How Holly used Venus to make Empowered Food Choices for Life

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Holly wasn’t looking for a fat loss program. She was looking for a strength training program.

But she ended up getting addicted to the amazing Immersion podcasts with John and Brad, and learning how to make better food choices and got so much more!  Holly got an EMPOWERED LIFE!

Here’s what she wrote:

After a lifetime of struggling and obsessing about my weight and watermelon belly, I had decided to accept that my lean and athletic self image would ever match the woman looking back from the mirror.

I would just have to be a “border line obese” (as my Doctor stated) marathon runner, hiker, paddler, sailor, scuba diver and cyclist, that continually received the comment “you like outdoor stuff?!” as though a woman my size would not be able to manage.

I was tired of obsessing about food intake and what I could/could not eat. I have always loved cooking and meal planning, making a menu for the week and then shopping from that menu but I simply no longer wanted all the different “eating plans”

I had tried and failed at: Eat Right for your Type, South Beach, Shred and Atkins.

I just wanted to make a menu and cook based off my families’ activities and what sounded good.

I also knew, as my running, cycling coaches, paddling partner and my arms after pulling lines and equipment told me: “You have to start incorporating strength training.”

I use to lift in college but that seemed like a long time ago, and every time I had tried to get back into the routine it failed. I was not ready and it felt forced.

Lifting, I realized was also very boring to me. How had I ever completed 4-5 one hour lifting workouts a week!

That is when I began the all important Google search. I did not believe the Venus Factor information at first, thinking “Great, another way to be obsessive”.

I know the basic rules of weight loss: eat less-work more, but had never had any desire to “starve”.

The thought that 1,000 calories was enough was a little shocking. I struggled with keeping under 1,200!

I had never fasted, either.

The lifting is what caught my attention. A 12 week program that builds on its self, starts at about 30 minutes and does not say how much/little weight to use and bounce it’s on my phone.

That means on work days when my running partner and I don’t run I can lift on my lunch break.

I already had weights in my office and my running partner had a heavier set in hers!

I purchased the program for that piece alone.

Since it came with a whole app and immersion, I began listening to all the podcasts and learned about the contest.

As a “self competitor” I decided to go for it, what could I loose, if anything it would keep the strength training motivated.

I decided I would follow the whole program. The first 24 hr turned into a 32 hour fast, which was the hardest fast of the whole program; after that one the rest were relatively easy!

After 12 weeks I have learned that I can eat whatever I want, no more being obsessive, just being aware of what is going in is enough.

I have taken a full minute off my running pace and my knees are much happier these days. I have not made it to my Venus Index numbers yet but am very close and I finally feel that the athletic woman in my head is the woman seen in the mirror.

Now that I know what to do and most importantly how to maintain I’ll never have to feel like the overweight athlete again!

-Holly

 

Holly is really happy with her new Empowered Venus Life!

Holly is really happy with her new Empowered Venus Life!

 

Listen to her podcast now or download it for later:

What was Brenda’s “Moment of Clarity”?

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Brenda made a transformation in her life.  Through the Venus program she learned how easy it is to use various health issues as an excuse.  No matter what the adversity, it still always comes down to the amount of food we consume.

It’s kind of like we don’t want to face the elephant in the room.

It’s hard.

It’s not fun.

It does not seem fair.

 

I have been over weight pretty much my entire life. I have previously dropped 87lbs, and maintained for about five years. However, over the last two years it has slowly crept up 10 pounds a year, even with an active attempt by me trying to lose weight.

I had been keeping up my exercise routine, six days a week, mainly cardio, with some weights, as well as my diet routine, just as before. Although my diet was not consistent, when I was having difficulty loosing I started taking the advice of others, like “you’re not eating enough”, which by their standards I probably was not, but eating less…eating more nothing was working.

I was also diagnosed 2 ½ years ago with a chronic medical condition which requires a daily medicine. I blamed the gain and inability to lose weight on the meds as it was the only thing that had really changed in my life.

I purchased the Venus program about a year before and Loved the workouts; however, I kind of skimmed the nutrition portion. At some point I decided to check in with the forum and it became apparent the Veteran Venus’ would not let the meds be an excuse, and it appeared nutrition was the key.

