Making It Happen
Choosing to improve his health so he could be there for his grandchildren, Douglas McCants finally learned that he could make weight loss happen.
Working one-on-one with his MOVE! team at the North Charleston, SC, Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Douglas learned that a combination of healthy eating, physical activity, and a healthy lifestyle would help him achieve his goals.
Mounting Motivation
For a few years before starting the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans, Douglas followed the advice of his peers and found himself trying "fad diets, weight loss pills, and yes, even starvation" to lose weight. He says that none of these strategies helped him, and in fact they may have "made matters worse." When Douglas finally got to the point where he was suffering from back pain, low energy, depression, and an inability to walk as little as two blocks without becoming short of breath, he knew something needed to change. Then came the stark realization that if he kept going as he was, he might not be around to watch his grandchildren grow up.
It has been the difference between me getting healthy and feeling sorry for myself and just giving up.
Douglas McCants
Unclear Expectations
"When I first got involved with the MOVE! Program, I didn't know what to expect. I knew that I wanted to lose weight, but I just didn't know how to make it happen," explains Douglas. His perception before MOVE! was that he just needed to lose weight. He did not know how important it was to be more physically active and make healthy food and beverage choices. Then, "as I began to get more into it," he shares, "I realized that I needed to do more to obtain the desired weight loss." Douglas further explains that the individual sessions with his MOVE! clinician which he could do in person, by phone, or with video helped him understand just how important his choice to lose weight was and how it would benefit his health and his life. "She made it easy for me to understand how the program works and was always there when I needed her," he recalls. With his newfound understanding, Douglas adapted new habits like drinking more water, eating healthy foods, moving more, listening to signals from his body, and believing in himself.
Bouncing Back
Racking up the benefits of his motivation and dedication, Douglas reports he has not only lost more than 70 pounds, but his overall well-being has improved. He has much more energy, can do things he could not do before, and most importantly, he is enjoying being able to spend more time with his grandchildren. Douglas hopes to be able to decrease the need for some of his medications too. His message to Veterans about MOVE! says it all: "Take the first step and try this, it will help you in more ways than you will ever know. It will give you a new lease on life and make you feel so much better about yourself."
