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Desserts Make Me Wake Up Ripped

May 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Desserts make me wake up ripped

Desserts make me wake up ripped

Over the last two years I’ve noticed when I eat desserts in the evenings I wake up ripped in the morning.  The pictures above are in chronological order from left to right.  It shows the progression throughout my Venus Index journey.

The very first picture on the upper left is when I started Venus Index two and a half years ago. The picture on the lower right was taken just a few weeks ago.

The pink bikini picture is the only time I purposefully manipulated diet and water to obtain a certain look.

There are constant “seasons”

Once you hit your fitness and weight loss goals and get close to the Venus Index Ideal you will find you go through seasons of change just like all other things in life.  Some things may work during some phases or seasons, then things change and your routine needs to evolve.

When I was in my big weight loss phase all that mattered was eat less and do the Venus Index Workouts.  Not much else mattered.  Once I hit 12% body fat and lower I had to learn to eat differently.  Simply eating less didn’t work anymore.

When I look back at what I did with nutrition up until April 2012 I realize that is no longer something I can follow.  I don’t completely understand why but I know it does not work for me anymore.

Last summer I finally tried something new that worked for me.  I started working out fasted.  Up until then I felt I couldn’t do it.  I realized once I adjusted to it that it was mostly mindset and allowing my body to adjust to something new.  It was hard at first, then I got used to it, then I loved it so much I couldn’t imagine any other way.

So skipping breakfast and working out fasted were the new routine that helped me keep my level of fitness and allowed me to eat at a level more appropriate for maintenance.

I noticed that desserts (complex carbs and sugar) make me wake up ripped

For the most part I don’t eat desserts except on special occasions or vacations.  I’ve noticed that on mornings after these special occasions I tend to wake up with ripped abs.

For years while I still had a lot of weight to lose I tried many diets that restricted carbs which only worked for me temporarily.  I always rebounded.   Lately I’ve felt compelled to try something new.  Because of how I’ve noticed desserts affect me and that many people seem to have some success manipulating carbs I decided to try an experiment.

I feel I can try this kind of experiment now because over the last several years I have learned the correct amount to eat for weight loss and maintenance.  Since I know I can be mindful not to eat too much I can try something new.  If all else fails I can fall back on the basics of simply eating the correct amount of overall food.

I am trying out John Kiefer’s Carb Back-Loading protocol in conjunction with the Venus Index Phase 3 Workout.  I started this experiment on April 13th.

I would not necessarily recommend this protocol (especially the low carb prep phase) if you have a hard time with restrictive diets or still have a lot of fat loss to accomplish.

This kind of experiment can be fun if it doesn’t drive you crazy, make you feel restricted, or if you have maintained fitness long enough to be comfortable with manipulating macro nutrients.  It may not work for you.  Everyone is different.

It seems to be working for me.  I’ve done it for several weeks now and on Wednesday this week I woke up with a fun and interesting new problem:

Today I woke up with an interesting and fun problem; My heart rate monitor only intermittently works because it doesn't always make full contact with my skin.

I woke up with an interesting and fun problem; My heart rate monitor only intermittently works because it doesn’t always make full contact with my skin.

There are a few things I like Kiefer’s Carb Back-Loading protocol

I find that the protocol fits perfectly with Eat Stop Eat and the Venus Index:

Kiefer says that insulin sensitivity is highest in the morning making it the worst time to eat carbs, or any food for that matter.  John Barban says that your willpower is best in the morning and it weakens as you take on the stress of the day.

Many of us find that skipping breakfast helps us maintain a correct calorie budget for the day.  There is no scientific evidence supporting the statement that skipping breakfast is bad for you.  If you feel you need breakfast then by all means eat breakfast.

  • Females especially, you need to lift heavy at the gym!

I love what Kiefer says about lifting heavy at the gym.  I’m paraphrasing here but he says you should not have to ask if you are lifting heavy enough.  Kicking butt at the gym is unmistakable.  I love this and it’s my favorite mantra lately “Kicking Butt at the gym is UNMISTAKABLE!”

This fits quite well with the Venus Index workout.

  • Females will not be able to eat as much as men.

Kiefer says you don’t have to count calories for his nutrition protocol but most of us small females know that especially when it comes to high calorie foods such as most carbs, well, we pretty must have to estimate calories because there is not much room for error.

Here is a quote from “Carb Back-Loading 1.0” by John Kiefer:

Meeting the carb needs of a 130 lb female athlete takes far smaller
volumes than that of a 240 lb bodybuilding male. The amount of
carbs anyone can eat while Back-Loading depends on their quantity
of muscle mass. The average female athlete doesn’t have the muscle
mass necessary to get away with eating an entire box of chocolates
every night.

