A Chance to Change His Life
When Terry Lawson decided to make changes to improve his health, he did so in honor of the memory of someone dear to him.
Terry started making simple, healthy choices to change his lifestyle with the support and guidance of the MOVE! team at the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center in Jackson, MS.
A Life of Challenges
For Terry, the struggle to maintain a healthy weight was often tied to injury and illness. "I tore my ACL and my MCL in my right knee," he explains, "and after two failed ACL reconstructions, they did a full knee replacement in 2014." After retiring due to his injury, Terry also encountered difficulties in the coming years. He dealt with serious health challenges including a heart attack, COVID-19, and kidney failure. Throughout this time, Terry tried to lose weight with different diets but never achieved lasting results. Determined to reach his goal of better health, Terry started the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans in January 2024.
Believe it or not, the MOVE! program helps in all aspects of life.
Terry Lawson
Finding Purpose for Change
Terry began attending MOVE! classes and soon came out of his "shell." His experience was enhanced by lasting bonds and friendships with the other Veterans in his group sessions. Learning that he'd need to increase his physical activity in order to see results, Terry decided to add walking to his routine. "I needed a purpose," he recalls, "so I started walking in the loving memory of Christopher Dewayne Lawson." Terry was motivated and inspired to honor his late son, who had passed away in an automobile accident in 2012. With that fueling his fire, Terry devoted himself to learning new strategies for healthy eating. He found among the most valuable of these to be making healthy choices when picking food and beverages. He also closely monitored his portion sizes. Terry also started reading nutrition labels to better understand what he was putting into his body, leading him to choose to eat more vegetables.
Enjoying a New Life
Terry's healthy choices helped him achieve great results. Since starting MOVE!, he has lost 50 pounds, lowered his blood sugar and pain, and even reports improvements in his sleep. Terry now walks 3 miles per day and frequently participates in 5K races. "I owe a huge ‘thank you' to the love of my life, my beautiful wife Chelsea, the VA, my primary care, mental health, pain management, and the MOVE! program staff," he says. He plans to continue pushing toward even better health and wishes to tell other Veterans to give MOVE! a try. "If you find yourself in the shape I was in," he explains, "reach out…MOVE! is a chance to change your life."
