Diet

Fat loss with auto immune deficiency? Meet Barb

April 1, 2017 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

In spite of the odds with auto immune deficiency she did this and is also maintaining well.

Barb has Auto Immune deficiency and a lot of health issues will make the process go slow, but the process still works. When she eats food that are not good for her she feels sick and then gets discouraged and has learned that she can “Save the Day” instead of going pell-mell and continuing on that path.

With her issues Barb finds she needs to have control of her food. She loves to share her meals in my facebook support groups. Here’s a couple of the meals she has posted:

Looks pretty good to me!

Here’s what Barb had to say in her own words, in her essay with her final contest pictures:

Oh wow, I am finished my first full Venus Index Contest! I am quite amazed, looking back over the past 3 months and the road I have traveled. It goes way back to when I was a teenager, when I first suffered from poor health. Throughout my life I have struggled and after having my 2 daughters, I realized I had to change many things so I could be here for them. I have worked really hard at managing an auto-immune disease and believe I can go into remission. Proper diet, exercise and sleep are crucial and I do ok with each but not consistently.

When my 14 yr old went through a mental health crisis last year I was a wreck. At times I was unsure that she would even make it. I didn’t sleep for about 8 months and subsequently ate poorly and was too tired to workout. I went to parenting classes at the hospital when she was in therapy and the onus was on taking care of ourselves in the midst of crisis. I worked so hard to keep everyone in my family taken care of (6 kids, one husband and one large dog) and made the final decision it was time for me to take care of myself.

When my daughter was on her way to recovery I joined Venus Index because I need this for ME. I have enjoyed the system and community thoroughly because it offers results and support. I think my favourite part of Venus Index is when I joined Roberta Saum’s Nibbles Fitness Thanksgiving Challenge. It was exactly what I needed to get me through to the end. All the participants were amazing women, all with the same weaknesses, strengths and challenges as me.

I felt so much love and support and reciprocated with heartfelt wishes of strength and encouragement to them. I have never joined a group like this because I always felt intimidated but with Venus Index I embraced the opportunity and haven’t looked back. Two of the most difficult moments were photographing myself in a bikini but I realized that I had to do it to move towards success.

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.

Here she is sharing about the good life and her social eating victories:

Late night post. I went to a fancy shmancy party my in-laws throw every Christmas. I made a plan for the day: extra cardio and I was way under maintenance the past 2 days. I volunteered to be the designated driver so I could avoid the alcohol. I bar-tended to keep busy and away from the food and made sure I ate really healthy all day. I feel so happy I took the time to think things out beforehand. I did enjoy some amazing cheeses, lean beef tenderloin, crudités and several glasses of water . Life is good

I had the honor of speaking with Barb on the phone and ask her to share her story. She talks about all that she did to succeed and how she STAYS successful now.

Listen now or download the podcast for later:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Contest, Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Food, Health, transformation, Uncategorized, Weight training Tagged With: diet for weight loss, Fit at 50, The Venus Factor, Venus index Transformation, Venus Index Transformation Contest

Pick One Thing

March 6, 2017 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

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:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Bodyfat, calories, Contest, Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Food, Health, Interview, Podcast, weight loss, Weight training Tagged With: bodyfat, Fit at 50, goal setting, The Venus Factor, Venus Index, venus index contest, Venus index Transformation, Venus Index Transformation Contest, Venus Index Workout, weight loss, weight training, working out for shape

The 2017 Venus Transformation Contest schedule

January 12, 2017 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Believe that you can do it. It does not require special powers, it merely requires simple day to day steps. The Venus System can help you with those steps. You don’t have to think about the workout, you pull out the page and it’s something different and fun every day. Yes you will be sore at first, but then the empowerment happens.

If you want daily support with the workout, we are very active in the Venus Factor Workout accountability group on FaceBook. You can join whether or not you decide to join the contest. Everyone is posting their workouts and daily victories and holding each other accountable in there.

If you want help preparing for the contest I’ve available to answer questions in the Venus Factor Contest Prep Facebook group.

Venus Next Year (2017) Contest schedule:

VT19: January 16 to April 10

And this is where you signup once you get a Venus login below:

(but only during the dates above) JOIN the CONTEST.

