Hi Cynthia,

Welcome to our group. Really enjoyed reading your post. I know the urge to lose pounds fast is always there, but personal experience tells me to fight that urge. Slow and steady is really the best way to go. Along the way you will find many insights into your eating habits, exercise habits, lifestyle, and reasons you have put weight on in the first place. If you treat loosing weight as a learning experience you might find yourself making lifestyle changes that will keep that weight off you permanetly. I've come to realize for myself that loosing weight wasn't the issue. I've lost weight before and look where it's gotten me. For me the issue is making lifestyle changes that last forever. The weight loss is my reward for making those changes. You have already made a change in your lifestyle... you are working out. The process has begun. Make your lifestyle changes a habit and you will be on the road to permanent weight loss. Oops... I better get off that soap box now. LOL!

Nuts make a great snack, and will add the fiber to your system. Macadamia nuts are lowest in carb. If you have access to the atkins muffin mixes, you can also bake some muffins, refrigerate them for storage and just grab one and run. Jerky is great, but watch the sugar content. I make my own, but I think you might find some online that is sugar free (low carb)... expensive though!

Wishing you great success!!

HI Ladies - Wow so many posts this week - that's great! I have only been able to go 2x per week for the last three weeks due to late meetings and I am so looking forward to next week to get back on track to my 3x per week. OUr curves is really fun and has all the machines - so you only have to go round 2 x. I go round 3x. I am loosing some inches and a few lbs in the last three weeks. I started induction and curves on July 8th. Overall I feel great and will keep at it. Hope all have a great weekend - Cats

Hi Meadow, That is so true about lifestyle changes. I have lost weight many times also, but without those life changing habits ,the weight always comes back and more. These 'lifestyle' changes are the ones that count. Looks like you are on the right track. This time , I hope these changes stay with me, and I continue on with the good habits. Hopefully ''Curves ' included in that. But if not 'Curves' then something else. We definitely must move and use our muscles. Talk soon.Cya KarenL.

By the way it is really good to be able to read and talk to you all about this. Thanks so much for being there. Bye, KarenL.

hello Curve buddies,
I went for my third workout for the week . Today was moderate as I went yesterday as well. I am having difficulty staying in the heart rate of under 109. I had only 3/4 of my workout when my watch registered 115. So I opted to stop and stretch. I did take a fiorinal(caffeine) just before I left the house as I had a headache. I did not want to chance a migraine. I will try again tomorrow. I am loving the happy smiles on my new friends. Everyone is so happy to be there and slowly others are opening up. I just watched Day of our Lives, and not it is time to take my walk.

Hi all!

My partner goes to Curves and loves it! Unfortunately we could only afford for one of us to go, not both, so she won because she needs the structure just a teeeny bit more than me. She lovingly refers to it as the estrogen palace, but has had great success and FUN there. I am glad to read, for her sake, that there are lots of other Curvers out there doing Atkins and being successful!

Caffeine makes a huge difference. When I had caffeine before my workout, I had major trouble keeping my heartrate near the 70% mark. Now...without caffeine....it takes twice the effort to get my heart rate up there. Keep in mind that the Curves heart rate chart is only an average. If you can still hold a conversation, and your feeling good, then don't worry to much if your heart rate is higher. Your heart may be in better shape than the average female of your age. Look at it this way.. 109 beats per minute averages out to 18 beats every 10 seconds. 115 beats a minute averages out to 19 beats every 10 seconds. Your just one beat off the mark! :grin:

Yes, I think you should go more by how you feel than the actual rate. You should be able to talk and not be panting too much. Another thing that we were advised to do when heart rate went to high is to pause on the machine before starting your reps. This helps settle your heart rate and you can continue your workout. Keep on movin!!! cya, KarenL.

Hello all Curves fans,

After reading all your posts and doing my own research I took the plunge and have an appointment for Monday to check out Curves. I have read the book and am very excited about going. Luckily the Curves nearest me has a special sign up fee that if you join on your introductory visit the fee is 60% off...so that's only $59.

I have been a member of 24HR Fitness for over a year but rarely go. I just don't feel comfortable there...plus when I asked for assistance on the machines they want to charge me $2-300 for 6 sessions with a personal trainer...I figured that's what my monthly fee was for..but guess not.

I will be starting CAD on Monday also. I have been on Atkins and lost 80 lbs. I fell off the wagon and gained back all but 20, so CAD sounds like a diet I may be able to live with. If it doesn't work out I will try the Curves plan. I will eventually find one that I can live with forever and that works for me.

