Elizabeth Found Her Perfect Fit With Venus

March 9, 2015 by Jenny Leave a Comment

: This picture says it all.

Elizabeth had struggled with her weight for so long that she wondered if it was even possible to be happy in her own skin. Determined to be a positive role model for her daughter she had tried other diets and fitness programs, but didn’t find her perfect fit until she stumbled on a Venus ad. Within weeks her clothes were looser and she was on her way.

IN HER WORDS

“I am 38 years old and I never thought I could ever be slim. I have struggled with my weight all my life. One of my childhood memories is of a boy saying that I looked like I was pregnant. In the last 2 years my weight seemed to balloon up and I could no longer fit into 90% of my clothes. I was very discouraged but also not hopeful since I had tried SO many diets and fitness programs. Some of these helped somewhat, but they were so restrictive they did not fit into my lifestyle. Others were very structured but even though I put in so much effort, I did not see any significant results. I had my thyroid issues corrected, but my weight problem still did not change, as I expected it would. My 6 year old daughter made the comment that, “Mommy is a little bit chubby”. That really upset me, because I want to be a positive role model for her. I wanted to overcome this issue in my life so that hopefully she will not struggle with negative body image and weight issues. But I did not know how to lose the weight unless I starved myself. It was only a few weeks later that I came across a Venus Factor advertisement online. I felt like it was an answer to prayer! I immediately started to lose weight with Venus in April 2014. In less than a week my clothes started to feel looser. I found many tools for losing weight that I can use according my needs and my social calendar. This is what I love most about Venus: it is 100% flexible. I live in Asia, where the constant social events are all about food, and to not eat is culturally offensive. In the past I did not know how to navigate this. Now I participate in eating with everyone and I am still losing weight. The concept of budgeting my calories makes a lot of sense to me. I budget my money – why wouldn’t I count and budget my calories as well? When I started the VT12 Contest, I had a pair of size 12 grey jeans that were way too tight for me. I could not even do up the button. Now, just 12 weeks later, those jeans are too big for me and I need to replace them with a smaller size. I am so happy. For the first time in YEARS I feel comfortable and confident in my own skin. I am so, so thankful for the Venus program and what it has done for me.”

You can listen to Elizabeth’s story here:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Bodyfat, calories, cardio, change, Contest, Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Food, Health, Interview, Meetups, Metabolism, Muscle Growth, News, Phi Life, Podcast, psychology, Sage Advice, Shape, sociology, stress, Supplements, transformation, Uncategorized, Uncensored Podcasts S01, Uncensored Podcasts S02, Uncensored Podcasts S03, weight loss, Weight training

How do you meet your protein goal on a calorie deficit?

February 6, 2015 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Last Friday I said I’d have more to share about the magazine photo shoot. I do, but I’d decided to talk about protein today. My inbox has been flooded with questions about my strategy for fat loss and how to get enough protein.

My strategy for fat loss is simply finding a sustainable calorie deficit and attempting to reduce stress. Stress is actually unavoidable sometimes, so some of my recent articles are about stress eating and recovering from stress eating.

I’ve had a lot of stress lately, some of it really great and exciting, but it’s still stress. Stress makes it very hard to stay in control of eating so my strategy is to simply get on track as soon as the major stress subsides. All we can do is our best and motor on, a sort of controlled stumble forward as John would say.

The only way to make up for over eating is some calorie deficit days. Usually it can’t be paid for in one day so fasting is not always the answer. The deeper the deficit the more stress on your body, and the last thing you need when you are recovering from stress is MORE stress. Nice and easy and slow does it. Give yourself weeks.

What protein should you eat?

You can select whatever type of protein you want depending on your eating style. The key for getting enough protein while on a deficit is to select foods with the highest protein per calorie ratio.

I put together some charts of various protein sources showing how many protein grams per calories:

Protein and Calories for Meat, Fish, Poultry, and Dairy.

Common protein supplements.

Some Vegan and Vegetarian items (Vegans don’t eat eggs or dairy).

Vegans will get most of their protein from a total sum of the day in plant based foods. Here are some Vegan example meal plans with the focus on protein.

An example of a deficit day for me:

I usually start the day with protein and vegetables.

My first meal is usually protein and veggies. This was the first meal for me last Thursday.

Later I decided to have protein waffles.

