The Colony

Member Since March 2008

My Story
When I was nineteen and in college, I had opted to work a part-time job at a grocery store in the deli to earn some extra money. One evening, while I was cleaning up, a co-worker had sprayed down the floor with water, and that in conjunction with the grease from the chicken fryer resulted in a very slick surface. As I was making my way into the back room to put away a pan, I slipped, and suffered a severe knee injury that continues to afflict me to this day. At this point, you may wonder how this story relates to my experience of being a member of Curves, but as you read on, you will discover that this event is primarily responsible for me becoming a member in the first place.

I have struggled with my weight since my teenage years. I overate, and I tried to remain active through swimming. However, my father was relocated often with his company, and it became increasingly difficult to stay involved in swimming. Due to the loss of phyiscal activity and poor eating habits, my weight began to increase. Eventually, I went off to college, and my eating habits continued to worsen until I suffered the knee injury I described in the beginning of my story. The knee injury made it increasingly difficult to participate in exercise, and my weight continued to climb until I had reached my highest weight of 262 pounds. I am only 5 foot 3 inches, so you can imagine the toll this amount of weight put on my small frame, not to mention my inured knee and my overall health. It got so bad that in December of 2007, I could no longer bear to walk because of the pain. I actually had to take a leave of absence from work, so I could get the necessary medical attention to provide relief. I knew I needed to lose weight to help with my knee and a host of other medical problems. I consulted a doctor about my knee, and he advised there were some things he could do surgically to help, but I must lose weight to keep my joint from deteriorating further and to take pressure off of my knee. He also told me I needed to participate in exercise to strengthen my leg muscles to relieve pressure. I began eating better to get my weight down, and I did manage to lose some weight before my knee surgery in January of 2008. After the knee surgery, I continued to watch what I was eating, and I had about two months of physical therapy. I knew that I could not continue to lose the weight I needed to by diet alone. I needed physical activity that could help me boost my weight loss potential, but what kind of physical activity? It needed to be low impact and at my own pace, so as not to reverse the progress I made with my knee.

It was March of 2008, and I had seen the Curves location near my home. I also remembered that my physical therapist told me Curves would be a good place for me to try when I was done with therapy, so I went in to see if it could work for me. Sure enough, it was exactly what I needed. It provided me the ability to participate in a range of low impact exercises in a non-judgmental atmosphere. It was close, it only took 30 minutes a day, it was affordable, and it was fun. It is so convenient, and it has finally made it possible for me to maintain a healthy lifestyle. When I started with Curves I weighed 203 pounds, and by December of 2008 through diligent attendance and changing my eating habits, I managed to get down to 117 pounds. I feel great, and best of all, I can go on with my life and I can be an active participant in the lives of my husband and son. The club owners, employees, and members are so supportive and kind. There are contests and activities that make the experience fun, and I look forward to going. Curves has made an invaluable difference to me, and I am truly grateful that I joined.

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