Curves Shmurves.

Dear mel,
You should feel proud that you're actually doing something to shape up whether it works or not.
Personally I think a combination of excecise and diet is optimal. I gained like 60 pounds with the kids. I lost about 50 so far. I did the Southbeach diet and I walk stairs and such because frankly I don't have the money or time to join the gym and I'm too lazy to get up earlier. I did join a belly dancing class though and it's gives me a great work-out and I intend to get tapes so I can practice at home.

My husband is an amateur bodybuilder, and I just entered my first figure competition this year. We have been working out and eating healthy for about 10 years. My husband often bulks up for a competition and then loses 50 lbs in 3 or 4 months. It's about manipulating your diet and working out with weight.

I work out with weights 4 times per week, and do cardio 2-3x per week. I only gained 15 pound when I was pregnant and weighed less than I did before I became pregant when she was born. My labor lasted 45 min. The doctor said this is because I was in good shape. I continued weight training througout the pregnancy.

Let me just say this: Curves does not work. The problem we have with Curves is that there is no weight. So, I asked the people of Curves what happens when the movement is too easy. They said you just move faster. This makes no sense.

The only way to lose weight and to make your body more toned at the same time is to eat healthy and lift weights. Not just 5-10 lbs either. You need to go a lot heavier, so that you can build up your muscle and burn the fat. For every pound of muscle you have on your body, you burn an extra 50 calories per day doing nothing.

For those that are afraid of getting big or bulky, it is impossible for a woman to get huge and overly muscular lifting weights without taking steriodal supplements. We just don't have the testosterone in our bodies.

That being said, I suggest a 4 day split with weights. In the beginning, you should do upper body on day one and then lower body on day two, and keep switching it up like that. When you learn more about proper form and are more comfortable with the weights, you can split your routine up by body parts.

Denise Austin is good, but she doesn't lift heavy enough. You should not be able to do more than 10-12 reps. If you can, the weight is too light. Also, you should complete at least 3 sets per body part, increasing in weight each time. Trust me, you will see results this way.

Also, people often think they are eating healthy, but really aren't sure what they should be eating. If you eat every 3 hours, it will rev up your metabolism, and you will actually lose more weight. I recommend eating about 1500 calories per day with a balance of protein, carbs, and fats. Incorporating protein shakes helps too. Scifit and Optimum are both very tasty brands that come in a variety of flavors. Also, 8 glasses of water per day is a good rule of thumb. More is better. Stay hydrated.

Here is a sample meal plan:
7am Egg white omelet (5 whites, one whole egg)
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 apple

10am protein shake
or
1/2 cup cottage cheese

1pm 4 oz chicken breast
1/2 cup green beans
1/4 cup brown rice

5pm 4oz steak or fish
1/2 cup green veggies

Before bed protein shake

This may seem like a lot of food, but trust me you won't go hungry. These types of foods rev up your metabolism. You will lose weight in the first week if you follow this type of plan. Also, have 1 cheat meal per week so you don't go crazy. Eat whatever you want for this meal, and don't feel guilty about it.

Incorporate cardio for 40min/day 4-5 times per week in addition to weights, and you will see big changes in your body. I always tell people, if you just do cardio, you will have a smaller version of your former shape when you lose weight. However,if you combine cardio and weights with healthy eating, you will actually change the shape of your body.

Any questions? Email me at ____@____.com

HI S. Q. Yes I went to curves for 2 years and only lost 6 lbs. thank God the curves I went to closed up or I would still be going there, so I did some searching and found a fitworks close,so I gave it a try and I love it in 1 mouth already I lost 6 lbs, and l love working on the heavy machines and lifting real weights its like college from kindergarten. wake up america and i am a 65 year old woman, and nobody beleives me. M..

