And the VT19 Contest Winners are IN!

And the VT19 winners are…  Drum roll please…

And it is important to note this is merely a 12 week window in the journey of all these women.  They all have a much bigger story to tell.

First Place – Stacy

“I found Venus Factor on December 1st, the same day I discovered Roberta Saum. I didn’t fully dig in until January 1st, 2017. The contest came up and I thought, What Am I Waiting For? I looked forward to the workouts each and every day. Everyday I woke up, showed up and never gave up. I didn’t know what I was capable of until I tried. Most importantly, I realize this is where I belong. I finally have found what I have been searching for. Venus is indeed the game changer.”

Second place – Dawn

“Thanks to the Venus program I’ve lost more than 60 pounds and most importantly I’ve learned how to keep this new Venus body I’ve grown to love. One of my favorite things about the Venus program is the flexibility and the freedom to eat the foods I like, in moderation, without feeling guilty. This program taught me how to live a healthy lifestyle and still have a life. Thanks Venus for putting me back in the driver’s seat!”

Third Place – Karen

“I have much improved BALANCE! All this is new and with the consistency, a regular habit now. I enjoy moving rather than watching TV. I LOVED the podcasts and listened to them daily for about 8 weeks. I occasionally went into the community to read posts. I am not one to post myself but ventured out once in introductions and met Roberta. Then followed her on facebook…again, not posting but reading every morsel of her wisdom. I am feeling much better. People are noticing and commenting! I am making this my LIFESTYLE!! I think this is “IT”!! Thank you!”

Fourth Place – April

“People could definitely see me slimming up and started asking about how we did it. We would tell everyone about Venus and Adonis. I feel so much better about myself and how my clothes fit. It was really amazing to see the “before” pictures when I went to post my “after” photos. I knew I had changed, but wow! I’ll definitely keep at it this time. I really love the workouts. Although truth be told, I hate the lunges and squats and love the arm exercises so it’s just discipline and my type-A personality that keeps me sane. My husband and I are both in the best shape we’ve ever been in and eating very healthy.”

Fifth Place – Netty

“This is just a beginning for me. Though my loss is not great, I am grateful for the change. The venus workouts are great, along with Roberta Saum and the facebook accountability group that has really kept me going. I am looking forward to the next contest, but even more so to keep going and changing how I eat and workout. If theres one thing I’ve learned, is that I HAVE to change the way I eat!!!”

Sixth Place – Jennifer

“When I first started with the Venus Factor, I thought to myself that it was going to be too easy and not challenge me enough. How wrong I was! Not only were the workouts challenging but the support I received through Roberta Saum’s FaceBook support group encouraged me to continue on when I wanted to give up. Although we are ending this particular contest, my journey is far from over. I am happy to have made it this far and look forward to how much more I can accomplish with Venus Systems. Thank you!”

Seventh Place – Kathy

“I have learned to treat this as a journey and a lifestyle! I will step up my game when I need to, but I also live my life in balance. I have seen small changes in my body for this contest, but the mental and emotional changes are what really excites me. I will not stop. I will live this life as a strong, beautiful unique woman. I will make healthy choices to eat less and fuel my body. I will press myself in my workouts and see what this body can do. One of my favorite quotes is “You will never always be motivated, you have to learn to be disciplined.” “

 

Eighth Place – Dewina

“My name is Dewina and I turned 52 years old during this contest. I’m so thankful for this program because anyone can do it. it doesn’t matter what your age is or your fitness level. My husband actually found this program a few years ago when he purchased the Adonis program. I looked at it and after reading Roberta’s story I decided to go ahead and purchase it. I know with what I have learned and what I continue to learn I will be able to accomplish my goals and be the best version of myself that I can be. So I just want to say thank you for creating such a great program that is sustainable and for bringing such a great group of like-minded women together. I can’t wait to see where this journey continues to take me!”

Ninth Place – Nikki

“Now, with the exercise, I see such a difference in my shape. I even managed to lose more inches than I had before! I don’t really base my successes on how anyone but one person feels about my success, my husband. He is so proud of me! He tells me all the time how great I look and that he can feel the difference when he hugs me. That is such a huge win for me! I am so happy with the Venus Program. It has taught me how to be happy with my body, that I should be realistic, and how to make better choices. I know that I won’t get it right 100% of the time, but I know that with Venus, I can get back on track and keep having success.”

Tenth Place – Tina

Tina’s weight ballooned up during her time becoming depressed and medications that hindered her ability to understand hunger or the ability to feel full. Venus has helped her learn about the awareness of food and portion sizes.

 

We did something special for our tenth place this time like we did for VT17.  Tina is a Venus who has lost 100 pounds and was willing to share her story with you. She gets the Venus Immersion lifetime subscription for her prize.