We can’t get away with eating an entire box of chocolates every night.  Yeah don’t we Venus girls know this.  It makes me laugh.  This is an understatement. I like it because it’s the truth.

If you really want to know how it works get the book

There are a lot of details in Kiefer’s Carb Back-Loading book.  Like Eat Stop Eat and Venus Index you really should read the book to get the most out of it and truly understand it.

Sometimes I get so many questions from people about Eat Stop Eat, Venus Index, and Carb Back-Loading that I finally have to say “Go Read the Book”!

Yes, it means you should go purchase the book.  I was frustrated when I was trying to follow it by just using the information I found on the internet and what friends told me about it.  It wasn’t enough.  I needed to purchase the book and read it.  I found it well worth the investment.  This is fair to the person who purchased it and who you are asking a lot of questions of, and it is fair to the author.

The carb backloading  is designed for men so I’ve had to make a few adjustments to make it work for me.  I’m willing to answer a question or two and then it’s time to go get the book if you want more information.

I decided to also trial Kiefer’s philosophy regarding cardio; HIIT and no more steady state cardio

At first I didn’t like John Kiefer’s style. I had read his article “Why Women Should Not Run” and being a long distance runner for over 30 years this really ruffled my feathers the wrong way.  I love running.

After I read his book I think he might be right.  I certainly think he is right about how insulin works; how you can eat to feed the muscle but not the fat and how eating carbs in the morning is about the worst thing possible for weight loss.  Kiefer is well qualified and he backs his statements with scientific data.

I like John Kiefer because like Brad Pilon and John Barban he sticks to facts and backs the facts with science and documented research, not opinion.

It makes me realize that even though I was successful at weight loss I did it the hardest way possible.  What I did proved that eating less and exercising are all that matter for weight loss, but it also proved how stubborn and persistent I was working against the odds.

I think Kiefer might be right regarding the cardio.  I recently finished a half marathon and even though it was my fastest ever at age 52, it did not help me get as lean as I wanted.  I continued to lift heavy at the gym with Venus Index Phase 2 Workouts but the long distance running seemed to hinder my “get leaner” goal.

Marin County Half Marathon on March 30, 2013

Marin County Half Marathon on March 30, 2013

Since I’ve completed the half marathon and I’m doing Kiefer’s Carb Back-Loading for my nutrition plan I figured I might as well give his HIIT only cardio a try as well.  I figure why not give the program a fair shot all around?

So far the “Getting ripped with desserts” experiment is working well for me.  I can’t wait to see what happens next and write more about it.

If you are interested in seeing what I’m eating I keep a public food diary.  It automatically posts on Facebook and Twitter daily since there seems to be so much interest.

Until next time, it’s another great day to make good choices!

-Ro

PS If you are a Venus Index customer and you have a fun story to tell along with a picture contact roberta.saum@gmail.com

 

 

Filed Under: Diet, fat loss, Food Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Successful Weight Loss; There Are No Shortcuts

April 5, 2013 by 8 Comments
I spent Easter weekend with some friends who asked "How did you do it?" They busted up laughing when I replied "Well, I ate less". They realized it really is that simple.

I spent Easter weekend with some friends who asked “How did you do it?” They busted up laughing when I replied “Well, I ate less”. They realized it really is that simple.

As I mingled and celebrated with dear friends this past Easter holiday the conversation came around to my life transformation and 60 lbs of weight loss.  It was one of those deer in the headlight moments for me when someone in the crowd just blurted out “How did you do it?”

It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to answer the question, but suddenly all eyes and ears in the room were on me waiting for the answer.  “Well, I just ate less” I replied.  Everyone just busted up laughing because they knew it was true.  They got it.  It really is that simple yet somehow our society has made it a complicated topic.  I decided not to elaborate on the answer any further because the people in the room were sensible and clearly understood what I said was true.

Corrective action must be taken

I’ve learned my success from the teaching of Brad Pilon and John Barban.  Excess fat is just like a mortgage debt.  Corrective action must be taken to pay it off.  That means you must eat less than your need to maintain your lean body mass in order to burn the fat that is stored.  It really is that simple.  Once your “fat storage debt” is paid and you are “debt free” you can then eat at a maintenance level.

That means that if you are sitting across from someone at the table who is your height and gender who is not overweight, you will need to eat less than that person.  It doesn’t seem fair, but it is because you are paying off a debt and they are not.

Changing your shape is like an artist sculpting a masterpiece

One of the things that amazed my friends when we got to the subject of weight training, and a constant comment that was given throughout the weekend was “Clearly you are strong but you look so feminine!”  Several of my friends this weekend, both male and female, said they were really turned off by a currently popular fad gym chain they tried out because the women seemed like they were trying to look like men and didn’t really look nice.