The Venus Contest rules and regulations are HERE.

And anyone is welcome to select their own premier Venus coach anytime, not just during the contest or for a contest. Anyone that needs help, we are here for you.

Feel free to email me if you have questions.

Alright ladies, Let’s DO THIS!

-Coach Roberta

Filed Under: Contest, Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Health, transformation, Weight training Tagged With: becoming a venus, diet for weight loss, Fit at 50, goal setting, The Venus Factor, transformation contest, Venus Index, Venus Index Workout

And the VT18 Venus Transformation Contest results are …

December 6, 2016 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

There is nothing easy about this process. It’s a lifestyle. It takes TIME for people to learn a new lifestyle. Be patient with yourself. Give yourself permission to be human. Never give up. The only difference between those who succeed and those who have not yet is persistence and learning to dust yourself off and keep going after you fall.

And our first place winner is Jackie. Her prize is getting her life back but she happens to get her choice of either $500 or the Immersion package.

1st Place Jackie

The second place winner is Barbara and besides a beautiful shape for her body she gets the choice of $350 or the Immersion package.

2nd Place Barbara

“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.”

Our 3rd place winner is Lynn who not only looks amazing in her dress, but she gets a prize of $250 or the choice of the Immersion package.

3rd Place Lynn

“Daily planning of food to go with you, so you are not tempted by unhealthy choices becomes easy and routine. Choosing to change my mind set to” Slow and Steady, while incorporating the Venous System has made the difference. Life is not a race. Venus Index bring it on, you rock!!”

And not the least of all is our amazing 4th place Candy who looks absolutely stunning in her dress. She wins the choice of $250 or the Immersion package.

4th Place 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 these beautiful ladies who put in a lot of hard work to make a transformation. Each of them lost 10-15 pounds which is above average for most women in the 3 month period of a contest. They enter the holiday season with a winning strategy and ahead of the game compared to the rest of society.

Why are there only four winners this time? Well first of all we don’t just fill up the ten slots, we pick those who showed a true transformation. If the pictures don’t show a change or transformation, then they can’t be used.

But mainly there is nothing easy about this process. The is no magic pill or short cut. It’s going to take some true grit and determination. It’s somewhat simple yes, but it’s hard to implement the nutrition habits. It’s easy to give up when you think you can’t do it anymore. Sometimes you make all the human mistakes we all make with food intake, you think you are a failure, thus you give up. But the fact of the matter all of us make a “controlled stumble forward” as John’s has said in his email. You have to give yourself permission to be human and keep going anyway.

I’ve emailed everyone who entered this contest and had extended the deadline for them, but the overwhelming response was “I just couldn’t stick with the nutrition plan”.

So here’s a list of the most common mistakes and some solutions:

Problem: Eating a deficit that is too low for you. The Venus calculator gives you a range, not an absolute number.

Solution: When you eat too low on your deficit days you will end up eating more uncontrolled on other days. The solution is to bump up your calories to something still under your maintenance number per the Venus calculator. Consistency is more important that eating low. The turtle wins this race. Everyone that tries to do this too fast end up rebounding. Aren’t you tired of the diet yo-yo? If so, stop eating so low. But at the same time don’t eat over maintenance. That’s how you win. That is how you walk the calorie tightrope.

Problem: Not eating up to maintenance at least one day a week.

Solution: You don’t have to follow an exact schedule on this, you can pick a day of the week that works best for you. Some weeks you need more than one maintenance day. Remember that eating up to your normal needs (maintenance) is ALWAYS A WIN. It is not back sliding, it eating what you actually need. Eating at a deficit is “corrective action” and is not meant to be long term. It is like taking medicine and some days the “medicine” causes too much stress on your body. If it’s hard to add in a little extra food on those days start eating a little earlier in the day, continue to eat small portions but add in a little more healthy more calorie dense foods like fats and carbs (yum!!) – enjoy it!

Problem: Not getting enough protein.

Solution: For your meal planning, focus on protein and veggies FIRST, then add a serving or two of both healthy fat and carbs, sometimes these are combined in other food choices already. The highest protein foods in the least amount of calories are in this order: Egg whites, white fish, protein powder, bone broth, Chicken/turkey/ham, fat free Greek yogurt, fat free cottage cheese. The calorie to protein ratio drops off dramatically after that with all foods including other food labeled “high protein”. Many foods have protein that are very high in calories.