I read an article last December that said if you are really serious about losing your belly you need to do an hour of cardio every day. Yeah, I know you are thinking who has the time with babies and everything else, but I decided that no matter what, I was going to commit myself to lose the belly. At that time I weighed 150. I started out walking an hour a night after my daughter went to bed on the treadmill (fortunately, I already owned a treadmill). It was sheer torture in the beginning, but I hung in there. In May I ran my first 5k and have run 4 more since then and am running the 10k on Thanksgiving Day. I got more and more motivated as time went on and with each passing race. I even won my age group at my last race on October 7! Now I also do weight training at the YMCA and continue my hour of cardio. I now weigh 136 and have so much more stamina and muscle tone. It was definitely worth the time commitment and has changed my life. Get back to the basics: cardio, strength training, and eating the healthy diet and you won't need to feel frustrated anymore, I promise!!! Good luck!

I'm curious, you only lost four pounds by dieting and regular exercise at Curves? Wow! I lost 14 pounds in a month by walking the track at the Y about 3X a week, using a stationary bike about the same, drinking lots of water and using Relicore.

I had the same thing happen. I think Curves is more for women who are over the age of 50. I saw older women having great success but all the girls my age were not seeing anything. I was a friend with one of the girls who worked there and she even told me that in her opinion it was not for younger women. I too felt it was overpriced and I didn't see any results. I saw more results when I stopped going and dieting and exercising on my own.

Both my cousin and my old hairstylist joined and they basically had the same results. Both were of different body types, but after 5 lbs, they stopped losing the weight. The place is a rip off. The best bet is to go to a real gym and eat a good balanced diet. An awesome gym is Planet Fitness. They have a website so you can check it out. Their rates are awesome and they have a really good philosophy. Basically, they allow no intimidation, every size and shape is seen there, etc. So, it's not like the typical gyms where you are made to feel uncomfortable. They offer all kinds of equipment, tanning, locker rooms, sauna, etc. If you want more info. let me know. My boyfriend, who is a major workout/health nut got me a membership after I had our daughter and we didnt have to pay a fee upfront and it runs us $10.00 a month. Plus, no contracts to sign and their fee never changes. As someone else mentioned, the key is muscle building, not just bicycling or running. You have to do some weight training along with cardio. Another key is eating all the time lol. Well, not all the time, but every 2-3 hours. Most people excercise and think that is all they need to do, but you have to implement both, and exercise is just not about cardio. If anything, weight training is more important. Curves is really low impact and once you do a routine like that for so long, your body will stop losing the weight. You need to slowly build up your muscles and doing a bike 3x a week, or using only 5 lbs dumbells is not going to do it. So, yes, you will see some results at first, but that's it.

I am not sure how much weight you are hoping to lose or if you live in the Columbus area, but I went through an incredible program called the Ultimate U in New Albany. If you live near there, I can give you more details. It is a life-transformation for body, mind and spirit. I lost 35 lbs. in the year.

What a bummer! I congratulate you for trying. The best way (and perhaps only way to lose and keep it off) is to diet and exercise. I tried Body For Life a few years ago and really loved their exercise routines. They make sense, they aren't boring, it has pictures for the not so athletically inclined (me), and it explains plateaus and how your body works. I wasn't as excited about their meal plans, but I have a friend that stuck to the whole thing and lost a ton of weight- looks like a model now and feels great. It really helps tone your body, and I felt great when I was on the program.

For the diet part, I actually like the South Beach diet the best. It works for me, and I'm a person where it is just better for me to know I can either have it or not have it, and not have to measure or count every calorie. If you do the first phase, Phase I correctly, you'll likely lose several pounds in the first two weeks, and then you'll continue to lose at a more gradual pace after that. I like South Beach because it gives you 3 phases to work with, and if you blow it one day because it was your birthday or you went to a party, you can just go back on phase 1 for a few days until you get back on track. I'm actually going to be starting Phase 1 tomorrow. If you don't know about South Beach, it is very healthy, low cholesterol (not like Atkins), low carb/ encourages good carbs, low sodium, low sugar diet. And, you can still eat sugar free chocolate everyday and be "legal"! Best wishes- keep it up- you'll get there. =)

I would encourage you to make curves part of an overall strategy. I went for 2 years, and while I lost a few pounds here and there, I saw the best results when I combined the workout with the healthy eating program they teach in their 6 week class - and lost 25 pounds. The workout alone won't do it, you have to combine it with an intentional change in eating habits - taking the class helped me understand how my metabolism works so I could adjust my diet accordingly. Also, remember it's not all about how much you weigh, but how you feel. :-) And get a physical, I found my cholesterol was way high, so getting on the right medication with the right eating program worked together with the excercise and worked great. Hang in there, talk to curves about the class, and get a physical. :-)

Mel,

I did curves probably a year and a half ago when it was all the rage. I enjoyed going and what I liked was the women I was with and we all knew each other and you didn't feel that pressure to be a size 2 in spandex and the gym. It was just regular women in t-shirts.