Again, I learned how to shape my body because of the teaching of John and Brad.  I love what John says about the design of the Venus Index workout; “The focus is proportions and shape (rather than weight loss at all costs or building muscle like a guy)” – John Barban.  There is also an equally good workout for men called the Adonis Index.

My friend Liss who is a previous Venus contest winner writes about this very concept in her article “The Creation of a Masterpiece: The Venus“.

Clean eating isn’t enough

First of all there is no definition for “clean eating” yet the words suddenly permeated the diet and fitness industry like wildfire.  I think it is supposed to mean unprocessed and unpackaged foods.  This can have a different meaning for different people.  For some it means foods with very few ingredients, pronounceable ingredient names, or as few as possible chemicals or preservatives.

I grew up in California where long before the term “clean” ever came into being we had been barraged with “organic”, “sustainable”, and “eat local” mantra.  I actually like to do these things when possible and affordable.  It is actually possible to eat all “organic” and “local” in California, although even in California it can get expensive.  In some parts of the world this would be nearly impossible or ridiculously expensive.

After eating the California version of “all organic” for many years I suddenly started hearing the term “clean” and I thought what the heck?  I was at the peak of obesity when I was eating 100% organic.  Too much food is too much food, it doesn’t matter how clean it is.

I lost 60 lbs still eating all organic and not counting calories

It is not necessary to “eat clean” or “organic” to lose weight.   I felt good the way I was eating (organic) so I continued, but I cut my portion sizes down considerably.  I started eating on desert plates.  I didn’t need to count calories.  I simply eyeballed my portions and got a feel for the correct amount to eat for the day in order for the scale to consistently go down over time.

I weighed myself every morning and kept a notebook with the dates and amounts that my weight went up or down.  Since I started my day with breakfast during this period of time I had to stop eating for the day anytime between 3-7pm, depending on how much I had eaten during the day.

It does not matter what time you eat, but this was the first pattern I experimented with that worked for me.  Since then I have tried other patterns like skipping breakfast and eating right before bedtime.  That worked equally as well.  It was nice because I didn’t have to go to bed hungry.

I pretty much had to get used to feeling hungry sometimes to lose weight.  Once I learned it worked and it didn’t actually hurt me I learned to relish in the victories of watching the scale trend go down.   The scale trend was not linear, but it consistently went down over time.  It was fun to watch the success.

Watching the scale go down consistently and going down in clothing sizes kept me motivated.  I focused on the victories and kept my eye on the goal instead of the fact that I wouldn’t eat everything I wanted to and felt hungry sometimes.

I stayed strong at the gym while eating less

It surprised me that I stayed strong at the gym even while eating less.  I continued weight training and running.  I found that my running got stronger because of losing the fat as well as the superior design of the Venus Index workout.  In fact this last weekend at age 52 I ran my fastest half marathon ever in slightly less than two hours. The crowd cheered very loud when I was given the microphone and I told the two minute version of my weight loss story.

Coming around full circle;  Anything Goes Diet

Once I realized I had finally reached my fitness goal I floundered a bit at first.  When you eat at a calorie deficit for so long it’s hard to switch gears.  Ummm.. how do I stop eating less?  You find yourself being afraid of gaining weight, afraid to eat more, and afraid you will lose the progress you worked so hard for.  It still requires a bit of work to maintain and the neat thing about it is that it involves all the tools you have learned in order to meet your goals.

John and Brad give us some unique insight on this very subject in the recent Season 2 podcasts;  “What Are Weight Gain And Muscle Gain Escalators?” and “Weight Gain And Muscle Gain Escalators Part 2“.

I learned that it won’t kill me to eat out with my friends sometimes instead of my strict “all organic” regimen at home.  I started following some principles I learned in the Venus Index Community called the Anything Goes Diet.  The Anything Goes Diet is just a philosophy of eating where people find what is sustainable for themselves.  Everyone has different needs, different reactions to foods, different allergies, etc.  Usually someone telling you what to eat may not be sustainable for you and your goals.

Sometimes you have to experiment to find your own way for eating foods that are right for you.

In my new found freedom from a strict “all organic” regimen I went a little overboard with recipes containing sugar free Jello, sugar free Jello pudding, Splenda, Konjac root (glucomannan) powder, and miracle noodles containing Konjac root.  I started having some strange health problems and by process of elimination I found that all these foods were the cause.  I was finally surprised that Konjac root was the cause of some painful blisters and sores in my mouth.

Now, I’m not going to say these foods are bad, but I found they were not good for me and I have had to either limit some and totally eliminate others.  I still believe in the Anything Goes philosophy and that each person needs to find their own way on what foods and products are acceptable for their own lifestyle as well as their own goals.

