Army Veteran Hopes to Inspire Others with Her Weight-Loss Journey

Army Veteran, Annette Bowman, tired of being a part of that 78 percent, started her journey toward achieving a healthy weight in the spring of 2021, and has since lost more than 120 pounds. Now in control of her weight and health, Bowman hopes to inspire other Veterans to strive for their weight loss goals with her story.

“I knew my weight had become an issue,” said Bowman. “Everything was harder than it should be, and I always had low energy. Just bending over to pick something up was hard for me.”

Determined to change her life, Bowman made the commitment to become healthier when she joined the Columbia VA Health Care System’s (CVAHCS) TeleMOVE! Program, June 2021.

“I knew it was time to make a change. I actually started exercising and making lifestyle changes before starting the MOVE! Program,” Bowman said. “I was tired of having everyday tasks feel so much more difficult than they should.”

To help combat obesity VHA along with National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (NCP) designed the MOVE! Program (Managing Overweight Veterans Everywhere) to assist veterans to lose weight and improve health, by teaming them up with dietitians, clinicians, and health coaches. TeleMOVE! is a 3-6 month at-home telehealth version of MOVE!, utilizing daily in-home education and weight monitoring using equipment provided or web-based platforms. The program provides accountability, education, and self-reporting of the Veteran’s knowledge, behaviors, and symptoms. 

“My goal is to help Veterans improve their health with realistic and achievable diet and exercise-related behavior change,” said CVAHCS MOVE! Coordinator and licensed dietitian, Deborah Zippel MS, RD, LD. “We know that carrying excess body fat contributes to health risk and as a dietitian I strive to help Veterans make behavior changes and achieve a realistic weight/body composition that helps them live their best life.”

Zippel said she remembers Bowman was ready to commit to a change in her lifestyle, and that she did not waver from her exercise routine.

“I liked that she wasn’t rigid with her diet and allowed herself to enjoy food but stayed focused on her larger goals,” said Zippel. “[Bowman] was fairly independent with her weight loss efforts. We connected every few weeks and she was great about reaching out for support if needed.  If I saw her weight plateau, we would problem solve together. I find that many Veterans are embarrassed to ask for help if they are slipping and this is when they need it the most.”

Bowman attributes a lot of her weight gain to stress-eating, and occasionally having fast food for lunch throughout the work week.

“I had been working a lot of overtime and under a great deal of stress at work,” said Bowman. “You could [say I was] self-medicating because I was not eating healthy and not paying attention to my portions.”

Bowman opted to participate in the three-month TeleMOVE! Program, which sets Veterans up with a MOVE! Clinician who helps customize a weight management plan based on the Veteran’s health conditions and personal goals and gives Veterans daily interactions with the MOVE! Coordinator through in-home messaging via a phone or computer.

Dedicated to herself and her journey, Bowman committed to core lifestyle changes, including exercising, daily walks, dietary changes, and journaling. She said she realized consistency was key, and while she allowed herself to occasionally lapse, she would maintain her 1,500 calories/day diet.

“There were periods when [Bowman] struggled but her resilience got her back on track,” said Zippel. “She remembered what worked for her and readjusted her goals.”

Bowman admitted to having hard days where she struggled to stay committed to the process. She said some of the hardest times she experienced on her weight-loss journey came while caring for her sick father before his eventual passing.

“I was staying in Massachusetts, taking care of my dad. It was the middle of winter, and just a depressing environment,” said Bowman. “It was difficult to get outside, and the cold, combined with the overall situation, made it hard to not want comfort food.”

 Zippel described what Bowman was going through as being triggering to her unhealthy eating habits.

“I helped [Bowman] remember what was working for her and how to return to the basics,” said Zippel. “For healthy eating it’s so important to set yourself up for success by avoiding “triggers” that contribute to overeating.”

MOVE! Provided Bowman with a support system that is paramount to Veteran success in weight-loss.

“I felt like I was alone in the journey and the TeleMOVE! Program made me feel less alone,” said Bowman. “Deb’s support meant the world to me, especially when my father passed and during the times when the scale didn’t move for a week or two.”

More than 18-months after committing herself to her weight loss, Bowman is down more than 120 pounds and said she feels better than she has in a long time.

“I can feel the difference throughout my body,” said Bowman. “My joints are looser, I can move around easier, and I am mentally in a better place now.”

Bowman made a lifestyle transformation that made her both happier and healthier and wants other Veterans to know that they too can change their lives with the MOVE! Program.

“If someone is considering this journey, my advice is to take the first step and join the MOVE! Program,” said Bowman. “There is nothing to lose, and if you’re in the MOVE! Program you’ll have the support you need to help keep you committed.”

MOVE! programs are available virtually, over the phone or in the clinic. Veterans in the CVAHCS catchment area currently have two locations where they can attend MOVE! Groups at the Greenville Community-Based Outpatient Center, and the Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VAMC. 

“Veterans need to know that MOVE! and TeleMOVE! work with commitment to change,” said Zippel. “We have really great outcomes of more than 5% weight loss in a 3–6-month program, if Veterans are ready to challenge old habits and be open to trying new diet and exercise patterns that research demonstrates will work. It’s important for Veterans to know that we take a holistic and individual approach to treatment. What works for one person may not for another.”

To learn more about the MOVE! And TeleMOVE! Programs visit www.move.va.gov/MOVE/index.asp, or speak to your Primary Care team.