Justified Eating; Uncensored Podcast

What is the "Halo Effect" regarding food and diet?

What is the “Halo Effect” regarding food and diet?

 

What is Justified Eating?

 

Is it a scientific term?

What is disinhibited or restrained eating?

What about concept of good foods verses bad foods?

What is justified eating?

Does it mean eat irresponsibly?

What happens when your list of foods becomes obsessive?

How does this effect cravings?

What about sweet cravings?

Are sweet cravings gender specific?

Are sweet cravings more prone to females at specific body fat levels, stress, work environments, relationship situations, and physical activity level?

What are the hormonal differences?

What about emotions, how do they effect your hormones and hunger?

Is it in fact calorie restriction, or restrained eating, or “dieting”?

How does what you think about food effect the way it tastes to you?

Do the hunger hormones change according to how you feel about food?

How does the concept of dieting effect cravings and hunger?

What about ego depletion?

How does a restrained eater estimate their own food intake?

What is the halo effect on food?

 

Listen to what John and Brad have to say about what Justified Eating is and why we do it:

 

IMMERSION Clients May Login and Download Podcast Here

(If you are using Venus Index Mobile, go to the left menu -> My products -> right menu -> Uncensored Season 3 -> enjoy, you can assign star to add it into Favorites for easier access next time, if you don’t have access to Uncensored Podcasts you can purchase Immersion Package inside the App Shop)

Not a Venus Index IMMERSION client? Click here to find out more…

The Venus Transformation Contest VT12 starts TODAY!

Coach Liss knows how to keep you motivated and stay on track. Today is the day to start your transformation!

Coach Liss knows how to keep you motivated and on track.
Today is the day to start your transformation!

 

The Venus Transformation Contest VT12 starts on September 1, 2014 and ends November 24, 2014

We will accept contest entries starting on September 1, 2014. The deadline for entering your before pictures will be Midnight Eastern Time on September 8, 2014.

The pictures must be taken between between September 1st and September 8th, 2014. The newspaper front page picture must be taken during the same photo session.  For more instructions on picture requirements please see the Contest Instructions.

 

Click here –> Contest instructions, rules, and regulations <– Click here

 

Note: The contest dashboard does not open until September 1, 2014

(it will not work before then!)

 

We now have Venus Premier Coaching available for those who want it.

(PS you do not need to be in a contest to sign up for coaching, only willing and committed to make a change)

 

—> VT12 Contest entry instructions <—

 

If you carefully followed the contest instructions, you will receive an immediate confirmation email.  This is your only confirmation so review your entry carefully and make sure you have followed the instructions.

Checkout the winners of our previous contests.

This is your chance to throw your hat in the ring and be part of something special. It’s time to make a change, a big time change in your body and your life!

Train hard and the best of luck to you!

– Coach Roberta

PS Email me if you have any problems or questions entering the contests.  roberta.saum@gmail.com

OR you can message me in the online community forum.

 

A Standard Diet and Fitness Evolution; Uncensored Podcast

Dieting and Weight Loss as a Concept Abstract

 

A Standard Diet and Fitness Evolution

What are the standard phases of a persons fitness evolution?

What happens to your perception of food?

What about food that becomes fuel instead of pleasure?

What is dosing food all about?

When does meal replacement come into play?

And then what happens with marketing?

When does it become an intellectual pursuit?

What about supplements?

What about the mix of foods you eat?

What about when fat loss is the goal?

What about when muscle building is the goal?

What about vitamins and minerals?

What about macro nutrients; protein, carbohydrates, and fat?

When does science come into play?

What about magazines?

What happens when you get a degree in nutrition?

When did women’s fitness get started and how did it evolve?

How does a fitness trend get started and how does marketing effect it?

Everyone you follow and read are on the same journey, some are further ahead than you are and some you can see are where you one were.

We all just keep learning as we go.

 

Listen to what John and Brad have to say about their evolution in diet and fitness:

 

IMMERSION Clients May Login and Download Podcast Here

(If you are using Venus Index Mobile, go to the left menu -> My products -> right menu -> Uncensored Season 3 -> enjoy, you can assign star to add it into Favorites for easier access next time, if you don’t have access to Uncensored Podcasts you can purchase Immersion Package inside the App Shop)

Not a Venus Index IMMERSION client? Click here to find out more…

VT11 12-Week Transformation Winners Announced

The VT11 results are in and the transformations and final pictures are simply amazing!

One thing I love about the focus for women in the Venus program is “The focus is proportions and shape (rather than weight loss at all costs or building muscle like a guy)” – John Barban.

Congratulations to everyone who entered and finished!  This took hard work on the part of everyone and it shows.

