Working Toward a New Beginning
With the help of the MOVE! team at the VA Portland Health Care System in Vancouver, WA, Charlotte Kent learned how small, manageable changes could result in long term changes to her habits and success in reaching her goals.
Charlotte realized that she was the motivation and inspiration she needed to change her lifestyle and reach her weight loss goals.
Finding Her Reason to Change
Charlotte shares that a primary reason for choosing to participate in the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans was her dissatisfaction with her weight and health. "I was so upset with myself," she explains, and emphasizes "I was the motivation for change." Charlotte had participated in MOVE! several years before, but this time, she started over with a new mindset and perspective.
It is what you put into your efforts that makes success!
Charlotte Kent
More Than Just a Diet
Charlotte began by using a food journal that allowed her to track all the calories she ate and drank on a daily basis. She also adjusted her physical activity habits by walking each day, and as time went on, began to increase the time she spent doing so. "The first pounds shed off with ease," Charlotte recalls, but just as important was her realization that MOVE! was not a diet. A major adjustment for Charlotte was being mindful of her portion sizes and changing from having one large meal each day, to consuming her calories throughout the day. With MOVE!’s emphasis on lifestyle change, Charlotte was inspired to make small changes and get excited about the positive results. She shares, "It’s not a diet…it re-orders your enthusiasm to be healthier [and] get excited about burning more calories."
Living a New Life
Since starting her journey to better health with MOVE!, Charlotte has lost over 40 pounds and six inches from her waistline. She is striving for prolonged and continued success by maintaining the eating, drinking, and physical activity habits that she has embraced in her life. Her weight loss has contributed to general health improvements including reduced pain and digestive issues, as well as improved cholesterol levels. As she enjoys her healthier life, Charlotte thanks her MOVE! team and peers, VA staff, and especially her family for encouraging supporting her throughout all of her efforts.
