It was December 2001 when Sara and Brenda came into my office at State Farm and needed insurance on a van. They told me about a great workout concept that they would be opening called Curves. I was delighted. I had recently left two workout facilities for various reasons. I was age 61 now in a size 3X and the doctor threatened medication for high blood pressure. My Christmas gift was the membership fee and I began the greatest thing I have ever done for myself! At first I immediately lost 21 pounds, a dress size and several inches. But I got into a slump. I still enjoyed the great workout but I wasn’t losing weight. I kept telling myself it didn’t matter, since I felt stronger and was losing inches. Then I decided to make some life-time eating changes like eliminating all the fun food! Double cheeseburgers, Whoppers pizza, three-pound burritos and mayonnaise. I substituted them with fresh fruit, vegetables, chicken and fish. With the combination of good eating habits and Curves I have lost 70 pounds! I have gone from a dress size 3X to a size 18! I don’t miss the fun food. I’m having too much fun wearing bracelets and a beautiful watch – my wrists are trimmer and I can now wear a necklace at my neck, since it is no longer thick. I don’t have to order special shoes for extra width! I can trim and polish my toenails without losing my breath, so I now wear open toed shoes and sandals. I’ve thrown out all my polyester elastic waist slacks and tunic blouses, along with the sweaters that went down to my knees. I now wear normal shaped blouses and I tuck them in at my now obvious waist. I use buttons and zippers! I wear bright colors…red, green, yellow, orange and big flowered dresses and no longer feel like I’m wearing some country’s flag or a circus tent. I’m so happy! I will never miss the fun foods ever again. I am now age 65 with blood pressure reading of 120/60 and I have no fear of osteoporosis. I feel young and healthy! I thank Gary and Diane Heavin for coming up with such a great concept and Sara and Brenda for bringing it to Louisville. And I thank all the wonderful personal trainers that make sure we stretch properly and use the machines to our best advantage. Also, I thank my fellow Curvettes for their compliments, their encouragement and enthusiasm. I also thank God and Jesus for without those two all of the above would have been impossible! Eleanor is a member of Curves in Lyndon. Call 426-4464 for more information. www.curveslouisville.com

February 11, 2003 is the day that Irene Wanner changed her life. She was overweight at 230 pounds, had bad knees and was using a cane for support. Her doctor told her that she would have to lose some weight and get her blood pressure down before she could perform knee surgery. Her doctor gave her the name of a local diet clinic, but the thought of getting on yet another diet did not appeal to Irene. Then she remembered a friend telling her about Curves. She joined immediately! After three months she was losing weight and her knees began to feel a lot better. She continued to lose weight after she joined the Six Week Solution Class. It has been four years since Irene never did have to have that knee surgery. In fact, she hung up her cane for good!

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.