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See How Easily Valerie Got The Same Shape She Had In Her 20’s

April 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment

 

Valerie was shocked when she realized she got to the same shape as her 20's. You can do this too!

Valerie was shocked when she realized she got to the
same shape as in her 20’s.   You can do this too!

 

 

Valerie Mainridge placed Fifth in our VT-9 Venus Transformation Contest.

 

Here is what Valerie had to say about how the Venus Factor program worked for her, in her own words:

Since starting the VI 9 transformation contest, I have been on quite the journey.  I started strong in September by sticking to the diet and the workouts.  But, by the middle of September my father-in-law passed away which meant we had to fly back home for a week.  There were many temptations around, but I tried to stick to my calorie allotment and I found creative ways to get my VI workouts done while staying at a hotel.  By the end of September, I came down with a terrible sinus infection that had me out of commission for 15 days.  I briefly considered dropping out of the contest, but I had seen very positive results with the first month so I decided to continue on and make up the workouts I missed while being sick.

I have tried so many diets over the past 15 years and I did initially lose weight on them, but I would get to a certain point to where I would stop losing weight and eventually the weight came back on.  With the Venus Index, I finally can see my body changing shape, getting stronger, and feeling healthy.  Now that I am at the end of the contest, I can truthfully say that I feel like I finally have control over my body to shape it through a sensible diet and exercise program.

 

Starting metrics:

Height 68”

Weight 153 pounds

Shoulders 40”

Waist 32”

Hips 39”

 

Ending metrics:

Weight 135 pounds

Shoulders 41 “

Waist 27 “

Hips 36”

 

Valerie was shocked that she got the same shape she had in her 20's! Awesome job Valerie!

Awesome job Valerie!

 

Congratulations on your success Valerie.  We at the Venus Factor wish you all the best, we hope you are proud of your success, and we are very happy for you!

 

You can find Valerie’s blog in our online Venus community for inspiration.

Listen to Valerie’s interview with John here, and please “like” it when you’re done:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Muscle Growth, transformation, Uncategorized, Weight training Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Do you make this obvious mistake when measuring your fat loss progress?

April 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

 

Comparing your rate of fat loss change to another is like comparing apples to oranges.

Comparing your rate of fat loss change to another is like
comparing apples to oranges.

 

Do you compare your rate of change to another person?

It is like comparing apples to oranges.  All of us come into the process with a different genetics, age, height, body fat percentage, health, physical conditioning, history of dieting, and the list goes on.

Fat loss does not happen linearly, it happens in random chunks.  We all have some periods of time where it appears that nothing is happening.  People call it a plateau but it is not really a plateau.  It’s just that the body weight scale can’t tell you what is happening. Water alone can fluctuate several pounds within any given day!

There are far to many factors that the scale can’t show:

  • allergies
  • muscle soreness
  • inflamation
  • muscle building
  • water retenion
  • food allergies
  • sodium
  • water loss
  • hormone fluctuations
  • food digestion
  • food allergies

And many more…

 

Water in the body can fluctuate several pounds on any given day

The body weight scale is really only good as a trend over time, sometimes months.  It took me two years to lose 60 pounds; think about that, it’s not very fast (probably because I’m very tiny and short;  it included large chunks of times where it appeared no change was taking place.  But I stuck with the process and didn’t worry about it and finally something kicked loose.  It happened in random chunks like that the whole time.  It’s a good thing I didn’t get discouraged and give up or I would never have achieved my goal and I wouldn’t have the new life I have right now.

Sometimes people give up and if they would have waited just a week longer they might have gotten their random “whoosh”.  That whoosh is sometimes just what you need to keep you going again through the next apparent plateau (which really is not a plateau).

New people come in all the time and complain that nothing has happened for 3 weeks!  

Three weeks is not very long at all.

Most of us do see results in 3 weeks but it really depends on the randomness that your body decides to drop it.  Usually those that have their big “losses” in the beginning will eventually also have some slow down and chunkiness in progress.

This is exactly why Jake protected his wife from seeing the scale when she was in the last contest.  Michelle talked about how that worked for her and then John explained why that was such a clever idea!  It’s probably a big reason she stayed motivated and came in first place.  It is also exactly what I did in VT4 where I got first place.

 

Be encouraged by users in the community who sometimes had to wait 6 weeks to see results!

Here’s a list of ladies in the forum who had to be very patient and some of them waited 6 weeks before they saw a change. These ladies are always encouraging others and have great stories and words of wisdom.

Read their blogs and be encouraged and inspired.

nfaith

Valerie in MT

Living vintageously in a modern world

triggs

SteelerMom

Susie

heatherb

heavenlymercy

Andrea

Lou Ann Tigergal

kellydunwell

melindaworland

tracylys

april

angels1chance

lisa32

 

Here’s some words of wisdom from John Barban on the subject:

The terms ‘fat loss’ and ‘weight loss’ often get used interchangeably, but they shouldn’t.

 If you lose a pound of fat, then technically you should weigh a pound less. This however is hard to detect if your daily water fluctuation and the amount of food and drinks you have in your body can be as much as 5-7lbs in any given day. If you just drink a few glasses of water you will easily be a pound heavier due to the extra water weight added to your body. Eating a big meal can easily add 3-5 pounds of weight to your body while you’re digesting and assimilating the food. These are temporary gains in body weight and do not necessarily mean you’ve gained body mass be it fat or muscle. It’s really just food in your gut.

 Understanding that your daily body ‘weight’ can fluctuate 3-5 pounds just from the weight of the food you have eaten it’s not surprising that you may not really be able to detect a 1 pound decrease in fat mass. At least not detectably on a scale.

 Also when you have a significant amount of fat to lose (in excess of 40lbs) you’re body will be carrying excess water along with the excess fat. This means that if and when you decide to start cutting fat you will experience a ‘weight’ loss that exceeds your actual ‘fat’ loss. As you lose body fat you will also lose a certain amount of excess water retention. This is a good thing as excess water makes you look smooth and bloated and it takes away from your muscular definition.