So I decided to put Venus to the test, this time trying the nutrition and weight lifting together. Low and behold the last year of weight gain was taken off in these 12 weeks, and my clothes fit again!

I may have not lost a large amount of weight in the 12 weeks, and will keep going to drop the remaining pounds, but I consider this a win in a big way. I not only didn’t gain, but I lost which is something I was unable to do for two years.

If you work the whole program it will work for you!

– Brenda

 

Brenda loves the outdoors and being healthier now!

Brenda loves the outdoors and being healthier now!

 

And here is more of Brenda’s story:

I have been on this journey for a very long time. I have always been overweight, but it peaked in April 2010. After seeing the pictures from our family cruise I put a stop to it and lost 90lbs by January 2011. I did this through hard work using another program and cardio, lots of cardio.

I have maintained the weight within 20lbs for the last five years. However, four years ago I was going through a divorce; lost my dad and my hero. Four months later I was diagnosed with MS. I immediately started treatment,which consisted of daily shots. Initially, I was angry because I had just got my life back health wise, and now the threat of losing my mobility was real.

How can that be fair?

My attitude adjusted very quickly and I said “No, I got my health back so I would have the strength to fight this disease.” As luck would have it though I started slowly gaining weight consistently over the last two years about 10lbs each Dr. visit. I blamed the new medicine, although that side effect was not listed, what else could it possibly be?

I was panicking with the weight creeping. I was trying everything adding weights, eating less, eating more, upping the cardio you name I was trying it. Here steps in the ladies in the Venus forum, and the podcasts.

I didn’t write or ask questions just went through the forum regarding medications. I learned very quickly a lot of these ladies were on medications, and they would not let that be used as an excuse. Roberta described her battles with medications, she and the others preached it’s the calories period.

I found this to be a no nonsense group, but the most supportive group I have seen. I have been in other groups, and they can get petty or have poor me parties. These ladies are not perfect, but the difference is they taken ownership and get back to business. It is an inspiring group to say the least, and one I am happily a participant in now.

I had bought the program about a year ago and started the workouts, which I loved, but still not losing the weight. The forum was claiming the diet was the key so I started the competition with the 12 week nutrition program, just to see if anything really happens in 12 weeks.

It worked, I could feel it, but still didn’t believe it showed. I submitted my final pictures, and was pleased to see the difference 12 weeks makes. It is still not rapid for me, but the scale is lower than it has been in a year so that is a big win in my book!!

The workouts have completely changed my shape which makes me smile. I was not happy with my shape even with the prior weight loss, and honestly I was floundering with my weight lifting programs.

Truthfully I’m not working out half as much as I was with all the cardio. Venus works, it is a nutrition and workout program that just makes sense. I feel the other programs are starter programs, Venus is for when you mature and take responsibility to live your best life, by the controlling stumble forward.

Thanks for the wonderful program John and Brad,and thanks to all those wonderful ladies in the forum.

-Brenda

 

I love Brenda's smile and her Moment of Clarity!

I love Brenda’s smile and her Moment of Clarity!

 

You can find Brenda in our online forum.  Listen to what she has to say in the Podcast Interview below, or download it to listen to later:

Maintenance with Venus Veteran Carly

Carly Venus Before and After

Carly has been using Venus systems for over 3 years.  She did a phenomenal job with her initial transformation and her continued results display the hard work she puts in. Her transformation stretches out further than a 12 week period though, she has lost FORTY pounds using Venus!

Carly Venus Before and After Side

Carly before starting Venus in 2013 and after VT14, unbelievable!

Here is what Carly had to say in her own words:

