Ok, my friend has joined Curves, and is following their eating plan. This is representive as being in stages. Phase 1 20 carbs, and 1200 calories for two weeks. With this (as all you carb people know) comes free food that you dont count. Ok those free foods do have carbs in them, but that is not my question. My question is the daily free shake you are suppost to drink. By the way there are 20 carbs in that "free" shake. She was told that stuff in the drink "eats" up the carbs.

No she is suppost to move to phase 2. By the way, she lost 9 lbs on phase 1, but she was only eating 1200 calories a day. Phase 2, moves her to 40 carbs a day ( not counting shake carbs) and 2200 calories a day.

So how do they get away with adding a 20 carb drink into you every day food, call it a free food and then tell you are on "20/40" carb diet?

Can someone please explaing the shake thing to me? Which the do earn a commission on for sell you.

I dont know about these ppl who tell ppl that that can drink a shake that "eats" up carbs. I think you have to remember that curves is a Gym albiet a different one but gyms tend to jump on every nutritional bandwagon and the trainers always have such enthusiasim.

I used to have a body builder roomate that told it like it truly was.

Hi - I do Curves and I follow their way of eating. What your friend explained is not the whole picture.

Yes, Curves recommends low carbing, but not necessarily lowering your calories. Phase 1 allows 20 carbs...

They state that if low carbing alone does not work, then you can try to reduce caloric intake. If neither work, they then provide assistance with increasing your metabolism.

Phase 2 allows between 40 - 60 carbs. Again, you only count calories if the low-carbing alone does not work. The ultimate Curves goal is for women to eat between 2000 and 3000 calories a day with no weight gain. This is achieved by working with your metabolism through weight training and watching insulin response by low-carbing.

The shakes are not required. I do not use them. They say that the shakes and veggies are "free foods" because the vitamins, fiber, minerals and nutrients are more beneficial than carb-harmful.

Hope that helps.

I understand everything you saying McBear, but she is doing the 6 week challenge. I dont know if this is the difference, but there is a caloire count. I have read through her book also. She herself was hired there and will be a tech there. That is why we are looking for the answer about the shake carbs before someone else ask the question.

By the way, she told me I better not show up in her class

On the six week challenge, which they give you menu's to follow, they do want you to have the shake eveyday. And they call if "free food". This is what my simple brain can't get. There is 20 carbs in it, how can you not count it?

And yes she does love the plan, having lost weight, and no longer craves carb! I am not trying to say anything agaist Curves, my poor brain is just trying to understand the reasoning behind the shakes.

Maybe the carbs are a combo of sugar alcohols and fiber. I occaisionally buy candy that is rather high in carbs but since many people don't count the carbs in sugar alcohols it turns out to have one "effective carb" after you subtract them and the fiber.

Wow. I wonder if Curves in California is different from where you guys are. I just finished the 6 week challenge (2 weeks on Phase 1 and 4 weeks on Phase 2) and have the books in front of me (workbook and informational guide). They give you a test to see if you are calorie sensitive and depending on the results, they put you on either a high protein/low carb plan OR a calorie restricted plan. There are 2 ways to do the challenge:

"If you are carbohydrate intolerant, you may enjoy the advantage of the higher protein plan, which means you can eat more food and still lose weight. Otherwise, you should follow the calorie restricted plan. If you are one of the 25% who seem to be both carbohydrate and calorie sensitive, you may start with the higher protein plan. If you haven't lost any weight within a few days, go to the calorie plan, or if your weightloss stops following several weeks of success with the higher protein plan, move to the calorie plan."

And here is what Curves writes about the shakes:

"One Curves shake per day is allowed as a free food, even though it contains 200 calories and 20 grams of carbohydrates. We have found that some people become constipated when they diet, and the herbal blend in our shake helps to keep things moving. We believe this benefit more than compensates for the extra calories. If you consume more than one shake in a day, you must count the calories and carbohydrates in any shake after the first one."

I guess it's a fiber thing like Sibyl sugggested - that's why they allow it. My Curves owner said it is not neccessary, but I imagine each Curves has there own way of tackling it that they recommend.

Take care, Mary - hope you are well!

Cheers,
McBear

Ahh, now actually McBear you really have cleared up a lot of questions for me. I think I get it. I guess we (my friend and I) assumed that everyone went on the same plan. She started working there, after being a member for a short time, and has not gone through the training yet. Where she really didn't have much to lose, less than 20, they must have put her on a calorie restrictive plan, along with the low carb.

I was never trying to say Curves was bad or misleading. We were just trying to figure it out. Actually she lost 13 lbs and 10.70 inches in a month! IF that doestn't say the plan works, I don't know what else does. We were just haveing a hard time understanding some part of the diet. And she really wanted to find out, where as she is going to have to teach it.

Dont worry, she will be going through a training program Just want to go in there already understanding it.

We are starting a lowcarb support group at my Curves! My mom and I were going to do it on our own, but our Curves manager thought it would be a great idea and the owner agrees.

We are opening a Curves in England next year and really want to incorporate nutrition and lowcarbing into the whole plan. By the way, the shake mix is sweetened with Splenda so I wonder where all the carbs are coming from?

Hi MTU-

Check out our Curves thread ... click on General exercises and then click on "curves anyone?" site.. lots of info there!

good luck and take care,
M-