Lets Lead Together

 

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I started my weight loss journey as a lone ranger. I’m not the type of person to ask for help, and I’m working on that. After a year of steady weight loss, I plateaued and became frustrated.

Fortunately, I found Venus Index and was able to understand true fat and weight loss principles geared for women, adapt them into my life, and change my lifestyle.

Along with the lifestyle change came a lot of things, positive and negative changes, but a happier healthier me.

The most important thing I came to understand was a newfound responsibility to help, as I know how hard it is to ask.

People came to me with questions, wanting and needing help and advice on how to conquer their own weight loss battles, and I began to grasp the privilege I had earned; to help and give back all that I had gained.

Where do you start?

My journey, lead me to the expansive fitness industry that is no longer just within a gym’s walls. You can find health and fitness information everywhere, but without a basic understanding of where to start it is overwhelming, contradicting, and confusing.

There are a million products, programs, gimmicks, work-from-home fitness companies, eating styles, eating plans, personal trainers, supplements, equipment, apparel and on, and on, and on.

So where do you start?

The basic principles in which we are taught through Venus Index, excess intake will lead to excess fat. Period. Monitor and balance your intake and outputs. Have a deficit to your surplus and you will lose the excess.

 

What about the food and the middle ground?

Since really delving into the industry over the   last few months, I see a lot of people who say they want to helpIMG_0994 others which is an amazing thing, but what I really see are pretty pictures and motivational quotes, offers for quick fixes, gimmick products, crash diets, and money pits.

The ones that bother me the most are the fitness models eating a vat of ice cream, or a dozen doughnuts, with quotes, “I promote eating” or “I love junk food.” I see these images and wonder what am I doing wrong?

I work HARD and I can’t eat junk everyday. If I did I’d be bloated, feel terrible, gain weight, and lose all my hard work.

Don’t get me wrong, I love ice cream and I have said on multiple occasions that I don’t eliminate things from my diet that I love.

However, what I DO say that they DON’T is that I budget for that ice cream. I plan for it. I allow for it.

There is no way I could maintain my results eating ice cream alone. There is no way I would be anywhere near healthy eating ice cream alone.

To me, these images imply “look at me, I’m so awesome that I can eat whatever I want and still be smoking hot” and they just continue to taint the industry, confuse and impede consumers.

It continues to turn away people who are interested in being healthy and fit; leaving them feeling as if they have done something wrong that they too, can’t eat ice cream every day and rock Miss Olympia.

Then we have the other extreme, the epidemic of obesity that is plaguing a generation of instant gratification with a sense of entitlement. A generation that doesn’t know how to engage will power, self-determination, self-control, and drive to make choices to change their lives.

I know, because I lived it. I was too self-involved “enjoying” my 20s and engaging in ridiculous unhealthy behaviors ignoring responsibilities, not only to myself, but also to my future.

There were many times I consumed more calories in junk food and alcohol than in any sort of nutrition and wondered why I was over weight. Then I decided I’d join the movement of acceptance and just be “fat and happy” except I WASN’T happy.

Finding the middle ground between “fat and happy” and “I’m so awesome I can eat all the things and still be smoking hot” has been hard.

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Let’s lead together

This lifestyle is doable, this lifestyle is maintainable, but it isn’t without sacrifice. It isn’t without self-control, self-discipline, determination, and drive.

You have to want to be better.

You have to want to change.

Once you make that determination find the will power to keep going.

Turn to like-minded people, turn to people who want to not only encourage you, but also engage in your success.

Thankfully, there are people who do truly want to and do help, often for free.

Let us help you, and then pay it forward.

Lets change this industry.

Lets impact society.

Let us regain ideals of health and fitness.

Lets promote life long habits that will allow our children to grow in the world we envisioned for them.

Lets show them how to take ownership, how to cook, how to work, how to use their body, and minds for good.

Lets do this together and promote a world of moderation with an ethic for hard work and success, not just acceptance.

Lets BE healthy and fit.

Lets BE the example in which we want them to follow.

Lets lead together

– Erin

Therese found she REALLY COULD LOSE WEIGHT in her 50’s!