Before children, I never worked out. I never counted calories. I didn’t have to work hard to keep my figure. I was young then too and now I’m older. All my factors have changed so I need to change my habits in order to keep the figure I desire. I am thirty two years old. I have two children. My son is six years old and my daughter is three years old. I found Venus in June 2013, two months after I had my daughter. I had a lot of weight to lose. I was ready to hit the gym to lose my baby weight.  Liss Graham was teaching Venus at my local gym so I decided to join her class. By April 2014, I hit my weight loss goal. I had dropped FORTY-FIVE pounds! I was in my measurement goals with the nutrition calculator. But once I hit that goal, I already had another goal in mind. TONING!! I kept using Venus from April 2014 to May 2015 but I felt like I was just in the motion and not really learning or thinking about how to better myself. I felt like I was in limbo. For me, it has been hard to build muscle. I didn’t know what I was doing. I felt stronger every time I lifted and I was getting sore but I couldn’t grow. I wasn’t pushing myself to the level I could have gone. Even though, I was very successful with weight loss, I felt like I didn’t know how to maintain my weight and I didn’t know how to tone the muscles. For me it was like, “Well, I lost all this weight but now what?” I felt uneducated on how to maintain my weight and build muscle at the same time. To reach this goal and to get motivated again, I decided to join a contest. I felt like I truly started TONING when VT14 started. When I joined the VT14 my mission was to tone up every muscle from head to toe. I added more days of lifting. I went to the gym six days of the week instead of the recommended three. I watched my intake more. I researched more by listening to podcasts and reading fitness articles. I started following fitness guru’s on Instagram and facebook. I dedicated more time to reading and understanding the VENUS program. Sometimes I even worked out twice a day. I took advice from other Venus expertise. Liss Graham came for visits at my gym and I learned from her every time. She’s an AMAZING coach by the way! I took professional pictures every 6 weeks to help push me along. I had some vacations during the contest and I didn’t want it to derail me. I used myfitnesspal and held myself accountable for every meal. I was dedicated to making progress. Twelve weeks later, I felt like I had the body of my dreams. I know what to do now to keep my transformation. I can see my growth with photos. I know how to keep toning my body without being lost in the process. Venus has educated me on how to be healthy and fit for life. Venus has helped me reach my weight loss goal and my toning goal. Venus has given me the body that I craved. Before children, I weighted one hundred and seventeen pounds. I weigh less now and have way more muscle. I look way better after kids then I ever did before kids. I have been very successful with Venus and have hit many goals. I didn’t know anything about fitness before Venus. I think everyone should watch the how to videos and learn how to eat right and learn what a simple carb is versus a complex carb. I literally didn’t know anything! The biggest change for me is making trips to the grocery store. I know not to just look at the pretty labels on the boxes that are misleading to shoppers. I know how to read ingredients and what to look for in them. I read the nutrition label, which I used to ignore. Venus has changed my life and for the better. I eat clean now. I have the confidence and education it takes to make Venus a lifestyle and not a fad. I’ve done it for three years and I plan on doing it for the rest of my life. It is too good of a program to ever stop doing.

Carly Venus Before and After Back

Carly’s Metrics

Weight Height Waist Shoulders Hips
June 2013 150 lb 63 in 33.5 in 41.5 in 42.5 in
February 2016 113 lb 63 in 26.8 in 36.0 in 36 in
Deltas -37 lb 0 in -6.7 in -5.5 in -6.5 in

 

Carly and Venus Friends

Carly (right) with Venus veteran and friend Julie (left)

Carly is a beautiful Venus! Nothing can stop her now!

 

Carly Venus Class June 2015

Carly, Coach Liss, and Venus friends at the Moore County YMCA

Carly Venus Class July 2015

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

The 51 Year Young Venus Contest Winner Robin

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Robin placed in our last contest.  She struggled for years with medications that were hindering her fat loss.  With the Venus Systems she finally found the way to succeed.

 

Here is what Robin wrote in her own words:

 

Venus has revolutionized any and all workout/diets systems I have ever tried in my nearly 51 years and is a God-send.

The system has increased my self esteem and given me back my drive for success in life. I feel sexy, feminine and strong.

Venus has enlightened my knowledge to how the body works by means of mechanics and chemistry. By utilizing this knowledge and putting it to work by eating whatever you want, but, staying within your calorie allotment has changed my life.

The program that John and Brad have put together works for any level of fitness and age.

If you are struggling with your weight,This IS what WILL WORK! If it worked for me who is on a medication that causes weight gain and LOST…you can too! The Law of Thermodynamics stands true!!

With the community of like-minded women, I have found friendships and support that will last a lifetime. I am truly humbled by their support and genuine love they have for one another. They uplift the fallen and cheer you on!

If you have a question, within a moment’s time , you have your answer. I have never seen this kind of camaraderie!

Because of the success I now have, I can stand and be a mentor to others while helping them be the best they can be.

This is my life now.