There are no shortcuts to weight loss

There are no shortcuts to weight loss

There are no shortcuts

The one thing I learned from the foods I had problems with is that there are no shortcuts.  I was trying to allow myself to eat more by using sugar free products and using Konjac root to make myself feel more full so I wouldn’t eat so much.  For me they backfired.

I had lost all my weight without gimmicks and tricks.  This hard lesson brought me back to the basics.  It taught me once again that there really and truly are no shortcuts.

Eating less to lose fat is hard, very hard.  It’s hard when you have a lot of fat to lose.  It’s still hard when you are in the maintenance phase and you have fallen back a few steps on the escalator.  It is hard when you need to work a bit to get back to the place you want to be.

It’s in our nature to eat when food is available.  We are swimming against the stream or walking up the down escalator to achieve our fitness goals and then keep them.  It’s hard.  But it is pretty cool that the processes you used to lose weight and all the tools you used to achieve your goals still come into play for the rest of your life.  No effort is wasted.

What is your experience with successful weight loss?  Feel free to comment.  I would love to hear some stories.

-Ro

 

 

 

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

Learn How To Cook For Better Success With Weight Loss

March 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Kimberley is an awesome cook. Here she has prepared a special yet simple low calorie meal that was absolutely delicious.

Kimberley is an awesome cook. Here she has prepared a special yet simple low calorie meal that was absolutely delicious.

I’ve been preparing my own food since high school

This is Roberta up first and I’m writing this with Kimberley; I’ve been preparing my own food since high school.  It’s just what I do.  I packed my food during my long career at Hewlett Packard, while working a stressful job, driving long commutes, finishing school, continuing to workout, and raising kids.

One thing I did not have a clue about was calories which is why I gained weight slowly over the years.  I know I’m aging myself here but they did not have awesome calorie counting tools back in that day, let alone computers and the internet.

When you learn to prepare your own food you learn what spices you like and what combinations of foods you like.  You learn that with the same basic staples you can create something simple every day and keep things interesting with spices.

I like to fill up with low calorie high volume foods like vegetables and fruits

People ask me why I eat so many vegetables, doesn’t it bother my stomach?

Or, if calories are all that matter why do I eat so healthy?

I like to fill up with low calorie high volume fruits and vegetables because it makes me feel good.  I pick vegetables that don’t bother my stomach.  Sometimes I just want to feel full.  High volume low calorie is the only way I can do it and stay within budget.

With such a small calorie budget I have to make the calories count. In order to feel good and perform well I need nutrient rich foods.

Learning to listen to your body is key on this journey.  Home prepared foods made with simple ingredients make me feel better.  One ingredient foods like fruits, vegetables, meat, chicken, or fish in various combinations along with different spices are best for me.

I eat a big salad nearly every day, and usually a fruit salad if my calorie budget allows it.

I didn’t eat fruit so much in my weight loss phase when I lost 60 pounds. This was because I am small and it was harder to fit it into my small calorie budget.  Like everyone else there is always a tradeoff on ingredients;  Do I have a higher calorie protein OR avocado, or a lower calorie protein AND the avocado?

I still have to consider the tradeoff while maintaining but I had to give up more when I had a lot of fat to lose.  In the weight loss phase if I planned well I might have been able to fit one serving of fruit or one serving of grain each day, sometimes both.

Spice it up

I never buy salad dressing and have found it’s super easy to make my own low calorie versions without all the strange ingredients.  I just look at the bottle and see what real ingredients are used and make my own version, usually without the oil.  I’ve experimented with spices and various ingredients and on occasion it might not turn out so well but that is how I learned.

Sometimes just fresh squeezed lemon or vinegar, water, and some spices are all that’s needed.  Sometimes water, a splash of tomato soup, and some horseradish hits the spot for a dressing, especially if seafood is on the menu.

Spice rubs for meat and vegetables are also a low calorie way of adding a lot of flavor.  You can get pre-made mixes from the supermarket and feel like you are eating in a different country every day.

The key is finding a variety of things you like so you can change it up when you get bored.

When you prepare your own food you have better control of your calories

The biggest benefit in preparing your own food when trying to lose weight is better control of what you eat.

Another benefit is making sure your less calories really count so they fuel your body both resting and working hard.

A friend recently told me about someone they knew who could prepare his own food for a fitness contest, a sort of boring contest diet of something like plain chicken and broccoli, but didn’t know how to eat when “off season” so sort of floundered with staying at a good maintenance weight.

First of all I refuse to eat a boring diet.  Spice and fun food combinations are what make my diet fun.  By cooking for myself all these years I have found what I like.

