Posts Comments

You are here: Home / Archives for becoming a venus

Poison Persuasion

March 22, 2013 by 6 Comments

Most of us are familiar with the kind of substances that are dangerous to ingest.  As a mother I kept all those cleaning supplies locked in the cabinet away from little fingers.  We wouldn’t dream of rubbing some cleaning chemicals on our face or pouring floor cleaner into our coffee.

No way!   Why would we keep something in our bodies that could harm us or hold us back?  This may sound ridiculous, yet when it comes to what we will put into our minds, or what we leave there unchallenged, we are all too comfortable with our poison.

Let me explain:

What do you really believe about what you can achieve?  When you face a failure do you think that you are worthless? Do you think that you are different from others and that you just can’t lose fat?  These are some examples of poison ideas that will hold you back.  In my opinion these false beliefs are just as harmful as some cleaner in your morning coffee.

Don’t get your hopes up

I would like to share a poison belief that almost kept me from ever trying out Venus Index.  When I first heard about the program from Brad Pilon’s blog, I felt it wasn’t for someone like me. I’d been overweight since I was 7 years old.   I have struggled with extra weight for so many years and was desperate at the time to even lose 30 pounds.  I didn’t think I had any hope of working toward a goal of ideal measurements.

I was almost 300 pounds at the time and felt hopeless.  I had tried over and over with so many complicated diets to lose weight.  I was starting to think  I should just accept being the fat girl. Honestly, it was probably just easier for me to see the weight as unmovable than to realize that I had gotten myself into that mess.  I needed to face the reality of my own responsibility to take care of my body.

In spite of the negative thinking I kept listening to the PhiLife and Venus podcasts with John Barban and Brad Pilon.  I was so impressed with what they said and believed they knew their stuff. What did I have to lose, besides a lot of extra weight?  I finally decided that I would never know unless I put it to the test. To begin with I bought The Anything Goes Diet and started following it.

Once I lost about 20 pounds I bought Venus Index.  Then I nervously went into the community to lurk around.  Once I saw how wonderful the women in the community were I jumped on in and found the support I needed.  I kept on losing weight.  The support of like- minded people is so important in keeping a positive mindset and clearing away false or negative ideas that can drain your motivation.

Speaking the truth

It is possible that you don’t think you have any poison beliefs floating around in your thoughts. It is tough to spot them since we are so comfortable with what has become so familiar.  Have you ever thought that you just can’t do what someone else has done?  Maybe you think you are too busy to work on a fitness goal, have a messed up metabolism, have bad genetics, or just don’t have the willpower.   Take a closer look.  Sometimes our behavior says much more about what we truly believe than what we say.

If you really believe something is true it will show up in your actions.  Sometimes those negative thoughts spill out when we view ourselves in a full length mirror, when we are uncomfortable receiving a compliment, or in what we say to ourselves when we mess up.

If I have a day when my thoughts tell me that I can’t change or that I can never look like that sexy girl at the gym, then it’s time for me to talk back.  I can ask if that is really true.  It’s not.

It’s not easy to think of myself in new ways.  That is a big reason I have loved the Venus podcasts.  The Adonis and the Venus podcasts helped me to turn my defeated thoughts into determination and fight  for my weight loss goals.  Now they help me to keep my mindset positive and powerful so I can keep going strong as I continue on the journey.  I had so many old diet rules and mainstream fitness ideas that had gotten me nowhere.

I like to use the podcasts, and the other Venus resources to keep my thinking clear of all those distractions.  If the old familiar diet myths didn’t work for all those years I certainly don’t want to fall back on them.  I have found some books to be very helpful but I am very selective.  I make sure that what I read won’t pull me away from what I know works for me.  I have gone back to read The Anything  Goes Diet more than once.  It’s been the guidebook  for turning my years of weight loss mistakes into steady steps forward to my goal.  I like to joke that I am AGD for life.

Remember the victories

When I run into setbacks or make big mistakes I’m tempted to fall into old thinking and habits.  I might wonder why I bother or do I have what it takes to succeed.  I may be tempted to go and try some crazy restrictive diet with all kinds of fancy rules.  It’s what I would have turned to in years past; a strict program with lots of food rules, excessive cardio workouts, or some special trick that will finally help me lose those stubborn pounds.

I know better than to go back to what was so punishing and useless.  This is the time I most need to remember my victories and the tried and true methods that I can count on.  I choose to take courage from the goals I’ve set and have achieved; the times my hard work paid off in progress. Each little victory along the way has made me stronger.