The only negative thing I have to say is, I wish I had known about this system years ago!!

If you are on the edge of whether or not to try Venus, DO NOT hesitate one more moment, you have nothing to lose, but, weight and inches!

Robin

 

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To hear Robin tell her amazing story listen now or download for later:

Venus veteran inspires Anne

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It all started when I attended a stock market class in the summer of 2012. I saw Deanne before VT-6 started and met her a few months later after she had finished (and won) the contest. She looked amazing!

I overheard her talking about her great results and I asked her what she did. I had completely given up on losing weight, but after seeing Deanne’s results, I had a renewed hope that it might still be possible. She mentioned the Venus Factor program as well as Eat Stop Eat.

I was extremely skeptical, having previously bought into the myth of starvation mode, having to eat five or six meals per day, and that eating under 1200 calories would wreck your metabolism — but Deanne’s success was staring me in the face!

I still held off on trying Venus for a while. I was walking and jogging a lot and I thought that would get me in shape. I had a goal of running a marathon, but kept injuring my ankle and dealing with plantar fasciitis over and over again. I saw a picture of myself in the spring of 2014 and thought I should really do something because I thought I looked better than what the picture showed.

I finally decided to try Venus, bought Immersion, and entered one of the contests in 2014. At the time my husband was dealing with a health issue where he couldn’t eat much and honestly it was easier for me to diet. I got really scared when I started to see major results in my body and people started commenting that I was “thin”. They weren’t used to seeing a smaller version of me and I began to question what I was doing.

My confidence wavered and I dropped out of the contest. My husband’s health deteriorated and he required major surgery. My focus shifted to helping him through his recovery. The months ahead were long and stressful for both of us, but it all came out well in the end. I was ready to renew my focus on my own health. Then early this year I injured my back — a doctor said it was a herniated disc from sitting too long. I tried all kinds of things trying to “cure” myself. I tried quitting caffeine, going vegetarian, juicing vegetables, and going “all raw”. Rest and stretching eventually did “cure” me and I had regained the weight I had lost with Venus and was extremely depressed.

I regained it because I was self-medicating with too much food, not because of a lack of activity from the back injury. I also moved halfway across the country to Colorado from California which had been my home for 15 years. I remembered what Venus had done for me last year, without any fads and being able to eat like a sane person. I knew that if I just followed what other successful Venuses had done, rather than reinventing the wheel, that I would have good results.

I considered Roberta my mentor —she was my coach during a previous contest— and all of the other women in the Venus forums were incredibly supportive, too. I tried to follow in Roberta and Michelle Hahn’s footsteps because I liked their results in the after pictures. A big part of my transformation was finding out what works for me and what fits into my life. I discovered that we are all unique; we have unique families, personalities, and schedules.

I found that fasting from dinner to lunch was really easy for me and I thought of it as just having breakfast a little later. I would have my stepdaughter on the weekends and didn’t want to miss out on time with her, so it worked best for me to train Monday through Friday and rest on the weekends. This allowed me to finish the 12-week program early and start on Final Phase which I really love. I also refused to give up dinners with my husband… I love to cook! Some people have good results with longer fasts, but I like the shorter ones. I have coffee with a little cream and a teaspoon of honey before my morning workouts which helps curb my appetite before lunch.

You learn these little things in Venus that give you an edge. Some people might think it’s controversial to do a heavy weights workout semi-fasted, but that’s where the community is so great… You find out what worked for others, then experiment with what works for you, and you roll with it.

There are so many myths out there, for example, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Yet I found that eating it a little later, basically as brunch, was the easiest way for me to hit my deficit numbers. You learn to be covert about what you’re doing in order to protect yourself. The only people who knew I was doing the contest besides other Venuses were my husband and photographer.

This is a hugely mental journey. I had to constantly tell myself that this time is going to pass anyway, and my thoughts, emotions and hormones are all going to happen anyway, comments whether positive or negative are going to come my way anyway, so I might as well do the work anyway!

I got the flu around the end of October and had to take a break from everything for a few days. Then I got a bad cold in November with 2 weeks left in the contest. I tried to focus more on the calorie deficit at that time, as that was something still under my control.

