More Than Just a Diet
Andrew Romine experienced the health benefits of managing his weight with the help of MOVE! and discovered that the most important benefits were not found on his scale.
Andrew adopted new, healthy habits with the support and guidance of the MOVE! team at his local VA in Tucson, AZ.
A Second Attempt
Reflecting on his journey with weight management, Andrew explains that he has encountered ups and downs. "I was always too hungry or lazy to keep it going," he shares, "and I felt depressed, couldn't get out." Andrew did make some progress managing his weight when he was regularly running longer distances, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, he began to gain weight back. "It was easy to just stay home and not do as much," he explains. Still, Andrew was resolved to make a change for the better. As part of the weight management plan he created with his VA healthcare team, he was referred to the MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans.
It's important to let people help you.
Andrew Romine
A Team Effort
After Andrew first committed to MOVE!, he soon discovered that it offered a different path forward from other popular diets and programs. MOVE! stressed "a shift toward mindfulness and lifestyle versus just dieting and losing weight," and just as importantly, offered him a renewed sense of support and hope from his MOVE! team and peers. "Maintaining a certain lifestyle by having reminders and being around others who were in the same situation helped," he explains. This focus on lifestyle adjustments and small, gradual changes he could sustain over time was the perfect preparation for the bariatric surgery part of his weight management and healthcare plan.
A New Life
"My energy level has skyrocketed," Andrew shares. Since starting MOVE!, he has lost over 160 pounds, but more than numbers on the scale or inches lost from his waistline, Andrew appreciates the benefits to his health and quality of life. "I do not feel self-conscious when going out," he says, "and have an overall improved confidence to be able to do more things." He enjoys being more active, and shares that "when people come up and say 'Oh, you look great, you've lost a lot of weight,'" he says, "thanks, but the most important thing for me is that I feel better and have shifted to a healthier lifestyle."
