Welcome to another episode of Fresh Focus. I am your host Kristine Jamerson, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at the VA St. Louis Health Care System in St. Louis, Missouri. Hi everyone! Let me start by telling you a little bit about myself. I love cooking and baking, going on outdoor walks, attending my kids sports games, and playing with my dog! This is my 17th year at the St. Louis VA and I have been actively involved in the MOVE! program since it began, over 16 years ago!
I was a guest on a previous Fresh Focus episode and am really excited to host my own show today with you! Let’s get started and dive into the world of MOVE!

If you are asking what is the MOVE program, you have tuned into the right episode today:
MOVE! is the nation-wide weight management program designed to help Veterans lose weight and keep it off. MOVE highlights making healthy behavior changes in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, emotional eating, stress management and other self-care areas.
You may or may not have heard of the MOVE! program at your VA before tuning into today’s episode. But, MOVE has actually been around since 2006.
Back then each VA facility implemented a MOVE! weight management program. Over the years the MOVE! program has been through many curriculum updates, implemented new programs to fit Veterans demand for virtual care, and offers new colorful educational handouts and workbooks for veterans to use while attending group classes, telephone appointments or individual sessions with a MOVE! clinician.
So why participate in your local VA MOVE program?
One big benefit is that MOVE! weight management program offers weekly sessions to help you stay involved on a regular basis. Our 16 week program is our most robust program where we see Veterans like you find the most success. We know that the more sessions veterans attend, the more likely they are to change behaviors successfully and see great outcomes. The magic number so to speak is 12 sessions within a 12 month time frame. From St. Louis to Poplar Bluff and Kansas City to Wichita, Marion VA, Columbia, Eastern Kansas and St. Louis, all the VA facilities in our network offer face to face appointments, virtual appts thru VA Video Connect, home messaging devices, and telephone. There is a lot of ways to connect with the MOVE program at your VA facility.

To clarify the MOVE! program is not a diet program. Many folks trying to lose weight have tried a variety of different diets. Diets tend to be short term, overly restrictive, really don’t provide any long term results. MOVE! is a comprehensive lifestyle intervention program, which means it highlights evidence-based strategies to help you make healthy changes in the areas of nutrition, activity and other behaviors of health such as stress management and good sleep habits.
I often get asked, with a name like MOVE is it just an exercise class?
Just like MOVE is not a diet program, it is not an exercise only program either.
But MOVE does provide many strategies and information on how to exercise safely, routinely and most VA facilities offer MOVE Movement classes. Those can look like low impact cardio sessions, chair exercises classes, or even utilizing VA facility gyms and pools. It’s also common for MOVE teams to partner with whole health services and refer veterans for other movement classes such as yoga or tai chi. I encourage you to check in with your local VA facility to see what movement classes are available to you.

So let’s talk about what happens when you join a MOVE program.
All of the network 15 VA medical centers offer a variety of MOVE programs to fit your needs. Most Veterans start with a MOVE orientation class then continue onto weekly groups followed by monthly support groups. If you would rather be seen one-on-one, we also offer phone counseling or individual outpatient visits with a dietitian. The most popular choice for Veterans is to attend weekly weight management groups. You will receive a veteran workbook which consists of 16 modules of nutrition, activity and other behavior change information to help you on your journey. We know that Veterans who attend at least 12 MOVE classes within a 12 month period are the most successful in terms of losing weight. Again, MOVE is not a diet program, it is a lifestyle change program. Each week you will have the chance to share your progress, success, challenges and set personalized goals. Each MOVE instructor is here to provide knowledge, understanding, problem solving skills, and support.
If the MOVE program sounds like a good fit for you, let’s talk about how you can sign up. There are a variety of ways to connect with MOVE!. You can talk to your primary care doctors or dietitian or nurse. Or you can reach out to your VA facility MOVE Coordinator to start the scheduling process.
Finally you can learn more about MOVE! online at www.move.va.gov
Another common question I get asked by Veterans is if they have tried the MOVE program in the past, can they re-join?
Absolutely! Establishing and practicing new healthy routines to help you lose weight and keep the weight off takes time. We understand that and encourage you to keep connecting with MOVE!. Returning to MOVE is always an option, especially since the program is 16 plus years old.
I have loved being involved with the MOVE program the past 16 years. While there are many many favorite things I love, a top one would be getting to see Veterans each week for 4 months in a row (I mean what other program at the VA lasts that long) and hearing Veterans like you share their healthy habit successes, especially with big smiles on their faces! Whether it is starting to walk 3 days/week, or maybe eating a few less cookies after dinner, or going to bed 30 minutes earlier, hearing these successes is music to my ears.
Remember to reach out to your local VA to find out more about the MOVE! program in your specific area! You can also check out more MOVE! info on the national website at www.move.va.gov
Thanks so much for listening, don’t forget to like and subscribe to this podcast and leave a review. Healthy Regards.