Problem: Getting stuck in a rut with meal timing and thinking you must fast or delay your first meal of the day until afternoon.

Solution: Intermittent fasting and fasting has it’s place for sure, but it’s not always the best answer for the day or season of life. If you find yourself eating too much in the evening and not able to stay on plan, it’s not working. If it’s not working it needs to be fixed. By continuing the vicious cycle of fasting and binging you set yourself up for continued failure. Remember it’s okay to change up the meal timing according to how you feel for the day. You can always “Save the Day“. What matters is the calories at the end of the day in the 24 hour period, extend that out 7 days, 30, 60, and 90 days for results.

Problem: Not giving yourself permission to be human.

Solution: Accept the fact that you are human and will make mistakes with nutrition. Stress is a huge factor. You can’t rely on willpower alone, you need to setup your environment for success. When the nutrition didn’t go according to plan, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, take a deep breath, and decide to continue on. We all have to do this. I still have to do this.

Problem: Not realizing that you are not really accurate with food intake, the “But I’m eating less and it’s not working” syndrome.

Solution: This happens especially when you eat too low, because you will over compensate on other days by eating too high and not realizing it. This is called “Mental Accounting“. It’s very easy to make honest mistakes when tracking your food intake. In addition there are many times things you missed on the food labels or with measurements of food, or with supplements that have calories.

Sometimes you have to be your own motivator and other times you need a little help and support from friends. If you want help and support I have a Venus Contest Prep Facebook group. If you want to get started with a little New Years Challenge I have New Years Challenge support group where there is a prize drawing for participation. Before long you will know how to create your own prizefighter victories every single day for the rest of your life.

Next Year (2017) Contest schedule:

VT19: January 16 to April 10

VT20: May 15 to August 7

VT21: August 28 to November 20

Filed Under: change, Contest, Diet, fat loss, Food, transformation Tagged With: diet for weight loss, Fit at 50, goal setting, The Venus Factor, transformation contest, venus index contest, Venus index Transformation, weight loss, weight training

All the Girls Who Dream; Meet Monica

September 26, 2016 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Monica is achieving her dream of being a personal trainer, with the help of the Venus program.

To some people this may not seem like a lot, but to Monica her young life prior to Venus was stealing her dream. In reality, everyone who has more weight to lose can finally reach the last 10-15 pounds and find the struggle is much like Monica’s. This last stretch has it’s own set of struggles. The tools learned in Venus will apply even more critically at this stage of the game.

Not knowing how to navigate the over abundance of food in modern society was hindering Monica from achieving her dreams, but now she has overcome victoriously!

Monica always had this dream of helping others.

Here’s what Monica wrote about the Venus Factor:

My experience with the Venus Factor has been the absolute best weight loss/healthy lifestyle experience I have had. For such a long time I had focused on various diets or popular approaches to weight loss, but I was unwilling to take the challenge to count calories.

I was also ignorant of how many calories I ACTUALLY NEEDED on a daily basis! Especially knowing my maintenance calories has helped me to keep from just gaining all the weight back. In the past I did some extreme things to lose weight, but I had no idea what my maintenance calories were so I would eat as I was used to eating and would gain it all back.

After joining the Venus Factor, I saw results that I could rely on, and I learned skills and patterns of living that I have incorporated into my day to day life that also have enabled me to KEEP the pounds off! In these last 12 weeks of counting my calories (which, believe me, I used to HATE doing!)

I actually came to my husband and told him how much I enjoyed counting calories because it enabled me to eat snacks and goodies that I used to think were devastating for me, but now I can eat them as long as they fit into my calorie budget.

Food doesn’t control me anymore. I am in charge of choosing and deciding what and how much I will eat and it has brought so much more enjoyment and freedom!

I used to be afraid when I would go to someone’s house or a restaurant and not know what they were going to feed me because it could “ruin” all my efforts! Instead, now I just take into account my plans and I just eat a bit less before and after those meals and leave enough calories for those meetings.