When it comes to my diet, for either maintaining or weight loss, I don’t really plan much except to purchase a variety of lower calorie foods, good protein sources, and only a small amount calorie dense foods (just enough to add richness and satisfaction). Then I eat whatever I feel like for the day, keeping in mind what I had during the last meal regarding carbohydrates or protein.

I eat just enough carbohydrates and protein to give me enough energy, and the fats just fall into place.  Others might want to focus on protein, fat, vegetables and fruits and let carbohydrates fall into place.  The key is to find what is sustainable for you.

It does not have to be perfect.  I don’t drive myself crazy worrying about macro levels.  I keep it simple.  By being aware of what I’m eating while making choices throughout the day it falls in place as fairly balanced and within my calorie budget.

Blissfully ignorant – the real science of food

Most of us can resist a food that is sweet, salty or fatty but combine the three in the right amounts and you find you have very little willpower to resist.  This magic formula is called the ‘bliss point‘ by food scientists.

Food manufacturers and restaurant chains are well aware of the bliss point of foods and deliberately design their products to give the broadest range of the population the greatest pleasure.

Foods based on bliss point act as drugs that stimulate feel good chemicals in your brain like dopamine.  It encourages us to keep eating, and it encourages to be addicted to certain foods.

If you have ever wondered why you cannot put down the peanut butter and are compelled to keep eating, it is because of the feel good factor we have from being in bliss.  This does not mean you should avoid peanut butter, packaged foods and restaurants, it is just a gentle reminder to be aware of what you are eating, and when you are focused on weight loss a better strategy will be to limit these blissful foods.

The perils of eating out

Most of us eat out frequently with an average American adult having over 1/3 of their meals away from home.  Eating out is quick, it is easy and it is mostly enjoyable.  However women that eat out regularly eat about 300 calories per day more than their home cooking peers.  That can add up to a lot of extra poundage over the course of a year.

Packaged food from the supermarket all come with calorie and nutrition data.  This should help with guesstimating calories.  However, often the weight of the serving size is significantly lower than the actual product.  I just recently I decided to weigh a box of 60 gram protein bars.  The 12 bars ranged in weight from 62 grams to 72 grams.  That means I could be eating 20% more calories that I expected.

Recently many chain restaurants have started to provide calorie data.  However spot checks have shown that while some restaurants are reasonably accurate, some are underestimating the calories by up to 60%.

This does not mean you should not keep enjoying a lovely meal at a restaurant.  Instead you may choose to do it less often and when you do, be aware that it may very well be more calories than you think.

Recipes are a great place to start

Using simple recipes is a great place to start.  I rarely use recipes anymore but Kimberley and some of the other ladies in the Venus Community have a beautiful collection of recipes and they love to share them with us.

Here are some very simple recipes.  Cooking at home does not have to be difficult, and making larger batch sizes for reheating can provide for multiple meals.

Kimmits’ Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

12 large prawns / shrimp

1/2 cup shredded Chinese cabbage (wombok)

1/2 cup beansprouts

1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced

1 small cucumber thinly sliced

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves

1 lime juiced

1 TBSP fish sauce

12 rice paper wrappers

Step 1: Combine beansprouts, cabbage, lime juice and fish sauce

Step 2: Place 1 rice paper wrapper in warm water for 20 seconds (until soft).  Place on clean tea towel to drain.

Step 3: Arrange 1.5 TBSP of beansprout mix, 2 slices of cucumber and bell pepper, herbs and 1 prawn in the middle of the wrapper.  fold in ends and roll to enclose filling.  Repeat with other 11 wrappers.

Serve with sweet chilli sauce.  Serves 4 as a starter or lunch.

Liss’s slow cooked Tex Mex chicken

2.2lb / 1kg of chicken breast fillet

1 large jar of your favorite spicy salsa

1 diced onion

2 diced green bell peppers

Optional: 1 tsp of cumin and smoked paprika / chipotle

Step 1: Place all ingredients in a crock pot on low

Step 2: Cook for up to 12 hours until chicken is ready to be pulled apart

Serves 6 and makes great reheated left overs for the rest of the week.  This can be served in tacos or tortillas or with a kidney bean and corn salad or even over lettuce.

Kimmits’ 5 minute berries with butterscotch custard

1 cup of low fat / 2% milk

1.5 TBSP Mr Bird’s custard powder

1 TBSP of Truvia

1 TBSP Joseph’s SF maple syrup

8 drops of butterscotch Stevia

Mixed berries to serve

Step 1: Prepare custard according to directions on packet

Step 2; Arrange berries in the bottom of a bowl and pour hot custard on top.

Serves 2.

Cooking for your family and with your family is beneficial to all

I love cooking for my husband.  I like it even better when I can get him involved in helping me cook.  When I have family members and friends over I love to get anyone who is willing involved with helping prepare the meal.