Therese-BnA-

Therese finally found she could lose the weight. She had lost hope.  She really and truly believed it could not be done.

She found Venus and decided it would be her last ditch effort.

Sound familiar?

So many of us in mid life and even younger have felt hopeless.

But don’t believe that!

Yes, it requires some effort, but in the end we find it’s kind of simple in a way.  But we have to learn the process.

And we have to give ourselves a bit of time to learn.

But it doesn’t take long.

Soon we find our groove with it.

And we are a constant work in progress.

Because it truly is a lifestyle.

 

The shorts I am in I bought in the beginning of the summer. They fit perfectly, size 10. They are my smallest shorts as I don’t want to waste money on clothes I am going to be too small for to wear in the near future. Now, they are too big. The swim suits I am in I have had for 20 years and have not put them on for the last 15 years.

The shorts in the middle picture I bought in the beginning of the summer.
Now, they are too big. I now have swim suits that I have had for 20 years and have not put them on for the last 15 years!

 

 

Here’s what Therese wrote in her own words:

The Venus Factor Program has been life changing. It has not only changed my weight but my body shape and mental attitude. I am nearly 54 years old and thought I was stuck as a fat, tired, old person until I did the research that brought me to the Venus Factor Program.

I started this research in Jan. 2014 when I weighed 204 pounds. As I was spending the time to make the best choice possible I continued to work on my weight loss with the vast knowledge I had gained over the many years of using every diet I came across from fad, Weight Watchers, injections, specialty foods etc. only to become an expert on loosing and gaining weight.

Even having a degree in Family and Consumer Education with an emphasis in nutrition wasn’t enough. This time I needed to make it my last time so in June of 2014 I started with Venus Factor weighing 193 pounds.

I had only lost 10 pounds during the 6 months prior. This contest has only been a process in my journey.

Yes, and what a journey it has been! I have changed habits that I thought were impossible to change.

I no longer eat in the evening–a childhood habit that I have had all my life. I now exercise every week at least three times per week. I have not done this since high school–36 years ago–WOW.

I also believed I could not loose weight during the school year as being a school counselor is too stressful and has many evening obligations.

I have proved that wrong.

The pictures I have included really show my journey.

The shorts I am in I bought in the beginning of the summer. They fit perfectly, size 10. They are my smallest shorts as I don’t want to waste money on clothes I am going to be too small for to wear in the near future.

Now, they are too big. The swim suits I am in I have had for 20 years and have not put them on for the last 15 years.

The pictures showing my before Venus pictures and were I was during the journey before this contest show where I have come from and the direction I am going.

This contest is not the end but just one more step in my journey.

Today, I challenged my husband to who can get abs first–me or him. It is going to be me!!!

Since I have been doing the Venus Factor my husband has lost 30 pounds and two of my four children who are home for the summer have both lost weight.

The journey I am on has no finish line.

I will continue the weight loss with maintenance process until I reach my Venus Factor figure and then I will continue to strengthen my body and maintain the weight loss.

 

Here is Therese giving her very own video testimonial:

 

And I had the opportunity to interview Therese over skype: Игровые автоматы бесплатно и без дополнительной загрузки. Игровые автоматы абсолютно бесплатно и без регистрации, запустить их можно онлайн без регистрации, запустить их можно онлайн казино Вулкан на интерес каждому предоставлены на интерес каждому предоставлены на интерес каждому предоставлены на интерес каждому предоставлены на интерес каждому предоставлены на выбор виды бесплатных . игры онлайн бесплатно автоматы Выбираем сначала платформу автоматов, потом — сам аппарат. Вы можете попробовать игровые автоматы бесплатно абсолютно бесплатно абсолютно каждый посетитель нашего игрового зала, без регистрации и без регистрации, запустить их можно онлайн может себе это позволить, подобраны залы с наивысшими показателями всех важных параметров достойного азартного клуба. Игровые автоматы абсолютно каждый .

Venus Taught Julie Health after a Lifetime of Struggle

JulieFrontBeforeandAfter

Julie placed in our recent VT14 Venus Transformation Contest.

She did a phenomenal job and her results display the hard work she put in. Her transformation stretches out further than this 12 week period though, she has lost over 70 lbs using Venus in the past 15 months!