At any rate, I did notice I lost inches - may be not the huge amount of pounds I wanted, but when I went and worked it, I found it to be beneficial. I fell and hurt my knee (not at curves) and was out of commission for about 6 months and then I got pregnant. So, I did just about a year there. I guess I would have gone back, but the center I went to experienced a high turnover of staff and I thought the hours were lame and I couldn't get there with my little one.

Overall, I think curves works for some and not for others. May be you can give it thru the holidays and see if they'll let you go month to month. That's the time to really be working out, right?

Hope that offers you something.

Hi - I used to work at Curves and it's not all that it appears(which is why I left). Curves is for the women who is already in shape and just wants to stay tone and fit - or even lose a few pounds -- or for the very overweight women because any type of exercise will show some improvement. We had a women well over 300 pounds and she did great - lost weight and body fat, but I (about 20 pounds overweight)didn't lose a pound. Curves has a "diet plan", which is basically the same as South Beach (I recommend South Beach), but they charge you over $60 for the program and book. They want you to take their supplements also - that's were I had to draw the line - I could not "recommend" someone take a supplement that I wouldn't take myself. Good luck trying to get out of the contract - it's almost impossible. ____@____.com

I haven't any personal experience with Curves, but I can tell you what gym worked for me. I put on 60 lbs with my son and joined Fitworks 6 weeks PP. It took probably 6 months but the weight came off. It helped a lot though that they have center there to watch your kids. The classes there are included with your membership and from the sounds of it the cost is comparable. With daycare for me it comes to 33/mo. Of course there are drawbacks as with all gyms, with mine I have found that the time of day you go is crucial. If I could only go evenings I might not want to do it all, its a bit of a meet market. But during the day its very laid back and not at all crowded. Also compared to Curves any regular gym membership may seem sort of lonely.

I haven't tried Curves but I have heard the same complaint from others. I have Hypothyroidism and gained weight because of that and Steroids from illness. I gained about 60 pounds totally over the last few years.
I found a new Dr. to manage my Thyroid condition and he gave me a prescription for Adipex.
I swear I thought that my husband or boys were playing a joke on me and messing with our scale. After 3 months -- I lost 27 pounds.
The only thing is that you can only take it for 3 months then you have to stay off of it for 6 months.
I am now taking Meridia but my insurance denied it at first. They said that because I wasn't overweight enough (Body Mass Index) I didn't qualify. No kidding --- I just lost 27 pounds ---- DUH.
There was other critera that had to be met. I felt that I met the critera so I wrote an appeal as to why I felt I met their criteria. I won the appeal. I was approved for only 2 months of prescriptions. I have taken the first month. I haven't gained any weight back. I just hope that once I complete the second prescription -- I don't gain the weight back. I have to wait until Feb. before I can go back on the Adipex.
I am hoping to lose an additional 25 - 30 pounds next round. That will be a satisfying weight for me.
Good luck to you and hope you find something that works for you. I know how frustrating it can be.
C.

i had a curves membership for about a year, and while i can't say that i lost weight exclusively from the work-outs, i can say that the little bit that i did lose inspired me to add additional healthy habits into my lifestyle. i was eating better and traded my car ride for a 1.5 mile bike ride to work and back, which is when i saw the real results. i think that the curves work-out was a good suppliment to other good habits, but as an only work-out option, it probably wouldn't have done much of anything.
now that i have the little guy around, i'm thinking of looking into a balley's membership (i get a really good discount through work, and it includes child care). has anyone had a membership there...and what did you think about the club?

