Whole Health

Air Force Veteran Mr. Rios after 115 pound weight loss

Florida Veteran Juan Rios knew he needed a change. While the number on the scale was ticking up along with his blood pressure and glucose levels, Rios realized that simply increasing his medications was not going to cut it. Thanks to the support of a VA Whole Health Coach, he was able to switch up the equation, losing 115 pounds and gaining a new life in the process.

By late 2021, Rios, an Air Force Veteran, found himself facing obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol. His physicians responded by increasing the dosages of his medications, a tactic that, by itself, failed to produce the desired results. Rios was then hit with the ultimate rude awakening: A trip to the scale revealed that his weight had peaked at 310 pounds.

“I knew what that meant,” he said. “You can have the greatest medication in the world, but if you don’t have a strategy to solve your medical issue with that medication, it’s no good.”

As a patient at the Orlando VA Medical Center since 2013, Rios was no stranger to VA health care. He knew that help was available, but he also realized he needed to take the first steps on the journey to better health.

“A lot of issues of being overweight … were basically in myself,” he said. “If I did not do it for myself, VA can only give me something to help me with the pain or help me with the causes. But I had to make it happen.”

Mind and medicine meet community

 Getting healthy is an individual decision, but it’s not a path a Veteran must walk alone. Whole Health is about one devoted team treating one entire person.

Rios’s first exposure to Whole Health was through Veteran Whole Health groups, mindfulness programs, and tai chi. But it wasn’t until he connected with Debra Hurtubise who is a Nationally Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach that he started to see the full benefit.

Everything began to click for Rios during a three-month-long family Christmas trip to Puerto Rico. Fighting the temptation to “eat like crazy,” as he describes, Rios’s simple strategy was walking and minding his calorie intake. The result was significant: He lost 30 pounds.

Moving the body, maintaining the momentum

 Upon returning to Florida, Rios fine-tuned his strategy. He diversified his workout regimen, overhauled his diet, and tapped into several VA services — including a diabetic program that provided the counsel of a dietitian.

“I did a lifestyle change completely as far as eating is concerned,” Rios said. “[My Whole Health coach] really instilled in my thinking process that, ‘This is not a diet. This is the way you’re going to do from here on. Good eating is good prescription.’”

Paired with eating right, staying motivated has allowed him to be more active and taper down on his medications. The individual aspects of his holistic approach have added up for a staggering outcome: He has now lost a grand total of 115 pounds — and counting.

With his blood pressure and glucose levels down, too, Rios is moving his body by walking and doing about 30 minutes of weight training regularly. It’s a fitting picture for a Veteran who knows that, while his wellness journey is nowhere near complete, he’s on the right track. “[Whole Health] gives you so many of the resources that a lot of people don’t know about,” he said. “That was the missing link I was missing in order to improve.”

Live your own Whole Health journey

Rios’s experience is just one example of how transformative VA Whole Health can be. Whole Health Coaches partner with Veterans seeking to enhance their well-being through self-directed, lasting changes, aligned with their values. Whole Health Coaches conduct individual or group coaching sessions that may occur in person, on the phone, or via telehealth.

Whole Health resources on mindful awareness, moving the body, food and drink, and other self-care practices empower Veterans to embark on a path toward health and happiness. Ready to get going on your own Whole Health journey? Start here.