If you have a unique success story to tell and are willing to share your pictures and do a podcast with us, simply contact me and let’s do it.  It does not matter how long it takes you, make it a lifestyle.  Sometimes the 12 week contest fits your life and other times it doesn’t.  We all have the various seasons in our life.

Cover Model Winners

Next we have our cover model winners. The neat thing about these ladies is they are previous contest winners who are proving that this lifestyle is something you can keep for life.  It’s not just a 12 week contest, it’s a lifestyle.  It takes a while to learn, but it can be done!

Barb

“I feel that this is the beginning of Venus Index for life! My husband says whatever you are doing, it’s really working and now he is starting to ask me to help him! I am starting Final Phase tomorrow, thanks to the encouragement of my girlfriends on the Thanksgiving Challenge. Roberta, you are one amazing human being. I hope I know you forever.”

 

Candy

” I actually have only begun. I look at my after pictures with great pride, realizing the hard work and determination it took to get to where I am today. I will continue to eat clean and exercise, and to commit to the Venus lifestyle. Thank you for this incredible program.”

 

 

Congratulations to all the winners!  What beautiful pictures.  What hard work.  It all paid off.

We will be contacting all of these ladies to see if they want to share their story and possibly do an interview.

Find out more about the Venus Transformation contests, they can be very motivating.

What about online coaching?

Many of our successful clients decide to invest in one on one coaching. You are welcome to choose which coach you would like to work with.  Our premium coaching program works for many!  Contest winner Andrea talks about what coaching did for her in her Venus podcast.

So get ready for more awesomeness this year!

To help you get your groove going here’s the Tina’s podcast about how she lost 100 pounds and still finds the courage to keep going:

Pick One Thing

Jackie learned to start with just one thing.  It doesn’t have to be “all or nothing”, in fact most of us women need to ditch the all or nothing mentality about getting into the shape we want.

 

“For VT18, I felt like the various pieces all came together – consistency in exercise and nutrition. It was only during this contest that I feel like the target measurements might be real. What if I could achieve that? What would that feel like? I am looking forward to finding out.”

 

Jackie got control of her life. She still does the Venus workouts and it’s the perfect tool that empowers her life to the fullest.

 

 

Here’s what Jackie wrote in her contest essay:

My Experience with the Venus Factor System: My Venus Transformation journey began in March 2015 at 190 pounds and what started as a desire to lose weight and get fitter has become much more. My confidence and self-esteem have improved. I have significantly more energy, I am physically stronger, and I am more resilient.

Initially, I was overwhelmed with all of the material and where to start. I thought, “What’s one action I could take?” I would figure that out, and I would do that and then ask myself, “OK, what’s next?” I had many stops and starts along the way. In the beginning, the exercises seemed really difficult to me. I was so embarrassed about how I looked; there was no way I was going to a “beautiful people” gym in Los Angeles to work out.

One of my steps was to figure out what I needed to work out. I ordered some small dumbbells (3, 5, 8 pounds) and I had a mat and an exercise ball. Doing something had to be better than doing nothing, so I go up in the morning and went out to my garage and attempted the workouts without weights at first. I tried working out at different times and found that in the morning before work was the time I would most consistently hit.

The exercise ball was my nemesis. The video doesn’t show how to get on the ball. I kept rolling off and looking quite ridiculous. In the beginning, I could barely do a modified plank on my knees. At first, my goals were to get 3 workouts in during a week. I noticed that I was proud of myself on those days when I got up and worked out. I felt proud of myself on the day after the workout when I was going slowly up the steps because I was sore from lunges instead of because I was short of breath and joints hurting.

Eventually my goal became to get through an entire 12-week program without missing any workouts. I would look ahead at my schedule for the week and decide what days were best. I figured out how to do the workouts in the hotel gyms while on travel. I was so excited when I outgrew my dumbbells and upgraded to the Bowflex dumbbells and have a bench, and barbell too.

During VT18, I was on the Venus Final Phase. I started training for a ballroom dance performance and competition and was challenged to a 22-pushup challenge for 22 days by a friend. I was thinking to myself, I was in a fitness contest, of course, I need to accept the challenge. There’s no way I would have even considered that that in the beginning. While training for the dance performance, I injured my foot (October 2016). My foot was in a boot for a week. I couldn’t dance, but the timing worked out that I could still do the workouts. I was explaining to the doctor that I was preparing for a competition and asking what I needed to do to get back. As she was telling me what I needed to do, she said that she finds it difficult to work with athletes when they don’t heed medical advice. I’m not sure what else she said – I had never been called an athlete before! That made my week!

