The Power of a Healthy Balance
Marcos Navarro learned to manage his weight and achieved his health goals by creating a balance among new, healthy habits that he could maintain for the long term.
Using the information, resources, and support available through the MOVE! program at the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, KS, Marcos exceeded his initial goals.
An Opportunity to Change
Marcos shares that before starting MOVE!, he had struggled to maintain a healthy weight for some time. "I knew I needed to do something about it," he explains, but he wasn’t sure what route to take in order to start his journey to better health. When a VA care provider told him about the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans, Marcos turned his curiosity about how MOVE! might be able to help him reach his goals into motivation and began participating in video group sessions.
[MOVE!] is worth it! It’s a matter of perseverance and staying the course.
Marcos Navarro
Building a Balance
For Marcos, the concept of balance emphasized by the MOVE! program was most helpful to him. "The focus on balanced nutrition and lifestyle is what led to my success," he recalls. With MOVE!, Marcos was able to develop new skills and strategies including being mindful about what and how much he would eat and drink as well as tracking everything using the MOVE! Food and Physical Activity Log. Steady, manageable increases in both planned and lifestyle physical activity were key to his balanced routine. "I plan to maintain the weight I have currently achieved," Marcos shares, "keep monitoring my food intake, and continue the level of activity that I have achieved." He thanks his MOVE! team and especially MOVE! Coordinator Chelbie Glenn for their support and motivation to keep going while he mastered his new skills.
Continuing the Journey
During his participation in MOVE!, Marcos dropped 30 pounds, and he remains committed to realizing all of his health goals. With the knowledge that "It’s a lifestyle change in the way I eat and take care of my health," Marcos is looking forward to enjoying his new, healthy lifestyle. Reflecting on his positive experience thus far he explains, "The benefits are immeasurable, particularly in weight loss and increased energy level."