Monica knows the importance of having support and giving support.

Again, freedom is the word I would use to describe my journey with Venus Factor. Its been amazing!

My husband has also been overwhelmingly appreciative of the Venus Factor as it has kept me from “yo-yo” dieting and has helped me to have a more balanced emotional perspective to my personal fitness goals.

The Venus Factor has also provided helpful and motivational community as well as appropriate and accurate information which helped to guide me toward effective weight loss.

I am a personal trainer and now I am pointing others toward the Venus Factor too, so that they can finally see REAL results!

You can find me on Facebook!

-Coach Monica!

Monica has achieved her dream!

“My husband has also been overwhelmingly appreciative of the Venus Factor as it has kept me from “yo-yo” dieting and has helped me to have a more balanced emotional perspective to my personal fitness goals.”

Listen to Monica’s inspiring podcast now, or download it for later:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Food, Interview, Podcast, Weight training Tagged With: diet for weight loss, The Venus Factor, transformation contest, venus index contest, Venus index Transformation

Yet another 55 year young Venus bucks the trend; Meet Anita

September 12, 2016 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Anita is ecstatic with her results!

Anita placed in our last Venus Transformation contest and is ecstatic with her results. I had the pleasure of working with this amazing lady and watching her achieve her results.

Here is her essay from the contest:

My journey When I came to America from Belgium after marrying my husband, as an immigrant, I was mistreated an thought lesser by my peers. I ignored the hateful comments though and started my family, and had two kids, they turned out very well, god bless their hearts. Aside from the ridicule I received for being an immigrant, I was met with intolerance for also being hearing impaired.

These people just never understood my predicament, or tried to understand. This always made me so low and ashamed about who I was. I started doing the Venus contest in February of 2015, and I must say it is the best thing I have ever done in my whole life.

I lost weight, gained muscle, and better yet I gained confidence in myself. The journey is not yet over, still many miles to go, but one day I will succeed. One day this emotional roller coaster will come to an end, and I will walk away from it victorious.

Filled with the knowledge of how I turned the negative comments of others, into my strengths to do this challenge. As well as use that strength to change into the woman I am today. Thank you Roberta Saum , for being my strength, and it is thanks to you that I look this amazing. I am 54 going 55 years old, and I’ve never felt this good in my life before, until now.

Anita

Anita struggled with her weight a long time. Venus helped her buck that trend in her mid 50’s!

I had the honor of answering Anita’s questions this last year as she moved along. Most people just need a little confirmation that they are doing the right thing and trusting the process.

Anita is hard of hearing so we could not do an interview, so she wrote this additional story of her journey for you:

I have simply no words what to say about me placing in Venus contest. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It is amazing how far I came and how proud I am of myself and I dare say so, it was my dream to lose weight.

The highest I weighted was 213 lb and lowest weigh was 135lb. My present weigh is now 145lb give or take, Roberta has taught me that it is okay and normal to fluctuate so much, especially we we are taller.

I would not make it this far without this program and all the support I have from Roberta and her group on Facebook , especially you everyday posting good or bad things like we were mind readers, lol,that why I believed!! We are proof we are never to old to get fit, we might not look like a fitness model but we will feel and look better and stronger everyday, we just glow more confidentially.

Here are my answers the most common questions:

How did I find Venus? When I was so fed up by being so tired and having joint pains all the time and overweight (now I know why was I so tired, from the extra weight!). I quit smoking to become a healthier me. I decided to go on fitnesspal and put myself in a research mode, then I found Roberta and started following her for about a year before I signed up for Venus contest.

How did I enjoy the Venus workout? The intensity of the workout, deficit plan with the menu was a plus, work out plan,this is a great program when you first start out.

Which workout did I do? I used both 12 weeks fat loss and final phase which I did several times.

What kept me motivated? All the good comments and pictures in the Facebook group Nibbles Fitness by Roberta. I loved seeing all the people working out with that have health issues and working out everyday, just made me see everything in another light, and looking at before and after pictures sure gets my butt in the gym.

What did I do for my diet? I started eating less and used my little scale to keep track of what I was eating, mostly meat veggies less dairy and over 100 grams of protein, more carbs early in the day not at night. Most of all I needed to eat gluten free for my own health issues.