My mom went for a long time and never lost weight either,she never even felt like she got toned BUT than I know someone else who went and she lost a lot of weight. She also changed a lot of other habits though-started eating healthier and she would also walk a few miles every other day. I'm not sure what curves is supposed to do but how can you lose weight without cardio? I'd say give it up and buy a treadmill or a join a gym. Good luck!

I started going to curves about 1 1/2 years ago. I really like the environment and the people. What I have found is that I stopped putting on weight, which is progress. I was averaging about 10 pounds a year. So I feel I do get a benefit out of it. Plus I have alot more energy when I work out.

I did start loosing weight when I joined weight watchers and did the two programs together.

Hope that helps.

I joined Curves for a year 2 years before being pregnant and went 4-5 times a week and lost 3 pounds IN A YEAR. Obviously you have to diet heavily while doing it or the workouts do nothing. I think the place is a scam and that is saying something bc my sister wanted to open a franchise of them. I had to tell her not too. The place I went to no one lost any weight unless they were also attending Weight Watchers around the corner. Inches who cares about inches they promised pounds to come off and they never did for me. Wish I could have gotten my money back! Sorry about your loss of time and cash!

S.,

I joined Curves a month ago and just yesterday was my first weigh and measure since starting. I was very disapointed because I gained 2lbs, and gained an inch in my thigh and arms.
I however, lost 2 inches in my abs, and half an inch in my waist as well as brought my body fat percentage down a few points. I was very impressed with that part of it.
After talking to a fitness instructer that I know I felt even better. He said that at first you tend to gain because you are replacing the fat with muscle. He also said that with what we do at Curves it is more to take the inches off and tone up rather than lose the weight.
I am going to stick with this because not only was I very happy losing the inches in my abs and waist but I also noticed I gained alot more energy which I needed very badly.

I am told that it works for some but not for others..Maybe your body requires a different type of routine in order to lose the weight you want to lose.

Anyways..good luck with whatever you try.
Cyndi

I did Curves for a year as well. To be truthful I just got bored with it. I much prefer a gyn where I can us a treadmill and the weight machines. I'm not a "group" workout person. I am fine working out on my own. I will say that Curves is very much a what you put in you get out. You have to make yourself work hard to get any benefit. I too tried their 6 week "diet" and it is actually one of the best, easiest diets I've ever seen. It was much easier than weight watchers. It really does work if you stick to it. I lost 5 lbs the first week while my husband was out of town but once he came back I made regular dinners again and fell off the wagon. I am carb tolerant so I tried the calorie counting method. That is really what seems to be my way of losing weight, controlling the calories (portions) and not worrying too much about where the calories come from (carbs, sugars). I am on my second child 6 months pregnant and my son turns 1 on Sunday so of course I never lost all the weight from my son and was overweight to begin with. I will have a tough battle once this one is born! Good luck to you.

Mel S.
Let me tell you I have never tried curves.

However, I have done everything though out my 43 years to lose weight or maintain. I have every guru on my shelves in book and video tape. I started getting the Denise Austin information in my e-mail and looked her up and watch her morning show Denise Austin Daily Workout on LifeTime Channel. She also has a fit for life show on that I just taped to see what that was about.
Anyways, I started doing the Daily Workout and within six (6)weeks or less my husband even noticed I was losing inches. I have,in over two months lost 2.5 pounds. But I really just want to NOTICE that the fat is moving out and see myself getting smaller. It is awful to work out and not see results. And I love when people don't even believe you could be doing a work out because nothing is happening!

I have two children 18 Year old was 9lbs and 8oz and my youngest who is 8 years old was 9lbs even. Big Babies!
I had a pregnancy two years ago and lost that one but because it was actually my sixth pregnancy (I lost the other three earily on. This last baby I was four months along) I blew up quickly. I always LOOK Like I'm having TWINS!

But my point is I had that apron sag in my belly area and it is getting smaller and shrinking up and my muscles are showing and I am toning fast and defining as well. I am AMAZED but it works so I keep doing it.