I just wanted to say thanks for all your great words of encouragement and inspiration. I hope to be a regular here and hope I love Curves as much as all of you.

Be back soon.

Hope this posts correctly as this is my first post and I've been lurking on this forum for over 4 months.

Hi Santoni, Welcome, I'm sure you will enjoy Curves, as much as we do. The diet is very interesting. The CAD diet is good too in its own way. I did that for about a year and found it really balanced my blood sugar , the cravings seemed to be far less and I felt much more satisfied. It's nice to know if you really need a treat you can have one in that hour of time and it doesn't seem to set you off on a binge. I am starting that diet again because I think it might work for me right now. I am having a hard time with food right now. But I am not giving up and still go to Curves 3-4 times a week. That feels good!!!Let us know how you like it. I think its amazing that I can communicate with someone in Honalulu. Cya, KarenL.

Hi Santoni,

Welcome!! I'm glad you have decided to come out of the shadows and post!! Always enjoy hearing from new people. I'm glad that when you found that your gym wasn't working for you, that you decided to look around and find something that would. I think you will be very pleased with Curves.

Sorry that you ended up gaining much of your weight loss back. You know from experience that low carb works, now you just need to customize your low carb eating (whether it's atkins, CAD, Zone, Curves or another), so it can become your WOE and a part of a new lifestyle. I strongly feel that until we come to realize that the way we eat is a lifestyle change and not a diet, we will never keep the weight off. I wish you great success in your quest to a thinner, healther you!!

Hi DrChickon,

I feel bad that I am just now responding to your post. I'm afraid I got sidetracked and then forgot. Can I blame it on age?

I'm glad to hear that your partner is enjoying her curves workout. Good for you for being so supportive of her. I know that is going to help her succeed. Athough you do not workout at curves, do you workout elsewere?? You seem to have made fantastic progress in the last two month. WTG!!! How wonderful that you and your partner are doing this together.

Hi everyone

I am so upset with myself. It has been so hard for me since my birthday (this past Wednesday). My husband insisted on taking me out to an old favorite resturant. They had all of my favorites, bread sticks, pasta, and every form of a carb you could think of. He told me to take the rest of the week off of the "diet". I knew I couldn't do that!!! I knew that ment I woudl probably gain back all the weight that I've worked so hard to get off. I told myself I wouldn't, but since I cheated on Wed. I've done nothing but binge. I've had candy and today I ate two donuts for breakfast. I feel terriable. My stomach is all in knots. It's like it's not used to that kind of food any more. What was I thinking?!?!?

Do you all ever cheat? I don't want to give up. This has made me more determined that this is not just another diet! This is my new lifestyle, my new way of eating. I need to get back into the grove of things. But where to start?? Back at Phase I?? I hardly just got out of that phase. Will that start making starvation hormones if I go back too soon??? Should I wait till monday or should I start back tomorrw, or just finish my day with it??? I don't know what to do. I wish I'd never cheated! But I'm not giving up!!! I'm sticking with this, I'm going to get to my goal weight! I've just got too.

I need some encouragement. I need some advice.

Hope to hear from someone soon
Cynthia

p.s. Thank you for all your responses to my first post. It's so nice to have the support of other women going through the same issues with their weight.

Hi Cynthia,
I think we all have been were you are today. Wanting to celebrate for a special occasion. Sometimes our biggest supporters become our worst supporters when they as well as you want to celebrate? Food is and always will be the reward we are all wanting. It is hard to imagine loved ones sabotaging our food plan. We really have to be the one in charge of what we put into our mouths.
Do not be discouraged; keep the happy memory of celebrating and the enjoyment it brought. The trick that is so hard is to try at the very next meal to get back the reality and sanity only a sensible food plan can bring. Again! Happy birthday. Today is a new day and with it comes decisions. What will make you happy today? Good luck with the decisions you make for your well being today.
hugs Martha

Welcome Santoni,
This cyber messaging is fantastic. How exciting to write to someone from Honolulu.
Good luck to you as you begin to work out. I feel so much support when I check in here.
___________________________________________Hi Karen, thanks for helping me with BP. Good luck with whichever food plan works. I know going to Curves keeps us all on the right track.
___________________________________________Hi Meadow,
Thank you for all your advice and just for being here. I love your signature. Sure would like to learn how to do that.
___________________________________________Hi Cynthia,
One day at a time
_______________________________________________________________________