One day I was talking to my daughter, and she stops and says, “Mom, look at your calves!” and started commenting on the definition of the various muscles. While I’ve enjoyed the workouts and feel stronger and happier, tracking food was a challenge for me. In the beginning, I started realizing how much of what I did was centered around food. Right outside my office was the snack area and I called it the “cookie gauntlet”. I would avoid eye contact. I discovered I had more success when I packed my lunches in advance. I could have what was in my lunchbox, and I was OK. I discovered I had trigger foods. The one cookie turns into more, then I be tired and plop on the couch in front of the TV and continue to eat.

Looking ahead at my schedule helped too – I would put my eat up days on days with business lunch or special dinner. MyFitnessPal app made it much easier to track, but I needed to work on consistency. I would make progress in weight loss when I did track. I noticed that on days when I knew I was going over, tended to be the days that I wouldn’t track. Maybe it was because I didn’t want to write it down. I realized that I would not be able to save the day if I didn’t actually track.

At first the 1000 calories seemed so low. I also felt that I couldn’t focus at work at 1000 calories, but at 1100 – 1200 my brain checked back in. As long as I stayed below maintenance, I was OK and knew that the loss would not be as fast.

Breakfast was difficult for me to skip, but I also found that running around after work that I didn’t have to have dinner, or I could have a much smaller portion. For me, cutting down on TV time resulted in cutting down on mindless eating in front of TV.

In the beginning, I started by just taking one action at a time and making it a habit. I was feeling better and losing some weight but I didn’t think the target measurements were achievable.

I felt better for each improvement. For VT18, I felt like the various pieces all came together – consistency in exercise and nutrition. It was only during this contest that I feel like the target measurements might be real. What if I could achieve that? What would that feel like? I am looking forward to finding out.

-Jackie

 

I love what Jackie has done. Is she not beautiful? She proves that this can be done at any age. You do have the power within you!

Listen to Jackie talk about her experience and how her life is empowered with health, happiness, and agility.  You can listen now or download for later:

The Deadline for VT17 is in ONE WEEK. Are you ready?

The deadline to get your before and after pictures in is August 1st at midnight Eastern Time.

 

FAQ Video on the Venus Contest:

 

 

Contest Rules and Regulations

How to enter a Venus Contest

Check Out the Previous Contests

Most of the winners had no idea how far they came and some almost didn’t finish. So don’t let your own mind stop you from finishing.  If you need some help deciding what to do please feel free to email me roberta.saum@gmail.com.  You are not alone, although the process feels lonely sometimes.

Remember this is a lifestyle you want to keep.  The contest is merely a stop along the tracks.

If it’s something you want to do, go for it!

We are here for you.

-Coach Roberta

The 2016 Venus Transformation Contest Schedule:

  • VT16:   Start January 11 – End April 11

  • VT17:   Start May 2 – End August 1

  • VT18:   Start August 22 – End November 21

Previous VT contest winner is now one of our BEAUTIFUL cover winners

Meet Malissa again, she placed in our VT11 contest.

Meet Malissa again, she placed in our VT11 contest.

With only 3 weeks left in VT17 it’s perfect timing for learning from someone who has figured out how to do things after a contest and stay successful.  Malissa has done an amazing job of maintaining!

Malissa is one beautiful woman who has learned how to keep going with the Venus lifestyle.  She felt she over shot the mark a little during her previous contest.  She has now found her happy size range and has learned to roll with the seasons over the years.

 

She's pretty happy with her life right now!

She’s pretty happy with her life right now!

 

Malissa’s diet has evolved, she found that she can’t eat as low as she did during the previous contest.  What she eats has changed a little, and it ebbs and flows with the seasons.  She has a tough battle as she works night shift as a nurse.

Malissa loves to share her recipes and workouts on Instagram.  She is a constant source of inspiration knowledge and is very active in the Nibbles Fitness support group.

 

Malissa posts on Instagram daily!

Malissa posts on Instagram daily!

 

It’s been extremely rewarding to watch Malissa grow on social media and gain a following.  She’s found the Golden Ticket to happiness and health.

Here's one of her recent recipe posts, yummy!

Here’s one of her recent recipe posts, yummy!

 

Malissa-side-lying-pose-couch-blue-dress

Check out what Malissa has to say about dealing with the ebbs and flows of life and maintaining.  She’s proved it can be done, with class!

Listen to her podcast now or save it for later:

 

Venus friend of a Venus friend sheds 60 pounds.

Today the VT17 contest deadline is 5 weeks out so we figured you would like to hear from one of our last contest winners.  Andrea is friends with Danell who placed in a Venus contest.  Andrea was pretty impressed with Danell’s results and decided to give the Venus program a shot.

The VT17 contest deadline is August 1st, 2016, it will be here before you know it!

