This story originally appeared in the dailyherald.com and is being republished here in an edited format with permission of the author, Rachel Everett, Public Affairs Specialist at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Hines, IL.
Army Veteran loses over 50 pounds with Hines VA’s MOVE! Weight Management Program
80% of Veterans have body weights in a range that put them at risk for serious health conditions. Donald Logan was one of them.
Following a hospitalization for diabetes in July 2023, the Army Veteran’s doctor said he must lose weight or begin taking daily insulin shots. His doctor recommended the MOVE! Weight Management Program at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital.
Hines VA’s MOVE! Program began in 2006. It uses a standardized curriculum that combines lifestyle and nutrition changes and physical activity to develop healthier habits. MOVE! staff encouraged Logan to make meaningful and achievable healthy goals, and not just focus on weight loss. One of Logan’s biggest takeaways from the class was portion control and learning to measure serving sizes with his palm. "I am more mindful of portions," says Logan. "Because of the class, I continue to stick to healthy portion sizes, and I have also incorporated 12-hour intermittent fasting."
Lifestyle changes, including daily exercise and a healthy breakfast, have helped Logan perform better throughout the day, including while on the job as a mail carrier. "Eating overnight oats for breakfast sustains me and gives me energy as I deliver parcels from the post office to people’s doorsteps," he explains. "Along with recommending dietary changes, the MOVE! Instructors tell us that any type of movement helps, so as I am driving from one mailbox to the next, I will perform small exercises like tightening my core."
Logan has lost 54 pounds since starting the MOVE! Program in August 2023 and continues to attend classes every other Tuesday. MOVE! Coordinator Lisa Korpolinski shares that, "Mr. Logan encapsulates what the MOVE! Weight Management Program is all about and what it can do for Veterans."
According to Korpolinski, "It is important that we give Veterans the chance to show themselves that they can make changes that are effective for them." As for Logan, he plans to continue his newfound healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise. "Thanks to MOVE! my diabetes is now in remission and my blood sugar levels are normal," he says. "I credit both my wife as well as Lisa Korpolinski and the MOVE! Weight Management Program team for helping me reach my goals."