A few hours after that I had lunch meat, more veggies, and an apple. Right before dinner I decided I wanted popcorn with coconut oil, so I kept my dinner light; Soup with more protein and veggies. Before dinner I’d consumed 100 grams of protein for the day so I reduced the amount of turkey in my soup compared to normal to make room for the popcorn.

Soup, more protein and veggies.

I planned ahead so I could have my popcorn!

I usually easily get in 100-125 grams of protein most days. For me this is a perfect deficit day. I can’t go lower than 1300 calories and feel okay, in fact some days when I workout hard I can’t go below 1400 or 1500. I have to pay attention to how I feel.

I feel best with this amount of protein. I had to find ways to make the egg whites and protein powder work for me. I’m not a fan of drinking my food so I make protein pancakes, waffles, and custards.

Every day is different for me, but I always get the protein in.

Friday was a little different pattern, I had soup with rice in my first meal:

Friday’s first meal of the day.

I had my carbs earlier in the day.

Today I ended with protein instead of carbs

So Friday was totally different compared to Thursday. I ended the day with more of a protein meal and my overall protein was 108 grams, but the calorie total was the same. It’s still a deficit for me.

Some people might think that is too low for me, but overall for the week it works out because I had some high days too. In fact I’ve had a lot of high days in the last few months, so a few more deficit days will be needed for me when I can fit them in.

MyFitnessPal gives a nice weekly report.

Even though I don’t do the math for weekly calories I keep an eye on the daily average. MyFitnessPal has a weekly chart in the mobile app and I also keep an eye on the 30 and 90 day charts like this one in the web browser app on my computer.

What matters most is the daily average over time.

So that’s what I do. I don’t really plan a whole lot. I just keep an awareness going with a focus on protein and vegetables, and then make room for carbs and fat as I go along. It all falls into place for me that way.

I hope this helps.

In the future I plan to write more about the fun with the magazine and my experience with the Fitness Competition because many have been asking about it. I wrote a little about the high fashion models I worked with in my Venus blog inside the community. I’m learning a lot from them and I love to pass along what I learn.

I’ll also write more on the most common questions coming into my inbox now.

Have a great weekend!

It’s full of lot’s of opportunity for good choices to be made.

-Coach Roberta

Filed Under: calories, Diet, Food, stress, Supplements, Uncategorized Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, becoming a venus, Bobbie Carper, body composition, brad pilon, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor

How do you recover from the SPLURGE of stress hunger?

January 23, 2015 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Sometimes you have to have a warrior mindset to get back on track!

My friend Ryan took this picture of me last summer

and I felt he caught my warrior spirit!

What happens when your body adapts to too much food?

Do you ever notice that sometimes after a feast like Thanksgiving or maybe Super Bowl Sunday that you wake up the next morning feeling really hungry? You might even feel more hunger than normal.

The same thing can happen after vacation, or stress when you sort of “just let it go” with eating. It’s easy to lose track of how much food you actually consume.

Your body adapts to what you do and it’s hard to change. It’s kind of a catch 22. When you over eat your body gets used to it, and you’ll still feel hunger when you don’t really need the extra food.

There really isn’t anything wrong with you when this happens. It’s probably a rare case when it doesn’t happen.

The same thing can happen when people get used to a calorie deficit. Your body can also adapt to the less food. You will feel it’s normal and can sometimes have a hard time eating up to your true needs. This is okay as long as it does not cause a vicious eat low then binge cycle. It also can be okay if your body has plenty of body fat to draw from. At some point you have to train your body to accept the normal amount of food. This becomes more important as you get close to your goal. This is why the Venus nutrition plan is designed the way it is.

Hunger is complicated. It ebbs and flows in the body according to stress, emotions, exercise, health, and a whole lot more.

Last week I wrote about the stress hunger I experienced. It happens to us all. It doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you. There is a lot of stress in modern life.

Not only do you have more stress, but every where you turn there is all that food. You are constantly bombarded with it. The stores and restaurants purposely pump out the aroma to tempt you. The advertisements everywhere are designed to tempt you. All the treats the co-workers bring in tempt you. It’s constant temptation.

The more stressed and ego depleted you are the harder it is to make good choices or have willpower.

If you rely on willpower alone, you won’t succeed. You have to find a way to setup your own environment for success. That is different for each person. Most of us have to enlist the help of others.