Victories feel wonderful, but to tell the truth failure has often been an more valuable teacher.  Failures can be a perfect opportunity to learn more about myself and what might help me to succeed in the future.  They show me my weak spots and are a great map for avoiding pitfalls.

If  used wisely those setbacks and mistakes will help me to succeed in the long run.  It’s a waste of energy to beat myself up for what I could or should have done.  I can choose to use that energy to focus on what have learned and what I want to do next.

You are not alone

No matter what the situation or challenge I find so much strength in support from others the same challenges.  It makes me feel stronger when I know that others have conquered the same challenge, felt similar emotions, or made some of the same mistakes I have.

The stories of other women who are transforming their bodies and learning new habits inspire me to keep working.  Their stories reassure me that I can indeed reach my own goal.  If someone else has walked the path before me it makes me even more determined that I can walk it too.

I can’t tell you how many times during my weight loss journey I have turned to the ladies at the Venus Index community and found just what I needed to push me forward.  It’s a wonderful thing when someone says just the right thing to encourage you, or gives you a dose of reality when needed.  I am stronger as part of this community… a part of team Venus.

We are in the journey together and it makes the process much more fun.  Yes, the challenge of losing weight becomes fun with a little help from some friends. Even if you aren’t part of the Venus community I challenge you to find the support you need wherever you can.  It’s priceless.

Going, going, but not gone

I’ve lost more than 100 pounds from my highest weight of 320, but I still find myself thinking like the woman I used to be.  I am still learning to master my mindset.  I want to learn to think in ways that charge up my motivation and push me to overcome obstacles.  I am making progress. I will use the tools I just wrote about.  Where there are lies I will talk back with the truth.  When there are failures I will remember the victories.

If I feel alone in a challenge I’ll seek out a little help from some friends. I have come so far from the woman who almost would not try Venus Index because she didn’t want to get her hopes up only to fail again.  I am so glad I took that chance on the program, but ultimately on myself.  What did I have to lose?  What do you have to lose?

 

Filed Under: change, fat loss, Phi Life, Podcast, psychology, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Preparing For Your Contest Photo Shoot – Part 2: Photography And Lighting

March 15, 2013 by 8 Comments

The deadline for the 7th Venus Index Transformation Contest on April 15th is quickly approaching.  This article is part of a 3 part series to help gear you up with ideas on how to make your photo shoot fun and successful.  We will cover posing practice, lighting, photography, scene setup, water load and deplete, bikini and shoe selection, tanning and other grooming ideas. In part 1 we talked about posing practice.  Today lets talk about photography and lighting.

Take pictures at home or hire a professional photographer?

You can take awesome pictures at home or hire a professional photographer.  I did both.  One advantage of using a professional is they have special lighting equipment, experience, a variety of backdrops and props, and usually more powerful camera equipment.  The professional who took my pictures used a couple of remote flashes around me which had an amazing effect.

There is no way I could have duplicated this exact effect at home without the special equipment.  I watched and learned and then I improvised with lights at home but we’ll get to that in a moment.

The photographer used remote flashes in this picture

The photographer used remote flashes in this picture

The photographer I used was not nearly as expensive as I thought, especially for the quality of service I received.  His name is Donnie Newton and he did an amazing job.  He clearly loves photography.  I would highly recommend him to anyone in California; A day with Donnie in Sacramento is well worth the drive.

Donnie used special colored filters in the gym, but the photographer can create the same effect later when processing the photo.

Donnie used special colored filters for these photos

Donnie used special colored filters for these photos

Lighting at home

I saw what Donnie did with lighting so I decided to take some pictures at home.  I used my husbands Nikon D300s digital camera on a tripod.  I tried putting lamps behind me but I couldn’t get the pictures to turn out.  They either wouldn’t focus or were completely washed out.  I did some research online and it turns out that light shining into the lens messes up the camera.

The remote flashes Donnie used were timed and adjusted by the equipment.  You can purchase special umbrellas and light boxes but I didn’t have that option if I wanted to get my pictures done that day.  So I improvised with my husbands construction lights, tar paper, and duct tape.  These items were handy since the room was under construction.

I improvised with construction lamps, tar paper, and duct tape

I improvised with construction lamps, tar paper, and duct tape

The construction lamps were hot and needed to be turned off in between sets.  I did not dare leave the room with those hot lamps on.

The tar paper funnels kept the light shining on me but did not interfere with the camera lens.

One thing I could have done to improve the picture quality was to bring the camera closer so that my image filled the screen.  I wasted valuable resolution by having my image so small and cropping so much off.  The picture with the lamps is actually cropped from the original.

