great, I love those foods, but it wasn’t sustainable. I gained weight back quickly when I stopped." Craig next pursued medication through VA to help with his weight management, and when his health care team directed him to the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans, he decided to give it a try and take it one week at a time.
MOVE! is not about food deprivation. It’s about making healthy choices that will help you feel better and live longer.
Craig Jordan
Learning By the Book
A major resource for Craig in his weight management journey was the MOVE! Veteran Workbook. With its helpful tools and strategies, the Workbook helped him be mindful about his food and physical activity choices. Even after completing the 16-week group MOVE! sessions, Craig shares that he still uses it to stay on track. "I continue to go back to the Workbook," says Craig, "to remind myself what to do…[it] is well organized."
Continuing to Feel Better
Since starting MOVE!, Craig has developed a new lifestyle with healthy eating and physical activity habits. Even with his breathing limitations, he has increased gradually to 3,000 steps per day while focusing on making healthy food choices to manage his weight. "I now always have a project going around the house, doing errands, staying moving," he explains. When eating, "I do things like buy salads instead of Oreos, or I eat one hamburger instead of two." For Craig, the little things have added up to make a big difference.
