{"id":7796,"date":"2025-09-02T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7796"},"modified":"2025-09-02T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T14:30:00","slug":"veteran-sheds-pounds-with-help-of-telemove","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7796","title":{"rendered":"Veteran sheds pounds with help of TeleMOVE!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2025-09-02T14:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of truth to the old saying, \u201cSlow and steady wins the race,\u201d especially when it comes to weight loss. Just ask John Adamski.<\/p>\n

When the 77-year-old Air Force Veteran stepped on the scale 10 months ago and saw he was over 300 pounds, he knew it was time to act.<\/p>\n

But he didn\u2019t jump into trendy diets, extreme deprivation or weight loss drugs. Instead, he reached out to the\u00a0TeleMOVE!\u00a0<\/a>program at Milwaukee VA and started doing the work, little by little.<\/p>\n

The result? He has lost 60 pounds, is no longer prediabetic and has the energy and ability to be more mobile, despite chronic hip pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m healthier. I feel better and I look better,\u201d Adamski said. \u201cI\u2019m breathing better and don\u2019t use my rescue inhaler anymore,\u201d noting he has weather-related asthma. \u201cI can walk farther, and I\u2019m more active than before.\u201d<\/p>\n

TeleMOVE!<\/a> helps Veterans lose weight by teaching nutrition, portion control and other healthy-eating strategies through telehealth. \u201cVeterans get daily tips, lessons, quizzes and other educational tidbits via a home telehealth talking device, a tablet, or through automated phone calls,\u201d said Renae Briones, TeleMOVE! care coordinator. Participants also receive a scale that connects with the devices for an automated daily weight check.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A VA registered dietitian who works with Veterans one-on-one, guiding and encouraging them to stay on track with their health goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am there to support them and be a point of accountability,\u201d Briones said. \u201cWe\u2019ll do a little bit of strategizing or problem-solving, and we work a lot on goals\u2014figuring out which ones are working and what we have to tweak.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking control<\/h2>\n

While Adamski said he has been appreciative of Briones\u2019 coaching, it was up to him to take control and make the right choices.<\/p>\n

He started small, cutting back on his consumption of soda and snack foods, and upping his fruits and vegetables. He pared down his portion sizes and began keeping a food log, recording his caloric intake. He also limited carryout and restaurant meals and would cook at home instead.<\/p>\n

He took small steps, emphasizing that he didn\u2019t deprive himself of everything he enjoyed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you deprive yourself, you just crave it more,\u201d he said. \u201cInstead, you ease off of it. You don\u2019t stop eating. It\u2019s not easy, but it\u2019s not hard. You have to make up your mind to do it. This is a lifestyle change, not a diet. It\u2019s a commitment you have to make to yourself. No one can make you lose weight other than you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nothing drastic<\/h2>\n

Briones said Adamski\u2019s success is notable because he has done it almost solely through dietary changes. While exercise is a key component in weight loss, Briones said there is some truth to the old adage that says the recipe for weight loss consists of approximately 80% dietary changes and 20% exercise.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty impressive what he has accomplished,\u201d she said. \u201cHe didn\u2019t do any drastic changes. He didn\u2019t go with intermittent fasting or keto diets; he went with those small, specific goals that he worked on one by one. You don\u2019t have to do crazy overhauls with a diet. You start where you\u2019re at and then work on it a couple of changes at a time. It has to be something you can sustain long term.\u201d<\/p>\n

Briones shared the newest trend in her field is weight-loss drugs. And while she doesn\u2019t discount their benefit, she suggests gradual dietary changes, coupled with exercise, have proven to be successful.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can be done with old-fashioned, back-to-basics nutrition interventions,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Changed mindset<\/h2>\n

This isn\u2019t Adamski\u2019s first go at losing weight. He had participated in the MOVE! program before, losing about 30 pounds. But he backslid, and the weight came back.<\/p>\n

This time will be different, he said, because he\u2019s changed his mindset along with his diet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to maintain it because I\u2019m looking at it from a different angle,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve set my mind to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

His advice to other Veterans looking to lose weight?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe program works, if you want it to,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have to stick to it. I would recommend it to anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deciding to get started is the first step. Make your MOVE!<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

This article was originally published on the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center<\/a> site\u00a0 and has been edited for style and clarity.<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Veteran John Adamski has lost 60 pounds, thanks to taking control of his diet and working with the TeleMOVE! program through the Milwaukee VA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":311,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-news"],"yoast_head":"\nVeteran sheds pounds with help of TeleMOVE! - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Veteran John Adamski has lost 60 pounds, thanks to taking control of his diet and working with the TeleMOVE! program through the Milwaukee VA.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7796\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Veteran sheds pounds with help of TeleMOVE! 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