 It’s typical for someone to lose twice as much ‘weight’ as ‘fat’ in the initial stages of a fat loss cut down. Someone who needs to drop 40lbs will likely see a big weight loss at the beginning. It’s a good bet that in the first 2-4 weeks at least 50% of the ‘weight’ that is coming off is water, the rest is actual fat. This higher ratio of weight loss to fat loss starts to drop as you get to lower body fat percentages.

 It seems that as you drop below approx 25% body fat you can assume that most of the actual weight you lose is due purely to fat loss.

 Finally when you’re close to or below 20% body fat or lower you may notice that you get visibly leaner and can lose fat without seeing your bodyweight change much at all. At this final stage you will be lean enough that even minor changes in fat levels will make a difference on your visible definition. These changes will be proportionally small when it comes to measurable weight, however the changes they make to your visible definition will be big.

 It’s true that losing 1 pound of fat when you’re body fat is 30% will not even be noticeable, however losing a full pound of fat when your body fat is 20% will make a dramatic difference in your look even if the scale doesn’t budge.

 Finally your muscle hydration and weight training status will also change how full and heavy your muscles are on a day to day basis. Having fully hydrated and glycogen loaded muscles can dramatically increase your bodyweight, even if it only lasts for a day or two. This ability of your muscles to swell with water, nutrients and glycogen can also throw off your measurement of fat loss vs weight loss. When you’re very lean you can actually lose fat, and even gain weight at the same time. These likely won’t be huge swings but it’s definitely possible.

 In summary:

 You can you lose fat without losing weight.

 You can even gain weight while losing fat.

 If you have lots of fat to lose, you’ll start out by losing significantly more weight than is accounted for by fat due to a reduction in water retention…this is a good thing.

 When you’re approaching 20% body fat and attempting to cut even lower you will likely get leaner without seeing much of a change in body weight. (this odd effect is partly why people think the last 10 pounds are harder to lose.)

 In reality they’re still losing fat but the total amount of weight that is coming off starts to slow down.

 John

 

User quotes show how wildly the rate of change varies for each person

I went through the blogs today for a couple of hours and collected various progress report quotes from the top of blogs (you might see some of your own words here).  They are in chronological order from the last couple of weeks.  I was actually happy to see that most were happy posts, but some were frustration.

Besides the fact that the rate of change varies quite wildly from one person to the next, so does the mindset.  Some people were happy with just a few pounds where others had lost more than that and were unhappy and frustrated.  Mindset is EVERYTHING!

 

 

It was my weigh-in day this morning, and no movement, same as last week. BUT, I lost an inch off my bust, from 37″ to 36″, which I am hoping is my back bacon, and not my boobs! HA! Hey, a loss is a loss, am I right?

 

Week 10 and I lost another pound. My official weigh in days are Thursdays, but I couldn’t wait this morning. I had to see. Last week 158.6, this week 157.6. WHOA! This is weird to me because I lost close to 5 pounds the first 2 weeks on this program, then is slowed to about a half pound/week after that. It was slow going. I was starting to get frustrated, but I promised myself I wouldn’t quit.

 

Week 6 almost finished. The inches are coming off, but extremely slow!! I’ve only lost one inch in the waist, one inch in the shoulders, and 1/2 inch in the hips in the last three weeks!!! I guess it’s better than nothing.

 

It’s a lifetime of habit; but it was worth it. I am down 9 lbs. in 11 days.

 

The first week on this I only lose 2 pounds…..I hoped that by the end of week 2 I would have lost alot more, because I really tried hard this week. I didn’t lose any pounds…I’m very discouraged. I have 105 pounds to lose and I am tired of trying. I always hope but it seems like those dreams are always dashed….not sure what to do right now..any help?

 

I have lost 7 1/2 lbs to date and I have lost a total of 4.5 inches off my body. Things are changing, at a pace I can manage 🙂

 

I’m feeling so good about myself I’m down 5lbs in the first week. I’ve done a ton of reading and making sure that I’m active everyday.

 

Well I completed my first two weeks.
I am only down 4 pds overall….just yesterday I was down 5pds…lol
Trying not to get discouraged after listening to some people who have lost 9 pds in first week…….everyone’s different

 

I’ve determined that even though the scale as not even budged a 1/10 since March 7th, that I still must be doing something right. I lose anywhere from a 1/4″ to 1/2″ varying from every spot I measure (upper arm, shoulders, waist, hips, upper thigh). My muscle is getting better; I see some serious arm muscle when I flex. I REALLY wish the scale would keep going down, though. I’m going into my 10th week and I’ve only lost 13 pounds or so I dunno…. I’m sort of frustrated. It’d be great if I at least went down a size… what gives?

 

Well, i officially ended week 1 and could NOT be happier with my results! I am down 8.2 pounds in 7 days, which is more than I lost in 2.5 months on Weight Watchers this year!

 

Well I’m slowing down. The first 2 weeks that I was on the program (2 weigh in but only 11 days) I lost 3.5 lbs each time. The following 2 weigh in were 1.5 lbs each and now today’s was only half a pound!

 

Can I just say how excited I am? I started out at 188 pounds, and weighed in this am at 176. I am down 9.3 inches, too.

 

So, this morning when I weighed myself I was 174.2 Yippee!
It seems like so long ago, but last year before getting pregnant I weighed over 200 pounds.

 

Ok so I’m almost 2 weeks in and have only dropped 3 lbs, but not seeing any significant change. I’m kinda thinking the amount of carbs is a bit high on the meal plans. I see loads of post of women that are dropping weight like crazy. Any suggestions as to what has helped make significant changes in other people?

 

I’m going to start week 5 and I’m stuck in -4 pounds. I don’t know what happens. I don’t have any problem with the calorie intake and also I’m doing 3-4 times exercise per week I believe in the program but, something is wrong with me.