Here is the cropped version of the picture

Here is the cropped version of the picture

Sometimes you get “surprise” pictures

One of the fun things about this photo is that it was just a test.  I was using the camera timer and was testing the camera setup and lighting before “posing”.  I had mentally “discarded” this picture.  When I had my friend Lisa help me narrow down the pictures to select for the mandatory front picture she said she liked this one the best.  This surprised me.  You never know what surprises you will get if you have someone snapping away with the camera for you.

Lisa liked what my facial expression said to her.  I think I was just having fun enjoying the process and the progress I had made.  I had just finished a successful photo shoot with Donnie and was trying out some ideas of my own.  I was having fun and I think it showed.  Lisa said it looked to her like I was saying “I have a secret!” and I think I kind of felt like I did have a secret bubbling up inside.  I had not yet had a chance to show off my work.

The most important factor is still the months and weeks of hard work

One other important point about this picture and all the others I took at home during this session is that I had a full meal the night before.  In fact I had eaten a fair amount of calories and drank a lot of water because I was water depleted during the previous day’s session with Donnie.  The meal was a kind of “stress relief meal” that the photo session was complete.

I had not quite decided if I would take pictures again at home.  I nibbled at some food and took a few sips of water in the morning before this session at home.  This session was done with just a normal nightly fast and simply not consuming too much food or water until the session was over.

I will talk more about the diet and water deplete in part 3 but for now remember that it is not really necessary to do all that for a good photo shoot.  Of course you don’t want to eat a whole pizza the night before, or eat a lot of foods that make you bloated.  The most important factor for your shape is the exercise and diet for the weeks and months leading up to the time of the photo session.

It is not necessary to do a long fast or water deplete for good photos. The most important factor is still your months of hard work with diet and exercise

It is not necessary to do a long fast or water deplete for good photos. The most important factor is still your months of hard work with diet and exercise

Indoor scene setup at home

  • Select a backdrop; I like to use thick fleece blankets for the backdrop and on the floor because they don’t wrinkle like the sheets do.
  • Make sure the color of the backdrop goes well with the color of your suit and shoes
  • Make the scene clean from clutter; move items out of the scene, i.e. toys, trash cans, etc.
  • Try a variety of lamps
  • Try using daylight streaming in through a window

Outside pictures

There are a lot of nice outdoor settings that can be used; parks, gardens, fields, lakes, ocean and beach, forests, and pool settings.  Lighting can be tricky.  Like the problem I had with the lamps you don’t want the sun shining directly into the lens unless there is special equipment.  You can get some nice effects with early morning sun or evening sunsets.  A sunset scene can really show off your tan but you only have a few minutes before it gets dark.

Donnie had the right equipment to get the lighting just right for this pool scene

Donnie had the right equipment to get the lighting just right for this pool scene

Make sure you got what you wanted

Whether you are using a timer on a tripod or someone is taking the pictures for you make sure to check them before switching sets or calling it a day.  Zoom in on the pictures and scroll around making sure you like your facial expressions and poses.  Even better download them to a computer and make sure they are what you really wanted.

Zooming in on the picture helps you see if the focus is set correctly as well.  It is difficult to use auto-focus in an indoor setting like I used with the construction lamps so I had to switch to manual focus. If you are by yourself with the camera on a timer it’s a bit more cumbersome to set the manual focus. I used a white sheet of paper marked with a black felt marker as a focus tool.  The sheet of paper was attached to a large cardboard box which I moved to the spot where I would be standing whenever I needed to set the focus.

Don’t forget the newspaper front page with each scene and outfit.

Don’t forget to have fun!

Don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the progress you have made.  The reason you are doing this is because of what you have accomplished, be proud of what you have done.

Even of you don’t have time to do all this preparation you can capture your accomplishments in a five minute photo shoot like my friend Kimberley.  She was not planning to submit pictures and was packing for a vacation and knew she wouldn’t get back before the contest deadline.   So at the last minute she threw on some shoes and a bikini and had her husband Roly snap a few pictures.  And just look, she has been labeled the Every Day Venus ever since and her pictures happen to look beautiful.

On Monday we’ll wrap up with part 3 and talk about bikini and shoe selection, and what can be done the final week of the photo shoot; water load and deplete, tanning, and other grooming ideas.

Have a great weekend!