Save your money. Denise Austin is on every WEEKDAY Mon-Fri. morning at either 6:00 or 6:30 am. Check your Tv guide. I'm sorry I have TIVO so I record it and can work out at my time and convenience. I do get up every week day and work out weather I feel like it or not. Unless really sick! And I do it everyday at the same time each weekday. My time is 7-7:30 am.
I think it helps because she is always on a beach somewhere so you can look out at the water and feel like your there. I always wonder where she'll be today. Just beautiful back grounds.

OH Did I meantion it is only a 30 minute show! Yes you have to work out during the commericals for the whole 30 mins. But it goes really fast! Then I can shower and start my work day.

I DO NOT use her meal program or anything else either. I have not changed my eating habits other than to include eating all three meals everyday. I would just eat a small lunch and dinner before. And years ago I cut out Most sugar and salt and I'm working on caffiene. Now I eat but you burn for 4 Hours after you work out so it is ok to eat breakfast and lunch and dinner.

I wanted to make sure that the program worked first. I may incorporate her diet plan in sometime in the future. But I want to work out and see results. Most of us that have weight issues truly do not over eat. Quite the oppisite is true. We usually eat small helpings or skip meals. That to plays a part in our over weight issues. YES, there are some who over eat and indulge but most do not.

Denise does use some hand weights, and a step (I do not have a step so I do it With Out one).

But if my husband noticed anyones can! Trust me!

Give it six weeks and see for yourself.
Good luck.

And with the money you save you can get a new outfit or join Denise Austin web-site for $3.00 a day and get her other perks.

Let me know if have given it a try and it worked for you too.

Hope this helped.
C.

Hi Mel...

I have struggled with weight for a long time, basically, all my life. I joined the Y and felt uncomfortable there, so quit going. I finally joined our local curves on 6/26/06. I have only lost 3 pounds (I GAINED 10 my first 3 months) but I have lost over 12 inches most in my waist). I can feel a difference in my stomach (I've had 3 kids) and especially in my legs and calves. It is doing something, and I go 3 times a week, sometimes 4 if I can. When you are there, you have to do cardio...something other then just walking in place....try jogging in place, or doing jumping jacks...you know, you can do it OFF that board and on the floor...which I do. I also do "lunges" where I sorta use that cardio platform as a step. You also need to make sure that your facility is changing its hydraulics on the machines. When I joined, I didn't notice a difference but then I visited another location while traveling and I left their curves "FEELING" the difference....ever since I was on a rampage to get our machines tightened and guess what...it took a couple months, but they finally did it. You also need to build up your sets of reptition. If you normally just do the 1.5 minute, you may need to figure out how many you do normally in that time and then up it. If you do 15 then maybe stay on the machine (if you can) and try and up it to 25. NOW...you will be off from when the recording says to switch. BUT...that doesn't matter....OR do what I do...instead of doing the circuit 2 times around, I go 3 times around...If your body fat percentage is going down, then it is helping...curves focuses on inches rather then pounds.
Good luck.....

I commend you for sticking with it for a whole year. You do realize that muscle weighs more than fat. So you have probably toned up quite a bit. Have you had your thyroid and blood sugar checked by your doctor? They could keep the weight on you also. I wish you good luck dear.

Hi Mel:
Curves is good in theory. That's why it's one of the fastest growing franchises in the nation. The problem with the structure is that your workout is based on your own will. Exercise tapes and fitness shows are the same way. And I don't know about you, but I don't work as hard I probably should if someone's not in my face, telling me what to do.
I'm a part-time Pilates instructor with a bunch of fitness certifications. I know how to tailor a weight lifting/cardio/stretch routine for myself to get results. But I still pay to go to an instructor-led class or to a personal trainer (if it's in the budget) because I need that extra motivation to take my workout to the next level.
I've done body sculpting, step, "abs of steel", spinning, pilates, yoga, jazzercise, you name it. Pilates is my workout of choice, but the one class that got me the "skinniest" over the last decade was cardio-kickboxing. And I noticed that the kickboxing instructors always had the best bodies too. Spinning was a close second. My advice is to take that Curves money up to your local community center or YMCA and find a class or two that works for you. It doesn't need to be complicated; 2-3 times a week with a good cardio/weight mix should get you the results you need. Good luck!