I love cooking for Randy. Here I am preparing him an omelet for a TV documentary.

I love cooking for Randy. Here I am preparing him an omelet in a TV documentary.

I really do enjoy cooking for Randy although I will admit there were days when I was fasting that it was too hard to cook for him.  For the most part I’ve found that my willpower is stronger in the morning before I’ve taken on the stress of the day.

However many of us do not have the option of not cooking for our family so it may be helpful to think about aligning your food and fasting with family meals.  For example if dinner time is important and you typically have low willpower at this time, then fast dinner to dinner.

Learning to cook with lower calorie substitutes may also be useful.  For example a steak, broccoli and sweet potato dinner may be 450 calories, whereas the same volume of chicken, roasted pumpkin and french beans may be 320 calories.

I think most of the moms in the Venus Index Community understand the importance of teaching their kids about food and learning to have healthy eating habits for life.

By cooking for and eating with your family you are role modelling your new habits and behaviors.  You are teaching them how to make good food choices.

Happy cooking!

Kimberley

Ro

 

Filed Under: calories, fat loss, Food, 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: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Girl Who Gets To Wear Cute Clothes Into Her 50’s

March 4, 2013 by 4 Comments

Today John talks to Terry Clauss who placed seventh in the 6th Venus Index Transformation Contest.

Check out her transformation pictures from the 12 Week Contest:

Terry Clauss before the contest

Terry Clauss before the contest

Terry Clauss after the 12 week contest

Terry Clauss after the 12 week contest

The inner athlete

Terry always knew she had an athlete inside herself.  She knew she was strong and she liked to workout, but she never got the truth about calories until she found the Venus Index Workout.

Like many of us she only had one half of the equation down; exercise.   We couldn’t understand why when we worked out and built muscle we just looked bulky, hefty, and strong instead of feminine, sleek, and strong.  It’s all about calories (along with a superior workout design).

Terry loves her new look, strong yet feminine.  That is how the Venus Index is designed.  “The focus is proportions and shape (rather than weight loss at all costs or building muscle like a guy)” – John Barban.

Like most of us Terry learned the hard way regarding diet.  After years of trendy diets and good food lists and bad food lists, Terry found the Anything Goes way of eating refreshing. That’s what we do in the Venus Index Community.

As far as food goes you can have everything you want, just not all at once.  You learn to setup your own calorie budget and follow it.  No more depriving yourself of foods you love.  Just learn to eat the right amount for your size.

She is learning to enjoy being fit and have a nice shape without worrying so much about overall weight.

You can wear cute clothes in your 50’s

Ever wonder what it’s like to have the following problem; You are a grandmother shopping in the junior’s section because nothing in the women’s section is small enough to fit you.   Well Terry knows, just ask her how much fun it is.

Clothes shopping and planning for work or social events used to be stressful.  Now it’s fun.  It used to be that nothing looked good or felt good.  Now everything is cute and fun.

This was a big deal to Terry.

The problem used to be nothing fit right, nothing felt right, and nothing was comfortable.  Now the problem is everything fits and you can’t buy the whole section of cute small clothes that all fit and look good.  It’s like you turned into a barbie doll.  It’s just about every woman’s dream.

Like many of us, Terry found her dream in the Venus Index Community.  She said the community is amazing.  Everyone chimed in to answer her questions and give her support.  She learned to love blogging there.

When she didn’t have anything to blog about she read what others wrote and was amazed at the lessons learned.  She is amazed at all the successful transformations and that it is not a bunch of fake advertisements.

These are real women of all ages, from all over the world, achieving their dreams and transforming their lives.

Check out the comparison; The first picture was Terry when she was 60 pounds heavier.  She has lost 41 pounds since she started Venus Index.

The second picture is Terry now.   She has done a fabulous job.  Her hard work and dedication to her health and fitness has paid off!

Terry in Feb 2009 compared to Feb 2013

Terry in February 2009 compared to February 2013. She looks fabulous!

 

Advice from Terry:

 

Read what Terry wrote about her experience with Venus Index:

I began VT6 by doing VI Circuits but then switched back to Phase 2. I think Circuits is a great workout and I will go back to it at some point  … Continue reading here.


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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: calories, Contest, Exercise, Interview, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Your Fitness Goals in the New Year, How Bad Do You Want It?

January 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

What Is Your Motivation?

As we move into the New Year you might be starting to work on new resolutions or goals.  Will you be one who completes your goals this year?  How bad do you want it?  There is pain and sacrifice to achieve it, but there could be pain if you don’t achieve it.  Recently someone in the Venus Index Community posted this article “What is your Motivation?” and I was intrigued by the author’s use of pain motivation and his figurative “Alpo” as the pain.