 

In that three weeks I lost 2 lbs….. but it was 2lbs of FAT, I am positive there was no water loss this time. I can fit into a size 4 jeans still 7 lbs from my ideal weight range and 21 lbs from my target weight! Soooooo cool! And here I was thinking I was sabotaging myself…. silly me….

 

I started on week 5. I did finally weigh myself – 11 lbs down since the end of week 1. My work belt and pants are definitely looser. I haven’t done any measuring lately.

 

Was 78.6kg (2 weeks ago) Now 73.9kg I just wanted to scream it out loud LOL

 

Yay down 5.6 lbs!!! Started at 196lbs and now 190.4lbs. Love that I can still eat what I want as long as I am still within calories. Workouts are going well too as I have lost inches too.

 

I lost another two pounds, one inch off my hips and two inches off my waist. This is awesome.
For me I can tell that shoulders and thighs are going to be the slow ones.

 

Okay week one weigh in. I lost 1 pound and 1 inch. Hopeful to lose more. My son been great. We been doing Zumba together.

 

I have had a moderate start to Venus. I had a little over 60lbs to lose. So far I am down 14!

 

I was surprised to see that I am down 9 lbs. woohoo
145 to 136. I’m getting my fit on. I am really liking the results!

 

I am coming to the end of week 10 and I am happy that I have reached my Venus goals for my hips and shoulders, but my stomach is 3 or 4 inches away. My progress has been slow, but I am almost there. I am 9 lbs and 3 inches always from reaching my Venus goal. I don’t think that I will do it in the next 2 weeks. but I will get there. I hear the last 10 lbs are the hardest to lose.

 

So here are the results for my first 12 weeks.

Started at 92kg or 202.5lbs now 79.8kg or 175.7lbs with a loss this week of 1.7kg or 3.7lbs, total lost of 12.2kg or 26.8lbs.

Shoulders total loss of 14cm or 5.6 inch
Bust total loss of 14.5cm or 5.8 inch
Arms total loss of 5cm or 2 inch each
Waist total loss of 14cm or 5.6 inch
Hips total loss of 21.5 cm or 8.6 inch
Legs total loss of 8cm or 3.2 inch each

Grant total of 90cm or 36 inch

I have been on the program for one week. I am down one pound.

 

Definitely feeling smaller all over and clothes looser. Weight is down 16 lbs and waist is 2″ smaller.

 

Well, finishing up week 3 and enjoying the diet.
Its not as hard as i thought it would be. I didn’t lose any weight again though. That is very frustrating. I saw 169.2 once and then the next day right back up over 170 again.
So very frustrating!!

 

Down to 145 this morning!! Hello size 10! (Down from 13) can’t wait to buy a pair of size 8 jeans….hopefully soon!

 

This week I managed to be 1 pound lighter and remove .5 cm from my waist.  Total of 7.6 pounds in 3 weeks.

 

Well, I am simply AMAZED to find that I am not only loosing weight but also loosing inches everywhere… Down to 9 pounds of weight loss & more than 12 inches here and there after 3 weeks.

 

I just finished week 12 on the program and I feel fantastic! I lost 3 more pounds this week for a total loss of 22 pounds since the beginning of January!

 

Start date: 30/12/2013 Waist: 81 cm Shoulder 110cm and weight 63 kilos
Today: Waist 74cm Shoulder 102cm weight 56.3 kilos
Total Lost to date Waist -7.0cm Shoulder-8.0cm weight -6.7cm
So in just over 3 months I am nearly 7 kilos lighter, which is fantastic.

 

So after my first week I am down 5 lbs.

 

It’s the end of my fourth week and NOTHING is happening! I waffle between 209 and 208. My measurements are exactly the same….I am soo frustrated!

 

 

Wow, that sure is a lot of variety.  So what will you do next time you start to get discouraged?

I hope you come back and look at some of the community blogs for encouragement, read John’s words of wisdom, or just focus on the process.

Have a great weekend!

-Ro

You can find me in the Venus online community as RobertaSaum.

Filed Under: fat loss, Uncategorized, weight loss Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What about the Set Point Theory? Uncensored podcast

March 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment

 

 

Is the Set Point Theory true?

Is the Set Point Theory true?

 

What the set point theory suggests is that a person’s body, metabolism and caloric drive strive to maintain a specific preset weight.   This means if your preset weight is high and you lose weight, your body will just try always try to gain it back.

Today John and Brad talk about this theory and answer the following questions:

  • What is concept of a set point theory?
  • Is it one sided?
  • How does it fit in with your fat loss process and maintaining your shape?
  • Do you have to accept the fact that your body needs to be at a certain weight?
  • Are you doomed to stay at a certain weight?
  • What is the set point theory based on?

 

 

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: Diet, fat loss, Uncensored Podcasts S03 Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Learn how to stay committed and motivated; Interview with Michelle

March 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Michelle-large-canvas-WEB

Isn’t she beautiful?!

 

One of the things that Michelle said in her interview that also worked for me; Stop looking at the scale and measuring tape and just hit the gym and your calorie budget!  It was actually the first time I’d heard of someone else following the same method I used to protect my psychic space, except she had Jake recording her metrics without her looking at the scale or tape measure!  How clever is that? What an awesome team Jake and Michelle make.  I loved hearing it.  John held up the interview for a moment to give us all a few words about the value of doing just that.

Just focus on the process day after day for weeks on end.  Just do what you need to do, and track it with on a calendar or online tracking tool – track the PROCESS.  If you know you are really doing the process and not eating extra that is not accounted for (diet is usually the hardest part) then it will work.  But you will not get the linear feedback that matches the linear day to day effort.  You have to be patient and wait for the progress.  Watching water boil or grass grow is no fun – do what ever else you need to do while waiting.

-Ro

Michelle placed First in our VT-9 Transformation contest.

 

In the end, I am completely shocked by the outcome! I have never been so confident in a bikini in my life! The best part is that without knowing it, not only was I losing fat throughout the program, but I started building muscle and a shape that I have never seen before and didn’t even know I had!

