Hit the Beach or Hug Some Curves?

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-24-2003
Hit the Beach or Hug Some Curves?
8
Sat, 01-03-2004 - 7:24pm
Hi Everyone:

I just stumbled across this forum as I was doing additional research on a new WOE for myself in this new year. I hope you don't mind me popping in here and polling everyone for their comments and opinions. I've recently finished reading both Curves and South Beach Diet and they seem very similar. I think I've pretty much tried EVERY diet but these two at some point in the last 4 or 5 years, though you wouldn't know it by looking at me. . .or maybe you would. Anyway, I finally changed primary care physicians and got a doctor that would actually listen to me when I said there was something going on with my body. I now have something other than excess body weight as proof that I have insulin resistance. I tried Atkins, a couple of different times and, even though I was losing weight, I just can't live like that. I was a vegetarian for many years and I'm not a big fan of eating tons of meat. I'm no longer a vegetarian as my body does not seem to be a fan of that lifestyle. I'm definitely read to commit to a new WOE and a new healthy lifestyle, but I would like to hear everyone's opinion on SBD versus Curves. I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts, comments, suggestions, support. . .anything! I plan to start on Monday!!!!!

Thanks!!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-1999
Sun, 01-04-2004 - 3:30am

Welcome!


I can't really help, as I know almost nothing about Curves except that it is a booming business that seems to be successful for many. There are some on this board who are combining both plans; I do hope they see and respond to your post.


Here is a thread from this board that discussed Curves: http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=iv-fbsouthbeach&msg=109.1. It is from the summer, and I haven't seen any of these people post here in a while...thought it might be of some interest to you.


Again, welcome...hope to see you again soon!


 

winter 2010 siggy

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-08-2003
Sun, 01-04-2004 - 4:48pm

I thought that Curves was a chain

Maggie  

"Success is a journey, not a destination"

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Sun, 01-04-2004 - 5:23pm
Welcome to our board!

Susan :)

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-30-2003
Sun, 01-04-2004 - 7:39pm
I have a membership to Curves and I tried their diet for the first Phase and it knocked me on my butt! I got so sick, Curves diet is very much like Atkins, and it is very restictive. I have literally just started South Beach and already just from shopping for groceries I can tell that South Beach is a lot more "user friendly". Curves wants you to keep your carbs under 20 gm a day, 20 gms alone will barely keep up on your feet. That is not counting their shake once a day, but they tell you you can do it without the shake and the shake tastes chalky. I started adding in more carbs little by little, but they just don't give you any elbow room. It also made my sister sick when she tried it. From what the ladies on this site have told me, with South Beach you do not count carbs, you don't have a limit to how many you can have, you just eat good carbs. (Because not all carbs are the enemy)

Hope that helps.

Jedi

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-24-2003
Sun, 01-04-2004 - 9:36pm
Hi Catherine!

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to my post and for the much appreciated encouragement. Also, thanks for sharing the link! There is so much good information out here! I'm really glad I found this forum!

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-24-2003
Sun, 01-04-2004 - 9:42pm
Hi Maggie:

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post.

Oddly enough, I knew about the book long before I knew there were Curves fitness centers. The book has the diet plan, which is similar to both Atkins on some points and to SBD on others. It also has an at-home exercise routine.

So, there's a group of newbies starting out tomorrow with me??? That's awesome and very encouraging! A friend and I have started something of a challenge together, but I'd love to have the extra support of MANY others! He isn't actually doing the same diet, we are each selecting and/or developing our own fitness and nutrition plans independently, but we are keeping each other accountable and motivated! I will be starting officially tomorrow and would LOVE to hear from others doing the same.

Thanks so much for the response and the link!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-08-2003
Sun, 01-04-2004 - 9:51pm
johnnygirl, I'm sure that there will be a new support thread for those of you starting tomorrow, just below this section in the "Phase 1" section.

Maggie  

"Success is a journey, not a destination"

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-24-2003
Sun, 01-04-2004 - 10:10pm
Hi Susan:

You won't believe this, but I just spent the last 15 minutes or so typing this extensive answer to your post, explaining that I had finished reviewing both plans after logging off last night and that it had really helped me to write out brief summaries of both to make my decision.

Well, unfortunately, I managed to fat finger something on the keyboard and that well thought out post vanished into the voids of cyberspace. Given the many things I still have to get done tonight, I just won't be able to replicate it. . .which may be a blessing to everyone reading this. So, to make a long story short, I've decided that I will be basing my new WOE on the principles set forth in the SBD while incorporating some of the principles I really liked from the Curves book, such as how to handle stalls, how to help your metabolism recover from years of dieting and give it a boost, and especially how to maintain your target weight. I also liked the curves style at-home workout presented in the book and will probably add that to my routine. If anyone wants more details about my decision making process or analysis of the plans, I'd be happy to share.

Thanks for the everything!