What is the MOVE Program?
Today was my second meeting with the MOVE program, and somehow, I still feel a bit disappointed. The VA offers the MOVE Program to help us overweight Vets to lose weight, the name implies action, but, so far, it is a basic, and I mean very basic nutrition class. The first meeting, we read a story about a 600+ pound woman that lost weight by kicking a ball around her apartment, this meeting we played a “Jeopardy” like game, after our standard weigh in. Yep, that was it. Oh, by the way, I was the “biggest loser” this month, I lost 9lbs.
I never expected much from the program, after all, it is a government thing, but, at the weigh in, and they saw I had lost weight, I broke it down for them as to the fact that I had lost about 16lbs of fat and gained almost 6 lbs of muscle, something that one would think might make someone ask a question or two as to how, and yes, it was mentioned that I was going to the gym, but that was as far as it went, a wasted opportunity in my opinion.
I had told them the month before that I was going to get the software etc to keep track of fat loss, when I told them the numbers, the doctor for our group said something like “oh yeah, you mentioned that before”, why was there not more attention paid to this? From what I can see, as long as you do not gain weight, everybody is happy!
Somehow I feel that the name MOVE implies some sort of action, but, the highlight of the meeting was how many nuts make up a quarter cup? I have to be honest, the nutrition stuff doesn’t mean a hill of crap if you don’t have any exercise. The nutrition councilor even mentioned that briefly, while explaining an answer to one of the questions in the game we were playing. She told us that there was a lady in a wheelchair that started doing leglifts with a small weight and eventually got out of the chair because of it, but that was about it, again, a missed opportunity to actually teach the group or even maybe motivate someone, but no, it was all about somebody ringing a bell or blowing a whistle to answer the next question. The game itself is not where I have issues, it was actually an ok thing, you can find similar ones here, but, the meeting only lasts an hour, and so did the game, and everyone there participated, it was fun, but, was it productive?
I am usually way too critical about everything, and, in this case I am sure of that, but, as I see it, this MOVE Program is a waste of time. Here is the good news, we don’t have another one until April, something to do with Spring Break and somebody’s kids or something, to be honest, I don’t want to go back, but, I will, because somehow, I need to help. Being fat is not fun, being old and fat is even worse. I missed six years of training because I was in pain, and couldn’t breath, now that I have meds for this, and know that my pain is there forever, whether I train or not, I am sticking with it, the gym has been my life since I was a kid, I need to help others, it keeps me motivated. If you read this, and are a member of the MOVE Program, do as I am going to, Take Charge! Make the Move Program be more like the name implies!
MyFitVet.com What is it? Who is it” Why is it?
January 20, 2010 by CarpetGuy · Leave a Comment
MyFitVet.com is a site dedicated to helping my fellow veterans to either get in shape, or avoid getting out of shape. It is so much easier to just stay fit, than to get soft and flabby, and try to get healthy again.
Just so you know, I am a loudmouth class clown type. I am not a combat veteran, I served during peacetime, but, things happen and luckily the VA was there for me. I have the utmost respect for the doctors, nurses, and other people who work there, but, just as anything having to do with Government, it is too big to do, what all veterans wish it could do. In some cases, there is nothing anybody could do, except for us vets.
I served in the 80′s, Ronald Reagan was President, and at that time in my life, I had no plans on relying on the VA for anything, I just knew I would be indestructible and young forever. I was wrong. Now at 47, with over three decades of weight training experience, I find myself having to start all over again, and have joined the MOVE Weight Management Program for Veterans. After the initial questionnaire, a brief orientation, and my first monthly meeting, I found out just how limited the staff is by the rules of Government. The sad part is that it is understandable.
I was expecting some sort of fitness program, fitness evaluation, bodyweight analysis, or something, in fact, anything, but, I was again wrong. Here is what we did.
- We took turns reading a cute story about the holidays and all the food we couldn’t eat.
- We took turns reading a story about a woman who weighed 680 pounds and lost weight.
- The nutritionist asked us a few questions about the stories we had read.
- We asked a few questions, about various medications and their interactions with certain foods, and discussed it.
- Us newbies were given a pedometer.
- We left.
I think I was expecting it to at least be a bit like an AA meeting where we newbies had to stand up and say, “Hi, I am David and I am a Fat-Ass!”, or something, and then the others would comfort us saying that they were fat too, but nope, nothing. Before the group broke up and left, I couldn’t hold back, I had to ask! “Why is all the emphasis on weight, and not body fat?” “What about measuring us?” I mean after all, just because we are heavy, doesn’t mean we are solid fat, right? If we had a body fat measurement, we would know if our various excercise programs, which are up to us to come up with, were actually reducing fat, or burning muscle instead!
I was basically told that an electronic body fat measuring device had previously been requested, but, that was as far as it went, none was ever received. To this, I was almost ready to explode, and said, “Hey, a caliper is cheap, just a few bucks, I’ll buy one if it will help!” I was then informed that a caliper test was inaccurate. I said, “This is true, but, something is better than nothing, right?” To this, the nutritionist said, “The VA does not have software to track this information” Again, I said, “I’ll buy it and bring in my laptop, if someone here will do the measuring, I will record it and print it out”, by now, our MOVE class doctor had already left, and the group was gone. Was it that no one in the class had an interest? I don’t think so, they just saw that my line of questions went nowhere and that the point was obviously mute! Again, I do not blame the staff, their hands tied, kept in check by the big bureaucracy of the Federal Government. You remember the $700 hammer?
With this, you can bet, by the next meeting, not only will I bring the caliper, software and laptop, but, my camera, tape measure and the instructions on how to do it as well! In fact, I have already found the ideal application, complete with instructions, it will cost me like 40 bucks!
Now you know what MyFitVet.com is, who it is, and why it is!