In the end, I am completely shocked by the outcome! I have never been so confident in a bikini in my life! The best part is that without knowing it, not only was I losing fat throughout the program, but I started building muscle and a shape that I have never seen before and didn’t even know I had!

 

Here is what she has to say in her own words:

My name is Michelle Hahn, and I am 31 years old. I have been self-conscious about my weight since I can remember and never remember feeling comfortable and happy with my size/shape.

 I have been exercising on and off since I was a teenager, and the closest I think I came to comfort with my weight was when I got married 5 and a half years ago. Even then, I remember wishing my stomach was flatter and feeling uncomfortable in my bikini on our honey moon.

 Over the following 4 ½ years, the scale kept creeping up and before I knew it, I had gained 35 pounds and was feeling horrible.

 I started trying different exercise and diet programs, only to fail again and again, which took a toll on my confidence in ever changing. And even after all my efforts, nothing fit, I had to keep buying bigger and bigger sizes, and was on the border between regular and plus size clothing. In November of 2012, my husband and I started seriously thinking about having children, and I really started to think about the impact my extra weight would have on my pregnancy, the baby, and the ability to bounce back after the pregnancy, and also about how I had never really felt good about myself physically.

 I decided that it was time to get in the best shape of my life, to feel great about myself finally, and to adopt a lifestyle of healthy eating and exercise to set an example for our child(ren) so they wouldn’t struggle with weight the way I have my whole life.

 First I tried a workout that was 3-4 days per week and concentrated on certain muscle groups in each workout. I was very consistent with that, started regular cardio workouts, and started counting calories. I eventually got bored with it, and my husband had found Adonis and started it in January, and he had great things to say about it and it sounded very interesting, so I ended up buying the original Venus program in March.

 I started the program and actually entered the contest in May, but at the time, I was in grad school and had a lot of stress and deadlines, so ended up missing workouts and gained back about 15 of the 23 pounds I had lost since the previous November.

When school was basically over towards the end of July, I rededicated and decided to enter the September contest. We had decided to start trying to get pregnant after we take a vacation in December, and I also booked a photo shoot for motivation.

Over the 12 weeks, I definitely had ups and downs. There were times when I had moments of weakness and went over my calories, but overall, I was pretty consistent with sticking with my weekly calories based on the virtual nutritionist calculations. I completed the original venus program and most of the final phase program within the 12 weeks by doing 4-5 workouts per week throughout the contest.

 I took progress pics along the way, and my husband was a huge support throughout the process, especially the last week. I also was lucky enough to have the help of Allen Elliott, who planned out my workouts and diet for the last week leading up to the final pics. Amazing of him to do that, and the results really showed in my final pictures.

 In the end, I am completely shocked by the outcome! I have never been so confident in a bikini in my life! The best part is that without knowing it, not only was I losing fat throughout the program, but I started building muscle and a shape that I have never seen before and didn’t even know I had!

 And what was great was that I just had to follow the workouts that were already designed to do that for me, and I didn’t have to consciously think about how to build certain muscles to create the shape that would look best, which is good because I wouldn’t have known how. It was crazy because I just followed the programs and by the end, I had a figure that hours of cardio and calorie counting (which is what I think a lot of women do to just get “thin” and end up with no shape) could never have gotten me to.

 The best thing about Venus in my opinion is that while it is definitely challenging, it is not impossible to stick with because it is not so extreme that the majority could not sustain it. And what helps with making it so easy to sustain is the variety.

 I loved how the workouts were different every day because I never got bored. For the first time in my life, I actually enjoy working out. There are times it is still difficult to get to the gym, but once I am there, I actually enjoy the time I have set aside to improve my body.

 And Venus is the program I will definitely stick with for life because it finally made me successful in getting the body and the comfort with my body that I’ve always wanted. I know it will help me maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout my pregnancies and help me bounce back more quickly afterwards. I’m just so glad I am finally done searching for what works.

 Contest inputs:

 Height 70″

 Start weight 167 lbs, shoulders 44″, waist 31″, hips 42″

End weight 147 lbs, shoulders 42″, waist 27″, hips 38″

After the contest Michelle enjoyed a vacation with her husband Jake.

After the contest Michelle enjoyed a vacation with her husband Jake.

 

Listen to Michelle’s interview here, and please “like” it when you’re done:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Contest, fat loss, Interview, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How to Walk the Calorie Tightrope for Fat Loss and Maintaining

February 7, 2014 by 2 Comments

I summarized my fat loss journey in the 3 minute video recorded a few days ago.  I mentioned how I learned the tricks about how to keep my shape. I learned how to walk the tightrope through the online Venus community.

 

About the tightrope…

So about the tightrope…

We get a lot of questions regarding how much to eat, when to eat, when not to eat, and how to time meals.  We have a lot of information regarding this, but it’s all just suggestions and things to try.  What really matters is starting somewhere; trying something, experimenting, and finding what works for you.  The answer is truly IN YOU.

It is like walking a tightrope.  No one can tell you EXACTLY how to do it, you have to step out and find your own balance.

Total freedom with food

We have total freedom with food;  we all get to decide what we put into our bodies and when to do it.  Never again do we have to allow someone else to tell us what and when to eat, or how much to eat.

What works for one person may not work for another person.

This is the main reason why our system is not a one size fits all DVD program; because there is no such thing.  Everyone is uniquely different with just a couple things in common;

  • We are human and we make mistakes.
  • We must all experiment and find what works.
  • We all need a calorie deficit in order to lose fat.  End of story.
  • We all need some resistance training to build our shape, improve our quality of life, and increase bone density.
  • We all have to learn to walk our own “tightrope”

 

Where you are in your fat loss journey matters

The calorie tightrope is slightly easier to walk when you have a higher body fat percentage, then it gets a bit trickier as you get close to your goal because of The theory of fat availability:

 

The Theory of Fat Availability:

  • There is a set amount of fat that can be released from a fat cell.
  • The more fat you have, the more fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
  • The less fat you have, the less fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
  • Towards the end of a transformation, when body fat is extremely low you may not have enough fat to handle a large caloric deficit anymore.

