'The best year of my life': Veteran sheds nearly 100 pounds through TeleMOVE! program

She lost nearly 100 pounds last year, thanks to the Milwaukee VA’s TeleMOVE! program, in which Veterans work with clinicians and dietitians via telehealth to improve diet, exercise and lifestyle in order to facilitate weight loss. 

“I feel happier and healthier,” said Wilson, 52, a U.S. Army Veteran who lives in Bear Creek, Wis. “This has been the best year of my life since I got out of the service (in 1993). I have a better view on the future.”

From November 2022 to November 2023, Wilson went from 292 pounds to 215. There was a setback in December — an aggressive round of steroids needed to combat a medical issue resulted in a 15-pound weight gain — but Wilson is confident she can overcome this obstacle and continue her weight-loss journey.

“I hit a wall, and that was distressing, but I’ve come back before,” she said, vowing to end 2024 at a lower weight than now.

“It’s just a matter of being strong-willed and hitting it again,” she said. “This is whole health. This is not something I give up on. This is my life now.”

Wilson said her weight was a continual issue throughout her life, exacerbated by health issues and steroids. When she turned 50, she knew it was time to take control.

Enrollment in TeleMOVE! proved to be the turning point. Wilson learned different ways to approach cooking and food, and she learned that being healthy didn’t mean constant denial of what you love.

“I was able to hit it from all angles,” she said. “In a lot of weight-loss programs, you can’t do this, but you have to do that. Well, that’s kind of miserable. So for me, it was a learning process of what goes into your body and what your body can do for you. … It’s never so much about what you can’t have — you can have whatever you want. It’s just managing it.”

Wilson now views her eating as a “strategic ballgame,” countering splurges with more healthful options.

Always a good cook, Wilson has learned that healthy eating doesn’t mean abandoning what she loves; it’s more a matter of tweaking it.

“I refined (my cooking). I still make a majority of the same things, but there are options to use something more natural, or something that will have a better effect healthwise,” she said, noting this approach was probably the biggest factor in her success.

“I was able to take a pretty good skill and make it better. … I can make something that tastes good but is also good for you,” she said.

Wilson’s go-to healthy dishes include stir fries, soups and salads where she can take advantage of a variety of meats, vegetables and other ingredients.

“There are so many different directions you can go with things. And by having so many different ingredients, you end up with just these nice, happy multiple flavors.”

Also key to Wilson’s success has been that accountability that is part of the TeleMOVE! program and working one-on-one with Milwaukee VA dietitian Renae Briones.

Wilson said the regular appointments and reinforcement help motivate her to stay on track. Plus, she said she appreciates that the program can be tailored to fit her personally as opposed to a one-size-fits-all approach.

“With Renae, I have this coach saying, ‘Don’t forget this and that,’ Wilson said. “Renae was exactly what I needed. I needed somebody that I could go to and say, ‘Here’s what I need to address. Here’s how I feel. Help me work through that.’ And she always has ideas. She’s been the perfect resource for me.”

Briones credited Wilson for taking the materials provided and making them work for her. She said while some Veterans “dip their toes” into the changes recommended, Wilson embraced them.

“It’s been great,” Briones said. “I love how she has surprised herself throughout the whole journey. Her confidence has improved, and that’s been exciting to see. It’s nice to see her find balance. She has guided this ship; I’ve been there to help support her.

“The changes she is making are things she can sustain. She doesn’t have that ‘all or nothing’ mentality. … She has an open palate and is willing to try new foods.”

Briones said she is confident that the pre-diabetes diagnosis Wilson received last year will be negated by the strides she has made in the past year. And she believes by the middle of 2024 Wilson can move into the maintenance phase of the program.

“It’s been a very healthy journey. It’s not always perfect. There are always things that come up; it’s how you navigate through them. There are times your progress might stall. That’s OK. Maintain for a while and then pick it back up.”

The next step for Wilson is incorporating more exercise. While she keeps busy with projects around the house and shuns the sedentary lifestyle, her fibromyalgia and other physical problems sometimes make walking and other activity painful.

Wilson is confident that the changes she has already made and her continued diligence will yield more great results in 2024, much like they did in 2023.

“I’ve had some wonderful effects (from the program). … I definitely see it as a permanent life change,” she said. “It’s a conscious effort to take care of yourself. That’s where I started, and I want to stay that way.”