Getting used to the higher elevation of Colorado and colder weather wasn’t easy either. Another challenge was that I traveled to California 3 times during the contest. I was around friends and family who don’t eat very healthy which can be stressful especially if you’re traveling and can’t always control what is on your plate — there’s a lot of temptation.

But now I look at social situations as “practice” so I won’t become a hermit. My husband Gary is my biggest supporter. I’m so incredibly lucky to have him in my life. He weighed me halfway through the contest and I didn’t look. I didn’t weigh myself the whole contest — just used the tape measure each Monday morning and tried to “Focus on the Process”.

It really helped not looking at the scale — having Gary tell me that the result on the scale halfway through was “indicative of healthy weight loss” was all I needed to hear, no matter what that number was! In conclusion, this is mind over matter. This is a journey that never ends and once I accepted that and started having a “bring it on” attitude, I felt like I had conquered the biggest obstacle… which is myself.

This program works and it’s liberating to know that I will always have something that works. I proved it. I never have to try a fad diet again. I know that I still have a ways to go before I’m totally “there,” and soon I’ll be entering maintenance which will be a little different, but it’s a constant learning and self-improvement process anyway. I’m incredibly grateful for this program. Thank you so much for creating it.

Anne

Anne is really proud of her after pics!

Anne is really proud of her after pics!

 

 

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

 

Laura Found Venus to be a Healthy Lifestyle NOT a Get-Fit-Quick Scheme

Laura before and after Venus - Front Clothes

Laura placed in our recent VT15 Venus Transformation Contest.

She did a phenomenal job and her results display the hard work she put in.

Laura before and after Venus - Side

Laura lost 7 inches from her waist and 7 inches from her hips in only 12 weeks! WOW!

Here is what Laura had to say in her own words:

“My experience with the Venus Factor system”

I have to say that I was a teeny bit skeptical about the Venus System when I first went through all the elements. Yes it made sense from a scientific point of view, but there are so many other get fit schemes in the market that I wanted to make sure I was putting my beloved body through a safe and trustworthy system. I then researched and discovered that John Barban is a fitness genius and has plenty of credibility. His explanations are valid, so I make the commitment and signed up! The primary focus I took was on the eating system using the morning fasts about 4 days per week, which made reaching the deficit goal much easier! I was not hungry apart from some days on a couple difficult weeks. Juicing from time to time helped me to get in extra vegetables and healthy nutrients. The forums are also great to read, they were instrumental to me at the beginning to wrap my head around how to really implement this into my life on a daily basis. The fantastic tips I learned from Roberta, Lissa (ah-mazing recipes thanks) as well as the other coaches and regulars on the posts and podcasts gave invaluable, uplifting recommendations. I have weights and other personal fitness gear so I could do modified workouts if I was working from home, on my back deck or would make the trip to a gym. I also bike to work a few times a week though as warned, that can be a little too much and make me more hungry and tired, so I avoided excessive cardio. Since I work in the field of health and physical education I wanted to be walking my talk more since I had got out of past routines over the last year with extra stress and responsibility adding pounds on. The Venus Factor system was the vehicle I needed to get there! The first few weeks of my subscription I lost 4 pounds but there was no contest to start until late August, then I lost the rest of the pounds and inches here in Contest 15! I am delighted to have improved my body to where I feel stronger and more energetic. I can even say focus is better. I have received several compliments and am motivated to keep going in order to shred, shape and tone even more! This is the end of one contest but the beginning of a new framework that is now over the weeks ingrained into me, on how to live a healthier lifestyle. I’m going to keep going until I reach my goals. Thanks Venus Factor!

Laura before and after Venus - Back

Laura’s Metrics

Weight Height Waist Shoulders Hips
Before 151 lb 67.5 in 36 in 45.3 in 42 in
After 141 lb 67.5 in 28.8 in 42.3 in 35 in
Deltas -10 lb 0 in -7.3 in -3 in -7 in

 

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

She fought the Type 1 diabetes battle and WON! (Meet Char)

"It fills me with joy to share it. It works. It works for me, with my moment to moment struggles, and it can work for anyone. We don’t have to settle. We can achieve. We can become. It is good, but it also gets better! "

“It fills me with joy to share it. It works. It works for me, with my moment to moment struggles, and it can work for anyone. We don’t have to settle. We can achieve. We can become. It is good, but it also gets better! “

 

Char placed in our last contest.  She is a type 1 diabetic who struggled for many years to lose excess weight.  She has an incredible story to share because she never gave up.  She refused to settle for what her doctors said was “As good as it gets”.