At the extreme low end, when your body fat cannot ‘keep up’ with the energy deficit you’ve imposed on your body, the energy MUST come from SOMEWHERE. This is when you are at risk of losing lean body mass during dieting (commonly referred to as ‘starvation mode’). This happens at extremely low levels of body fat, under 6% in men and 12% in women [Friedl K.E. J Appl Phsiol, 1994].

 

The good news about this is that if you are overweight you know you don’t have to worry about “starvation mode” because it’s a myth unless you have extremely low body fat.   Think about it; There is no such thing as starving fat people!

Even so, when you are overweight and embark on the calorie deficit for fat loss it is hard. It is corrective action for a health problem we all got ourselves into and it’s not the way we were meant to live our lives.  So of course it is not fun!  

 

Learning to walk your own tightrope

We can give you highly accurate guidelines like we do with our Venus Factor Virtual Nutritionist but it is just an estimate or place for you to start.  You will have to experiment, step out on a limb and learn to walk the tightrope.  One side is too much food and the other side is not enough food.

Our calculator does not tell someone how much to eat, it gives someone a RANGE to experiment with.

You have to look at the upper and lower limit, pick a place to start, then YOU GET TO DECIDE and will need to adjust depending on how your body reacts.  Remember, you have total freedom and YOU are the one in charge of your body.

No one can tell you exactly how to balance on the tightrope.  All they can do is give you a few tricks and tips.  Then you have to take a few steps and learn how to walk the rope.  You have a training rope, you have a safety net, and when you fall it’s not the end of the world.  You just get up and keep going.  Eventually your balance gets better and better.

 

The walk on the tightrope changes for you as you go along

The cool thing about our online community is that you can read stories about what works for others, and try something new and see if it works for you.  Some things will work for you, some won’t.  Some things will work for you now but not later, and then yet again it might work again in a new season of your life.

The balance constantly ebbs and flows, every day is different, every week is different, every season is different, every person is different. The calculator can’t give you the answer. Other people can’t give you the answer.  The answer is literally IN YOU.  You have to find it.

 

You are not broken!

Brad Pilon wrote something very interesting recently along these lines about how your body ebbs and flows:

 

A deficit is NOT a number less than what a calculator told you to eat. And a deficit is certainly NOT any amount of calories less than what you are used to eating. The amount of calories it takes to be in a deficit is also NOT fixed – it changes from day-to-day and month-to-month, depending on a number of factors including your activity level, body composition, age, and a whole host of other factors. It is a moving goal post that is and always will be defined by a loss of body mass.

If you eat a prescribed number of calories from some diet given to you by some weight loss coach and you do not lose body mass, you are NOT BROKEN, the diet was.

 

 

Brad and John are full of wisdom that they love to share with us in their blogs, in the uncensored podcasts they produce, and in our immersion coaching calls.  All of us in this community are successful in our fat loss journey because of what we have learned from these guys.  We all try our hardest to share what we learned inside the Venus community.

 

Will you step out on a limb and learn to walk your own tightrope?

As you embark on your weekend what will you do to further your progress?  Will you step out on a limb and starting learning to walk your own tightrope?

Remember to have some patience and allow your body some time to make the changes happen.  If you try to rush and are impatient it actually slows down your progress in the long run.

If you are in the “last 10 pounds” category it can take much longer per The Theory of Fat Availability.  Being impatient at this point in the game is a definite sabotage point.  If you really want to win this game focus on having patience.

 

On another fun note I took this picture this morning because it finally snowed here in the Sierra Nevada’s in California (it has been a drought here this winter).  If you watched the video you might have noticed the wind even though I was in a fairly sheltered spot – the storm was coming – and I was freezing in the video!

And yes, this is my back yard! 🙂

The weather changes fast in the mountains!

The weather changes fast in the mountains!

 

Have a great Friday and week-end!

-Ro

PS  The Venus Factor 2014 Calendar is HERE.

 

Filed Under: Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Health, Uncategorized, weight loss, Weight training Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If You Want to Change Your Shape, You Need to Change your Life: Uncensored podcast

February 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Denise is in her 60's so there is no excuse. She's learned to change her life so she can keep her shape.

Denise is in her 60’s so there is no excuse.
She’s learned to change her life so that she can keep her shape.

 

It’s February so the extra crowds in the gym might be slowing down a little now.  Any time is a good time to start your fitness goals, but the new year is a common time to start.

Some people show up in January hoping it will all be done in February, but it just does not work that way does it?  The problem with this mentality is that it is not life changing.  Real change requires you to change your habits for life.  You can’t just fix everything in one month and go back to the way you were living your life that got you overweight and out of shape in the first place.

The most important thing is that you are making a LONG TERM lifestyle change.

If you are going to make this step, it’s going to take a shift in the way you live your life.

The first month is the toughest, then it’s all about changing habits that eventually just become the way you live your life.  Over time it doesn’t take much thought, you just do what you need to do.  It becomes part of who you are.

Why is exercise is important?  It’s not just good for you, it’s a structure – like a steering wheel – it creates a mind-frame for changing your body.  It makes the day have something going for it, and gives you incentive to keep up with everything including good food choices.

The habits of good diet and exercise each feed on each other, it has a snowballs effect when you do both, and your progress accelerates and your life changes.

DIET (two diets):  Diet from food and diet from fitness media (limit your reading of fitness media).

Be patient because it won’t happen as fast as you want it to, but patience is what will finally bring you the results.

Today John and Brad talk about the Venus philosophy of weight loss and how to change your shape for life.

 

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: Exercise, fat loss, Uncategorized, Uncensored Podcasts S03, Weight training Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Calorie Deficit – Yes it’s This Again!

