Hey Curvers - hi Barb AND VICKIE!!! Great to have you aboard the Curves wagon! I've been away - so must catch up on what went wrong at your fitness center. But you'll LOVE Curves! Its really self explanatory - and so easy. Came back to edit and answer Vickie's question - generally - its accepted that one doesn't exercise (with weight resistance methods) same set of muscles everyday. We could do Curves everyday - but would need to do arms one day and legs next - so its easier to go every 2nd day. I do my own stretch-a-robics and ab crunches at home and also walk separately from Curves.

Barb - if we could get Curvers onto these WOEs think what success rates they would have THEN!

I'm SO looking forward to going on Monday - I've missed the workout and the wellbeing energy! :(

__________________
The fox is wild!



5'3" Maintaining 121-125
Original weight 198 +

Hey Fox...whew!!!...I was beginning to think I was alone in here, good to see you back! I've been at curves for a full week now and I LOVE it! Such a supportive, friendly environment. And the workout is something I can do...I don't feel overwhelmed and inept there like I did at the other center. I like the fact that there are no men and so far I haven't seen one skinny girl in spandex and a thong.

Fox...here's what happened at the other center. I had a membership at a gym called "24 Hour Fitness." I had it at a very reduced rate because my sister is in management for that chain of gyms. ($14.00 per month, my curves membership is $39.00) I had my membership for a long time but had never really used it except to walk on the treadmill...because I didn't know how to use any of the equipment or how to put together a simple workout. My sister told me to make a "FIT" appointment and they would show me a simple workout so I could begin to use my membership. So, I did what she said. You might remember how nervous and afraid I was about that appointment...but I was determined to get healthier so I forced myself to face that fear and go to the appointment. When I arrived at the center for my appointment, I was paired up with a "trainer"...she was barely 20 years old and about as big as my thumb. She had no clue as to what it might be like to be 47 and out of shape. She asked me a bunch of stupid questions...I finally told her that I didn't come to the gym to be psychoanylized and wasn't going to answer any more questions. Then she measured my bodyfat...a humiliating experience that involved using some sort of fat pinching device on various parts of my body. (nothing even close to the bodyfat thing at curves) Then we were off to start my "workout"...she had me do some stretching...so far so good. Then she proceeded to have me do some really hard floor exercises...nothing on any of the equipment. I finally ended up telling her, after about 30 minutes that the exercises were too hard for me and this wasn't what I had in mind. So...off we went to talk to her manager...that's when it got really ugly. The managers sole purpose in life is to sell you personal training sessions and very expensive suppliments. Even if I had been willing to buy sessions they weren't going to show me a simple workout...that's not the way they do things. (or so I was told anyway) It was worse than talking to a used car salesman!...I could go on about how awful it was but I think you are getting a pretty clear picture. I cancelled my membership the very next day. I left that gym that night humiliated and in tears and I would NEVER recommend it to any of my friends. As luck would have it, I saw my chiropractor last week. He used to be a trainer at that gym. He told me that they are indeed taught to never give the client enough information to be able to workout without the trainer.....what a scam! And, to add insult to injury...I was unable to do my walk or even to sleep at night for 3 days because I was sooo sore from my 30 minutes with the "trainer."

vickie

Vickie -that is disgraceful! I can tell you - I would have been onto the Dept of Consumer Affairs before I had even left the gym from h***! And the State Dept of Health and Recreation!! I don't waste time with those sorts of people - I just get 'em as quick as I can! When you have done really well with Curves and you will - you can do what I did - prance by the gym door and wave gaily at them and say 'see - I lost all this extra weight at CURVES and its fun!' All the people inside look at you and you call out 'its just for women and its around by the' ....whatever - in my case its the fishmarket! The skinnies in their thongs (hysterical term - because that's what we call flipflops) got REALLY p***** off! LOVE IT!! Made my day! The Curves instructors here are really really good and we do have some youngsters - and I just say 'NO - not doing that - you're too young to understand' and they just laugh and say OK. So glad you found Curves - its a great program isn't it! I'm off there this morning. Got to go with DS and get a Christmas gift first for DH - we're giving him a high pressure hosing system - he usually borrows DS's but that will be moving with us - so he'll need one of his own. That's the good thing about Curves - it takes up so little time but is so effective eh! DS can wander around the bookstore whilst I'm in there.

Thanks for explaining about the gym from h*** - I would be extracting some satisfaction from them I can tell you!

__________________
The fox is wild!



5'3" Maintaining 121-125
Original weight 198 +

Fox...I can just picture myself prancing by that gym!...That would be SWEET!!! I'm glad I finally just decided to join curves. I am having a great time there. I am going in tomorrow morning (monday) before work. It means catching the 6am trolley...but I'm a morning person anyway.

vickie

Had a great time at Curves yesterday - and was so pleased to get the body moving again - I kept in the 85% fat burning throughout the whole session! I always buy a small carrot/ginger fresh juice and a small wholemeal savoury muffin before I go in now - and that fact that I have had the muffin really motivates me to keep the fat burning factor high! Its a sans Curves day - so am doing some 20 minutes step/30 minutes stretch-a-robics and 100 ab crunches instead.

