Helen took the community with her to Luanda and Angola in Africa.

Helen is 49 years old and has struggled with her weight since her teens.

Sound familiar?

It seems like all the diets want to make you believe you can eat an unlimited amount of certain foods.

It feels like a mystery sometimes as to why the weight comes off.

And then you revert back to your “normal” foods and it all comes back.

So really there are no secret foods.  The secret is the AMOUNT of food; the correct energy balance for your own self.

That is what the Venus program teaches you.  How to find your own energy balance.

There is no one size fits all.  There is no magic formula.  But there are tools to help you find your own balance.

The transformation is just a small snapshot in time.  12 weeks is not very long.  But during that 12 weeks Helen started learning her balance.  She lost 13 pounds in 12 weeks, 2.3 inches in her waist, 3 inches in her shoulders, and 4 inches in her hips.

But more than that she gained confidence and finally showed the muscle tone she wanted.

Here is what Helen said about the 12 weeks in her own words:

I have struggled with my weight since my teens. I have always loved to work out, I was a runner, then did triathlons, but never looked like I did those things.

Then two years ago I had a total knee replacement and thought that I would bounce right back because I was athletic. I did recover functionally, though I do not have full extension in my right leg, but I can do quite a bit.

My weight has gone up and down since I can remember. It seems as if I was always trying something, vegetarian, Paleo, and all. I wanted something that basically told me I could eat an unlimited amount of food. I would lose some weight, but I tried not to get on the scale because it really was a mental issue with me.

I live overseas in Luanda, Angola in Africa and the food choices are very different from what is in the states. I do bring some things back when we come home, but I needed a program that did not rely on special meals. Being gluten free in a third world country is tough enough, but not being able to find other food was frustrating as well.

Also being a doctoral student , a stay at home mom, online instructor, and homeschooling my youngest son makes life a bit hectic as well, but working out has always been “my time”.

I found Venus while on the internet, downloading one more “thing” that would be a quick fix. I downloaded it, but just the basic program, I wanted to start with just that. I had started and stopped so many different things, and each time I switched, it was a day to “start anew” and give myself one more day of thinking I could eat what I wanted. I had started another 12 week program, but the food suggestions were impossible to acquire in Africa. I read the Venus program and thought this makes sense, you can eat what you want, you just have to account for it.

I kept thinking of all the people I knew who were thin, they didn’t eat like I did, they ate less. It just made sense. You have to eat less, and the only way you are going to do that is to track what you are putting in your mouth. I decided to start the 12 week protocol, and never thought about the contest.

Then the miracle of the Venus community happened, and all these amazing ladies, some who had already achieved amazing results, some who had quite a way to go, and some that were just like me, needing to lose, but not far from Venus numbers. I loved listening to their advice, their triumphs, their questions, and respected their challenges. It took me awhile to start blogging.

I kept thinking who is gonna want to hear my issues, I am a nurse, and it has always been my job to take care of others. But you start and you feel this connection and it’s a really great feeling. There was a group of ladies that were going to commit to the contest, and I thought why not.

I am committed to the program no matter what, so let’s see what I can do in 12 weeks. It is interesting because the timing comes right as we travel back to the US and usually I start focusing on all those foods that you haven’t had for 6 months.

This time I said to myself, you can have that food, but every bite that goes in your mouth will be tracked. I had a serious “coming to Jesus” moment realizing all the calories in some of the foods I thought I was so “good” in eating. I still decided to see it through, and there were days that I was not perfect, but I wouldn’t give up.

To me being a Venus means the process is a journey of learning and Venus fits in my lifestyle. Just as it was said in the beginning, the program is simple, but not always easy, but neither is life, and I feel such a connection to so many ladies on the forum, that my greatest hope is that one day I can meet them.

I will continue on this journey, and I am not where I want to be, but I much better than where I started.

Thank you everyone at Venus.

Helen

Helen found the online community to be a huge part of her success. She made friends. With her travels around the world she was able to take her friends with her where ever she went.  She found a very nice group of ladies who listened and answered her questions and supported her.  And now she helps others.  Because that’s what we do at Venus.  We learn and we pay it forward.  But we also all still need the support of our friends and it’s an awesome thing.  That’s how friendships work isn’t it?

You can find Helen in the online community and read her blog there, and you can listen to her tell her story in our audio podcast:

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