Julie before Venus and after, unbelievable!

Julie at one of her heaviest weights before Venus and after, unbelievable!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Here is what Julie had to say in her own words

My name is Julie; I’m a 35 year old wife and mother of 2. My whole life has always been about food, size, weight and all those terrible things that get stuck in your head when that is all you hear all the time. I remember my mother always on some kind of diet or trying the new diet pills. I started to be concerned my weight starting around 12 years old. I remember my sister telling me to “suck it in” when others were around or to cover up my big booty. I ended up with eating disorders and low self-esteem by the age of 15. By 16 I was a full time binge and purger and when I could control it all I would turn anorexic until I had to eat or someone said something, then it was back to binging and purging. It is still a constant reminder in the back of my head how easily all this could end up right back there where it all began and hurt the worst. I struggled with this even after I had my first child. Not long after my second child I needed a hysterectomy and most of my hormones were taken. I gained so much more weight and I could not control it. For the past 7 years I have just tripled in size. I looked in the mirror and I did not even know who I was anymore. I decided to do something about it. I have been a member of the local YMCA for years and have never utilized it before, only the kids have. So my friend and I started out with a HITT class and step aerobics and even some kick boxing 4 days a week and was trying for 5 days a week when I noticed my scrubs pants were getting even more tighter, I then decided to weigh myself…I had gained 15 more pounds, 223 lbs. was hard to carry around. I just cried and cried, I was doing so much, my body was so sore and now my self-esteem was totally gone once again. I just wanted to eat and eat, but I didn’t. I spoke with another lady about my struggle and she suggested lifting more weight and keeping my heart rate down to burn the fat. She suggested Venus! I noticed our YMCA offered a class so I tried it. I noticed the class was at a crazy time, so I worked it out with my boss to be able to go to these classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The first week was very different in how my body felt after a good lifting workout rather than a cardio workout. I was just a sweaty, out of breath and sore as I was with a cardio class but the difference was I was not starving after class. I wanted to know more about Venus, so I got measured and weighed and I was entered in to a nutrition guide and received my calorie count and protein goals and my VI. This is where things started to change. In a weeks’ time from this I was losing and I could feel it. I was feeling amazing. After a couple of months one of the contests ended and one of the ladies in my class placed! It was so exciting to see her transformation. I decided to enter the next one. I entered that next contest to see what it was all about. I wanted the nutrition side as well as the exercise. So I took my first photos and cried and cried and entered the Venus contest. I could not believe I let myself get that heavy. I did 12 weeks of exactly what it said for me to do. Even when I was nearing the end of the contest I felt like had so much more energy I was able to start doing more active things with the family like going to the park or play basketball with my son. The contest came and went and I did not place…I still continued with my journey though. I worked out and ate my deficit calories when I should and my maintenance when I should and kept on with my habits of not over eating. The next contest came and went and I had plateaued for most of those 12 weeks. Again one of my co-workout buddies placed in the contest. I re-evaluated my nutrition and calories and why was I stuck? So I decided to try the contest again. I was stuck in a plateau for a while now so I was really trying to get even getting a pound off that would have given me hope. Then I thought, “I need to fast, this will be what my body needs for sure.” Sure enough I broke through the plateau and managed to start losing again. I did a few things different this time around. I worked out hard and if I did extra it was Venus exercises always. I also made sure I hit my protein goal and had a very fiber rich diet. My goal of course was to lose weight but to gain muscle definition. I did not want to be skinny where my bones stuck out and you can see my ribs, but to be strong and defined in my muscle contour. I want to look like I work out as hard as I do. I wanted people to ask me what I did to change. (They do!) I have learned so much from the last year of learning to life a healthy lifestyle and learning to love myself once again. I could not do anything more for my family than to be here in the present with them and able to participate in life with them. I have given myself a new future, a healthy future. A future I am excited to move forward in. I know that if I go back to my old lifestyle, I will be right back to that girl that is struggling with an eating disorder. This was not easy or everyone would be doing it. It is easier than being big and prettier than an eating disorder. Venus has given me the tools to succeed and has also given me a whole community of Venus ladies to swap stories with, get advice on nutrition or even advice on a modified move. I am so blessed to have found exactly what I needed for me, my body and my journey. This will always be the life style I choose to live. I hope my children grow and learn from all of this and never have to struggle with obesity. Thank you Venus, you saved my life.