Here is what she wrote:

It’s as good as it gets. Over and over. I’d hear it. All my doctors and specialists, and that’s a big community when you’re me.

I’ve been a Type 1 Diabetic Female for nearly 20 years now. What that means is that my body works against itself. Vital parts that keep me alive are attacked and destroyed, and as the years go on, more than just my pancreas has ceased to work.

While there is no cure, there are measures I can take to improve my standard of living. This is where what I’ve wanted, and what my Doctors answer, are in conflict. I’ve constantly questioned, pushed, and refused to accept my unhappy results.

I never wanted to be compared to other Type 1s, I wanted my results to mimic those of healthy people.

What did I have to do to make THAT happen?

The problem with demanding those results and asking those questions in a community that treats sick people, is that no one knows!

As I continued to fight and look for a better way, I experienced the ups and downs of being told one thing and wanting another.

A better word to describe Type 1 is the moment to moment disease, as it’s a highly fluctuating, volatile condition. This moment may be great, but give us half an hour, and we could be in emergency status.

Numbers. Equations. Life altering decisions. Every. Minute. Every. Day.

The feedback we get throughout the day comes from a variety of life info devices: pumps, meters, pins, syringes, sets, monitors, and the CGM or the Constant Glucose Monitor. Constant.

Sleep does not bring peace. These devices beep and whir all night, too, giving sometimes positive, sometimes negative results.

It’s hard not to take it personal.

It’s hard not to listen to the voices and disclaimers that all tell you, “You are the exception. This works except in the case of the auto immune.

“This is as good as it gets.”

After a recent injury and time period where I let it all get to me, I finally got my fight back.

For months I’d sought help from my Type 1 professional community, with the same sad results. It wasn’t until I forced myself back into the fitness community, and found Venus and other like-minded resources, that I overcame.

Not only did I lose my injury weight, but I discovered how I never again had to be the victim to life’s ups and downs.

Not even with my disease. I could determine what I wanted and have a clear path on how to achieve those results, and KEEP THEM!

The knowledge that has come through Venus, has given me so much power. The ability to know how to achieve, fix things when I go off road, and to obtain and MAINTAIN my goals.

It’s everything. And really, so simple.

The greater lesson I’ve come to in all of this, is now, how to help others.

I was stuck for so many years, just dealing with my health issues, which comprise so much of my time during the day.

Isn’t it interesting how the fitness community, a community of healthy, fit people, have helped me realize things about my disease that my doctors and specialists could not?

Even to the point where I am able to pay it forward?

Now I have the added benefit of knowing that everyone can do this. It fills me with joy to share it.

It works. It works for me, with my moment to moment struggles, and it can work for anyone.

We don’t have to settle. We can achieve. We can become.

It is good, but it also gets better!

Char Brown 40 year old Type 1 Female Mom of 2 Wife of my best friend Venus babe

 

Recently after Char achieved her goal she wrote with a picture of her own shadow at the beach:

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Char has an amazing spirit of determination, perseverance, and a passion for fitness, health, and helping others.  You can find Char on instagram where she wants to share her message and help others.

 

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Listen to char tell her story now, or download the podcast for later:

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A fitness trainer at age 50? This Venus CAN! (Meet Sandra)

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Sandra placed in our last Venus Transformation Contest.

She thought she was doomed to middle aged hormones as age 50 approached, but with Venus she learned this was simply a myth.  Here’s what she said about her transformation pictures:

The 1st photo is from February 2015 and the 2nd is November 2015. 9 months, 35 pounds and over 3′ (that’s a yardstick) of inches! Am I proud of allowing myself to get in the previous state? No, I’m not! BUT, I am proud of the fact that I made a change! And it’s a change for life…thanks to Venus!

This journey re-stirred a passion of fitness for me and I re-certified to be a personal trainer. If you would like to lose some weight and/or gain some muscle mass, I will definitely help you achieve your goals!