-Ro

 

Filed Under: change, Contest, transformation, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Preparing For Your Contest Photo Shoot – Part 1: Posing Practice

March 13, 2013 by 6 Comments

The deadline for the 7th Venus Index Transformation Contest on April 15th is quickly approaching.  This article is part of a 3 part series to help gear you up with ideas on how to make your photo shoot fun and successful.  We will cover posing practice, lighting, photography, scene setup, water load and deplete, bikini and shoe selection, tanning and other grooming ideas.

Preparing for your contest photo shoot – Part 1: Posing practice

When it comes to taking good pictures getting in shape is only part of the equation; it is the most important part but you still have to learn how to “present yourself” once you get there.  Posing is something you should start practicing now if you want successful pictures.  It takes some effort and can be tiring.  Like most “training” it works well if you can spread it out over time so you can rest in between sessions.  This gives you time to mull things over and come up with creative ideas to try out for the next session.  Always try to end your sessions on a positive note.

We already have a tutorial with Loren Jacobson and an interview with her; there is much to learn from Loren’s experience and wisdom.  I’ve tried this type of posing with a group of competition girls and it is hard; it takes practice.

One of the very first Venus contest winners, Alisha McGinn, did a phenomenal job with with taking pictures.  She took first place in two contests.  You can see the pictures and listen to what she did to make them so awesome during her interviews for the 1st Venus Index Transformation Contest and the 3rd Venus Index Transformation Contest.

Alisha is one of the first pioneers of the Venus Index program and her driving force, dedication, and trust in John and Brad have enabled most of us to enjoy new features of this program like the Reverse Taper Diet of which she is featured on the cover.

Alisha did so well on her photo shoot that her picture is featured on the cover of the Reverse Taper Diet manual

Alisha did so well on her photo shoot that her picture is featured on the cover of the Reverse Taper Diet manual

The Reverse Tape Diet manual and calorie calculator are included with the Immersion product.

Mandatory poses

You will need to take a mandatory front, side, and back photo, arms down, just like the before pictures you submitted.  These are for comparison but you want to make these look nice and show your best.  Once those are done you can be as creative as you want.  You can submit 10-15 photo’s if you wish.  You need the current days newspaper front page in a photo with you for each outfit and scene, they do not have to be in a “posed” picture.

Gather up photo examples

Spend some time finding pictures from magazines, supplement packages, advertisements, and internet searches and save or print them.

Here are some examples of pictures found online, in magazines, and even supplement packaging

Here are some examples of pictures found online, in magazines, and even supplement packaging

Practice imitating the various poses in front of a mirror.  Try it from various angles and you might find your right side or left side is better.  You will find that some poses look awesome on the model in the picture but not for you, or that with your physique it looks better with the same pose slightly modified, or even greatly modified.  This is where spending the time practicing will pay off.  Once you practice many different poses you will find the ones that look best for you.

Practice with a camera

Once you decide on poses that look best on you try them with a camera.  Lighting is important and we’ll get to that in part 2, but for now practice with a camera because you might find the poses need a few more adjustments.  Things are slightly different in the camera lens and on the actual photo.  If possible try taking the pictures in various light settings to see what looks best for your look on camera.

It is really important to practice with the camera whether you ultimately take the pictures at home or with a professional photographer.  If you choose to use a professional photographer you will want to know ahead of time what poses present yourself the best.  Many photographer’s may not be able to help much with posing or know what gives you your best look.

Change up the lighting

Try the same poses in different lighting if possible;

  • inside and outside
  • morning
  • middle of the day
  • sunset
  • sunlight streaming through a window
  • a lamp or two placed in various places around you
I practiced by copying online fitness model poses

I practiced by imitating online fitness model poses and experimented with lamp placement

Try different facial expressions

Some poses look best with you looking away, others look better with you looking into the lens as if you are looking someone in the eye, smiling or otherwise communicating to them with your expression.  Some girls can get away with a pout or sexy look while others look better with a simple smile.  Older women like myself usually do better with a smile while we might have done okay with a more pouting look in our younger days.

Have fun trying out new poses and expressions!

Have fun trying out new poses and expressions!

Try different stances

Front poses are usually best offset slightly with a kind of twist to show more of an hour glass shape, but you don’t have to follow any rules.  Find what works best for you.  I ended up doing some pictures offset and some straight on.

On the left; an offset stance with a slight twist shows of an hour glass. One the right; straight on. Try each.

On the left; an offset stance with a slight twist shows more of an hour glass shape. On the right; straight on. Try each if you want.

