The Groupon

Sept 2013:

I styled myself a Groupon slut.  I enjoyed checking out the Groupon application on my iPhone and the emails looking for good bargains for sushi or good tech deals.  There it was, for the second time since the summer.  A two month pass to Curves for $25 dollars.  My friend Naomi, back in Toronto, had started going to curves and was looking great, sounding strong and a great role model.  So I was pumped.  I took a chance and pressed buy.  It took me a few days to admit it to my Husband.  Knowing it could lead to a commitment of time and family resources.

I told my two partners in crime, sisters of choice, lady friends, sisters in motherhood, what ever you want to call them, about it and we all dove in.  I started first, going every day I could.  You see getting the chance for a real work out was next to impossible in my busy world.  Full time job, charity work, raising two kids, etc etc.... Yet Curves I could do.  30 minutes in and out.  That is what worked.  A busy women can get in and out, with a sweat, a stretch and burning two to three hundred calories.

Most of the Lady's at the local curves were a bit older than me but they were inspirational.  They were there every day putting it out there.  Some of them slower than others but all of them there.  There is a group I liked to call the four Carols.  They came every morning and were a riot.  There were the favorite shows, trips, shopping opportunities, problems, and victories. I got to know this group and added my thoughts and energy.

I enjoyed the community of women. Women with experience and flaws.  A very strong group of women. Each one there for 30 minutes and out.  Off they would go to their days.  I committed to it. Each day I would drop the kids at school and go to curves.  My body started to crave it.  I started to notice little changes in the effort it took to go up stairs, or my ability to get out of bed in the middle of the night.

My muscles were awakening. I refused to have my measurements taken and would not step on a scale. A doctor I saw for menopause symptoms said "Don't look at diet and exercise with the outlook of losing weight anymore. This is the beginnings of menopause. Instead look in terms of being healthy."  So I focused on getting some muscles and feeling stronger.