Julie at one of her heaviest weights before finding Venus and after, WOW!

Julie at one of her heaviest weights before finding Venus and after, WOW!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JulieBackBeforeandAfter

 

 

 

 

 

 

Julie’s Metrics

Weight Height Waist Shoulders Hips
Before 170 lb 63.3 in 31.8 in 43.5 in 43 in
After 157 lb 63.3 in 29.2 in 40.3 in 41 in
Deltas -13 lb -0 in -2.5 in -3.2 in -2 in

 

Julie is a beautiful Venus!

Julie is a beautiful Venus!

 

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

What’s in your HEART?

Naggiar Sangiovese FRAME

Venus is in my HEART

This grape, Sangiovese, is the heart of Chianti wines which are Randy’s favorite.

I spent a day last weekend on my feet, pouring wine and serving people at a very classy winery (Naggiar). I bought the bottle after my shift to share with Randy while we sit and watch a beautiful sunset in our backyard sometime soon.

It will be a learning experience for me to read about the wine, the grapes, and take in the experience to help me help others learn about the wines at this beautiful vineyard and winery.

I love the place because it’s family run and everyone works together as a team. No one is better than another, we all just jump in and do what needs to be done. I love that.

I wasn’t even looking for a new job.  I went to my Venus friend Kerry‘s birthday party and while chatting with the employees there it came up that they needed someone with a flexible weekend schedule to help out.  All my friends there said I would be a perfect fit.  So it just happened like that.

They grow the grapes right there, and make the wine right there.  Everything is family owned and operated and I am now considered part of the family.  It feels good.

Next week they will start hand picking the grapes at night when it’s cool, they start with the white grapes.  I shall get to see the whole process and help with the bottling for a day if I want.  I think I just might roll up my sleeves and do it!

 

What was it about the successful people there?

Hard work and variety is the spice of life and the fountain of youth; I’m more convinced than ever as I spoke with many people sipping wine that day.

Many were successful retired people, living up life to the fullest. One thing they all had in common was the ability to face adversity and not let it stop them from enjoying life, being happy, and learning to not take themselves too seriously.

They all had passion. They all had things that they were involved in that keep them occupied all day long. They don’t spend a lot of time being idle. There is no such thing as the word “boring” because they MAKE IT HAPPEN.

They were all kind and respectful to others. The customers and the staff alike. This is another key to success. They didn’t spend time gossiping about others. There is not enough time to waste on that.

By making it happen, they are able to take time to enjoy their friends sipping wine and learning about wine pairings on the weekend.

They also did not have problems with being over weight.  They ate slowly and savored their food and sipped their wine.  They were active and healthy people, even those into their 80’s.

 

The day I interviewed for the vineyard tasting room job, they hired me on the spot!  It made me feel good so I enjoyed the moment.

The day I interviewed for the vineyard tasting room job, they hired me on the spot! It made me feel good so I enjoyed the moment.

 

 

Focus on the positive and trim out the negative

Life is too short to focus on the negative.  Life is too short to spend time with gossip about others or even listen to gossip about others.

Life is too short to spend time with anyone who is mean or negative or drags you down in any way.

We all have some adversity.  But we choose to find a way through it.

DECIDE to face adversity and kick it in the teeth.

Think of at least one positive thing, and especially think of one person who you can help. There is always someone and it helps give you purpose.

 

Continue to attack the process, the results come later

Focus on your passion, focus on the work and the nitty gritty.

The results always come later, so focus on the process instead. That’s where the real magic happens.

The time is now.

I picked a new passion to add to my list, learning about wines at this beautiful place with these beautiful people, because LIFE IS SHORT and THE TIME IS NOW.

There is not good cell phone reception there, so it’s a great excuse to get off the electronic devices and focus on people in person, face to face, while pursuing many of my personal goals and passion at the same time.