The back view pose

I found this pose to be the hardest.  In fact I spent a least an hour getting this one photo.  My extremely patient friend Judy helped me.  I emailed her what I had and she said “No that needs work”.  Then she pointed me to a fitness contest website (BodyBuilding.com IFBB Arnold Classic) with professional fitness models to attempt to imitate.  I took Judy’s advice and tried to imitate images from my computer screen.  I snapped some pictures, emailed her, and waited for her response.  She responded with feedback on what to improve and we repeated this process at least 10 or more times.  It was frustrating,  hard, and tedious but I am very grateful for the help I got from Judy.  It is a difficult pose but with practice you will see how you need to arch your back, set your head, neck, and shoulders.

I found the back pose to be the hardest but well worth it in the end

I found the back pose to be the hardest but well worth it in the end

 

Enjoy your own progress, your own physique, and have fun!

Most of all have fun and enjoy the progress you have made with your shape.  The end of the contest is only five weeks away.  If you have been consistent since the beginning you should be seeing some progress so enjoy those hard earned victories now while you keep moving toward your goals.

Do not compare yourself to others

One key thing to remember when using fitness model photo’s like this is to not compare yourself to them.  You have your own beauty, your own physique, your own gifts, and you have no idea what the model did to get her look.  The pictures are just examples for trying to figure out what poses bring out your best shape.  Do not aspire to be them; aspire to be the best you possible.

On Friday we’ll cover part 2;  Photography, lighting, photo scene selection and setup.

-Ro

 

Filed Under: Contest, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Creation of a Masterpiece: The Venus

February 15, 2013 by 3 Comments

Re-framing Fitness

One thing that eluded me throughout my fitness history was a concept that could have saved me from the beginning. You see most people go to the gym to work off their “eating failures.”  If I could have re-framed what the gym was about, it could have saved me years in getting to the body of my dreams.

venus_goddess_black_236832_l

You choose your statue’s look

Carve and Sculpt at the Gym

The gym is to build muscle and sculpt your body. Period.

I compare it to the carving of a statue. Without weight lifting, you are a blank piece of marble, just another stone in the quarry, nothing unusual.  The beautiful statues that are preserved in museums and studied by scholars the world over all have a sculptor who took time to carefully carve each muscle, getting each angle just right.

The artists used the Golden Ratio which is exactly what John Barban designed into the Venus Index Ideal for goal setting metrics.

This is what weight lifting can do for you- build each muscle until your physique is just right. You can even take down a prominent muscle group if you need to. The end result is a beautiful, well-sculpted body that is pleasing to the human eye.

Showcase your Work with Calories

Your calorie intake is akin to a sheet that covers the statue. It does not matter how much sculpting and time you have put into your statue, you cannot see the details beneath a sheet.  So until you get your intake in check and start bringing down your body fat percentages, that physique is going to be hidden underneath the covering.  As your body fat percentages come down, details will slowly start to show through the covering- collar bones, then bicep muscles, some veins, abs, etc.

Calories are King

Let me re-emphasize that you cannot out train a bad diet. A friend of mine once jokingly said that it takes her 30 hard minutes on a treadmill to burn 300 calories and about 30 seconds to inhale 300 calories of chips.

Do not mix the two:

  • the gym is for sculpting
  • the food is for showcasing the work.

Brad Pilon calls this “Fat Loss Divide and Conquer”

We do not work out to burn calories here at Venus Index, we workout to build our best bodies.   Once I sorted this out I found my success.

Liss found her Golden Ratio Venus Ideal by using the Venus Index goal setting metrics

Liss found her Golden Ratio Venus Ideal by using the Venus Index goal setting metrics

At some point close to the Venus Index Ideal, women usually find a happy medium where they have their best shape.  The “best shape” can be highly individual and is a level that fits your lifestyle; it is different for each person.

This is when your best attributes are showcased, and your calorie intake does not feel restricted.

That is what living at Venus Index should feel like- an everyday Venus.

-Liss

 

Filed Under: Bodyfat, calories, cardio, Muscle Growth, Uncategorized, Weight training Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Transform Your Mind And Your Body By Keeping It Simple

February 4, 2013 by 3 Comments

Today John talks to Deanne Hernandez who placed first in the 6th Venus Index Transformation Contest.

