It was love at first sight. When I walked into the Merced Curves and saw women of all ages, shapes and sizes working out on the circuit, using exercise machines to help build muscle and burn fat, I knew it was the place for me. It's been four years since that fateful day and I'm still very much in love with Curves- if not more so. I'm not sure how it happened or even when it happened, but suddenly I found myself eating healthier. It was as though the way I thought about food was changing to keep up with the way my body was changing. Working out at Curves made me want to be as healthy on the inside as I was becoming on the outside! Then Curves kicked things up a notch and introduced the Smart machines. I was so excited when I heard about this new workout technology and couldn't wait to be fitted with my personalized key tag. Using my I.d. tag for the first time was like having a personalized trainer by my side. Because the Smart workout is more intense, inches stated melting from my back, arms, stomach and hips. Full length mirrors and birthdays no longer scare me. The other day I overheard and older Curves member telling someone that she was going to have her 83-year-old friend join Curves. A gal across the circuit from me smiled and said, "That's going to be us one day." I winked back at her and said, "You've go that right." I know this much is true....Curves is going to be a part of my life for the rest of my life.

Trish has been overweight since the age of 3 & had grown up to be an obese woman. As a child, Trish didn't participate in highly active sports due to her size. Instead she watched from the sidelines. A few turning points for Trish were during a trip to St. Louis in June of 2007. On the plane she was given a seat belt extension, as several passengers stared at her. Trish also attended a play were the plastic stadium seats left her thighs bruised. But, the topper was overhearing someone describe her size as "big-all-around". Once Trish returned home she weighed herself on a truck scale & topped out at 420 pounds. She went on a diet & lost 25 pounds, then hit a plateau. What was she going to do now? That was her question. She'd heard about Curves from some patients in her office. Trish knew she needed a catalyst to get her exercising on a regular basis & over her plateau. So off to the Merced Curves she went, to see what it was all about. Trish was greeted by Kathi & although Trish was reluctant & stated she had low self-esteem; she knew she needed what Curves could offer her. Trish worked out 3 times a week as suggested. She joined the Curves 6 Week Solution class which she found very easy to follow unlike other diets she had tried; "The 6 Week Solution has you eating everyday foods in moderation according to your specific plan". With the Curves 6 Week Solution & maintaining her workouts Trish is 57 pounds lighter, her cholesterol level & blood sugar are normal & SHE HAS A WAIST! Her future goals .....to lose 140 more pounds & get off her blood pressure medication.

Tracey Toltl didn’t like the woman who stared back at her from the mirror each day, so much so that she eventually stopped looking. Her mother struggled with diabetes, high blood pressure, and more, and Tracey knew she was headed in the same direction unless she took control of her health. That, and Curves’ TV commercial, motivated her to join. Before long, she was happy to see herself not only reflected in the mirror but also in the eyes of others.