See this is how Venus changed my life. I did not have the confidence until I changed my physique to what I wanted.  Sure, when a person is over weight the same talent existed inside.  But part of what makes me who I am now is the ability to move with agility in all that I do.   It is not just vanity;  it is health, vibrancy, walking with a spring in my step and a sparkle in my eye. I can also easily carry a case of the wine to the customers car for then and turn heads while I’m at it.  It’s something to be proud of.

And yes, I can still turn some heads and it’s heck yeah FUN!  That will never get old.  I love having an excuse to dress up and work at the same time.

This is how we do it.

Venus is truly in my HEART

Never give up
Never settle
Live your dream
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How to create your own PRIZEFIGHTER VICTORY every day

Embrace the process every day for those victories!

Embrace the process every day for those victories!

 

“You would only fail to accomplish something if you were focused on the outcome.”

– Ben Newman

Focus on the activity that fires your passion and you will do well.

Focus on the process, not the results. The results will come later.

THIS is why I succeeded with fat loss and building muscle.

It took me 3 years to lose the 85 pounds and even longer to build the muscle. I had NO IDEA what the actual outcome would be, but the focus on the PROCESS worked.

If you continue to focus on the outcome and results, it may not be what you expected. Once you let go of that, you have accomplishment.

You have passion.

You will go do great things.

Every day.

You will have a PRIZEFIGHTER VICTORY day every day.

-Tips from “Own Your Success” by Ben Newman

This is what you need to remind yourself about next time you get discouraged by the scale, a measurement, or a size. It’s not that those don’t need to be markers, but if that is the focus you will be disappointed in the end.

Focus on the process.

It works.

 

Pick one thing

Make a small power list of what you want to accomplish today.

It might be just one thing, or two or three, but that’s it.

It’s not about checking things off on a to-do list.

It could be just getting to the gym or whatever form of exercise you feel is right for you just now.

Make completing that task your VICTORY.

Have one victory every day.

Ride one victory to the next.

When you can add one or two more each day then do it.

Make those consistent.

Once those are consistent, they can evolve to a new task or new short list.

This is how we make each day a PRIZEFIGHTER VICTORY day.

You can do it.

We all can do it.

One day at a time.

That is how every successful person does it.

It does not seem very exciting unless you MAKE IT SO.

So, what are you waiting for?

Let’s hear some victory cries!

Coach Roberta

PS we will be announcing the VT14 Contest winners on next Monday.

Have a glorious weekend.  It is chalk full of opportunities to make good choices!

Hold the rope! The final countdown to VT14

Hold the rope for the final countdown to VT14!

Hold the rope for the final countdown to VT14!

 

Don’t let go of the rope now!

Contest photo and data submissions for VT14 will be due no later than Monday August 3rd at midnight Eastern Standard Time.

For some motivation here are some beautiful pictures of previous Venus contest winners:

 

Deanne!

Deanne!

Learn about Deanne’s winning strategy; She kept it Simple.

 

Malissa!

Malissa!

Learn what Malissa did even working night shift.

 

Michelle!

Michelle!

Learn what kept Michelle motivated and committed.

 

Several times a year we have transformation contests in which 10 winners are recognized for their achievement in staying committed to their fitness goals.

All these contestants have one thing in common. No matter how tough it became throughout their transformation, they did one thing — they held the rope! What is “holding the rope?” Imagine that you are hanging on a rope like I did here a few days ago. There was only thing between myself and a fall to the floor, and that was hanging on!

For you hanging on is the Venus program. For many that includes our online community, our Venus Facebook group and friend connections there, as well as friendships with other Venus ladies on myfitnesspal and Instagram.

When the going gets tough, you can rest assured that friends are there to help you. Whether it is clarification with nutrition or a mental stumbling block, or encouragement, motivation, or Venus One on One Coaching. Rest assured, all you have to do is “Hold The Rope!”

The person that holds the rope when the going gets tough is a winner. When you’ve had a long day at work and choose to go to the gym afterwards that is a “winning” decision. If you are frustrated and have lost the willpower to track your calories come and visit with some friends in the various place in the online community where other successful Venus women hang out.

In a matter of speaking, they will tell you they have been where you are, just “hold the rope — let it burn but don’t let go!”