Check out her transformation pictures from the 12 Week Contest:

deanna-hernandez-befores

Deanne before the contest

Deanne Hernandez - 1st Place - After Photos

Deanne Hernandez – 1st Place – After Photos

At the beginning of the contest Deanne did the Venus Index Workout but tried to eat gluten free because it sounded like a good thing to do.  Like many of us she was eating a certain way for no particular reason other than it seems to be the latest fad.  She realized she could not lose weight because she was still eating too many calories.  Her weight stayed the same during the first eight weeks of the contest.  She did not take her diet and calories seriously enough.  Then she got really motivated and kicked into gear, got motivated, got her correct mindset, took a good look at her calories, and ended up with some amazing results. You can change the way you look.  Deanne also decided to get involved in the Venus Index Community Forum and that helped her a lot.  She didn’t realize how much support and information was available there.  She highly recommends others to get involved there to help with your success.

Stay Motivated

Deanne realized that the process was mostly about mindset.  Like most of us have also learned she found she needed mindset techniques like cause and effect; “If I do this than what?”, and “You either do it you don’t.”  She decided she needed the contest with the end date to help keep her motivated.  She said the contest was the best thing she ever did for herself.  She realizes now that what she learned how to do during the contest is something she can do for the rest of her life.

Deanne loved listening to the previous contest winner interviews and loved to imagine herself looking like the pictures of Alisha.  Not only did the process transform her body but it transformed her mind.  She had spent most of her life with a poor image of herself and a lot of negative self talk.  The process she used during the contest and listening to Olya’s interview helped her stop the negative self talk.  She started treating her workouts and diet as gifts to her body.  She now treats herself with kindness and respect.

Knowledge Is Power

Deanne learned that managing the correct amount of calories, Eat Stop Eat, and eating foods you like were the keys to successful weight loss for her.  She learned the truth about calories from the Venus Index manuals and from the Venus Index community.  Deanne learned that the process was simple but not easy.  She decided to keep it simple and tune out all of the conflicting information that comes from the diet and fitness industry.

Keep It Simple

Deanne really liked April’s interview and the plan for doing the VI workout lifting weights three days a week.  Even though more advanced weight lifters can do the workout more days per week the three days per week kept it simple for her.  She decided she would do something every day.  Mostly she paid attention to her activity level for the day and tried to make sure she was taking 10,000 steps.  She walked while she listened to the Venus Index podcasts and that made it fun and enjoyable for her.  She decided that if she did not feel like exercising she would just do it anyway, even if she decided to make the workout easier or lift lighter.  Even on the days she decided to do an easier workout she found that once she got going she felt like pushing herself hard and it felt good.  She found that by doing this she learned to be consistent.

Deanne_After

Look what being consistent and motivated did for Deanne. She looks fabulous.

Links from the interview:

  • Eat Stop Eat – Diet Lifestyle protocol designed to help you to lose fat and regain freedom in your food choices
  • Original Venus Index Workout – Workout program for women that’s responsible for the most amazing transformations online
  • Venus Index Community – Friendliest and most supportive women’s only fitness community on the Internet

Advice from Deanne:

  • Don’t wait, Do something NOW.
  • Keep it simple
  • Figure out how many calories you need and go from there
  • Join a transformation contest
  • It is mostly about mindset
  • Set a goal with a date
  • Even if you don’t feel like it do an easy exercise
  • Exercise as a gift to your body
  • The process is simple, but not easy

Read what Deanne wrote about her experience with Venus Index:

I vaguely remember reading somewhere that the difference between success and failure was education. That idea now makes perfect sense after completing VT6. My failure in weight loss was completely due to my lack of education about the way the human body works. I was an overweight child, and my fittest years being in early college when I was the most active. After college, my weight crept on me and I went through …Continue reading here

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Contest, Interview, Podcast, transformation, Weight training Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ten Thousand Ways that Won’t Work

August 10, 2012 by 1 Comment

“Ten Thousand Ways that Won’t Work…”

As I finally started finding success with my weight loss I exclaimed to my husband Randy “I can’t believe how simple this is yet I failed at it for at least 15 years!”

So Randy reminded me of the quote Thomas Edison made regarding his process for inventing the light bulb:

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ― Thomas A. Edison

Randy and I both laughed at how I found probably the 10,000 ways how not to lose weight!   Although the victory is still sweet for me, you don’t have to take 15 years and wait until you are 50 years old like I did.

Lifelong Eating Habits Engrained

As a young child I grew up in a poor family with four siblings and a single mom who tried her hardest to care for us under extreme adversity.  This was in the 1960’s and although we lived in the land of abundance it did not always make it to our table.

This was back when bringing food stamps to the store felt shameful yet my mom held her head high and did what she could to provide for us.  I remember how she treated all the food in the refrigerator as a precious commodity.

Circa 1969, I am on the far left and that is my identical twin on the far right.

