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Fort Hood military kid leads healthier lifestyle with Resiliency Campus

"I plan to get a little bit thinner, but not skeleton-type thing, but also two, to not feel as uncomfortable as I was and feel more secure and be open with, yes I was this big," said Sean Chavez, a Shoemaker High School student who is benefiting from the Resiliency Campus on Fort Hood.

The Resiliency Campus on Fort Hood aims to help soldiers live a fully healthy lifestyle. But what many don't know is that it's also helping military family members mentally, physically and spiritually.

"Protein bars, dried mangoes, cashews, protein shakes," Sean Chavez, Shoemaker High School junior, discussing his new diet said.

With childhood obesity rates on the rise, Chavez is trying to not be a statistic. He said, before he became a patron of the Resiliency Campus on Fort Hood, he was eating fast food and drinking soda. After what Chavez calls a "come to Jesus" moment, he met with a nutritionist on the Campus and started the road to healthy living.

"It was whenever I would compete in tournaments, I would look at the other kids and look at myself and just wonder, even though I can out-compete these children, they can outperform me going to the next holes," he said.

Sean lost 30 pounds so far. He eats more dried food when he competes in golf, he meal preps on the weekends and eats locally-sourced foods.

"And through that inspiration that was instilled within me, I have been able to become a better exhibitor through FFA and a better artist," Chavez explained.

Chavez's dad, Gabriel, who's a veteran and also a coordinator at the Resiliency Campus, said the Resiliency Campus is a family affair at the facilities. And he said he is happy for what his son accomplished.

"Very, very proud. He's used a lot of the services on campus, we've gone through and shot photos together, his golf game's improved, we've done the whole farm to table movement and it's helped him out in a lot, a lot of ways to deal with, basically, life as a whole," he said.

Chavez said anyone under 18 with an ID card can walk on in with their parents or guardians to try the options out.

Campus leaders say there are more than 40 programs available to help soldiers and their families achieve total body fitness.

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