Speaking of Danell, she is still doing great and I recently had a little Venus meetup with her and we had a blast together!

 

Andrea is pretty happy with her results! I would be too!

Andrea is pretty happy with her results! I would be too!

 

And she did a pretty amazing job in the Venus contest too!

And she did a pretty amazing job in the Venus contest too!

 

Here’s what Andrea had to say in her own words:

 

I have always been fairly active,I was big in to body building 24 yrs ago, I ran marathons about 15 yrs ago, then about 11 years ago I tore my ACL snowboarding. Well after surgery and coach time the lbs came creeping back.

I had several life challenges and relationships that contributed to a negative mind set toward my health and fitness and decided a few extra lbs was no big deal.

Well hello 222lbs and my body rebelling against the extra lbs and I decided it was time to make a change! I joined a gym 4 years ago and was successful at taking off 60lbs over a years time.

I then moved changed jobs and eventually met an amazing man who I am blessed to have in my life! With that new relationship though my routines suffered I put them in the back burner and the lbs crept up again.

Andrea-D-Venu-holding-medal

I struggled with getting back on track. I did create an exercise space that I love so that I would want to be in it, going to the gym is just not an option with work hours and travel time so I love my home gym!

In December or around there I saw a post from my friend Danell about winning a Venus contest her after pictures were amazing so I clicked on the link and read more. I asked her a few questions and jumped in.

Wow finally an easy to follow doable program that fits me. This is definitely a lifestyle anyone can live with!

-Andrea

Andrea is still happy and enjoying life!

Andrea is still happy and enjoying life!

Both Danell and Andrea are active in the Nibbles Fitness Facebook group and Andrea can be found enjoying life and active on her personal facebook profile.

Listen to Andrea talk about her experiences in the audio podcast below or save it to listen to later:

 

How Keturah Overcame Fibromyalgia and Hypothyroidism to Lose over 100 Pounds

Keturah Before and After Side

Keturah has been using Venus systems for over 5 years!  Her transformation stretches out further than a 12 week period though, she has lost over ONE HUNDRED pounds!

 

Keturah Through Weight Loss to Maintenance

 

Keturah through the weight loss over the years

(Left) Keturah at her heaviest before finding Venus in 2011

(Middle) Keturah in the middle of her transformation at about 190 lbs in November of 2011

(Right) in the middle of her transformation at about 180 lbs in February of 2012

Here is what Keturah had to say in her own words:

 

Maintenance: Choosing life.
 
Maintenance is something you don’t hear much about. The fitness world is full of shiny before and after photos with big shiny smiles to match. What no one seems to talk about is the daily practice of life. 
 
There are some things that set apart maintenance from deficit. Let’s focus on what comprises this brave new world. 

Mindset.
I recently reread some of my old blog posts. It was such a wise voice, and it was speaking to me now. (The value of listening to ourselves is great!) First, let me level with you: I am no different than anyone else. Fear creeps in. Old thought patterns start repeating. Fear of rebound weight gain. Fear of not being able to do it. Fear of looking too thin. Fear of people being negative. Fear of not maintaining it for life. Fear of disordered eating. Fear of putting my value in my looks, and not in who I AM INSIDE.

I think the last argument “Fear of putting my value in my looks, and not in who I AM INSIDE” is especially real. It’s a fear that many women deal with in our current culture. I’ve come to realize that while weight, size, shape, and body shape are not my source of identity, being overweight and unhappy with my body can be a road block to feeling good about myself. My insecurity about my body, the shame and guilt I have felt in being overweight: it was real. Learning that I could change that was empowering. But also learning that my body doesn’t define me is a mindset that has taken longer to sink in and takes daily practice.
Value where you are at NOW. Comparison is the thief of joy. We all know that popular quote. Sometimes the comparison isn’t with other people, it’s with ourselves. We can lose a lot of joy comparing ourselves to the past or even to perhaps unrealistic goals and standards. Maybe right now it tough and you don’t particularly feel joy. That’s okay. I am learning to ask myself questions. Why am I feeling this way? I keep asking why. Doing this helps me get to the root of lingering insecurities or issues. I also find out that what scares me is usually not as huge as I’ve made it in my head.

 
We think this journey of self introspection disappears when we enter maintenance mode. It doesn’t. If anything, it began a new season of asking questions, dealing with some old triggers, and learning to trust ourselves in new ways during new seasons and situations. Which is why we also need to work on habits. 
Habits.

Fear can hold us hostage and make us freak out! But the truth is, it’s about choices, not fears. I choose to be healthy. I choose to eat supportive foods that will help my Hashimoto’s autoimmune disease and fibromyalgia. I choose to lift weights so I’m strong, lean, slender, and pain-free. I choose to walk to have head space, time to think, reflect, and enjoy the outdoors. I choose to stretch to be flexible, limber, and feel good. I choose to be at peace with my body and take steps that will enable me to continue being Venus for life.