We didn’t go out to eat much and she prepared healthy meals for us and packed our school lunches.  She would get mad if we tried to skip breakfast and she was always there in the morning to cook something simple like one fried egg and a piece of toast with butter.

We didn’t have a lot of snacks.  On occasion we might get a treat and go to taco bell.  I laugh at the memory of it because there were 5 or 6 menu items to choose from, all pictured up on the overhead wall.  Looking back, I think she had it right back then.

But I also remember her making us popcorn and placing it in a big bowl in the middle of a round table. All of us kids sat around the table and scarfed it down as quickly as we could afraid that others would get more.

Overall I think this season of my life taught me to appreciate the food we had and to not mindlessly eat.

The next season of learning about food happened for me in the foster homes I lived in after that.  I was fortunate to live with a Filipino family and an Italian family who both taught me how to cook their ethnic foods.

I was always ambitious and loved to be the one who cooked dinner and receive the praise for the meal.  We prepared our food at home and going out to eat was a rare treat.   At this point I started eating more and eating seconds was encouraged in both families, but I was young enough and luckily wasn’t too chubby (yet).

This was probably where learning about food portions started becoming distorted for me.

Me at California International Marathon a while back.

Learning to Love Exercise

My first high school job was as a summer camp counselor and I decided then that I loved the outdoors and being physically active.

I started my first full time job at a high tech company during my senior year of high school. The company I worked for encouraged physical activity and the work environment was like a college campus.  There was a par course and running trail, gyms, locker rooms, showers, basketball and volley ball courts, and even a softball park.

I took an aerobics class in the campus gym when I was 19 years old and that is when I met a 50 year old instructor who had the body of a teenager.

The image of her always stuck in my mind and I decided I wanted to be like her when I was 50.

I didn’t stick with the aerobics class because it didn’t fit my schedule but I learned that music made exercise more fun.

I started running outside and lifting weights at the gym and bought my first Walkman.  Walkman’s were expensive and it was a big clunky thing that used cassette tapes and ran on double A batteries but it was well worth the investment.  It helped me look forward to exercise (If you are not feeling like working out, music will always give you that needed pump).

If you are like me then you may also hate running and even weight lifting. However, if you stick to it for some time, you will start seeing some amazing results and the positive effect exercise can have on your mood and life in general, and you WILL LOVE IT.

The Slow Weight Gain Creeping up, Sounds Familiar?

The fact that I spent my lunch hour exercising meant I had to pack my food rather than go to lunch with other employees.

For years I packed my food and ate when I could during breaks.  These were habits that serve me well today.  What I didn’t realize was that my portions were still too big and I ate too much.

I exercised hard and at one point realized I had run six miles a day, six days a week for 10 years, along with weight lifting and other physical activities.

This was in the 1980’s when eating fat free and high carb was the in thing and so I did this for many years.  The memory makes me cringe now.  All the running made me hungry and I ate too much.

I ate this way for years while running marathons and couldn’t figure out why I was not the athlete that I wanted to be.

As time went on my weight kept doing the slow creep up so I tried several popular diets which only worked temporarily and some didn’t work at all.

These were the diets I tried (if you been in involved in this industry for a while chances are you’ve tried them too):

  • Low fat high carb
  • Slim-Fast
  • Weight Watchers
  • Atkins
  • Organic
  • Weston Price Diet
  • The Schwarzbein Principle
  • Eat Fat Lose Fat
  •  The Ultimate PH Solution
  • The Makers Diet
  • A  friends diet from a personal trainer/dietician

I finally just got sick of it all and made up my own diet with healthy foods I enjoy and smaller portions.

I ate my meals from small desert plates and bowls.  I stopped eating in the evenings.  I started calling what I did mini-meals and mini-fasts and I lost 40 lbs.  Then I found Eat Stop Eat, The Venus Index Workout, and the Venus Index Community.

I recently read the Anything Goes Diet.  I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in losing weight or maintaining fitness.  I found this book to be amazingly insightful and John Barban covers all bases.  Honestly the book is so good that I can’t see how you wouldn’t succeed if you actually read the book and followed the principles.  It gave me some new ideas for my own maintenance plan.

Even though we still have so much diet confusion and conflicting advice in the media it seems like the simple truth is buried there, eat less, move more.

Here are some examples where the truth does exist in sometimes humorous ways.  I do not necessarily agree with everything in these articles but you can see some points of truth:

After attempting various diets and eating restrictions over the years I have learned to cherry pick from them and found what works for me.  Some days I temporarily change things up and eat low carb or try something different.