January 3, 2014 by Leave a Comment

 fitness-gym-arms-crossed

Most of us do need to take a bit of corrective action after the holidays.  Usually that means administering a calorie deficit.  For some it also means getting back to the gym workouts.

Some seasons in your life require you to accept that staying at maintenance is a win

2013 was a very rough year for me.  I’m about to coin it my worst menopause hormone year ever.  I won’t go into all the gory details; most of us already know what this season of life includes.   But I will say that one of the biggest hindrances to your diet and fitness goals is lack of quality sleep.  Not to mention that the stress from that alone pretty much makes everything in your life fall apart.

If you have insomnia problems it’s best to put all else aside and work on getting the issue resolved, or at least down to a reasonable level that you can work around.  Having a semi-flexible work schedule helps.  But you must have that sleep.

Also it can be one of those seasons where fat loss is going to happen even slower than ever, if at all.  It can be a season where you should call staying at maintenance a win, or the best option.

After you have worked hard to achieve your fitness goal it doesn’t seem like you should ever have to go on another calorie deficit again

Not long ago I was chatting on the phone with John and catching up on projects we were working on when I mentioned some of my recent solutions to my year of struggles.  I had mentioned that one thing that is hard when you’ve adjusted to your newly transformed life is that the calorie deficit seems mentally harder.

Since you’ve already spent the hard years of losing the majority of the fat, and it sometimes seems like a nightmare you never want to repeat, it doesn’t seem fair that you should have to do it again – ever!

But alas, it’s still part of your ongoing seasons in life.  You still have to take the corrective action for short periods now and then.  Those short periods can take anywhere from 3-12 weeks and at the time it seems so long and unbearable – and unfair!  But a few weeks is not long compared to the years you spent earlier.  If you just get started it finally passes.

Sometimes you have to take the calorie deficit in a stair step approach

The time it takes to get where you want to be depends on the stress in your life and what the particular season is.  Sometimes you have to be patient and take the deficit in stair steps.  I learned the stair step approach from Leigh Peele.  I learned the Undulating Metabolic Override Protocol from the Venus Factor.  Each method has it’s place in my life.

It’s different for each person and it’s different for you depending on all of your life circumstances. You can’t always have what you want exactly when you want it, but if you are patient and do not give up; you can usually have what you want in time.

The hardest part is getting started

The hardest part is just accepting and then getting started.  The first week is the hardest, the subsequent weeks get easier, then you usually find your groove and it’s not so bad.  It’s just like John and Brad talk about in the “Getting Started” podcast and also Brad talked about it in his “Seven week experiment part 2”.

Much of what we learn in the long fat loss phase is the basic principles that we keep coming back to.  None of your prior efforts were wasted because they give you the lessons learned.  It gave you the confidence that the process works.

I told John a bit about the mind games and finally getting to the realization that it really comes back down to the knuckle down, roll up the sleeves, and do the calorie deficit.  I just sometimes feel like saying “No, not this again!  I already did that!”   John went right into his coach mode and said “Yes, it is this again!”  Can you just hear John’s voice? It was priceless to me. He is my favorite coach ever.

I nearly busted up laughing.  Yes I’d already figured that out.  But it didn’t make it any easier.  For me the alternative just is not acceptable.

It is so easy to fall into the trap of listening to the various health and fitness theories regarding hormones, menopause, and reasons for gaining weight, or having fat loss plateaus.  It’s easy to fall into panic and go down the path of thinking that your metabolism is broken or your thyroid stopped working.

Take out the emotions, face the facts, and get back to the basics

It’s so easy to play mental accounting games.  You remember the deficit days because they are so hard, but you forget the how often you ate extra or a little too much.  Mainly you just have to take the emotion out of it and look at the true facts, and possibly dig in to find your errors in tracking.

It always comes back to the basics.  It takes a calorie deficit to lose fat. Yes there are some very rare cases where lean athletes push too hard and eat too little so they have some unique issues.  But if you are not super lean you don’t fall into that category.

Let’s face it; most of us are not lean enough to have those problems.  For most of us if we need to lose some fat, we need to just roll up our sleeves and get it done.  It is not always fun, it requires some sacrifice; it’s the only thing that works.  The process never changes.  Either you are in a season where you can take the stress of applying the calorie deficit or not.

If you think you are eating 800 calories for a prolonged period of time yet are not losing any body mass at all – well the math just doesn’t match up.  You can’t change the laws of thermodynamics.

If you want to see what happens when that is true look at populations who have experienced true famine or the stories of those who have had anorexia.  Search on the internet for “North Korea Famine” and see what happens to people who don’t get enough to eat – they shrink.  That is what happens.  Sometimes it’s just a matter of facing the truth that you are actually consuming more food than you think you are.  For most of us that is a reality that is hard to face.

John helps our immersion customers in the bi-monthly coaching calls and I’ve found an additional helpful resource in fat loss troubleshooting that is quite good.

Andrea, one of the wise ladies in our forum wrote it out fairly clearly in her recent Venus online community blog post. Yes, it’s that pesky calorie deficit once again!  It’s this again!  It was the first lesson on her list of lessons learned.

It’s no big deal once you get started.  If fat loss is something you want this year, go and get it!

-Ro

Filed Under: calories, Diet, fat loss, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Don’t Be Disappointed If You Can’t Live Your Daily Life at a Low Body Fat Level.

October 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

When you reach your fitness goals you still go through a maturing process

It sounds odd but once you hit your fitness goals, especially if you’ve exceeded your expectations, you will still go through a maturing process.  You learn to adjust to a shape and size that you have to be happy with.  Usually most of us want to be back to our leanest.  That is the benchmark we all compare ourselves to.

I don’t use a scale anymore, or even a tape measure.  I might get on a scale a couple times a year, and an occasional DXA scan (which is the only method I trust for true body fat %).  After a couple of years now I base my “range” on three sets of clothes – mainly determined by pants/waist sizes as that is mainly where the fat fluctuates.

I exceeded my own goal when I got down to 10% body fat. Once we do this this is our benchmark, but we can't live our day to day life there.

