Fortyish Nancy Gale felt her life was full of fatigue, sore knees, forfeited activities, insecurity, and mistrust. “I didn’t experience the joy of life,” she recalls. “I wanted to be invisible.” Photos from a Mexican vacation were her wake-up call. “There I was, looking miserable when I was in paradise,” Nancy explains. So she joined Curves. Now, two years later and 151 pounds lighter, healthier, and finallly, happy. She swims, dances, and goes skiing with her 15-year-old twin sons. Her 22-year-old daughter is no longer ashamed of her. Now her daughter's friends say she is the ‘coolest mom in the world!

Two years ago, Pat Franklin had high blood pressure, sleep apnea, joint pain, and swelling. Weighing 333 pounds, she found stairs a challenge. She joined a gym but felt out of place. Diets failed. “My doctor told me if I wanted to live, I had to get right with my diet and exercise,” says the 42-year-old accounting clerk. “And my mom really wanted me to lose weight.” A friend suggested Curves. “I had a great feeling from the very beginning,” she says. Today Pat is fitter than ever. Her health problems are gone. Her weight is down 138 pounds. "My mom passed away over the holidays—and I'm very thankful that she lived to see my weight loss!”