Still, my all-time favorite books about thinking of successful ways to eat are John Barban’s Anything Goes Diet, Brad Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat, and Bethenny Frankel’s “Naturally Thin”.

 

Before and After. The slowly the weight crept up year after year, but the Venus Factor gives you hope.

Before and After.  Slowly the weight crept up year after year, but the Venus Factor gives you hope.

Don’t get Discouraged by Failures

Don’t get discouraged by failures.

Every successful person has failures and part of why they are successful is that they learn from their mistakes.

It is just like Thomas Edison inventing the light bulb.  You don’t have to reinvent the light bulb or the wheel.

The tools are right here right now.  Using the available tools may not stop you from all your mistakes, but you can keep your chin up and learn from them.  Most likely these tools will prevent some wasted effort and you won’t have to wait until you are 50 years old to achieve your dream.

If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.

Thomas A. Edison, Encyclopedia Britannica

US inventor (1847 – 1931)

Since you don’t have to learn the 10,000 ways how not to lose weight like I did, what are you waiting for?

It is never too late to follow your dreams!

-Ro

Filed Under: Bodyfat, calories, cardio, change, Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Food, Health, Shape, weight loss Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Becoming a Venus PART 2: Interview with Ali Scott

January 10, 2011 by 11 Comments
Venus Index Ali

Ali at her Ideal VI

In last weeks interview with Alison Scott we talked about the workouts, the mindset of focusing on proportions and shape and setting the target of the Venus Index Ratio instead of body weight.

In today’s podcast we’ll talk about diet, the Body Centric approach to eating and specifically what Ali did to get into her current shape.

We’ll discuss the social eating patterns and thought processes that she went through developing her own personal body-centric eating patterns that helped her shed between 15-20 pounds of excess weight to reveal her true Venus figure.

At any given moment in our modern western societies food is available, and lots of it. Even if we’re not intending to eat somehow food seems to finds it’s way into our mouth if we’re not consciously avoiding it. If this sounds like an issue you have dealt with in the past (or are currently dealing with) then today’s podcast should help you out.

Ali shares all kinds of tricks and tips that helped her navigate the daily minefield of the North American 24/7 food culture and get into the best shape of her life.

She’ll also share more insights and mindsets that helped her navigate her social circles and daily routine to keep her on track.

As you might have already guessed, getting to your ideal Venus Index requires more than just a workout, and more than just a diet…it’s the combination of the right workout with an eating pattern that fits your lifestyle.

There is no right or wrong way to eat, there is just the way that fits for you that gets you to your goals. Your life has it’s own unique set of challenges and it would be foolish for me or anyone else to tell you  exactly how to eat, when to eat, what to eat, what not to eat etc.

Venus Index Interview Alison Scott Part 2

Following inflexible diet “rules” will just lead to failure. Instead general dieting “principles” that are flexible to your lifestyle are the real path to weight loss and body transforming success.

With that said, there are many useful tips and trick in today’s podcast that I think you will find useful. Not ALL of them will apply to you, but I guarantee SOME of them will.

John

READ:

Download the transcript here:

Becoming a Venus PART 2: Interview with Ali Scott

LISTEN:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: transformation Tagged With: , ,

Becoming a Venus: Interview with Alison Scott

January 3, 2011 by 28 Comments

Having a fitness or athletic goal is great, if your goal is truly a fitness or athletic based measurement. But what happens when those goals disappear and your days of being a competitive athlete are over? Do you just stop working out?…hardly…but the identity has to change…and the Venus Index is the perfect goal to shoot for once you don’t have to be ‘bigger stronger and faster’.

In todays podcast I interview Alison Scott (some of you may already know her from the forums and as one of the Venus Index ‘models’).

Venus Index Transformation Ali Scott BeforeVenus Index Transformation Ali Scott After

Ali talks about her struggles with body image, feeling feminine and changing her exercise and diet goals from an athletic performance base to an body shape base ala the Venus Index.

Ali explains how the new goal of achieving her ideal Venus Index gave her a new found confidence in her body and feeling feminine and ‘sexy’.

Venus Index interview Ali Scott

Working out changed from being a tool for athletic performance into a tool for shaping her body and to some degree her own self perception, her confidence and what it means to be feminine and attractive.

Finally having a definite target to shoot for (other than an arbitrary body weight goal) was the key to Ali’s transformation into something she thought she could never be.

John

READ:

Download the transcript here:

Becoming a Venus: Interview with Alison Scott

LISTEN:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: transformation Tagged With: ,
« Previous Page
Support