Does the CURVES program work?
 

I need to loose over 100 pds. I've tried a rx diet pill and it didn't work at all for me. So my Dr. took me off of it. He claims the answer to my loosing weight is eating right and exercise (easy for a skinny male Dr. to say). I've got an appt. for a tour and assessment at the local CURVES center friday. I was just wondering if anyone here had tried it and/or what they've heard or experianced about this program.

Thanks for your input and honest opinions.:?:

Donna

I LOVE going to the Curves gym. I've been there about a month and a half now and I lost 5lbs without dieting really (which I'm starting to). I go 3 times a week and I always feel great after I go. You will love it! They also have great motivators like games, promotions, etc.

Hi and welcome to 3FC. So glad you're here. :)

Hey, I know you might not want to hear this, but I think your Dr. may be on to something. I think he just may be right. Eating right, keeping portions in check and making those foods healthy ones, along with exercise IS what is needed to lose weight and then maintain it.

When you say does Curves "work", what exactly do you mean by that? I really don't believe that exercise alone is enough to get off a substantial amount of weight. Exercise will have to be accompanied by a healthy eating plan.

Most insurance plans cover the expense of a nutritionist. Perhaps you ought to give that a try. A nutritionist can set you up with a healthy eating plan and maybe even guide you to some beginning exercise. I myself started out just by walking and adding more and more activity to my day.

Good luck to you.

I went to curves for a while. In the beginning it helped me lose a few pounds but since the machines there are all set to the same resistance, I felt that after a month nothing was happining. Also they only let you work out for 30 minutes a day there. For the money being spend there, I would probably just sign up at a normal gym and try the weight circuits they have.

Curves
 

I belonged to Curves for a year. I got very bored with it and I don't think the machines were "tight" enough. I think going to a health club offers you more and you can stay longer than 30 minutes. My "curves" catered to a very senior citizen community and I think the machines were regulated to fit them.

I agree with what has been said here. I belonged to one for a little over a year and loved it. Its fast and easy. But you do need to make sure the machines are tight enough - my curves adjusted the machines daily, cleaned them mid day and changed the rotation monthly. I tried two other curves (which were closer) but their machines were very very loose. It would have been a waste of my time using them.

My curves did promotions - you could earn points for merchandise like tshirts, mugs, bags and books. The people were very nice and it was a good crowd working out there. I only ran into one odd duck once - she would run around the room not following the machines in order. We tried to grab the same machine (it was next in rotation for me) and I sort of gave her a look and she backed off. From the faces of others, she was annoying more than just me.

They have a diet program which I did and took off a few pounds but it was torture. I was hungry all the time. It was mostly lo carb ala Atkins style.

I agree with what was said here - try a registered dietician. I find that most general physicians have to be jacks of all trades and often miss key problems. I found this out the hard way with DH and some heart issues. Look around for another doctor and try the registered dietician. Many insurance companies are covering this or at least offering a reduction.

I am back on Weight Watchers again but pretty happy I am back. For me, my biggest problem was lack of consistency and stopping a weight gain after 5lbs. I treated it like a race and when the race was over, I stopped focusing - I can even pinpoint the exact moment when I threw in the towel.

I have about 52lbs to lose. Good luck to you.

I've belonged to Curves for about a year, but my major exercise is at home with videotapes. But I keep my membership because it's convenient to stop at on my way home from work, to do a workout, if I didn't get up early enough at home to workout that morning.

If one has not done any or much exercising, I think Curves would be good; but if one is used to intense training, you would have to really push to make the Curves workout challenging enough to progress.

I think the comraderie and friendliness there is great, but I do not want anyone chatting to me, because it distracts me and I just don't give 100% if I'm having a conversation, so I hope no one there thinks I am stuck up or unfriendly!

Well, your doctor was right - it is about diet AND exercise. Maybe he needs to exercise himself to stay skinny, and chooses his diet carefully. Not all men can eat what they want and stay lean.