How did I change my workouts with Venus? When I started Venus, I did not follow the program as planned. I did less reps and I just worked out in my own tempo until I was stronger and more sure I could do all the work out without any injury. That was so far my way of building up strength. I took my time and 1 year 7 month later I built up more strength. Now I workout everyday and I like cardio, cycling or on the treadmill for 30 + minutes.

What supplements did I use? I use a Bliss Go pack, Phormula-1 protein, Level-1 protein, Ignition, and Megawatts is the best energy drink. These are the best supplements ever.

How did my life change? I used to spend so much time reading on the internet all the time and I decided to stop reading and get my butt in the gym! I followed Venus and Nibbles on Facebook and the support is tremendous and it never fails.

Did I get support from family and friends? My family were supportive but I could tell sometimes the look on their face, how long will this last? Nonetheless, they are proud of me. I had them hide their junk food, lol, and I told them to eat candy at work and not around me at home!

What was the biggest struggle? The hardest part is the food. I love to cook and I love to eat. So I learned that if I want cheese cake in the evening I simply get it and eat it. I used to panic, but now I have learned that you are not going to get fat overnight. You just can’t do it everyday. Treat yourself once in awhile

How did I feel when I saw my contest pictures? I was amazed when I saw my pictures! I got so many compliments and that I look so happy. I truly was and still am on cloud nine. I was shocked that at my age 55 I could do this. I think we are a rare breed trying to get over the hill and I love it.

What is my best advice for you? When I first started, I took little baby steps. Nobody said you have to all the workouts at once. Find your own tempo and work your way up. I did 1 or 2 reps of all the workouts for 1 month. Never give up! Even if you don’t feel like it, go to the gym even (even if it is for 10 min). I have been there and done that, I have a full time job and I found a way to fit it in and I am loving it.

How did my life change? This program changed my life, I became stronger and more confident. I just glow and wherever I go and people heads are turned, lol, and this is fun!

Where did I get support? This program shows you how to meet your goal. There is always support on Facebook. You can ask your personal trainer how to do better for yourself, whoever your trainer is, but mine is a very special lady and her name is Roberta Saum, without her I would not be here.

What makes me the most happy? I am so happy that I can wear beautiful clothes and they make me feel sexy about myself, because it fits and it is a small size. I can finally say to myself “you look good baby”.

How did this effect the relationships with people in my life? The behavior of the people all around you changes. I have more haters and mostly it is women, but I know they are struggling with their own weight too. They think my life is perfect, but it is far from it. I am honest whoever ask me about my weight loss, I try to be nice and give complements even if I don’t get them anymore! I give compliments to the guys to and it’s fun to feel like an eye candy at the gym, lol, and that is fine with me. I love the attention.

What did I change for lifestyle? I live a healthier life style now. I still drink a glass of beer everyday with my meal now, but it is usually before 5pm. I don’t eat carbs late in the afternoon anymore.

What is my last piece of advice? The most important thing is you need to find a role model, that is fit and lean and has been there and done that. It can be anybody, your trainer or someone on Facebook who you can talk to and answer all your questions. Never compare yourself with this person, but make the most of it. Never give up when you ate junk food the day before, forgive yourself and start over. You are not going get fat overnight, trust me. It takes years to get fat. Take pictures even if you don’t want to. You will see the difference after one month even when the scale wont budge. I tell you what, throw out the scale! The scale is so discouraging, even now for me. It makes me I feel like I wanna give up. Search fitness for models on line, that is my motivation. It doesn’t matter how hard you workout everyday, but to lose the extra fat you need to do the calorie deficit. I did all my Venus workout 3 times a week and I just hired a personal trainer to set up a new program. My new trainer is showing me the body language. how to work your muscles and find better to find my balance. Who knows, I might do a fitness show. Imagine that at age 55! I can live my dreams, but I will always need my Venus sisters to get my motivation and give all the help they ask me!!

Thank you for having me, love you all and remember we can do it!! WE ARE PROOF!!

Anita

Look how beautiful Anita is now, and yes she enjoys getting attention now too!

