Lasting lifestyle changes through TeleMOVE!

How one Veteran turned his life around

Air Force Veteran John Bates says he’s “half the man” he used to be. Through VA’s TeleMOVE! program, he lost 190 pounds, came off all his medications and found a new way to stay connected to care.

The turning point came during a visit to a VA clinic in 2024.

“I couldn’t catch my breath,” he recalled. “They called an ambulance and took me to the hospital across the street. That was my moment. I looked at that picture of me in the hospital and said, ‘I don’t want to be that man anymore.’”

That day, he decided to make a change. He joined TeleMOVE! home telehealth, a virtual version of VA’s MOVE! program, which helps Veterans manage their weight and improve their health through regular check-ins, virtual coaching and at-home tools to track progress.

Staying connected through telehealth

Living in rural Woodlake, California, Bates is about an hour from the nearest VA medical center. Telehealth makes it possible for him to get daily support without the long drive.

“VA is an hour away from me,” he said. “That’s why I’m on TeleMOVE! I can transmit my weight every day from home and talk with my care team online. It keeps me accountable.”

Blood, sweat and tears

Bates calls his journey a “blood, sweat and tears diet.”

“The blood is for the tests, the sweat is for the exercise, and the tears—that’s for losing my sister,” he said. “She was overweight and couldn’t get out of bed. I didn’t want that to happen to me.”

At first, he couldn’t walk as far as two houses down the street. Now, he walks at least 4,000 steps a day. He’s also off all five of the medications he once needed for diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol.

“I never knew you could get your A1C below 5,” he said. “Mine’s 4.8 now and I’m on no meds.”

Motivation for other Veterans

Today, Bates gives back by speaking with other Veterans in the program, showing them old photos and even his old clothes.

“I’m the cheer squad,” he said. “I tell them, if you’ve been through basic training, you can do this. You just have to want it.”

Bates still enjoys ice cream because he knows that for this lifestyle to be sustainable, you must reward yourself.

“You can have ice cream every day,” he said. “Just budget your calories. Work smarter, not harder.”

TeleMOVE! gave Bates the tools, support and connection he needed right from his home. His story shows that with the right help, determination and a little humor, big change is possible.

“I’m living proof that it works,” Bates said. “If I can do it, any Veteran can.”

Talk to your VA care team, learn more about TeleMOVE, and learn more about telehealth at VA.