You have to plan ahead. You have to have some strategy. You also have to adjust as you go along. Things don’t always go according to your plan. Your own body and the amount of hunger and stress doesn’t always cooperate with the plan. But as long as you do not give up and feel doomed, you can still succeed.

The only way to fail at fat loss is to give up. You will have the peaks and valleys; we all do. Keep plugging along and it becomes a lifestyle. It takes time and practice.

When you arrive at your goal and you won’t just stay there. You keep living life, you keep getting bombarded with stress, and you still have to put in some effort.

It’s not the long road effort like when we had over 50 pounds to lose, but it is the same skills.

As for getting back on track, you have to muster up a warrior attitude and get yourself determined to make it happen.

How can you recover after a splurge?

Get back on track ASAP. Get back to your normal routine. Everything you do feeds on itself both positive and negative. So tune out all the negative thoughts from your mind, and start trimming your interactions with negative people short or avoid those people altogether if possible.

If you keep doing your routines that move you toward your goal the momentum will start snowballing. This includes anything that helps you; The routine of taking supplements, stretching, workouts, meditation, getting enough sleep, food prep, etc.

The best thing you can do is get going on that as soon as you can. Don’t just think about it and make plans, pick something and just do it. It doesn’t have to be perfect. I can be going for a walk or cutting out some portion sizes. Take action right away to get the momentum going.

The first day is usually the hardest. The next day gets better. If you keep it up you end up on a roll with it. Your body starts adapting to the routine again and it feels good.

Find a good support group. The private online Venus community is a great place to find support if you need it. Not everyone has a family who supports their fat loss and fitness goals. There may not be many in your life who understand your goals.

Keep something near you that reminds you of your goal for yourself. This is called a Mnemonic. It could be a picture, a slogan, a statue, or whatever you want it to be. As you move forward from one goal to the next this symbol can change.

When I was losing 85 pounds in my long fat loss phase my Mnemonic was a picture of a swim dress I wanted to wear someday.

Right now my Mnemonic is a trophy I recently won at a fitness competition. Since I don’t plan on continuing with competitions I’ve attached a business card to the trophy of someone I’ll be working with very soon. In fact I will probably be on location as you read this and it’s a surprise. It’s pretty exciting for me and there is no way I want to blow it. The Mnemonic is right there on my kitchen table to remind me why all of my daily routines are important. The trophy itself is still a good Mnemonic for me because it represents the same skills I need right now.

You use all the tools and strategies over and over for life. The very first article I ever wrote for Venus was about this concept “How to Sharpen your Sword and Win the Battle.” This is still true for me three years later, except this time I am the warrior in the picture!

It didn’t take me long to get my groove back. I like to get right back on it!

It didn’t take me long to get back on track after the stress last week. I followed the exact process I lined out here and felt back to normal by the end of the week. I like to get back in the groove as soon as I can. Here I am doing one of my favorite exercises; pullups. This is a collection of the last few months, the video of me in the black ball cap was last Friday when I finally started getting my groove back:

Some of you are starting the Venus contest this week. Some of you are shadowing (not actually entering, but putting in the same effort). Some of you are just plugging along daily towards your goals.

Whatever phase you are in please be encouraged that you are honing your sword to win the battle!

Keep going!

See you on the inside!

-Coach Roberta

Filed Under: calories, Diet, Health, stress, Uncategorized Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, becoming a venus, Bobbie Carper, body composition, brad pilon, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, Fit at 50, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, transformation

What To Do When Your Stomach Feels Like An Endless Void with HUNGER?

January 16, 2015 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

How do you deal with the after effects of stress hunger?

The night before this picture was taken I felt the effects of extreme fatigue. Even though I’d already eaten well above my caloric needs for the day, my stomach felt like an endless void that couldn’t be filled. I seriously wanted to eat the entire jar of nut butter and preserves. It was the strangest thing. I was practically stumbling around the house, specifically the kitchen, and I just wanted to eat.

This is called being ego depleted. It’s something John talks about this in the Venus Fat Loss Manual. You can’t make good decisions when you are ego depleted. You have to set up your environment for success.

I finally tore myself away from the kitchen and stumbled off to bed. What I really needed was sleep, not food.