Maintenance is not automatic. It is about daily choices, habits and goals. This isn’t glamorous. Habits are choices we make and continue making everyday. I can choose to say “no” to fear and listen to the truth. I can choose not to let my circumstances and past, worries about the future, and other things define me, but to take a step forward and embrace the present, choose joy, and keep stepping forward up the mountain.


I liken maintenance to keeping the house neat, or perhaps tending the garden after the plants have started growing. If you let the little things go–laundry and dishes pile up, floors need swept, garbage overflowing, weeds growing wild–pretty soon the place is a disaster needing a complete cleaning and overhaul. Some daily tidying and daily weeding would have kept those things from happening. Some days we let things go. It’s about attending to the dishes before the pile gets too big. Or put it this way: it’s paying of the credit card bill at the end of the month instead of letting it stack up for a couple of years until it becomes a mountain of debt!
 
The habits you begin and consistently choose and practice will be habits that keep you going, even if they change in form. My daily habits are movement (for me that’s resistance training, flexibility, and walking); including protein and either fruit or vegetables at most meals; good rest; hobbies I love (makeup, knitting, and reading are just a few!) and relaxing with my husband on the weekends. I am learning to balance my meals and intake. If we go out on a brewery tour I will enjoy a burger and beer. The next meal or day, I have my coffee  but enjoy water, fruit, salad, and some light protein for the rest of the meals. There is no punishment, no reproach. No starvation, no forcing of food. I just listen to myself. 
 
Seasons.
Maintenance is the season I have really learned to enjoy living life and how to be flexible. Shortly after reaching my Venus metrics a couple years ago, I was still in “get competition lean” mode. It took a couple months for me to realize I wasn’t really getting anywhere with all my hard work and was frustrated. Mostly, it was mental. I decided to do something crazy. I stopped trying so dang hard to reach smaller metrics, body goals, and all the other stuff I deemed necessary to joy. Instead, I let go. I began listening to my body, doing what felt both right and good, and relaxing about the rest. It was, and still is, the very best thing for me. I learned another lesson in trusting myself. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting competition lean. But it’s a season, and for many it isn’t a season that can be stretched out for indefinite periods of time. Sometimes we have to count the cost. The cost at the time wasn’t best for me. 
 
There is also adaptive components to maintenance. I am learning to change up my routine or my workout when I feel unmotivated about workouts. There are also life changes that require workouts changes. My husband and I recently relocated 2300 miles, from mountain life to ocean life. While I had spent the last couple years lifting heavy weights at the gym, I was suddenly faced with a new challenge. There was no gym and our new home didn’t have space for heavy weights. At first, I was frustrated. What was I going to do now? I quickly realized my new life change meant a change in my training. This wasn’t an easy change at first. The first few weeks of no gym I had a lot of anxiety! Heavy weightlifting had become a security blanket and it was time to put it away for a while. Without access to the barbell rack, I’ve had a chance to work on some old gymnastic training, flexibility, and explore other workouts–areas I neglected for years, and that I really missed doing. 
 
Final thoughts. 
Honestly, maintenance is about learning to live from out truest, healthiest selves. The main focus of fat loss phase is so you can make changes in your body and, most importantly and what gets left out by a lot of people, live life with new lifelong habits, and keeping Venus tools for when you do let the house go and need to whip it back into shape. You learn to listen to yourself, learn what works best for you, what is sustainable, what is joyful. You learn balance. 
 
Maintenance is choosing to be Venus for LIFE.

 

Keturah Before and After Front

Ketty’s Metrics Using Venus

(Note Keturah had lost about 100 lbs before even finding Venus in 2011 on her own! WOW!)

Weight Height Waist Shoulders Hips
June 2011 217 lb 71 in ~35.5 in ~46 in ~50 in
April 2016 175 lb 71 in 27.5 in 43 in 42 in
Deltas -42 lb 0 in -8 in -3 in -8 in

 

 

 

Keturah Happily Ever After Maintaining

Keturah Happily Ever After Maintaining at her Wedding in Summer 2015

 

Watch Keturah’s interview with Liss below:

Listen to Keturah’s interview with Liss below, or download it for later:

Can that last pesky 10 pounds go at age 53? Heck yeah, meet Cindy

Cindy-BnA-Venus

Cindy looked good before but she knew in her heart she could do better.  Does it matter what everyone else thinks when you KNOW you will feel better without that last pesky 5-10 pounds?  No, it’s your choice.  It’s your body.  You get to own it and you can do it!