Win or lose, remember that your transformation is a personal achievement and you should be very proud of your accomplishment. Personally for me I know it is the Venus golden lifestyle that enabled me to climb up that rope for real, and never let go.

 

 

The Venus workouts are very empowering. You will learn you can eventually do things you never dreamed of. Just the other day I was at the gym doing my standard cardio when I saw a kid climbing this rope. I’ve never done it before so I thought I’d give it a shot. See there, at 54.5 years old Venus made me strong enough to do it!

Believe me, I was very scared at the top!  My heart was racing from the effort and I was shocked when I looked down and realized I can’t let go!  It took all of my focus to hang on until I got back down.

As for preparation for photos, there are many ways to do this. For the most part the work has already been done during the last 11 weeks. You can do some final last week “prep” but it not required to do anything special.

So hold onto that rope for life!

-Coach Roberta

PS if you have any trouble with submitting pictures or data you can email me:  roberta.saum@gmail.com

Ten days left to go in the Venus Transformation Contest VT14

With the deadline quickly approaching we thought you could use a little more motivation for the final stretch.

So here’s another tale of a successful and powerful Venus who started the program this year.

I first met Jonda in person on March 6 of this year.

I first met Jonda in person on March 6 of this year at the Firehouse in Old Sacramento

 

You have to be READY to make a change.

Jonda is a successful business woman with a busy career.  She had purchased the Venus program a while back but found she was not quite ready to start.  She had a number of health issues to sort out, so she found me and we connected on Facebook.

She lives on the East Coast in the USA and happened to be visiting a business partner in California where I live.  She contacted me on March 6th and we decided to meet for dinner.  It was a wonderful and elegant meeting at the Firehouse restaurant in Old Sacramento.  We talked about Venus and various diet strategies, but mostly just had a beautiful time with her business partner Julia.

What happened when Jonda was finally READY?

Jonda came back to California and "Kidnapped" me for an overnight Venus meeting.

Jonda came back to California and “Kidnapped” me for an overnight Venus meeting.

On April 20th Jonda Lowe came to California and “kidnapped” me for a Venus slumber party.

I reluctantly took a break from my normal busy life and allowed her and her business partner Julia to love on me and pray for me during the overnight capture.

 

We went for a nice long walk in the hills where the cows wandered nearby.

We went for a nice long walk in the hills where the cows wandered nearby.

 

During the visit we made my beloved homemade popcorn cooked in coconut oil and went for long walks in the hills where cows wander freely.

Jonda peppered me with questions over dinner, of which I of course did not mind.

It’s my passion. It’s what I write about every day.

She is vegetarian because of health needs and thus needed some help figuring out the holes in her diet in order to achieve her goals.

With the Venus workout and principles, along with supplements to fill the holes in her diet, we came up with a plan.

Jonda is one of those who really took it to heart and applied it. She is driven. She has passion. She has fire.

Not only that, she is genuine, loving, kind, and highly ethical and professional.  She is female POWER through and through, as she forges her own destiny with the gifts God has given her.

She takes action with guidance.

And she learns from mistakes. Has she made a few mistakes since April 20th until today?

Absolutely, but she knows how to regroup and keep forging ahead.

 

Did the strategy work?

Well here’s the data..

 

Calories over time

Calories over time

 

Jonda's meal plan on July 18th.

Jonda’s meal plan on July 18th.

 

Here’s what she says in her own words:

Messing around with the reports section on MFP. My only regret Roberta is that I didn’t take the 1000 cal with 100g of protein daily regimen more seriously at the beginning of my transformation. I convinced myself that the extra 150-200 cal/day wasn’t that big of a deal and what could an extra 20g of protein matter? Well I found out that cutting the 150-200 calories and adding in an extra 20+g of protein keeps me full and I am cruising toward my ideal Venus Index weight. I want to give a special shoutout to Will Grumke. When I first added the 1st Phorm’s Bliss Go Pack, I was getting hungry. Will encouraged me to eat closer to the 100g of protein per day to stay full. I’ll say it again, the Program works if you do!

 

But that’s just the diet side of the coin.

What about the workouts?