I read this right around the US Thanksgiving holiday.   I was actually a bit frustrated on the holiday due to several weeks of social eating events and my jeans no longer fit comfortably.  Rather than have a meltdown I took a deep breath and decided I would not ruin the holiday with my precious husband Randy.  I would come up with a plan to fix the problem the next day.  The following day I decided to take a picture of the several pair of jeans that didn’t fit and place them on the refrigerator and pantry doors.  I also included a smiley face and the words “pain motivation”.  The picture reminded me of how awful I felt when the pants didn’t fit.

Be Kind to Yourself Right Where You Are, Right Now

As I was pondering this I had a thought about struggles and victories; cycles continue, struggle, victory, struggle, and victory. Self-worth issues don’t magically go away when you reach your fitness ideal. The best time to treat your body as the temple of beautiful treasures is right now, while continuing the lifelong seasons of reaching new goals.

Randy kind of frowned at me when I put up the picture in the kitchen because it was negative.  Not only that but he thought I looked perfect the way I was.   I was probably still somewhere around 12% body fat.  Since I tend to be hard on myself I have to be careful with the concept of pain motivation.  Many of my girlfriends tell me they must be careful with this concept as well because of a history of eating disorders that stem from issues of self-worth.  I’ve never had eating disorders or emotional eating issues but like many women I struggle with body image issues.  I have to remember that the images of fitness models in fitness magazines are Photoshopped.

I had to remind myself that even though I wanted to achieve a mini goal of fat loss that I was also okay right where I was.  I was healthy, I looked fit, no one saw the little extra bit of fat except me.  It was up to me to make the choice how far I wanted to take it.  Randy, knowing my personal history, warned me with his frown that he’d better not see me beating myself up over this mini goal.

Be Flexible, It’s Okay to Switch It Up

It only took a few weeks to achieve the goal of fitting into the jeans so I switched my motivator to a more positive pleasure motivator (the photo below with the quote “Nothing tastes as good as FIT feels”).  I still remember how I felt the day of this photo shoot and how ecstatic I was when I saw how the pictures turned out.  I decided to make my own (first ever) motivational poster and use it for myself to continue on with my mini goal.  So far it’s working for me.

I switched to a positive pleasure motivator.

I switched to a positive pleasure motivator.

How Bad Do You Want It

The author talks about moving from a state of “Coulda Shoulda Woulda” to a state of “Must” and that reminded me of when I reached my peak of weight gain in 2009.  My weight topped out at over 170lbs.  Something had to change.  I couldn’t possibly do more fitness so I had to change something else.  I had to change my mental mindset and I decided to simply eat less and cut my portion sizes in half.  As I made progress losing weight I constantly used a symbol in my mind of door #1 and door #2.  Door #1 represented achieving the fitness level I had always wanted.  Door #2 represented everything else, every excuse, and simply staying where I was or worse.

The vision of what was behind door #2 was so painful to me that I felt I had no choice.  I must take door #1 which meant continuing to eat at a calorie deficit.  It didn’t mean I had to deprive myself of food; I simply had to eat the right amount to achieve my goal.  This is the beauty of the Anything Goes Diet, Eat Stop Eat, and the Venus Index principles.  Every day when I wanted to eat more than I needed I simply told myself I could have more tomorrow (door #1).

I realized that I used the pain and pleasure motivators all along; door #1 was painful to go through at times but pleasure was on the other side, and door #2 was more pleasurable to go through but pain was on the other side.  Which did I want?  I chose door #1 just about every day for two years.

This dress was my motivator and my reward for achieving my goal.

This dress was my motivator and my reward for achieving my goal.

I had posted up a catalog picture in the kitchen of a swim dress from an athletic clothing company because I wanted to purchase and wear the dress someday.  The picture was a symbol of my door #1 and I kept it posted in the kitchen for about a year.  I achieved that goal and purchased the dress and wore it to the Caribbean last Christmas.  It was my motivator and my reward.

Positive Motivators Worked for Shannon As Well

My friend Shannon who is a busy working mom and wife struggled all her life with weight fluctuations up and down.   She said the tools that finally helped her nail down her success were the Reverse Taper Diet, the Anything Goes Diet, and the Venus Index Workout metric goals using the “Golden Ratio“.

For motivation Shannon said this:

       My past experiences taught me about several components to successful weight loss:  estimating my daily calories so I can be sure I am in a deficit, following an exercise program that I enjoy, taking measurements to track my progress, and working towards a set of daily goals. 