 

Here’s what Cindy had to say about Venus:

My experience with the Venus Experience I really don’t remember how I found Venus. It could have been through Facebook or a Google search. That was in October 2014.

I read the program and first thought that eating 1000 calories a day was just crazy. It went against everything that I thought I knew.

And working out while fasting? No way I could do that!

And I felt like I knew what to do to eat healthy and work out.

I read a lot and do a lot of research. I thought I knew it all!

I am 53 years old and have always worked out. Years ago it was Jazzercise. Since then, I’ve done Insanity, P90X, and joined a gym. I’ve lifted weights, done HIIT, hot yoga, you name it, I did it.

I enjoy working out, that’s never been a problem. Most people would probably say that I was in pretty good shape. However, I had been hovering around 135 pounds, no matter what I did. I know that’s not overweight and some people would be happy at that weight.

But I’m 5’5 and am small boned, and always wanted to lose at least 10 pounds. One day, a friend of mine stated that he thought he and his wife look pretty darn good considering they don’t work out. At all.

I took that to mean that they don’t look that different that me, who works out 4-5 days a week! And I eat healthy! Organic! Gluten and dairy free!

I should look REALLY good for all the hard work I put it!

Fast forward to summer 2015. Again, I was unhappy that with all my working out, I still was at 135-138 pounds. I kept thinking – it must be hormones, or my thyroid, I had half my thyroid surgically removed in July 2013.

I started reading again how important it is for women my age to lift weights and thought, well you bought the Venus program, let’s do it!

And so I did. In the past I must say that I’ve kinda done programs but not exactly followed it exactly. This time, I said I”m all in. And the only reason I entered this contest was the accountability. Someone had to hold my feet to the fire!

So I started with eating at a deficit at 1200 calories. But then I read how going down to 1000 calories really made a difference. So that’s what I did. But it was much more easily done when I fasted from 8pm to 12 pm.

And I found that I sure could work out fasted, it wasn’t that big of a deal. The first 2 weeks I was a bit hungry, but after that I got used to it.

Venus taught me that I just ate too much. And drank too much. I really enjoy red wine at night, but those calories sure add up! Increasing my protein helped me be less hungry and have fewer cravings.

 

cindy-at-boat

I was ecstatic when I saw the scale going down. I was blown away when my my waist went down by 2 inches. Woo Hoo!

My favorite part- is how I deal with special occasions and going out with friends. Just plan for it. I have fewer calories the day before and less the day after and I can still have a good time and most of all, I don’t feel deprived.

This is sustainable and it is my way of life. I kept up with HIIT workouts that I love, but have incorporated the Venus workouts 3 days a week. I have never looked and felt better. The workouts are giving the shape to my body that I have wanted for such a long time!

I love lifting heavy weights, and it is so empowering! I guess it’s the simplicity of the program that is so mind boggling to me. It just makes so much sense. Eat fewer calories and lift heavy weights.

There’s a part of me that’s upset. I mean, I have worked out for years, and not have had these results.

Another thing that I did was if I worked out (and somehow thought I exercised 300 calories) then I ate them back! I love that Venus says to forget that! Don’t think about adding back those calories. Because in reality we have no idea how many calories we really burned.

Many days too, when I worked out hard, I ate a bit more or had a dessert or had an extra drink because I thought I deserved it. Hey, man, I just worked out!

I have lost only 11 pounds but look so much healthier and shapelier. Venus was exactly what I was looking for. I am super happy with my results my I”m not ready for maintenance yet. I can still improve!

One of the main reasons that I first bought Venus is because I saw Roberta and her amazing body and transformation. She was my age and had muscle! That made me realize that I can still build muscle at my age.

Boom!

-Cindy

 

Cindy-Arms-crossed

Listen to Cindy’s podcast now or download it for later:

How our British Venus maintained for two years after her goal (meet Kath)

Kath-BnA

Overcoming cancer

Kath struggled with breast cancer and like many used food as comfort during her illness and recovery.  It’s a typical story and we’ve had many Venus ladies overcome this.

Kath overcame it!

She proved that no matter where you are in the world and no matter what your circumstance, you can CHOOSE to make it happen.

You have to step into action.

Sure the podcasts help, and reading and studying helps too.

But ultimately you must step into action.

And the action and the steps are where the motivation comes from.

 

It gets slower when you are close to your goal

It gets so much slower when you get close to your goals.

It’s already slow enough, right?

That’s why those who have the best success get involved in our online community.

That is where you can find the ladies who support you and make friends.

You can find Kath in the Venus private community and her profile FaceBook, and FaceBook Group.

 

Kath got out of her health slump and is enjoying the Venus Golden Life now.

Kath got out of her health slump and is enjoying the Venus Golden Life now.

 

What is maintaining the Venus Ideal like?

