*Mahomet Curves purchases advertising space on the sidebar of the Mahomet Daily. My decision to workout at and talk about my experiences at Mahomet Curves was not influenced by the advertisement on the Mahomet Daily. Instead, I chose to make a decision for my body and to be with my friend, Jan Smith, owner of Mahomet Curves because I trust her. In no way is this content promoted by or scripted by Mahomet Curves or the Curves organization.
I’ve been working out at Curves for three weeks now. Next Tuesday will be the first time I go to a monthly coaching session where Jan, Karen and Annie talk to me about the past few weeks and help me set new goals for the next month. Oh yes, I will also weigh myself for the first time and Jan will measure all the parts I’m not excited about being measured.
Remember, losing weight or inches isn’t really my goal. I’m not really interested in being measured and weighed because I like being squishy. But measurements is how we know that progress is being made or the way that our efforts are worth something. We put our worth into measurements: our pant size, our paycheck, our tax deductible income, the size of our house, our grades. We look at numbers to tell ourselves that we are worthwhile and okay.
I don’t need a number to tell me that. I know that I am a special human being who has something unique to offer this world. I don’t need a number to tell me that I am valuable because I can look at my children’s lives, I can see the way friends smile at me when they see me, I can tell by the way I make someone think about the world differently that I am making a difference with my life.
So, before I reveal my numbers next week (and I’m not sure if they’ve even changed from four weeks ago), I am going to tell you about a few noticeable differences in my day-to-day life. I never expect big changes anywhere. Everything that is sustainable and worthwhile takes focus, dedication and time. So I know that these changes may not mean much to the casual reader looking to see if Curves has made me into the skinny goddess society wants me to be, but for me these are changes that I can celebrate.
I haven’t had a Pepsi (soft drink) in seven days. In case you’re thinking that anyone can do this, I have to tell you that Pepsi is my comfort blanket. It was never a thirst quencher for me, but something I turned to when I was nervous or sad or excited. And because I’m always feeling everything to the 100th degree, I drank Pepsi all day everyday.
Part of the last seven days has been a discipline thing as I’m still feeling things on a very intense level, so my default is grab a Pepsi. But I will say that many of my cravings for Pepsi have also subsided and I think that is because exercise is giving me another outlet for my emotions.
Two weeks ago, I was bawling, and I ended up at Curves to do a little workout. After 30-minutes I was able to talk and look at the world rationally again. Even though I still cried later that night, the workout helped me through the time where I would want to have a Pepsi.
Mahomet Curves put up a little sticker chart last week so that members could share the benefits of their workouts without having to verbally share them with everyone else.
I’m changing what I eat. Again, this is a small change, but one that I believe I can sustain. Over the last few weeks, I’ve turned away from many of the fatty foods I consume throughout the day to more natural alternatives. Instead of eating white pasta, I have purchased lentil and quinoa pasta. And to my surprise, it actually tastes better along with adding a great amount of protein to my meals. Instead of spending most of my time walking up and down aisles at the grocery store, I’ve tried to shop mainly in the produce, meat and dairy aisles. While everything in these aisles is not good for you, I know that my body will process natural ingredients better than it will manufactured ingredients.
When I was constantly consuming sugars and carbs, I found that I was constantly crashing throughout the day, and then I would go back and eat more just for a pick me up. Now, I’ll eat my steel cut oatmeal with berries for breakfast and not eat again until lunch. I’m staying fuller longer. In the long run, I think this will not only help my waistline, but it will also help my pocket book.
I really like how Jan and her team start conversations about food and the daily choices you are making while you workout at Mahomet Curves. This week, they focused on the importance of protein, especially in the morning. Not only have I learned that protein is essential for proper muscle growth and energy throughout the day, but that simple reminder helps to give me a checkpoint of what I am consuming each day.
In this graphic, you can see how a woman’s muscle mass changes as her body changes. I want to make sure that when I’m 60, I have the right muscle mass to keep my body moving as quickly as my life will be moving.
My back and knees are not hurting as much. Did you know that for every pound you lose, you take 8 pounds of weight off your knees? I don’t really believe I’ve lost any weight yet, but I’m glad this will be a benefit when I do. I think that my core muscles were so out of whack from having babies and just being overweight, that I wasn’t properly supporting my own body, and so my back and knees were in constant pain. I really like how each Curves exercise has a core focus. I’m feeling stronger and like I have more energy to do the things I want to do throughout the day.
And because working out at Curves is the biggest change I’ve made in the last month, I’m attributing these gains to the work I do while I’m there.
I’m excited and encouraged to stay with Mahomet Curves. I really can’t believe I’m saying that. Sometimes my days get so busy that I am not sure if I am coming or going, but for 30 minutes a day, four times a week, I look forward to going to Curves.