I exceeded my own goal when I got down to 10% body fat. Once we do this it is our benchmark, but we can’t live our day to day life there. The Venus Factor system IS what got me to exceed my wildest expectations for myself.

Why we need periodic refeeds

Leigh Peele’s Starve Mode book and recent podcast are helping me learn to mature in my journey. Leigh’s explanations and research are helping me to learn why we can’t live our day to day lives at a super lean body fat level.  It’s helping me understand why we need breaks from the deficit (sometimes called a refeed).

I will admit, all along I’ve always hated the term refeed and I didn’t believe that we needed them.  I saw too many people using a refeed as an excuse to eat too much. I just wasn’t willing to go there.  I was afraid of getting fat again.  To be perfectly honest that seemed like my worst nightmare after how hard I worked to achieve my goal.

Now I know that a refeed is not meant to be a free for all – eating as much as you want – for as long as you want – binge.  It just means eat at maintenance.  Yes, it’s that simple.  Eat at maintenance, and if you’ve been doing the reverse taper (it’s built into our nutrition calculator) then that is probably not much higher than your slight deficit anyway.

We have some refeed days built into our Venus Factor 12 week Fat Loss manual, but based on how you feel you might need extended periods of eating at maintenance.

Relax, the slight calorie deficit still works

The first time I hit this higher range over a year ago I almost had a meltdown.  It’s hard when you have worked so hard to lose body fat; you still have a fear of gaining it all back.  For the most part, if you are paying attention that is just not going to happen. 

Give yourself a month or two of doing exactly what you already know how to do and you will be back to being comfortable again. 

It probably won’t be the last time.

Relax. Take a deep breath.  Work on the deficit when you can, then take a break from the deficit and be patient.  It does still take a calorie deficit to lose fat.  But take it slow.  Easy does it.  Trust the process.  Trust your body.  It will be a delayed reaction. 

What you do now can take up to three weeks to show results.  The first week is the hardest, the next week gets better, then you find your groove, and each week gets better.  You keep plugging along and it’s not very exciting, but you know what to do.

After a while your clothes change how they fit and you start seeing more muscle definition again.  Once you start seeing small changes like this it keeps you motivated to keep going. 

Women are meant to have a higher body fat compared to men

Women are meant to have a certain level of healthy body fat, more than men.  It is nature’s way of survival for us.  We are not really meant to manipulate our bodies to be super lean, but some of us do it anyway and we have to learn how to manage this in a healthy manner.

If we are not careful we can actually develop eating disorders, so we must learn to stay healthy and take care of ourselves.  I have never had an eating disorder and I don’t intend to start down that path, ever.

I'm learning to accept that this level is very healthy and livable, and I'm fine right as long as I want or need to stay here.

I’m still convincing myself that the higher end is okay.  I can shoot for slightly lower if I want, or I can stay where I am as long as I want to or need to.  It’s okay either way.  Whatever is livable, sustainable, or fits with my life and stress level at the moment in time, or the season in my life.

 

So probably the biggest struggle for me is accepting that I’m okay even at my highest end of the range, shown in the collage, all very recent pictures from the last several months up to a few days ago.  Learning to accept this is a normal part of the maturing process.

First of all body fat level does not matter.  Finding the shape and look you like matters more.  Once you find that it might be good to know what the level is, but it’s not entirely necessary.

My body fat percentage tends to be on the very low side mainly because my lean body mass (LBM) is on the very high side.  At 5’1 my LBM (per DXA) is 105 lbs., for most women my height this is 98 lbs. or under.  Comparison is not a good idea, for me or for anyone else.

We are all different.  I have to accept that this is me; this is how I’m designed.  I love lifting heavy and I love feeling strong.  I love my gym time.  I wouldn’t be happy without it.  So yeah I’m big for my height and that’s just how it is. In general I’m still a tiny person, I am only 5’1″ after all.

It doesn’t help me to know my scale weight or my body fat percentage anymore

Recently someone asked me what my weight and body fat percentage is right now.  I had to answer that I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.  I don’t think it does me any good to know.  I’d rather just learn to be happy with my shape and whatever clothes I decide to wear. I know how to eat at a slight deficit and that’s all I need to know.  I either decide to do it or not.  If I have too much stress or I am not getting enough sleep then a deficit for me is not sustainable.

I know which clothes fit and I know this is my high end.  All I know is I want to learn to accept and love where I’m at right now, while at the same time trying to get just slightly slimmer when I can.  I’ll know once I’m there by which clothes fit. 

I know how to get there; just a slight calorie deficit, taking breaks as needed, constantly listening to my body at various cycles of hunger and stress, sleep and energy level, and strength at the gym.  It’s all about energy balance and being tuned into your own body.

Learning to love your body right where you are at; It takes constant work.  It’s hard.

I’m still convincing myself that the higher end is okay.  I can shoot for slightly lower if I want, or I can stay where I am as long as I want to or need to.  It’s okay either way.  Whatever is livable, sustainable, or fits with my life and stress level at the moment in time, or the season in my life.

Just as Nicola explains in the podcast with John, learning to love your body takes constant effort and it’s not easy.  It does not matter where you are in your weight loss journey.  It takes work even after you achieve your goal.  It’s constant work.

The best time to start on that mental work is now, right where you are at.  Whatever level you are at, it is training for maintaining.

-Ro

Filed Under: Bodyfat, change, fat loss, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How Should You Eat to Lose Fat? You Have the Answer within You

October 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Denise is a Venus who knows her own body. When it comes to diet and fitness she has been around the block a time or two.

Denise is a Venus who knows her own body. When it comes to diet and fitness she has been around the block a time or two.

We get asked a lot of these questions:

  • How much do I eat?
  • What do I eat?
  • How many calories should I eat?
  • When should I eat?
  • Should I be fasting?
  • Should I skip breakfast?
  • How long should I fast?
  • What should I eat to break the fast?
  • Can I have cream in my coffee?