Kath, like many of us, found that in some ways maintaining is harder than the initial fat loss.  Changes in the body are very slow, it feels like it isn’t working sometimes, and people around don’t understand the need to stay disciplined with food in order to keep what you achieved.

She reached her goal and has maintained for two years now.  She proved it can be done, and she is enjoying her health and living life to it’s fullest now.

 

Kath has new goals to set personal records with running now. It's something she really enjoys with her husband and friends.

Kath has new goals to set personal records with running now. It’s something she really enjoys with her husband and friends.

 

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Kath absolutely loves the Venus workouts and they are great cross training for the running she loves.

 

Kath really struggled with getting this far after her battle with breast cancer. She is an amazing and strong woman who does not take her health for granted.

Kath really struggled with getting this far after her battle with breast cancer. She is an amazing and strong woman who does not take her health for granted.

 

Meet Kath and listen to her story

 

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If you have achieved your Venus goal and maintained for two years or more and have a story to tell, and want to share it to help others, feel free to email me.

I hope you enjoy Kath’s story as much as I did.

Have a great week!

-Coach Roberta

I’m on the inside too!

You can listen to Kath’s story of perseverance and overcoming now or download it for later:

Maintenance with Venus Veteran Carly

Carly Venus Before and After

Carly has been using Venus systems for over 3 years.  She did a phenomenal job with her initial transformation and her continued results display the hard work she puts in. Her transformation stretches out further than a 12 week period though, she has lost FORTY pounds using Venus!

Carly Venus Before and After Side

Carly before starting Venus in 2013 and after VT14, unbelievable!

Here is what Carly had to say in her own words:

Before children, I never worked out. I never counted calories. I didn’t have to work hard to keep my figure. I was young then too and now I’m older. All my factors have changed so I need to change my habits in order to keep the figure I desire. I am thirty two years old. I have two children. My son is six years old and my daughter is three years old. I found Venus in June 2013, two months after I had my daughter. I had a lot of weight to lose. I was ready to hit the gym to lose my baby weight.  Liss Graham was teaching Venus at my local gym so I decided to join her class. By April 2014, I hit my weight loss goal. I had dropped FORTY-FIVE pounds! I was in my measurement goals with the nutrition calculator. But once I hit that goal, I already had another goal in mind. TONING!! I kept using Venus from April 2014 to May 2015 but I felt like I was just in the motion and not really learning or thinking about how to better myself. I felt like I was in limbo. For me, it has been hard to build muscle. I didn’t know what I was doing. I felt stronger every time I lifted and I was getting sore but I couldn’t grow. I wasn’t pushing myself to the level I could have gone. Even though, I was very successful with weight loss, I felt like I didn’t know how to maintain my weight and I didn’t know how to tone the muscles. For me it was like, “Well, I lost all this weight but now what?” I felt uneducated on how to maintain my weight and build muscle at the same time. To reach this goal and to get motivated again, I decided to join a contest. I felt like I truly started TONING when VT14 started. When I joined the VT14 my mission was to tone up every muscle from head to toe. I added more days of lifting. I went to the gym six days of the week instead of the recommended three. I watched my intake more. I researched more by listening to podcasts and reading fitness articles. I started following fitness guru’s on Instagram and facebook. I dedicated more time to reading and understanding the VENUS program. Sometimes I even worked out twice a day. I took advice from other Venus expertise. Liss Graham came for visits at my gym and I learned from her every time. She’s an AMAZING coach by the way! I took professional pictures every 6 weeks to help push me along. I had some vacations during the contest and I didn’t want it to derail me. I used myfitnesspal and held myself accountable for every meal. I was dedicated to making progress. Twelve weeks later, I felt like I had the body of my dreams. I know what to do now to keep my transformation. I can see my growth with photos. I know how to keep toning my body without being lost in the process. Venus has educated me on how to be healthy and fit for life. Venus has helped me reach my weight loss goal and my toning goal. Venus has given me the body that I craved. Before children, I weighted one hundred and seventeen pounds. I weigh less now and have way more muscle. I look way better after kids then I ever did before kids. I have been very successful with Venus and have hit many goals. I didn’t know anything about fitness before Venus. I think everyone should watch the how to videos and learn how to eat right and learn what a simple carb is versus a complex carb. I literally didn’t know anything! The biggest change for me is making trips to the grocery store. I know not to just look at the pretty labels on the boxes that are misleading to shoppers. I know how to read ingredients and what to look for in them. I read the nutrition label, which I used to ignore. Venus has changed my life and for the better. I eat clean now. I have the confidence and education it takes to make Venus a lifestyle and not a fad. I’ve done it for three years and I plan on doing it for the rest of my life. It is too good of a program to ever stop doing.