     The process isn’t all that exciting, but the outcome is!  I have been using a planner and stickers to track several daily goals since before my baby was born, including a sleep goal, a calorie deficit goal, a step goal, and a workout goal.  I get a sticker for hitting each of these daily goals, and I find that the number of goals I hit in a week is strongly correlated with weight loss (or maintenance) success. 

     It’s a simple system, and I can easily see the little wins as they pile up.   I like to think about these daily goals as little gifts I am giving to myself every day that have both short term and long term positive effects.

Shannon’s results motivated her husband to start the Adonis Index program.  I would say positive motivation worked very well for her indeed:

Positive motivators worked for Shannon

Positive motivators worked for Shannon

Experiment and Find What Works for YOU

Motivation is different for each person.  You must first define what you want and set your goal.   Then find what motivates you.  Be flexible and if something isn’t working try something else.  Make sure it’s fun and really does motivate you.  Be kind to yourself at all times.  You can change and adjust your plan any time you want.  That is the beauty of experimentation.  You don’t have to stay stuck in a plan that is not working, causes you anxiety, or ends up being destructive to your self-worth or self-image.  We all make mistakes sometimes and learn from them.

  • Set goals
  • Experiment
  • Find what motivates you
  • Make it fun
  • Be kind to yourself
  • Make it a daily routine
  • Track progress
  • Get support
  • Give yourself rewards
  • Be flexible

It is the Yew Year, 2013.  What are your goals?  How bad do you want it? Make it happen.

Ro

 

Filed Under: Bodyfat, calories, Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Food, Health, Metabolism, psychology, Shape, Uncategorized, weight loss, 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: , , , , , , , , , , ,

How to Sharpen your Sword and Win the Battle

July 13, 2012 by 4 Comments

Sharpen your sword first and prepare yourself to win the battle.

Losing weight and getting fit is hard.  All along the journey I have worked hard, experimented, learned from mistakes, acquired skills, and changed habits that will continue for the rest of my life.  As I worked through the maintenance phase of my journey I realized that all the skills I acquired along the way still come into play.

I have come to think of all the effort I’ve put into the journey as “Honing my Sword”.  I have created a sharp edged sword, used it in battle, won the battle, and I am continuing to keep my sword sharp and I still need to use it now and then.  It may not seem as daunting as when I first started the journey, but it still takes effort to keep my blade sharp.

The Various Tools

For some the tool that needs to be sharpened is the mental mindset against emotional eating.  For others it is consistency at the gym or even getting to the gym. For others it is using motivational tools and learning to find an easier way to think about food.

For everyone it is about setting up your environment for success.

The whole journey requires a lot of patience and even more so in maintenance since progress is much slower. Early in the process you tend to lose fat relatively quickly but you still have frustrating plateaus and life stresses that slow you down.

Even if you do everything right you will have plateaus. The body seems to make progress in “chunks” that are not linear. During these times I like to focus on the victories and “ride one victory to the next”; setting a positive mindset and tuning out negative thoughts.

Everyone has a victory to remember:

  • It could be friends or family noticing your weight loss or fitting into some new clothes (or some old clothes).
  • It could be reaching a goal you had set for yourself.
  • It could be completing a 24 hour fast or even skipping a meal.
  • It could be you getting compliments on how you look or a new personal best at the gym.
  • It could simply be you getting to the gym consistently for a period of time.
  • It could be someone in the gym noticing how hard you work out.

In maintenance you still have victories and the same positive mindset can be applied. One of the biggest victories that you should always remember is how far you have come; how much you have succeeded since you started the journey. Always be kind to yourself and reward yourself in ways that do not involve food. Items you need for the gym or new clothing are nice rewards.

Capture ways to remember your victories to help focus on them throughout your journey.

My Battle

The first picture is from 2005 and the second is from this year’s fitness photoshoot.

For me it was simply finally having the knowledge to eat less.  Getting to the gym and enjoying exercise was and still is integrated into my life as much as tying my shoes or brushing my teeth.

The Venus Index is still my all-time favorite workout and I believe it gave me the shape I now have.  It also helped me to belong to a support community and to have the support of family and friends in my life.

But after experiencing success I find I still need to put in effort to keep my mindset sharp and focus on the positive.  I still have to put effort into eating the right amount for me.  I still use every tool I have acquired and developed and honed and I now realize these will be what I continue to use for the rest of my life.

It’s Not Wasted Effort

What you do now will continue to benefit you for the rest of your life.

It is not wasted effort!

Do not be discouraged or think the effort only helps you get through the day today.  Not only are you resolving the specific situation you currently deal with, but as you succeed you are honing your sword and keeping it sharp for all future battles.

Sharpen your sword and win the battle,

– Ro

Filed Under: fat loss, Shape, stress, transformation, weight loss Tagged With: , , , , ,
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