When we were together in April Jonda asked a lot of questions about the workouts and what her strategy should be for equipment. She decided to join a nearby gym.  Once she started there was no stopping.  She posted a lot of gym updates on her Facebook profile and posted questions on my timeline.  This kept her accountable and by posting the questions on my timeline others got the benefit of seeing the answers.  She inspired others the whole way.

 

Jonda at the gym on July 22 this past week!

Jonda at the gym on July 22 this past week!

 

Do you see how much she has changed since our walk in the hills with the cows in April?

She is amazing.  She is inspiring.  She is an example to all those around her.

She is going places. You might want to follow in her footsteps.

Pretty amazing what you can do when you:

Never give up
Never settle
Live your dream

 

What about the Venus Contest?

Clearly contest or no contest Jonda has already WON.

This is what Venus is all about.  Changing your life, Living your Dream.

But if you happen to be participating in the current Venus contest VT14, the deadline to submit your final pictures is August 3rd, 2015.  Make sure you get your final pictures in before then because the contest form closes at exactly midnight.

If you have any questions or problems entering your material into the contest contact me:  roberta.saum@gmail.com

Now, go WIN your LIFE BACK!

-Coach Roberta

And the Venus Contest Winners Are … VT 13 Winner Announcement

The 12 week contest only shows the small window of time at the end of their transformation.

The 12 week contest only shows the small window of time at the end of their transformation.

 

Before I announce the winners of the 13th Venus Transformation contest it’s important to note that what you see for the contest is merely the last 12 weeks of a long transformation for all of these women.

What makes our contests unique is that they are not fat loss at all contests. The focus of our program is to learn a sustainable healthy lifestyle. That is why it is important for so many to stay active in our private online community for women only.

Our program is designed to build your best female shape while losing weight at the best rate for yourself.  For many women that might only be 10-20 pounds in 12 weeks.  Our program is designed to help women keep their hormones stable while sustainably losing fat and building muscle tone.

In the weeks ahead you will have the chance to see and hear the bigger story for all of these new Venus winners.

Alright then, on with the announcement so many have been waiting for:

 

First Place – Kirsty

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Second Place – Karen

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Third Place – Michele T.

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Fourth Place – Michelle N.

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Fifth Place – Tracie

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Sixth Place – Amparo

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Seventh Place – Annette

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Eighth Place – Laura

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Ninth Place – Melisia

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Tenth Place – Michele A.

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Venus Meets up in Miami

This past weekend, Venus members from around the world met up in fabulous South Beach in Miami, Florida, on the beach. We enjoy each other so much in the community that we knew we would have a blast in real life! We put a heads up in the forum about 2 months ago, and I could hardly wait until it was time to go!

Dinner at Meat Market on Lincoln in Miami

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying a night out on the town; dinner at Meat Market on Lincoln

Hanging out at Miami Beach

 

 

 

 

 

From left: Coach Lita, Coach Liss, Coach Jenny, and Naomi enjoying Miami Beach

 

Bonding

As crazy as it sounds, we make some pretty tight bonds in the Venus forum.  We are from all over the world and completely different walks of life, but driving change puts us on a similar path.   We all struggle and we all have to find our own way, but our tight knit community makes a difference.  The forum is our life line and there is always someone there with a lending hand or a sympathetic ear. The people that help us find our way become part of our story and meeting in person only makes those bonds stronger.  Not everyone could make it of course, but we shared pictures and stories that included them and we hope to see them down the road.

Pre Dinner Drinks Miami

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coach Jenny, Coach Liss, Coach Lita, and Kerry enjoying time together

 

Dinner on Ocean Drive in Miami

Enjoying dinner at A Fish called Avalon on Ocean Drive

 

 

Personal Support

Many of us email, call, and text one another- making bonds deeper than just diet and fitness. We can lean on each other for family, relationship, work, and emotional issues. We KNOW each other, so getting together in person is easy.  We just click like we have always been “real life” friends.

 Venus Coaches after dinner on the town in Miami

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coach Jenny, Coach Lita, and Coach Liss

 

On the boat in Miami

Enjoying the boat ride and chatting before Paddleboarding

Other side of the boat in Miami

Brad Howard, Kerry with her husband, and Jackie 

 

Pilon Paddleboarding Demo

Brad Pilon gave us a demo before Paddleboarding

 

Venus Group Paddleboaring

Coach Jenny and Liss Paddleboarding

Group Paddleboarding

We loved paddleboarding!