Regarding your question about Curves - I have never been a member but before I signed up with my gym, I went to check out two Curves locations (one close to work, the other close to home) and I thought they were both pathetic. Plus, they charge for the very limited range of machines the same money that my gym charges, but my gym has tons of cardio machines, weight machines PLUS a wide range of classes that I can attend at no extra cost.
I think I would be out of Curves after a month.
But, I do have a friend (who lives in another town) and she goes to Curves and likes it. So it may be a question of personal preference. I LOVE my gym but if you are dedicated and keep going to Curves on a regular basis I am sure it will work for you too. Perhaps can you ask if they would let you sign up for 1 month so that you can make a final decision? (My gym allows that - you either get an annual membership or you can renew each month [the pay-per-month rate is somewhat higher, but I think it is a good deal if one is unsure]).

Good luck!

I did go to Curves and loved it. I think it may depend on the Curves you go to as how it is managed and how helpful they are I have worked out at 3 different locations and found the staff to be very helpful. It you think your routine is too easy they can tell you how to increase your reps or vary the routine. The diet plans they have are not required but they do have more than one plan if you are interested. I have also gone to a gym in the past and found it to be very impersonal and expensive.Even the Y was very expensive. I found the other clients at Curves to be friendly and interested in each others progress. I also like that you are not tied up in some long term contract that you can't get out of if you want to quit. I only quit Curves because I broke my shoulder in an accident and couldn't exercise. If my shoulder ever heals I would go back.

Curves is like anything else, you have to "work it" to make it work. I have been a member about five years, and have been very successful with the program.

Those who like to exercise would probably be happier with a gym. Those who don't like to exercise, like me, may find the discipline of the circuit at Curves helps them get the exercise they need. I have paid my money, therefore I need to go to Curves and exercise in order to get my money's worth. This forces me into doing it.

The bottom line is that in order to lose weight you need to eat a healthy mix of good foods, and you have to increase your activity. So we 'diet' and 'exercise.' Losing weight is not easy, but it can be done.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

I go to Curves pretty regularly; they do vary from site to site, and the staff is not always as well-educated about exercising and training as I'd like. You can vary the routine to make it a harder workout, and at "my" location, there's no time limit. The "program" is 30 minutes, but people routinely stay longer than that, do a certain machine an extra time, or whatever. (That's easier when it's not crowded, of course. We do not have any irritating out-of-sequence patrons that I know of!)

If you have a lot to lose; if you don't like to exercise; if you have not been very athletic in the past -- then Curves will probably be good for you. After six months or a year you may want to move to a "gym" (which I'm planning to do in January), but it's been good for me. (I was very athletic when younger, but had injuries and a lot of extra weight which made me want to start gradually.)

Check it out; I think the trial month would be a great idea.
anita

It works. I lost most of my 80lbs by going there and eating healthy. My advice would be to go but to REALLY work the stations with all your effort, and to go more than their recommended 3x's a week (I would go 5-6 times a week).

But as your fitness level increases, you will probably find that your body is too used to the workout for it to be effective and then you will have to consider eithr joining a more conventional gym or supplementing the Curves workout with something more advanced. But it worked for me from 264lbs to about 205lbs (before I went to Italy for 4 months and lost ab 20lbs there without going to Curves).

Yeah, my Curves was a good one -- it had all the equippment offered at the time, the staff would tighten the machines about once a month, and they had a scale for each machine saying how many reps would be "beginning/intermediate/advanced" for each machine -- I would go around trying to meet or exceed the Advanced amount listed, etc. And I would sometimes go around an extra time or two if I had time.

I agree -- Curves probably isn't for any former exercisers who gained like 20 lbs. as they got older. It's optimal for someone who has a lot to lose, was never active before, and is reluctant to begin working out.

I really appreciate all the input everyone is giving me:) I am really anxious to see what the center will be like here. I kinda had it in my head that it would be a good place to start excersizing. I really have never gotten into a program before. It sounds horrible but I've really never dieted before. I've always known I needed to lose weight but it just wasn't a priority for me. Hard to believe at my current weight. Well, now that the high blood pressure is barely controlled by meds I have to do something.

I contacted my Drs. office today and am waiting for a call back...I'm going to ask them for a referral to see a nutritionist. I could wait till my next appt. at the first of Sept. but why wait....I have procrastinated long enough:o

I registered with the free area of Fitday...what do ya'll think about this site and would it be worth the $20 for the rest of the program?

I am so glad I found this site and finally decided to get some support!!

Thank YOU:carrot:

How much is a membership there? Their website says to visit and consult my local curves but i really don't feel like going there and having someone try to pressure me join a gym I'm not entirely sure i want to join.