I’ve been maintaining my Venus shape for 4 years now so I’ve been around the block a time or two with this stress eating business. It’s never the end of the world if you CHOOSE you are not DOOMED just because you made a few ego depleted bad decisions.

When I woke up the next morning I wasn’t quite recovered from the stress of the previous few days. I was still ego depleted but I knew what to do. I needed water, coffee, and some hugs and reassurance from Randy.

Even though I’ve spent most of my life hiding from the camera, Venus changed that for me. I put on the exact pair of jeans that I bought when I first achieved my Venus goal and had Randy take a picture of me on our back deck. I had even blogged about getting this pair of “skinny jeans” back in the day, inside our private Venus Community. This picture and these jeans gave me assurance once again that you won’t lose your progress overnight.

The only way you lose what you earned with fat loss is if you go on for weeks and months with no regard for food intake, like a wild woman on a credit card spending spree. At some point the bill will come due. Just don’t let that happen. Pay off the debt sooner.

When you are ego depleted it’s just part of the stress of life.

It’s okay. You just pick up where you left off and don’t let your emotions take you away.

Once again it is all about consistency over time. NOT PERFECTION.

If it were perfection we would never succeed.

If it were perfection we wouldn’t be human.

It is accepting that you are human and not perfect AND not giving up that will get you there.

You are human.

You are not perfect.

It does not matter.

Just keep going.

Read more about the events that caused my ego depletion and how I dealt with it here.

See you on the inside!

-Coach Roberta

Filed Under: calories, fat loss, Food, Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, becoming a venus, Bobbie Carper, diet for weight loss, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, Venus index Transformation

And the Venus Transformation Contest VT12 Winners are…

December 8, 2014 by Roberta Saum 1 Comment

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

There is a bigger story behind all of these transformations.
The 12 week contest only shows the small window of time at the end of their transformation.

Before I announce the winners of the 12th 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 – Pamela

There are so many things I have learned along the way these last 12 weeks. I was a holier than thou, super judgemental, food snob who needed to relax, stop reading everything regarding health and fitness and just make it happen. Venus put me on the right path. The one I've wanted now for so, so long. I finally feel like I've got the magic ticket to life long health and fitness. There were a few stumble forwards along the way just like I had heard on so many of the podcasts. But that is life- it's never just all smooth sailing.

There are so many things I have learned along the way these last 12 weeks. I was a holier than thou, super judgmental, food snob who needed to relax, stop reading everything regarding health and fitness and just make it happen. Venus put me on the right path. The one I’ve wanted now for so, so long. I finally feel like I’ve got the magic ticket to life long health and fitness. There were a few stumble forwards along the way just like I had heard on so many of the podcasts.
But that is life- it’s never just all smooth sailing.

Second place – Sharon

Since I’ve started, I’ve actually inspired others, most importantly, my 18 year old daughter and that is soooo exciting for me! ME, an almost 49 year old, in menopause and a mom of an adult…an inspiration to others? Wow!!!! I weigh less now than when I was 29 and
I’m positive I have more muscle now than I did then!

Third place – Leah

The best part is I have reached results in my weight and physique that I didn’t even think or dare to dream of having at this stage in life. I have surpassed my “ideal” weight I thought I wanted and I fit smaller sized clothing than I can even remember. Ultimately, I feel more geared up for success in every area of my life after accomplishing this goal. If I can do this, I can do anything! Thank you Venus Factor and to all the Venus’, I am a changed woman!!

Fourth place – Patty

This has been a very difficult and rewarding process. I have learned a lot and must say that I was ready to throw in the towel when I got such wonderful support from my Venus friend Pam that convinced me to not give up but be proud of what I have already worked hard for. The Venus community is a community of great people that all want to achieve the same goal and go through the same ups and downs. I am looking forward to continue on and keep up the hard work. This has been a wonderful change in my life.

Fifth place – Kat

I found Venus in the middle of April 2014. It is November 23rd today. During that time I have lost 39 pounds and went from a size 14 to size 6. I haven’t been in that good of a shape and size ever. The last time I weighed 121lbs was when I was 14. Through Venus I learned to enjoy life and enjoy food again. I will continue with the Venus principles for the rest of my life. I hit my gym 3 times a week consistently and I work hard and lift heavy.

