Curves 30/30 Study

The Curves International fitness and weight loss program has become a very popular means of promoting health and fitness among women. The program involves a 30-minute circuit training program and a weight management program involving periods of moderate caloric restriction (1,200 to 1,600 calories per day) followed by short periods of higher caloric intake (2,600 calories per day). The program is designed to promote a gradual reduction in body fat while increasing strength and muscle mass/tone. Researchers in the Exercise \& Sport Nutrition Laboratory (ESNL) at Texas A\&M University have conducted an extensive study on the effectiveness and safety of the Curves fitness and diet program. Results of this initial study have shown that the program promotes weight loss, improves markers of health, and improves fitness. However, we feel that the program may be even more effective with some additional nutritional interventions. Calcium has been shown to slow bone loss and more recently has been found to help promote fat loss. If this is the case, supplementing the diet with calcium may promote greater benefits in women participating in the Curves fitness and diet program. The purpose of this study is to determine whether following a high carbohydrate/low fat diet or high protein/low fat diet for 30-days several times during six months of participating in the Curves fitness and diet program with or without dietary calcium supplementation promotes stepwise reductions in body weight, improvements in body composition, and/or improvements in markers of fitness and health.