Warmer

It is getting warmer outside which means my summer clothes are coming out of the closet. I bought new capris for our trip to Florida so I have started wearing them and I also pulled out all my pretty skirts from previous summers. Unfortunately, only some of them fit. A few of them are just a bit too tight to wear comfortably. I am hoping though, that by the time I need to wear jeans on a regular basis again, I will be smaller as the ones I have need to be replaced as they are really worn and I would prefer not to by another set of large jeans.

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Curves: Points and Residuals

So I started using Curves Smart last week and have really been loving the charts and spreadsheets. For the most part, I understand what pops up on the screen after my workout, but did have a few questions for the ladies at Curves and posed them during my last visit. I thought I would share this information with all of you.

Points: When you first get your workout information, you get a tally of your points. This is actually your Performance Index (PI). It shows you the ones for that workout and cumulative to date depending on what box you selected earlier (my last 10 workouts or my most recent workout).

Residuals: Residuals occur when you do not reach your target PI. Each machine is broken down for you. The cylinders are the performance index for that machine and the dot shows you your target. If the cylinder is below the target you will have residuals in the far right red column. The lower the residuals, the better.

Hopefully that makes sense to everyone - I get it but sometimes I am not the greatest at explaining myself in words - particularly written words.

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Curves: Smart Phase

On Friday I got set up for the Curves Smart program. In case you don’t know about it, essentially you get a little tag that you put into the machines as you workout. Once it is set up, it will determine how hard you should be working at each machine. If you are at that level it will go green, above it and it will flash green. The goal is to be green or flashing green the entire time you are working out so you know you are doing an optimal workout. It also tells you when you are done so you no longer listen to the wonderful lady on the speakers telling you to move to the next station. Getting set up was pretty easy. I just went around to all the machines and did a little workout on each.
I didn’t do a full Curves Smart workout on Friday as I would have had to go around twice more and by the time the tag was set up, I was almost done my workout completely. I will however, be using it on Monday and am really looking forward to it. Not only knowing that I am doing enough in terms of working out, but also the graphs and spreadsheets it can provide me with.
You see, all of your data (weight and measurements) goes into a program and when you are done working out, you can pop it into the computer and see how you are doing. It will let you know if you worked out enough or if you had residuals and show you your weight loss progress. Instant gratification. We all know how much I love spreadsheets so this will be a really good motivator for me. I currently don’t know if there is a way for me to get access to this information when I am away from the Curves gym, but that will be something I am going to have to look into – though it really isn’t a big deal if it’s not an option.

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Curves: Ad Phase?

Apparently all these posts about Curves has led to all of my AdSense ads being about Curves as well. I am pretty sure they are offering one week free which I would suggest to anyone who is thinking about joining. (This is not a plea to get you to click the ad(s) but rather to try Curves out for yourself and see if it is what you have been searching for as well).

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Another Change

So I never really liked the template I picked for this blog. I really like the template for Great Abyss and love the one for Stephanie Beach Photography, but this one never really appealed to me. So I have changed it again.

I think this one is much more uplifting and hopeful – which is what this blog is supposed to be for me (alongside motivating).

I have also finally gotten around to designing the header - apparently all I needed was a blog template I really liked - let me know what you think.

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A Day Short

This marks the end of my second week attending Curves – it also marks the first week in which I didn’t go three times. I know what you are thinking – that I am already starting to slack off, etc. But really, it only makes logistical sense for me to go to Curves when I am heading home from work, as it is along the way. And I did go for a two hours walk around the tulip festival in lieu of Curves on Friday so it isn’t as if I sat on my butt all day.
Like I said before, I am really enjoying Curves, as much as I can enjoy exercise, and to be honest I haven’t noticed the loss in time (I arrive home nearly an hour later than I normally would). I have however, noticed the scale. Since starting at Curves I have already lost 3 pounds. It is likely all water weight, etc but it is still a loss on the scale and that makes me happy – it is also the reward I need to keep myself motivated.
That being said, this past week hasn’t been the best for food as Dave and I essentially had no food in the house. We worked a ridiculous amount of hours last weekEND and as a result never went to get groceries. I have rectified that and we are now eating properly again.

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Curves: Workout Phase

I went for my first workout on Wednesday of last week and loved it (as much as I can love exercise that is). When I was going around the circuit with the trainer, she told me that I would do well there. She also stated something along the lines of, ‘You were a very good student weren’t you?’. I believe it had something to do with the fact that during the second lap of the circuit when I was doing things on my own, she didn’t have to correct me on my form on the machines. Whatever it was referring to, I really enjoyed that workout. It also happened to be on one of the busiest days of the week and there were still only 5 women on the circuit at any given time. I finished up in just over 30 minutes and went home very pleased with myself.
I have since gone twice more (on Thursday and Friday after work) and completed my 30 minutes without having to force myself too much.
I am not sore after the workouts, though I am tired. I am looking forward to doing things three times a week with actual breaks between the days I workout, as three days in a row was a bit much for my body.
It has only been a week (a week’s worth of Curves workouts at least), so who knows what is going to happen down the line, but I have a pretty good feeling that this place is what I have been looking for the past few years in terms of exercise. Let’s hope I am right.

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