__________________
The fox is wild!



5'3" Maintaining 121-125
Original weight 198 +

I worked out this morning at curves. It's such a great way to start the day. I ordered the book, "Curves, Permanent Results Without Permanent Dieting" from amazon...it came in the mail today. I've only had a chance to skim it but I am looking forward to reading it. .

vickie

Off to Curves again today. That's an interesting title to the book. I've noticed and Barb and I were discussing how we would love to promote lowcarb eating at Curves. I've seen a lot of women there in the months I've been going - and they have lost some weight - but not as much as we do on this forum. I look to Curves simply to keep the joints in good working order with the pressure of hydraulic lifting on them and to sculpt and tone the body as well as releasing the wellbeing feelings!

__________________
The fox is wild!



5'3" Maintaining 121-125
Original weight 198 +

Worked out at curves early this morning. It helped so much to lift the burden of my troubled emotions this morning.

On another note...The curves book that I bought has a low carb diet plan in it. There is even an "induction phase" (they don't call it that) where you only eat 20 carbs or less per day. It's not as extreme as Atkins...but more of a "controlled carb" diet plan. There is also a low calorie plan in the book...but both plans are seem to focus on controlling carb intake. Seems to me that it's pretty supportive of a L/C lifestyle or at least a "controlled Carb" one. I was pleasnatly surprised by what I read

vickie

O yep - Curves here are supportive of lowcarb - but also quite keen on a balanced menu - this is probably due to a lot of promotion by Aus government of the need for grains/cereals - well - to be expected really - probably those industries are big supporters of political parties! Having said that - I eat minimally processed grains and cereals in tiny amounts - so I get along quite well with the nutritionists and dietians here. Generally though - I find that eating plans are not discussed enough in the Curves program - personally - appropriate eating and exercise are inseparable for me in my weight management - to ignore either would NEVER work for me!

__________________
The fox is wild!



5'3" Maintaining 121-125
Original weight 198 +

I impressed myself immeasurably today - I went to store sales and meetings in the big city - drove 21/2 hours home AND went to Curves this afternoon AND got up into the 85% fat burning range - woohoo - way to go Fox! Goin to ground early tonight though!

__________________
The fox is wild!



5'3" Maintaining 121-125
Original weight 198 +

wow! Fox...you are just a dynamo of energy! Good job on the workout...I don't think I would have had the self discipline to work out after that drive...although it was probably just what your body needed to recover from all that time behind the wheel.

I went this morning to curves. I still have trouble getting my heart rate up to where it should be and keeping it there. I am still learning to be comfortable with using the equipment. I think by the end of the week I should be able to better concentrate on speed and therefore get my heart rate up there.

Here's a kind of a problem I'm having......input on how to best handle this would be greatly appreciated. The girl who works there in the mornings is a real talker. Often there are only one or two of us working out so early. She follows me around the circuit, talking my ear off. I find it hard to concentrate on my workout with her talking nonstop the whole time. I don't mean to sound cold hearted...but I really don't care about her personal struggles with her family, etc. I'm thinking I just need to tell her that I appreciate her friendliness...but I really need to concentrate on my workout....and I can't do that if we're talking. (WE aren't talking, SHE is the only one talking..LOL..but I don't want to be mean!)

ok..off to work

vickie

O yeah Vickie - I've got a woman like that in my Curves too - and I keep moving round my circuit and she walks after me!! Its very difficult to ignore them for sure. Even the instructors talk sometimes! I finally just smile politely and fix my gaze somewhere ahead of me! I REALLY DO NOT like talking when I'm exercising - it takes too much breath for starters and since I've started looking vague when anyone approaches me - I've got up to the 85% fat burning range. So yep - I would definitely just say very nicely - 'oops - sorry can't talk today - got to keep my focus here' and smile and look ahead.

__________________
The fox is wild!



5'3" Maintaining 121-125
Original weight 198 +

Fox...She IS the instructor...LOL!

vickie

Ha! I wondered! Actually we have a couple like that - and again - I just smile politely and gaze ahead and leave it to someone else to answer them. I thought of you this morning Vickie - I heard someone deal with precisely that issue - she said 'so sorry - can't exercise and talk at the same time!' and just grinned and went into the smile-politely-and-gaze-ahead routine - then she winked at me! So - I guess its a bit of a uniform issue!

__________________
The fox is wild!



5'3" Maintaining 121-125
Original weight 198 +

December CURVES thread up.

__________________
The fox is wild!



5'3" Maintaining 121-125
Original weight 198 +