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I am a 42-year-old female who considers herself pretty confident, educated, motivated and smart to boot. However, when I look in the mirror, I see someone who is still smart, but someone who has gained over 40 pounds in the past five years.
As a child, I was a little overweight yet a very active youngster, always playing ball and frisbee outside with my neighborhood friends. I had a good childhood, and went on to complete high school. Post graduation, I began taking some college courses at the local community college while working. After a few classes, I decided that I wanted to pursue a work career instead of college education.
As the years passed by, I came to realize that being successful in life meant going back to college to complete my education, so I did, and now I retain two associate degrees, two professional certifications and forty extra pounds. I have found myself at my heaviest weight and have tried to lose the extra pounds for years now, by dare I say, “eating less.” I would lose the standard 5-6 lbs and that was it.
I have known for some time now that I needed to get serious about my health because I did not want to incur the plethora of health issues that come with being older and overweight. My experience in the medical field has shown me that some of these conditions can become chronic issues that last for a lifetime and I knew I did not want to make that journey
My first priority was getting my mind focused. I had to put myself in a place where I not only thought it was a good idea to lose weight, but more importantly, I had to feel that my mind was in place and ready for it. This was like making sure your posture is good before walking into an interview for a new job. This was a commitment that I needed to make in order to be serious about this life style change.
My second priority was to find an establishment that could help me with my weight loss. I joined Curves and began utilizing the smart program for my workouts. A staff member told me about their free weight management program and I was elated. During my first meeting, I learned that all those years of “eating less” was a hindrance to my weight loss goals and my body. I did not know that my body was hanging on to everything I ate because it thought it was starving. I realized that in order to lose weight, I had to eat enough food so that my metabolism would begin to increase and then my muscles could burn the fat during my workouts.
My journey to date has led to a 35- pound weight loss. I remain focused, my mind is still in the right place and I still consider myself confident and motivated. In addition to being smart by making the right choice to join Curves, I have made it a part of my lifestyle, which is a healthy choice in the right direction. Sincerely, Gala Greene
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