Filed Under: change, Contest, Diet, fat loss, Food Tagged With: The Venus Factor, Venus index Transformation, working out for shape

Venus Veteran Kimberly Shares Her Secrets to Maintenance Success

July 4, 2016 by Liss Graham Leave a Comment

Kimberly has been using Venus systems for over 5 years and placed in Venus’ very first open contest.

Kimberly placed in the VT1 Open Category back in 2011

Since 2010, she has continually improved her physique despite health challenges and global relocations. Kimberly knows what it takes to maintain and improve your physique!

Kimberly, Liss, Jenny, and Lou Ann in Vegas

So when I thought about interviewing veterans about maintenance, this sweet friend came straight to mind. I have seen her in person and even worked out together; we got to meet in 2014 in Vegas at a Venus meet up. Kimberly looks every part Venus.

Liss, Jenny, Roly, Carla, and Kimberly after workout at the Cosmopolitan

Here is what Kimberly has to say-

During the VT1 competition back in Jan to April 2011, I set a goal for myself. An “Every Day Venus”. I wanted a body shape and appearance that I could have everyday. A body that was not dependent on heavy dieting, posing or lighting tricks. I wanted to learn a way to maintain a look that is athletic and lean….all the time. There is no doubt Venus has taught me that.

Kimberly in August 2011 After Venus Contest

I have maintained at Venus for over 5 years now. Every Day. At first it took some work and focus as I built new habits and ‘normals’ for myself. I was also a little scared about losing this new body that looked good and was strong and healthy. It took a while to realize that I didn’t have to be perfect and worry about things, I just needed to be consistent and gently correct the process when I got feedback from my waistband or body that I was slipping a little.

Kimberly in 2012 at Maintenance

My key learnings have been:

Aim for consistency not perfection. Don’t stress the small things; a big day of eating or a missed workout doesn’t matter. Intervening early when the pendulum swings out makes it easier to stay on track

Find a pattern to keep calories within your target zone as a lifestyle. For me it is easy to skip breakfast and eat normally the rest of the day. Look for low calorie substitutions you can use for every day eating

Lift heavy. You won’t look like a man and even if something does get a little more than you would like, it is easily reversed by changing exercises

Even if you have health issues, don’t give up. A strong and healthy body makes such a difference in managing symptoms and may even enable you to fix some of the root causes

Over the past few years I have continued to improve my metrics (refer to table). I am actually a little ‘extreme’ in my unders and overs. Each one of us is unique but we all have the potential to create our best body with this program. It is important to recognize that we all have our own look, and that you cannot ‘shop’ about for the best body parts from others. Celebrate what you have.

Kimberly in 2014 at Maintenance

In my original VT1 essays, I wrote “This is a competition and someone will win. Whatever happens, I have already won – I know my dream body, I know how to get it and I know how to maintain it.”

Five years on…..and I am still winning!!!!

Kimberly in 2015 at Maintenance using Venus Index

Kimberly’s Metrics Using Venus

Height 5’3.5″	Venus	May 2011 (VT1)	Current
Weight	122 lb	105 lb	110 lb
Shoulder	39.1	39.1	42
Waist	24.3	23.5	23
Hips	34.4	33.0	36.5
Bicep		9.4	10.5
Chest		33.3	34.5
Upper thigh		17.6	17.6

Kimberly’s transformation story Kimberly’s VT1 interview with John Barban – An Everyday Venus

Kimberly in the Venus Community

Watch Kimberly’s interview with Liss below:

Listen to Kimberly’s interview with Liss below:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Bodyfat, calories, cardio, change, Contest, Diet, Exercise, Health, Interview, Maintenance, Uncategorized Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, body composition, goal setting, maintenance, muscle growth, Venus Index, Venus Index Workout, weight loss, weight training, working out for shape

Venus friend of a Venus friend sheds 60 pounds.

June 27, 2016 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

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!

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.

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!

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:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Contest, Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Food, Health, Podcast, transformation, Uncategorized, weight loss, Weight training Tagged With: goal setting, The Venus Factor, transformation contest, venus index contest, Venus index Transformation, Venus Index Workout, working out for shape

Mom of four sheds the Frumpy with Venus!

