Remembering/updating values (text based combat)

Question

So I'm making a simple text based game where I have a (so far) very simple combat system.
I'm using a switch-thingy where I can choose some spells to attack with, and after I made my choice the attack is performed and then the enemy gets to attack then the switch loop starts over. Probably not the best solution, but it'll have to do for now (or?). I and the enemy has a specified amount of health, but here's the simple problem; both me and my enemy will obviously starts counting health from full every time. How would I make the value being stored after every loop?

Answer 1

It should be outside the loop, unless I'm mistaken. My code basically looks like this
public class combat
     public static void main (String [] args)
          *variables*
          do
               *loop*
                    *cases* (different spells)
               if *my attack hits*
                    *print result to combat log*
               else
                    *print result to combat log*
               if *my enemy hits*
                    *print to combat log*
               else
                    *print to combat log*
}Don't I have to do something more to make the variable save between the loops? It doesn't do that at least.