Sixth place – Sylvie

Venus Factor provided support that I needed, when I needed it. I found a very high quality material, from the Web site, to the App. The user blog can be a good source of motivation; the podcasts are literally a mine of information and the discussions between Brad and John are so interesting to listen to. If I had an advice to give to a woman who wants to take her health in hand it’s this one : give you a chance to succeed, don’t ever give up; believe in you, you worth it.

Seventh place – Wendy

I have been so impressed with my Phase I results that I finally broke down and purchased immersion. I don’t really have a penny to spare but I certainly believe that you truly do get what you pay for, and to me this is the best investment I can make in myself, in my future!
So, let’s do this, on to the next level, on to the next Phase. Just BRING IT!

Eighth place – Sheralyn

I have tried many diets that failed. Venus is so successful for me for many reasons; first you have so many people going through the same struggles, but we all share an learn from each other. Second, it fit so well with my life style. You can really live a normal life without having to deprive yourself of one of the simple pleasures in life, enjoying good food with family and friends. Another reason I love the Venus program is that this is the only diet that I have been on that give you more tools to loose and maintain weight, not just the bathroom scale. You have a tape measure, a mirror, a camera, and your clothes to help you see that you are looking better not just a number on a scale. With these tools you can reach mini goals to help you reach your ultimate goal. SUCCESS!!!

Ninth place – Elizabeth

I immediately started to lose weight with Venus in April, 2014. In less than a week my clothes started to feel looser. I found many tools for loosing weight that I can use according my needs and my social calendar. This is what I love most about Venus: it is 100% flexible. I live in Asia, where the constant social events are all about food, and to not eat is culturally offensive. In the past I did not know how to navigate this. Now I participate in eating with everyone and I am still loosing weight. The concept of budgeting my calories makes a lot of sense to me. I budget my money – why wouldn’t I count and budget my calories as well?

Tenth place – Jenia

They say you are what you eat, right? Well I think the Venus ladies are what we DON’T eat. It’s a way of life, a mentality that will stick with me for the rest of my life. It’s really a life changing program, if you allow it to be. It’s something I totally fell into at the click of a mouse, and I am so happy I did. I am the fittest I have ever been in my life, even better now than my teenage years. I’m loving the new Venus me. My new standard is not ordinary, it’s extraordinary; I am Venus forevermore. Thank you all so much for creating such a wonderful and workable program!

Our Cover Model for this contest is Sue

This is a category for any of our previous contest winners who want to take things a step farther to celebrate their success and keep motivated. Sue loves to incorporate Venus and other physical activities with her love for Karate. Learn about Sue’s journey to success in her contest interview.

Sue is extremely helpful and supportive in our online community and you can find her there often, always with a kind word.

'm excited about the future like never before. Setting my goals for 2015 will be very interesting, as the main challenge in my life has pretty much been sorted. A clean slate .. how exciting!!

I’m excited about the future like never before. Setting my goals for 2015 will be very interesting, as the main challenge in my life has pretty much been sorted. A clean slate .. how exciting!!

Venus is proving to be SO much more than just the “how to lose weight” program. Anything I need, it’s all at my fingertips .. and the community is beyond fantastic. Venus, you have given me the tools to become the best version of myself .. thank you!

Filed Under: calories, Contest, Diet, Exercise, transformation, Uncategorized Tagged With: becoming a venus, brad pilon, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, Venus Index, venus index contest, Venus index Transformation, Venus Index Transformation Contest

What does it feel like to over eat? Uncensored Podcast

November 12, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

What does it feel like when you’ve had enough food?

What does over eating and having just enough food feel like?

What does a normal day of eating feel like?

When do you realize it?

What about when the damage is already done?

How can we learn before the damage is done?

What does it feel like slightly?

What does it feel like to eat the right amount?

How do you tell when you are done for the day?

How do the food guides help?

What is the different in the feeling from just a couple hundred calories under VS the same amount over maintenance?

What are the three ways to eat?

What can you do to learn how to know for sure?