 

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If I was looking for a trainer I would certainly want Sandra!  She has a lot to say about the Venus program:

 

I, like a lot of women, had succumbed to the mindset of…I’m getting older, I have health issues, my metabolism stinks, I’m starting menopause, blah, blah, blah. I had given up and given in to all these excuses. I had had my first knee surgery in 2008, 2nd one in 2009, and the 3rd one in 2011. All of which I gained a few pounds during recovery. In 2012, I went to a neurologist for chronic back pain resulting from an injury in 2010.

All the testing he did came back with a result of a high positive FANA, which has to do with your auto immune system. After 2 years, multiple doctors and every test known to man, no one could find anything wrong. But I knew from the “swelling” in my face and body, that something was wrong.

Little did I know, or more so, did I want to admit, was that “swelling” was called FAT and that’s what I had become!

My wake up call came in February of this year. We had visited some family in Maryland, and of course everyone was taking pictures. My cousin posted a picture on Facebook, and when I saw it, my jaw dropped.

THAT wasn’t me!

But the sad fact of the matter, it WAS me, and it was totally not acceptable any more.

Within a week, I went to a gym nearby me and got a membership along with a personal trainer. Soon after that, I was surfing the internet one evening and “stumbled” upon this program called Venus. (I say “stumbled” because I believe everything happens for a reason when it’s supposed to happen.)

Hmmm…$47. I had already spent hundreds if not thousands on HcG, NutriSystem, Hydroxycut, Phentermine, personal training, a myriad of other OTC weight loss products, and other STUFF. What did I have to lose? Some weight?

Okay, I’m in. I started Venus at the end of March. When I would meet with my personal trainer, I would tell him, let’s do THIS workout. So over the course of the next several months, I was eating at deficit, doing intermittent fasting and doing Venus workouts!

The weight and inches started coming off! I was ecstatic! I was no longer experiencing back pain which was HUGE to me! I had thought of doing VT14 but ended up just shadowing it. About this time I had a revelation.

In 2008, I had studied and became a personal trainer. However, the economy wasn’t good at that time, so it was a short-lived career. But working out again stirred that old feeling in me of helping others accomplish their goals.

I talked with my gym about being a personal trainer and they immediately said yes. They were seeing me transform in front of their eyes. So I re-certified in the summer and started training at the beginning of November.

I was once again doing something that I LOVED, and that was helping others achieve their goals! Why have I told you MY story?

Because I know if I’m going through it, there has to be one other person that is going through the same thing. And maybe, just maybe, I can help one person.

What has Venus done for me?

It has EMPOWERED me!!!

I am so fortunate to have found Venus! It has saved my life!

The women I have met on this journey are phenomenal! Roberta Saum is the BOSS! She always provides her selfless time and knowledge to all of us.

Even though I have never met any of you, the friendships I have made are insurmountable! The support of all the women I have met through Venus is beyond words. And the tools that I have obtained…are PRICELESS!

I now KNOW, at the very young age of 50, that I will NEVER be overweight again!

I still have goals that I want for myself and I know that Venus will help me get there! At 50, I AM the BEST I have ever been and I can’t wait to see what else I can do!

Thank you John Barban for creating Venus!

-Sandra

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Listen to Sandra talk about her story now, or download the podcast for later:

Heather Found Venus was the Solution to Fat Loss and Maintenance

Heather Before Heaviest and After Venus

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

 

 

Heather placed in our recent VT15 Venus Transformation Contest.

She did a phenomenal job and her results display the hard work she put in. Her transformation stretches out further than this 12 week period though, she has lost over 30 lbs using Venus!

Heather before and after Venus Front

Heather before starting Venus in 2015 and after this 12 week contest, unbelievable!

Here is what Heather had to say in her own words:

My experience with Venus has been amazing. My life long search for the program that works is finally over. I have found it and I am hooked. I am a 47 year old woman with a wonderful husband and 4 terrific grown children. However I was struggling with self-image problems, low self-esteem and was just unhappy inside. Like many other Venus ladies, I tried every diet program out there, and purchased several exercise DVD programs. I was successful in my goal of losing weight but as soon as I hit a certain point the motivation to stick with it disappeared and the weight started to climb back up. I had convinced myself that I was just meant to be overweight and my genetic chemistry was preventing me from being slim. Then in March of 2015 I found Venus on Facebook. I listened to John’s story about his sister and how he developed something that was specific to women who battle with this issue. In my first 12 weeks on Venus I lost 20 pounds and 24 inches off my body. One thing I had never done in previous weight loss efforts was to combine the diet and the lifting. I had done both separately thinking it was enough by itself. The other aspect of Venus that was hugely motivating for me was the all the information I got through the podcasts and blog posts. I love, love, love John and Brad’s podcasts. I listened to them whenever I could. They blasted away every myth I grew up believing, every misconception that I had adopted just because a fitness professional said it and I was finally able to break away from all the bad information that I had stored in my head and replaced with the facts that John and Brad’s research had taught me. So after my first 12 weeks of the Venus program, it was May and summer was coming. I decided that I would take a break from actively losing, and applied the same principles of the program but eat at maintenance most days and at a deficit 2 days each week. As August approached I had maintained my 20 pound weight loss. I was ecstatic. I had never ever done that. In the past as soon as I stopped following the weight loss program, instantly the weight started creeping back up. This was when I decided that I would enter the contest to further motivate me to continue my journey. Here I am today at the end of the contest and I am more motivated than ever to continue my journey to get to my ideal Venus Body. I am not there yet but I am loving my new body, my new outlook on life, my new self-confidence. Not just my body changed, but my life changed…and people have noticed. This journey has been amazing and I am so grateful for John, Brad, Liss, and Roberta and all the ladies on the forum for their constant efforts to encourage us, educate us and provide effective tools for every woman to utilize in reaching their fitness goals. Thank you all.

 

Heather’s Metrics

Weight Height Waist Shoulders Hips
Before 140 lb 62 in 31.5 in 41.7 in 37 in
After 131 lb 62 in 29 in 38.8 in 36 in
Deltas -9 lb 0 in -2.5 in -3 in -1 in

 

Heather before and after Venus

 

Heather is a beautiful Venus! Nothing can stop her now!

 

Heather’s AWESOME Home Gym

Heather Venus Index Home Gym

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

How to overcome hypermobility and still become VENUS (Meet Kittery)

"Thank you Venus, thank you to the Brad’s, thank you Coach Roberta, thank you to all of my Venus Sisters, and last, but certainly not least, thank you to my amazing husband for helping me become the person that can finally look in a mirror and say, I am proud of the way I look!"

“Thank you Venus, thank you to the Brad’s, thank you Coach Roberta, thank you to all of my Venus Sisters, and last, but certainly not least, thank you to my amazing husband for helping me become the person that can finally look in a mirror and say, I am proud of the way I look!”

 

Kittery has an amazing story of overcoming an unusual health adversity.  She did not let it stop her!

Here’s what she said in her own words:

24 months ago, I made a choice. It was an easy choice to make, but one that hasn’t always been easy to stick to. The choice I made was to NOT be the usual frumpy grandma.

At my heaviest I weighed in at 214, and was absolutely disgusted with how I looked, but all the cardio and weightlifting I was doing wasn’t getting me hardly anywhere.

I lost about 15 pounds, but couldn’t seem to go any further. I had very little energy and figured that I was as far as I was going to get.

Then my husband found Venus for me.

This program has truly changed my life. The support through the community is amazing. Because of a relatively rare condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome – Hypermobility Type, I can not really lift weights, so I do all of the exercises with nothing more than 2-3 pound weights and bodyweight, and I have still lost a grand total of 50 pounds through the Venus Index program and I am certainly not a frumpy looking grandma!

One of the great things about Venus is that it makes sense. Eat less, move more.

That was where I had a challenge; eating less didn’t seem right with all of the previous “training” that all of us have been taught. However, if you follow the Undulating Protocol, the weight comes off!

Thank you Venus, thank you to the Brad’s, thank you Coach Roberta, thank you to all of my Venus Sisters, and last, but certainly not least, thank you to my amazing husband for helping me become the person that can finally look in a mirror and say, I am proud of the way I look!

Kittery

 

 

Kittery has an amazing story about this picture and the chair.  She tells all in her podcast.  She is a pretty AMAZING lady.

Kittery has an amazing story about this picture and the chair. She tells all in her podcast. She is a pretty AMAZING lady.

 

 

Listen to her amazing story now or download the podcast for later:

 

 

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