TeleMOVE! Gives Houston Veteran Tools and Support to sustain Weight Loss
From 1992 to 2006, Army Veteran Greg Hammonds lived a life on the go. He deployed to Iraq and when he wasn’t deployed, he prepared for deployments.
As a civilian, he fell into the diet trap a lot of service members easily fall into when they leave the military.
“When you’re in the military, you’re constantly doing physical training and training maneuvers,” said Hammonds, who is 63 years old. “You want to keep eating like you’re working out and exercising all the time. But you’re not exercising all the time.”
After struggling with his weight for years, Hammonds decided to try Tele-MOVE!, a home telehealth weight management program that focuses on nutrition, physical activity and behavior change.
Veterans in the program are provided the tools needed to record their progress daily on the TeleMOVE! online platform. Veterans also complete daily education on the platform and have periodic telehealth appointments with a dietitian.
“The biggest thing Veterans say they appreciate about the program is having accountability,” said Carey Smith, Houston VA TeleMOVE! dietitian. “There's just something about knowing that you have to step on the scale each day and report your steps. That keeps us honest and on track.”
In 2022, Hammonds completed his first 90-day program and lost four pounds. In September 2023, he tried the program a second time and fully committed. He not only lost 19 pounds, but he has since kept if off.
“It’s not a quick weight loss program,” said Hammonds. “It’s a lifestyle change. That’s what I didn’t understand and appreciate the first go around. For the second go around, I embraced this with a whole new mindset and my results were much more dramatic and so far have been ongoing and lasting.”
Along with commitment, Smith said one of the biggest keys in weight loss is timing.
“Number one, they just have to be ready,” said Smith “Is this a good time in their life to focus on weight management? A lot of us want to lose weight, but there are too many things in life getting in the way.”
Hammonds urged other Veterans to take advantage of the program and jump in with both feet.
“I just can’t stress enough the importance of the program for any Veteran to try it out,” he said. “It has so many positive benefits. What are you waiting for? Take a chance and do something good for yourself.”
To enroll in TeleMOVE!, Veterans can contact their primary care team or contact a TeleMOVE! dietitian listed below. A three-month minimum commitment is needed for participation.
- Morgan White: 713-791-1414, ext. 223327
- Carey Smith: 713-397-0850