Listen to what John and Brad have to say about this topic:

IMMERSION Clients May Login and Download Podcast Here

(If you are using Venus Index Mobile, go to the left menu -> My products -> right menu -> Uncensored Season 3 -> enjoy, you can assign star to add it into Favorites for easier access next time, if you don’t have access to Uncensored Podcasts you can purchase Immersion Package inside the App Shop)

Not a Venus Index IMMERSION client? Click here to find out more…

Filed Under: calories, Diet, Uncategorized, Uncensored Podcasts S03 Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, brad pilon, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, john barban, The Venus Factor, Venus Index

How Arionna Gave Up on Dieting for Good

November 10, 2014 by Jenny Leave a Comment

I have come to love the Venus Index system because for the first time I have learned that this is a journey that is not just about losing pounds.

Arionna learned how to eat for life!

VT12 will be wrapping up soon, but we still have a few interviews from VT11 to share. Today’s interview is with Arionna who is living overseas with her children while her husband is working his third deployment. She had great results: 13 pounds lost and 3 inches gone from her waist, but what struck me most in our interview was how well she is MAINTAINING. She found Venus after realizing her current program was too complicated and rigid. She needed something that fit her lifestyle and Venus did just that. She had done it all from running to crossfit and just couldn’t lose the ten pounds she had gained from eating a Paleo diet.

She followed the calorie recommendations from the Venus Factor Virtual Nutritionist and enjoyed seeing those calories come up as she got closer and closer to her goal. As it is for most women, Arionna said the hardest part was adjusting to lower calories. What worked for her was saving the majority of her calories for later in the day. She skipped breakfast, had a 200 calorie snack in the afternoon, and saved the rest for a satisfying dinner. She’s maintaining happily now and even said, “It’s easy!”

A picture from her travels during the contest.

In her words:

“I have come to love the Venus Index system because for the first time I have learned that this is a journey that is not just about losing pounds. It’s not even really about losing inches (which is a great side benefit, don’t get me wrong!) but this is about a mindset. Anyone who can successfully do this can do absolutely anything because it’s all about setting priorities and gaining some mental clarity and self control. I seemed to have epiphany after epiphany doing this system. Some days were really really hard and some days were super easy and some days were just days with nothing special about them. I started this contest right during my husband’s third deployment while my kids and I were living in a foreign country and my sister and her husband came to visit and we also traveled to seven different countries while I did this. I feel like I could have blown this out of the water if all of this hadn’t been going on but the thing is, it’s about real life. And these are the things that happen in real life. People don’t exercise and diet in a vacuum. I had to learn to do it during real life, during stress, heartache, confusion, happiness, celebration, and vacation and it’s definitely do-able. I will definitely continue with this system for the rest of my life.”

She looks strong, confident and proud of her hard work!

You can listen to Arionna’s story here:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: calories, Contest, Diet Tagged With: orthorexia, Venus Index Transformation Contest

What about Low Carb VS Low Fat diets? Uncensored Podcast

October 15, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

What should I eat? There is so much controversy and confusion!

What about Low Fat VS. Low Carb diets?

Why did low fat diets become so important?

What brought about low carb diet?

What about the amount of food?

What was found on the latest trial on low fat VS low carb?

Why did the weight loss in the trial stop after 3 months?

Should carbs and fats be separated out for the focus on a diet?

How do people who are successful at fat loss keep it off?

Do people seem to get weight loss in bursts?

Why do the weight loss bursts happen?

What is a good strategy to stay on track?

What seems to be the most realistic rate of fat loss per week long term?

How can choosing less carbs be beneficial and why?

Listen to what John and Brad have to say about this topic:

IMMERSION Clients May Login and Download Podcast Here

Not a Venus Index IMMERSION client? Click here to find out more…

Filed Under: calories, Diet, fat loss, Uncategorized, Uncensored Podcasts S03 Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, brad pilon, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, working out for shape

Keeping your Motivation Up

September 5, 2014 by Liss Graham Leave a Comment

Coach Jenny knows what it takes to win a Venus Contest.

As we start out this latest Venus Contest- VT12, expectation and motivation run high. It is so exciting to think of the possible change you can drive in 12 short weeks with consistency and hard work!

For some the newness will wear down after a few weeks; challenges will inevitably present themselves and motivation will wane. What you will be left with is a choice to continue on with the commitment you made or to throw in the towel. Many will choose the latter. Do not be one of them. You can do this!
Here are some practical tips to keep up your motivation-

1) Refocus and reflect

I like to look over how I did the day before and plan out the day ahead for both calories and workouts. I then take my daily goals and turn them into weekly goals. Those become a weekly journal where I can reflect on what went good or bad. It is from this weekly feedback that we learn what works.