Really for the most part the answer is within your own body.  All anyone can give you is a starting point.  The starting point is an approximation; it’s within a close range.  Your body has the exact answer.

It’s based on your lifestyle, how you feel, what your preferences are, and your health issues.

No one can really tell you exactly.  If someone tells you to eat a certain amount and you gain weight; it’s pretty simple logic that it is too much food for you.

Your body is the end game.  It tells you the right amount.

The tools we have are pretty close, but the real answer is in your own body.

Many things about your body will give you a clue:

  • How do you feel?
  • How do you sleep?
  • How do you perform at the gym?
  • Are you ready to take on the world most days, even after your gym workout?
  • How well are you able to perform your normal daily responsibilities?

Eating at a calorie deficit is not fun.  Some days you just can’t do it.  That is okay. How you eat and how you workout should be determined how you feel, not following the exact rules of any program.

Over time are you inching toward your goals? If no, then readjust.  If you are trying to lose fat but gain fat instead or don’t lose fat then you need to take a closer look what you are doing and possibly readjust. 

You can get a lot of ideas from others in the Venus community.  You can read their blogs and see what they have done.  But in the end what works for them may or may not work for you.  It will take just a little trial and error to find exactly what works for you. 

We all learn from our mistakes.

What works for you in one season of your life may not work in another season.  It constantly evolves.  That’s why this is a lifestyle, not just a place of 12 week contests.

If you want to lose fat the calorie deficit needs to be there.  

Brad Pilon defines a calorie deficit, eating at maintenance, and eating at a surplus:

  • The loss of mass is what defines a deficit.
  • Lack of a loss of body mass and absence of a gain of body fat defines eating at maintenance
  • The accumulation of body fat defines an eating a surplus amount of food.

Leigh Peele wrote a similar description in her article “The Deficit – How We Lose Fat”

It’s hard for me to trust anyone when it comes to fat loss and maintaining fitness.  I trust John and Brad more than anything, but Leigh’s article on how we lose fat endeared me to her.  It matches Brad’s article and what Brad and John have taught us, so now I’m getting ready to read her latest “Starve Mode”.

I will report back later on what I think but I have a feeling it’s going to be good.  I have many friends who have been helped by her work and I really like the article.

Get to know your own body – the body is the end game, not the calculator.

When it comes to knowing her body Denise is a lady I highly respect. She’s been there and done that.  If you are in the Venus community I highly encourage you to pay attention to Denise’s answers in the forum.  She has done about every workout imaginable since before most of you were born (and maybe a little before I was born!)

She has a no nonsense approach to questions.  I could just see her rolling her eyes and saying “News flash! Just eat what you normally eat, just eat a lot less”, or “Go with how you feel. If you are not hungry then do not eat up because as you have found out life happens and you will eat up unexpectedly. :rolleyes:”.

Denise has a common sense, no nonsense approach to our questions.

Denise has a no nonsense approach to our questions. She tells the truth and makes us laugh.

 

Denise tells the truth and makes us laugh.  She is the goto in our community on how to do exercises correctly or find workarounds.  If you ever want to see some of her answers simply go to her profile and click on “Find latest posts” under her awesome profile picture.

By the way, check out more awesomeness about Denise in her contest interview with John.  And this video shows how awesome she moves and looks.

 

Sometimes you have to keep adjusting

I find I constantly have to adjust my workouts and my eating patterns according to how I feel or how much stress is in my life.  This year has been a rough one for me due to hormone issues.  But its okay, I’m adjusting.  I have much to be thankful for and none of it is the end of the world.  I’m adjusting and moving forward, because that’s what a Venus does.

So next time you are in doubt, remember to listen to your own body.  Take a deep breath and the answer is really right there inside you.

 

Filed Under: calories, Diet, fat loss, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

A Personal Trainer Becomes “The Girl with the Muscles”; Carlie Akerman

October 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Today we are honored to listen to Carlie Akerman who placed second in the Eighth Venus Index Transformation Contest.

Carlie is an inspiration to her friends.

Carlie is an inspiration to her friends.

 

Carlie said Venus taught her to properly lift weights. At first she was afraid lifting weights would make her too muscled, but now she is happy with her look and shape.

Carlie said Venus taught her to properly lift weights. At first she was afraid lifting weights would make her too muscled, but now she is happy with her look and shape.

 

Carlie's metrics before and after the 12 week contest.

Carlie’s metrics before and after the 12 week contest.

 

Read what Carlie wrote about her experience with the Venus Factor:

My name is Carlie Ackerman and I am 29 years old. I discovered and began the Venus at the end of March this year. Health and fitness has been an enormous part of my life for many years now. I’ve been training in many different ways and experimenting with diet and methods of reaching my goals to the best of my ability.

However I was never quite satisfied with the results and felt that physically I could push myself harder with the correct help and advice.

I found Venus through ‘Eat Stop Eat’ where I began to use fasting as part of my weight loss programme.

When I begin the Venus workouts, I found it not only exciting and educating but also it made me feel great! The high intensity, variety of exercises and change in my body made it addictive and I wanted to succeed. It was when I began to get results that I decided to compete. I have always been a healthy and conscious eater but that was something I also stepped up with Venus. I found that I became hungrier the more I trained but I continued to eat sensibly and appropriately in order to gain the best results with my training.

I did not look at my before pictures until just this week. When I saw them I couldn’t quite believe how I had changed.

The Venus has become a huge part of my life. For the first time in my life I have felt happy and comfortable in my own body and even more passionate about fitness then ever. Thanks to The Venus Index I am happy being me and very proud of my achievements.

Many Thanks,
Carlie Ackerman

 

"Lately someone referred to me as 'The girl with the muscles' and that made me smile"

“Lately someone referred to me as ‘The girl with the muscles’
and that made me smile”

 

Listen to Carlie’s interview here, and please “like” it when you’re done:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Exercise, fat loss, Interview, Muscle Growth, Uncategorized, Weight training Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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