Carly Venus Before and After Back

Carly’s Metrics

Weight Height Waist Shoulders Hips
June 2013 150 lb 63 in 33.5 in 41.5 in 42.5 in
February 2016 113 lb 63 in 26.8 in 36.0 in 36 in
Deltas -37 lb 0 in -6.7 in -5.5 in -6.5 in

 

Carly and Venus Friends

Carly (right) with Venus veteran and friend Julie (left)

Carly is a beautiful Venus! Nothing can stop her now!

 

Carly Venus Class June 2015

Carly, Coach Liss, and Venus friends at the Moore County YMCA

Carly Venus Class July 2015

Listen to Carly’s interview with Liss below, or download it for later:

A fitness trainer at age 50? This Venus CAN! (Meet Sandra)

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Sandra placed in our last Venus Transformation Contest.

She thought she was doomed to middle aged hormones as age 50 approached, but with Venus she learned this was simply a myth.  Here’s what she said about her transformation pictures:

The 1st photo is from February 2015 and the 2nd is November 2015. 9 months, 35 pounds and over 3′ (that’s a yardstick) of inches! Am I proud of allowing myself to get in the previous state? No, I’m not! BUT, I am proud of the fact that I made a change! And it’s a change for life…thanks to Venus!

This journey re-stirred a passion of fitness for me and I re-certified to be a personal trainer. If you would like to lose some weight and/or gain some muscle mass, I will definitely help you achieve your goals!

 

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If I was looking for a trainer I would certainly want Sandra!  She has a lot to say about the Venus program:

 

I, like a lot of women, had succumbed to the mindset of…I’m getting older, I have health issues, my metabolism stinks, I’m starting menopause, blah, blah, blah. I had given up and given in to all these excuses. I had had my first knee surgery in 2008, 2nd one in 2009, and the 3rd one in 2011. All of which I gained a few pounds during recovery. In 2012, I went to a neurologist for chronic back pain resulting from an injury in 2010.

All the testing he did came back with a result of a high positive FANA, which has to do with your auto immune system. After 2 years, multiple doctors and every test known to man, no one could find anything wrong. But I knew from the “swelling” in my face and body, that something was wrong.

Little did I know, or more so, did I want to admit, was that “swelling” was called FAT and that’s what I had become!

My wake up call came in February of this year. We had visited some family in Maryland, and of course everyone was taking pictures. My cousin posted a picture on Facebook, and when I saw it, my jaw dropped.

THAT wasn’t me!

But the sad fact of the matter, it WAS me, and it was totally not acceptable any more.

Within a week, I went to a gym nearby me and got a membership along with a personal trainer. Soon after that, I was surfing the internet one evening and “stumbled” upon this program called Venus. (I say “stumbled” because I believe everything happens for a reason when it’s supposed to happen.)

Hmmm…$47. I had already spent hundreds if not thousands on HcG, NutriSystem, Hydroxycut, Phentermine, personal training, a myriad of other OTC weight loss products, and other STUFF. What did I have to lose? Some weight?

Okay, I’m in. I started Venus at the end of March. When I would meet with my personal trainer, I would tell him, let’s do THIS workout. So over the course of the next several months, I was eating at deficit, doing intermittent fasting and doing Venus workouts!

The weight and inches started coming off! I was ecstatic! I was no longer experiencing back pain which was HUGE to me! I had thought of doing VT14 but ended up just shadowing it. About this time I had a revelation.

In 2008, I had studied and became a personal trainer. However, the economy wasn’t good at that time, so it was a short-lived career. But working out again stirred that old feeling in me of helping others accomplish their goals.

I talked with my gym about being a personal trainer and they immediately said yes. They were seeing me transform in front of their eyes. So I re-certified in the summer and started training at the beginning of November.

I was once again doing something that I LOVED, and that was helping others achieve their goals! Why have I told you MY story?

Because I know if I’m going through it, there has to be one other person that is going through the same thing. And maybe, just maybe, I can help one person.

What has Venus done for me?

It has EMPOWERED me!!!

I am so fortunate to have found Venus! It has saved my life!

The women I have met on this journey are phenomenal! Roberta Saum is the BOSS! She always provides her selfless time and knowledge to all of us.

Even though I have never met any of you, the friendships I have made are insurmountable! The support of all the women I have met through Venus is beyond words. And the tools that I have obtained…are PRICELESS!

I now KNOW, at the very young age of 50, that I will NEVER be overweight again!

I still have goals that I want for myself and I know that Venus will help me get there! At 50, I AM the BEST I have ever been and I can’t wait to see what else I can do!

Thank you John Barban for creating Venus!

-Sandra

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Listen to Sandra talk about her story now, or download the podcast for later:

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