Feeling Better With MOVE!
John Lairson decided to take steps to lose weight and improve his health and did so with the help of the MOVE! team at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center.
Taking Action
"I started being concerned about my health and weight around April 2024," John explains. "Joint pain and mobility started to be a problem and I wanted to see if weight loss could help." John talked to his VA provider about the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans. He was determined to do what was needed to improve his quality of life. The very next month, John started attending MOVE! group sessions along with other Veterans who were also working on losing weight and improving their health.
The MOVE! program works! Set your mind up to be committed and use the materials provided…it will make a wonderful impact not only in your life but in the lives of your family and friends around you. They will be very proud of your progress.
John Lairson
Tracking Progress
After starting MOVE!, John began developing new habits to help him achieve his goals. "I used all the materials the program provided and downloaded a food tracking app on my phone," he recalls. In addition to being mindful about his choices and recording his intake and physical activity, John also started paying closer attention to the size of his portions and times of day that he ate. Understanding his habits, as well as being aware of what he was eating and drinking, helped him stay on track as he worked to improve his health.
Enjoying Achievement
Since starting MOVE!, John has lost 34 pounds. "I feel much better," he reports. "My joint pain is much better along with better endurance, better balance, and less pain." He is thankful for the support of his health care team and his family and friends, and shares that his spouse has begun her own weight loss journey. Thanks to his improved health, John can once again enjoy pastimes like fishing, hunting, gardening, beekeeping, and maintaining his ranch. He plans to continue his new, healthy habits in an effort to decrease his need for medications. Sharing that the key to his efforts was a positive attitude, he says, "The most important thing for my success was to be honest with myself, and if I had a bad day…forgive myself and start again the next day."