June 13, 2016 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Scotti is a mom of four. She gained 100 pounds after her first born set of twins! She lost and gained it back before finally embarking on the Venus journey. She’s lost 35 pounds since starting Venus. As she says in her podcast, this all makes sense now. It’s simple. Not easy but simple.

Scotti is a mom of four, and is a NO EXCUSES woman. Amazing!

She turned it around and it feels like for good! Here’s what Scotti said in her own words:

Since finding the Venus Index Program late August, 2015, I have lost 35 lbs. I found Venus at a time when I was about to give up on the idea of losing weight and accept that I was a frumpy mom.

I stumbled upon Venus through a Facebook recipe link. I watched the video and thought, “Why Not!” Little did I know, I was about to change my outlook on food consumption, losing weight, cardio, and weight training.

I found Venus to be easy to follow and very flexible. I started with eating at a deficit first. I had never counted calories before.

Previously, I had success losing weight using Weight Watchers and Herbal Magic, but neither program taught me about calories and I gained the weight back.

I started delaying my first meal of the day, which made eating at deficit sustainable. I loved the inclusion of maintenance days. I knew that once or twice a week, I could have my favorite ice cream, pasta dish, or date night at a restaurant.

Once my food consumption was on track, I added in weight training.

I had been taking a kickboxing class three mornings a week for the past 2 years, I decreased my kickboxing classes to twice a week and incorporated the Venus 12 Week weight program twice a week.

It took me almost 5 months to complete the first 12 week weight program. Then, I moved on to Final Phase. I really, really like Final Phase. The first 12 weeks on the Venus Program, I lost 20 lbs.

I decided to join the contest for some extra motivation.

I told a friend about the contest and asked if she would take my pictures.

The contest, combined with being accountable to my friend, really helped me stay focused. I had some difficult weeks during the contest where I just wanted to eat. I listened to many Immersion podcasts to help keep me focused.

I shopped for photo shoes, a bikini, and booked my tan at various low points to help with motivation. I also took progress photos at the end of each month so that I could see my progress.

During the contest, I lost a further 15 lbs and 4.5 inches off my waist.

I can now see my beautiful muscles and I love it. I am not finished yet. I have some more fat to shed and some muscles to build.

I now have the tools to make this a reality. I am NOT a frumpy mom.

-Scotti

Scotti is active in the Nibbles Fitness Facebook group and in her last post there she said “I have increased my strength so much with the Venus Program that the ladies in my kickboxing class will no longer partner with me. I have mixed emotions about this – proud of the strength gains I have achieved and sad that I no longer fit in with the general population.”

Listen to Scotti’s podcast now or save it for later:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Contest, Diet, Exercise, fat loss, transformation Tagged With: The Venus Factor, transformation contest, venus index contest, Venus Index Contest Interview, Venus index Transformation, Venus Index Transformation Contest, Venus Index Workout, weight loss, weight training, working out for shape

Contest winner Tracey Brings Out Her Inner Warrior!

June 6, 2016 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Tracey lost 11 pounds and 3 inches in 12 weeks. That’s about the average for most women in 12 weeks and it is always very hard earned.

I learned from this competition is eating that third cookie is not the end of the world, but it is important to not give in to that little voice saying, “Well, since you blew your calorie count, you might as well give up now and just eat the rest of the box”. I remind myself that occasional treats are OK. I just need to maintain self-control so that I can enjoy treats from time to time.

Here’s what Tracey said in her own words:

This competition was a very interesting experience for me. As you can see from my numbers I didn’t lose a lot of weight. And I certainly didn’t hit my goal, not even close. But I did have a positive change in my way of thinking.

That is where this competition benefited me the most and for that reason, I decided to submit my photos and essay. Growing up I was always very athletic, playing sports all year round and never worrying about my weight.

Then in High School I developed knee problems caused by years of running and jumping on the basketball court. That was the beginning of bad choices, self-pity and rapid weight gain.

Over the years I tried different diets and programs but my heart just wasn’t in it. I kept making excuses and continued to feel sorry for myself. When I heard about Venus Factor last year, I stopped and listened.

