My name is Lori and I joined Curves in January of ‘09 with my sister. Our family had just suffered the loss of her husband from an ugly fight with pancreatic cancer. I told her we needed to join a gym type place for us. I wanted her to focus on her and her health for a change. She always gives so much to those around her it would be a good time for her to try to focus on herself and her well being. Me too for that matter. Since my 30s, after quitting smoking then getting pregnant with my second daughter the weight never came off and I slowly added more. I remember one doctor visit being 194lbs. The blood pressure had been borderline high for years and the cholesterol was well over 200. I thought WOW! 200lbs is just around the corner and instead of it being a defining moment it was just another give up defeat. That turn around didn’t come for me for years. I remember a close friend and me saying to each other we were both going to be back to normal weight by 40. Well that came and went too. So the real moment came at the end of a summer when a cousin who had suffered a stroke at the age of 48 and still smokes said to me there’s really nothing you can do about it. I hadn’t suffered a stroke but I knew I could do something about IT. That was the challenge, the moment. I watched my husband go on meds for blood pressure and cholesterol, most of my siblings that go to a doctor do the same. There is a choice here I thought. I had been walking about 3 miles a day and I added writing down everything I put in my mouth to be accountable. I started figuring out how to cook for me and my family and to control salt, sugar, and fat. I read a book Healthy Aging by Dr. Weil that really helped me get a grip on the future, and a book titled Volumetrics helped too. Gradually 25 lbs came off but I hit a plateau. I had resolved the blood pressure issue all together but there was more to be done. The weight/ body fat was still too high and the cholesterol was an issue. By ‘09 when Deb and I joined Curves I was ready to tackle more. I got 2 more sisters in laws and a niece to join too. In June of that year my Curves added Curves Smart. That really kicked our work outs into gear. Things started to click. More weight began to melt, food portions were smaller. To date I have lost 5 inches off the abdomen, 2.5 off the hips,2 off the waist 3.5 off the thighs and 3 off the arms. I have brought my body fat from 36% (off the chart for me) to 29.2 in the fair range and the cholesterol is now 203. A total of 24lbs since Jan of ‘09 after I had lost at least 25 walking and controlling my food intake. I feel better than I ever have. There’s still room for improvement although right now I am enjoying myself and getting use to what I look and feel like. I keep a sharp eye on the scale though. Nutrition and exercise is the key one works with the other. I hired in at my Curves this December after a year of being a member. I know it can work and I enjoy the girls/members. You have to commit and work hard but there are tools there that can help and the women there are an inspiration to say the least. From the elderly who keep it moving, to the young who think enough of themselves to care about their health and size at a younger age than I did, to those working moms who know they are worth it. It’s not easy in this woman in the work force, can do it all world, but those that take their health into consideration and the time out of their busy lives to work out are my hero’s. You do have to think of yourself first and the rest will fall into place. It’s not easy but very rewarding.

I am very pleased and very proud of my accomplishments! Joining Curves and becoming a “Smart” member has been one of the best personal decisions I have made in a very long time. I am now accountable to myself, daily, for my personal health and exercise! By changing my eating habits and with regular exercise at Curves-I have successfully and more importantly healthily been able to loose one pound per week and am extremely consistent with burning over 600 calories per work out! I did not think that by disciplining myself to just three, 30 min workouts would make such a big difference in my physical appearance and my self woth-but it truly has changed me in both ways! I would like to say “Thank you” to Curves, and a special thank you to the women of Curves At The Pointes-you all are amazing!

Cecile Biais is a young woman who lives in Berkshire, a county in southern England. Cecilia approached her thirties, an age considered by many women as the "ideal age", but she bought her clothes in shops reserved for large sizes. She wanted to lose weight at any price, but did not know how to get started. "The more I swelled, the more I was depressed ... I totally lost my confidence, both at work with my friends. " In just one year, Cecile literally melted. With a size 50-52, she now has a recognizable figure with a waist of 38. She lost over 30 kilos and 167 cm distributed throughout the body! She says she spent a challenging year, but "without Curves, I could not have done!" In addition to her phenomenal weight loss and greatly improved fitness, Cecile also sees life in a much more positive way. Today she has more confidence in herself and feels more "balanced". Her health has also greatly improved, her attitude is positive and style of living has improved, elements that have brought her closer to her family. According to Cecile, this Curves adventure has changed her life. "It's the best decision I ever made."