 

 

Making Memories

Our time together was special.  What I enjoyed the most was getting to see everyone’s facial expressions, having eye contact, and hearing vocal tone and laughter. The hugs were pretty great too!

South Beach Workout

Training at the outdoor gym in South Beach

 

Boys Table Lunch after workout in Miami 

Michal, Vaclav, John Barban, Jim, Martin, and Luke

 Lunch after workout in Miami

Enjoying lunch after the workout

 

The Life

We shared some great conversations and enjoyed fabulous food and drinks. We fit in a few workouts and spent time relaxing by the ocean.  Some days we all went our own ways in smaller groups, but we always met up for dinner.  It was a whirlwind, but so worth it to get to have a little time IN PERSON with friends and co-workers.  Next year cannot come fast enough!

Speaking of next year, we are looking at April or August 2016. We are also looking at hosting the meet up in Barbados or California. Which would you prefer? 

The deadline for the Venus Contest VT-13 is one week away; April 13

Come join our community of successful women!

Venus has winners of all ages!

 

What about “prep” for the Venus contest?

It’s totally up to you if you want to do any version of “prep week” before your final photo’s or not. It’s not a requirement and it’s completely personal preference. The Venus Factor “Slim in Seven” is a good program and not as drastic as the old school fitness competitor prep week.

If you decide to follow the Venus Factor “Slim in Seven” there is a daily diet protocol designed by John Barban. A lot of people ask how do they know what percentage their protein, carbs, and fat are? The best way to do this is to use a tool like Myfitnesspal to set your macro percentages. In the MyFitnessPal menu you can do this by going into your Home menu, then Goals, then the green “Change Goals” button, then select “custom”, then Continue.

 

To set your macro percentages in In the MyFitnessPal menu; go into your Home menu, then Goals, then the green “Change Goals” button, then select “custom”, then Continue.

To set your macro percentages in In the MyFitnessPal menu; go into your Home menu, then Goals, then the green “Change Goals” button, then select “custom”, then Continue.

 

Keep in mind it doesn’t have to be exact.  You can change things up depending on how you feel or how much stress you are under.  As you can see from the experiments of many of us what matters most is all the work in the weeks and months ahead of time.

Whether you are finishing the contest as a transformation, cover, or calendar girl you are not required to have a professional photographer.  Be proud and make your best presentation ever!  Celebrate your hard work and success by giving it your best effort and having pictures that you will cherish for the rest of your life.  It’s a record and a reminder for you on what you have accomplished.

Preparing For Your Contest Photo Shoot – Part 1: Posing Practice

Preparing For Your Contest Photo Shoot – Part 2: Photography And Lighting

Preparing For Your Contest Photo Shoot – Part 3: The Final Week

 

What to do with your final Venus contest photos?

When you submit your final photos the bikini type outfit will be used primarily for judging purposes only. Please feel free to submit other final pictures in nice clothes of your choice that still show off your new shape; for example a dress, skirt, jeans and tops, sports outfits, hobbies outfits like tennis, golf, yoga, etc.

We would also love to have a before picture that tells your full weight loss story so others can see that there is more to the story then just the 12 week contest window.

Get ready for AMAZING!

Will you be next?

Get your final entries in by midnight Eastern time April 13th.

Use the contest entry form (the same that you used to enter the contest).

The contest entry form has easy steps that will prompt you to enter the following items:

  • front pose
  • back pose
  • side pose
  • newspaper pose
  • up to 15 cover pictures of your choice
  • your 250 word or more essay (please include your age in the essay)

and your measurements:

  • height
  • weight
  • shoulders
  • waist
  • hips

Note: If you have errors with the contest tracker please clear your browser history or cookies and try again.

We are looking forward to the amazing results of your hard work.

Coach Roberta

If you have any questions or problems with uploading your pictures email me: roberta.saum@gmail.com

Contest rules and regulations

Contest schedule for 2015

Support