Then I spent time thinking about it and decided I would commit to this program. Although the decision to enter the competition was easy, taking and submitting those photos was not. I looked long and hard at those photos of myself realizing how unhealthy I had allowed myself to become. I was embarrassed to say the least. And quite unhappy (as you can tell by the look on my face). But I was determined to give this a try.

It hasn’t been an easy 12 weeks but I chose to sign up as a way to challenge myself and to give myself a much needed kick in the butt. Surprisingly, I was able to incorporate the exercise part of the program into my daily life with no problem. I even reached a point where I began enjoying the routines. I’m not very coordinated but over time I was able to successfully complete all but one of the exercises, that Stability Ball Curl Up is simply beyond my abilities at this time, but I’ll keep trying to get the hang of it. However, the rest of the exercises I was able to do, and as a result, I feel physically stronger.

I can actually feel the muscles in my arms and legs and hope that soon I can see them more clearly defined as the fat drops away.

The tricky part of this adventure for me was eating healthy. This meant making the right food choices, eating the proper portion size, and watching my calorie intake. I struggled with this for the first 10 weeks of the competition. I kept promising myself that tomorrow I would start eating better but tomorrow didn’t get here until the majority of the competition was behind me.

I also struggled with self-pity, about denying myself all the tasty treats I was used to eating and telling myself there was no way I could function on only 1000 calories a day. I fussed, whined and fought the idea until finally, in week 11, I went back and reread one of John’s emails (Stop Identifying as Your Struggle and Bring out Your Warrior). He reminded me to take care of myself because being healthy is a good thing and should be treated in a positive way.

Then I reread other emails I’ve received over the past few months. The words of encouragement and the stories of inspiration reminded me why I was doing this. I want to be happy and part of that comes from being healthy. I let these words sink in and really take root in my mind and heart.

As I did, I was able to push aside the excuses, self-pity and doubt. I knew I had to build a new habit of being health conscious, but as with any habit, it takes time, consistency and effort.

So with my new found focus, I began working to build this new habit and soon I began to see and feel the changes. My clothing started to loosen up a bit, my body started to feel stronger, my energy level increased, and I felt happier.

With all these positive strides, it became easier to make good decisions and to remain vigilant about good choices. I started by concentrating on making it through a few hours, then through a whole day, and before I knew it I had made it through two days and then 5 days.

In time, I know it will become easier to make good choices on a regular basis because I will be able to feel and see the difference.

Another thing I learned from this competition is eating that third cookie is not the end of the world, but it is important to not give in to that little voice saying, “Well, since you blew your calorie count, you might as well give up now and just eat the rest of the box”.

I remind myself that occasional treats are OK. I just need to maintain self-control so that I can enjoy treats from time to time. And the key to enjoying the occasional treat, is to not over-indulge.

This competition has been a difficult journey for me but a beneficial one, too. It helped me become more conscientious about how important it is to treat my body with the respect it deserves by making healthy choices.

I know I still have a long way to go before I reach my final goal but at least now, I know I can do it because I believe in myself.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank you all, especially John, for creating such a wonderful program. I will definitely be recommending the Venus Factor to family, friends and anyone else who wants get healthy.

-Tracey

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Contest, Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Food, transformation, Weight training Tagged With: The Venus Factor, transformation contest, Venus Index, venus index contest, Venus index Transformation, Venus Index Transformation Contest, Venus Index Workout, weight training, working out for shape

Fat loss with auto immune deficiency? Meet Barb

Pick One Thing

The 2017 Venus Transformation Contest schedule

Venus Next Year (2017) Contest schedule:

And the VT18 Venus Transformation Contest results are …

1st Place Jackie

2nd Place Barbara

3rd Place Lynn

4th Place Candy

Next Year (2017) Contest schedule:

All the Girls Who Dream; Meet Monica

Yet another 55 year young Venus bucks the trend; Meet Anita

Venus Veteran Kimberly Shares Her Secrets to Maintenance Success

Here is what Kimberly has to say-

Kimberly’s Metrics Using Venus

Watch Kimberly’s interview with Liss below:

Listen to Kimberly’s interview with Liss below:

Venus friend of a Venus friend sheds 60 pounds.

Mom of four sheds the Frumpy with Venus!

Contest winner Tracey Brings Out Her Inner Warrior!

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