My name is Esmeralda Meeth, age 38 from Strandfontein Cape Town. I struggled to lose weight after my first child. When the second one came, then things got even worse. I just gained more and more weight. I realised I wanted to lose the weight, but nothing could ever satisfy me, except food. To get on a scale was my worse nightmare, because I always expected it to be more bad news. To be honest, I was tired of being fat, going to shops looking for clothes to fit, and having to always look for the right size from the back. I used a lot of products on the market to lose the weight, and within months I would gain it back again. But in June 2011 my life changed, I joined CURVES and never looked back. It took a lot of motivation and self-esteem to push myself to where I want to be. In three months I lost 15 kilos and I am proud of myself. I feel good and have more confidence in myself. My remedy: take one day at a time and you will succeed. GO CURVES GO

An Interview with Yolinda

Q:What made you walk through Curves’ doors for the first time?

A:I always used to gym, but I had started picking up weight. We were going to move and I didn’t want to bring “fat” clothes and “thin” clothes. My sister-in-law told me about Curves so I gave it a try. I also thought it would be a good place to meet new people.

Q:Have you always struggled with weight?

A:Yes, it’s always been up and down.

Q:What was the turning point for you?

A:I wanted to live a longer life. Curves is a long-term commitment and a lifestyle I could follow. I saw the T-shirts displayed for 100 workouts and I thought “That’s where I want to be!”

Q:How did you feel when you started achieving your goals?

A:I felt great! The weight came off slowly and steadily.

Q:How did Curves affect your health?

A:I have much more energy, I feel healthier and the pain in my knees stopped.

Q:Would you recommend the Curves experience to other ladies in a similar situation?

A:Definitely, it’s worth it! The Curves Girls (staff) are so friendly and they make you feel at ease from the first day. They are always willing to help and go the extra mile.

I was diagnosed with osteoporosis in 1997 after falling and breaking my ankle. At first it was a very scary diagnosis, partly because it is the ‘silent disease’ – you don’t know you’ve got it until you break a bone. Apart from having a bone density scan, there is no way of knowing what is happening to your bones!

I was advised to take up weight bearing exercise and that is one reason why I joined Curves. For the first few weeks I was a bit nervous that working out on the machines could suddenly snap my bones! However, I began to get stronger – and braver – as I got more used to the Curves routine. The greatest risk for people with osteoporosis is falling, so developing your strength and balance is obviously very important. I have found that Curves has been a great help to me in doing that.

I now try to get to Curves three times a week and I also do Pilates once a week. Last time I saw my specialist he complimented me on how fit and strong I was as well as on my muscle tone. I’ve got another bone density scan coming up soon and I hope that the combination of medication and exercise will have helped to strengthen my bones.