Coach Roberta’s main motivation is her workouts. The workouts help her keep her eye on the prize and make healthy choices with food.

2) Try a new tool

There are many to choose from, and how well they work for you will change with the seasons. Being open to trying new things and to changing something that is not working for you is important on a fitness journey. Experiment with the time of day you work out, try adding a day of cardio, change up the number of meals a day, or give fasting a try.

3) Find others who have walked the same path and succeeded

I find listening to Venus Index podcasts each day both inspires and motivates me. They keep me focused and I always come away with at least one helpful idea.

The Venus Index community is brimming full of women who are previous contest winners and those who are on their maintenance journey. It is so easy to reach out and get more personal via PM’s, texts, or email. The accountability is often very helpful when you are struggling.

We now have Venus Premier Coaching available for those who want it. A Venus coach will tell you exactly what to do and keep you accountable with regular check points.

Coach Lita is in tip top shape and knows how to get her clients there too.

4) Start a streak

Get yourself a calendar and reward each forward day with a sticker. Log continuously on My Fitness Pal. Creating a streak can be motivating! They also tend to develop into habits which take up less mental space.

5) Spend money

Where your money goes often reveals your priorities. It should be enough to make you feel the need to use it so make the amount appropriate to your income. Some ideas would be to purchase home gym equipment, workout clothing/shoes, or advanced programming like Immersion or Venus Premier Coaching.

Hiring a photographer is another great motivating tool for your contest photos. What better reward than professional documentation of being in the best shape of your life!

On scene at my last shoot, photographers and timelines are motivating for me.

Try incorporating a few of these methods into your contest or contest shadowing. This is a choice you are making, so commit to honor that as best you can. Forgive yourself when you mess up, learn from it, and power on. We call that stumbling forward in Venus land. Best wishes for VT12!

X- Liss

Filed Under: calories, Contest, Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Uncategorized, Weight training Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, becoming a venus, coaching, Contest, contest prep, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, fat loss, goal setting, High Protein Diets, motivation, muscle growth, venus index contest, weight loss

Get the Most Success with Fat Loss by Using a Calorie Budget; Uncensored Podcast

April 16, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

How are calories like managing a budget?

In today’s uncensored podcast John and Brad will speak to us about how managing calories are like managing a calorie budget:

How can you be more aware of calories?

How do you get the mindset to be aware?

What can you do?

What must you stop doing?

What is the fundamental assumption you can make?

What can you do if you are the type of person who tends to gain weight?

What are the similarities between a calorie budget and a financial budget?

What is realistic?

What can you do with your schedule?

What is worth the cost to you?

How is food like credit cards?

How can you keep a balance sheet?

How can you be aware of the minutia?

How can you be aware of a pay day?

How to you count leaks?

Is hope a strategy?

How do you become responsible?

How do you stay out of debt?

What about short term and long term strategies?

What about building habits?

How are calories like managing a budget?

What about keeping a budget when in maintenance?

Listen to what John and Brad have to say about managing calorie budgets here:

IMMERSION Clients May Login and Download Podcast Here

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Filed Under: calories, Diet, Uncensored Podcasts S03 Tagged With: bodyfat, brad pilon, Eat Stop Eat, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, working out for shape

IN HER WORDS

You can listen to Elizabeth’s story here:

What protein should you eat?

An example of a deficit day for me:

Every day is different for me, but I always get the protein in.

What happens when your body adapts to too much food?

How can you recover after a splurge?

First place – Pamela

Second place – Sharon

Third place – Leah

Fourth place – Patty

Fifth place – Kat

Sixth place – Sylvie

Seventh place – Wendy

Eighth place – Sheralyn

Ninth place – Elizabeth

Tenth place – Jenia

Our Cover Model for this contest is Sue

What does over eating and having just enough food feel like?

Arionna learned how to eat for life!

What about Low Fat VS. Low Carb diets?

1) Refocus and reflect

2) Try a new tool

3) Find others who have walked the same path and succeeded

4) Start a streak

5) Spend money

In today’s uncensored podcast John and Brad will speak to us about how managing calories are like managing a calorie budget:

Listen to what John and Brad have to say about managing calorie budgets here:

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