Here are the winners:

First Place – Leann

Venus Factor is not just some diet. It has been a lifestyle change, for it has provided me with the right tools, skills, and mindset to manage my eating habits and get into the best health and shape of my life. Portion control, calorie budgeting, and lifting heavy are key. Flexibility and freedom to choose what and when you eat reigns. Finding balance in what you eat—and in life—is imperative. The online community is so supportive.

Venus Factor is not just some diet. It has been a lifestyle change, for it has provided me with the right tools, skills, and mindset to manage my eating habits and get into the best health and shape of my life. Portion control, calorie budgeting, and lifting heavy are key. Flexibility and freedom to choose what and when you eat reigns. Finding balance in what you eat—and in life—is imperative. The online community is so supportive.

 

Second Place – Malissa

Wow is all I can say. I accidentally clicked on this ad on facebook six months ago and its the best mistake I've ever made. Went into this with no expectations just wanted to lose 20-30lbs and discovered I love weights and I'm so mad at myself for having a gym membership and using it for cardio classes. This program has helped me get to a level of fitness that I have never had in my entire life. The program has changed my life forever and helped me find a new passion.

Wow is all I can say. I accidentally clicked on this ad on facebook six months ago and its the best mistake I’ve ever made. Went into this with no expectations just wanted to lose 20-30lbs and discovered I love weights and I’m so mad at myself for having a gym membership and using it for cardio classes. This program has helped me get to a level of fitness that I have never had in my entire life. The program has changed my life forever and helped me find a new passion.

 

Third Place – Tiffany

In regards to fun I didn't know exercise could be fun, who knew?! Also the access to the Venus community, woman across the world all having ups and downs in life and sharing with each other. Very empowering! So without Venus yes I could live my life but would it be were it is today...no! No because the goals I talked about still wouldn't be fulfilled and I have had them for a very long time, with no success from other programs. Thank you Venus coaches and creators, this is apart of me now.

In regards to fun I didn’t know exercise could be fun, who knew?! Also the access to the Venus community, woman across the world all having ups and downs in life and sharing with each other. Very empowering! So without Venus yes I could live my life but would it be were it is today…no! No because the goals I talked about still wouldn’t be fulfilled and I have had them for a very long time, with no success from other programs. Thank you Venus coaches and creators, this is a part of me now.

 

Fourth Place – Joan

I felt stuck in a body I didn't want. I thought I had tried everything. I lacked willpower to follow through with the hard work of trying to avoid certain foods. I don't have to avoid anything with Venus. As long as I am accountable for the calories I consume, I can eat whatever I want. How cool is that? The variety in the workouts keep me from getting bored of the same thing day after day. I like change, and I love the change in my body. This is a process that has become my healthy lifestyle. Yay Venus, thank you for giving me my life back.

I felt stuck in a body I didn’t want. I thought I had tried everything. I lacked willpower to follow through with the hard work of trying to avoid certain foods. I don’t have to avoid anything with Venus. As long as I am accountable for the calories I consume, I can eat whatever I want. How cool is that? The variety in the workouts keep me from getting bored of the same thing day after day. I like change, and I love the change in my body. This is a process that has become my healthy lifestyle. Yay Venus, thank you for giving me my life back.

 

 Fifth Place – Tabitha

This has been a true lifestyle change for my entire family. We no longer shop the way we used to, we find ourselves primarily shopping along the outside aisles of the store...no more boxed & processed food. We weigh & measure everything we eat. We very rarely eat fast food anymore and we don't even miss it! Even my 11 year old daughter has started making healthier food choices (on her own) and she has started working out with me in the evenings! We have started cycling has a family and have gone several times over the summer. We have truly changed our lives thanks to Venus and Adonis!

This has been a true lifestyle change for my entire family. We no longer shop the way we used to, we find ourselves primarily shopping along the outside aisles of the store…no more boxed & processed food. We weigh & measure everything we eat. We very rarely eat fast food anymore and we don’t even miss it! Even my 11 year old daughter has started making healthier food choices (on her own) and she has started working out with me in the evenings! We have started cycling has a family and have gone several times over the summer. We have truly changed our lives thanks to Venus and Adonis!

 

Sixth Place – Lorie

I babysit for my 2 year old grandbaby while my daughter goes to work. In that 2 years I have enjoyed eating way too many snacks, cokes and just about whatever I wanted. I did not go to many places, so I just wore my sweats all day and the weight has just crept up on me. I really was feeling depressed, and it was harder to run and play with my grandbaby. I decided to do something about It. I joined the Venus contest, and now 12 weeks and 24 pounds later I am seeing muscles I thought were gone forever.

I babysit for my 2 year old grand baby while my daughter goes to work. In that 2 years I have enjoyed eating way too many snacks, cokes and just about whatever I wanted. I did not go to many places, so I just wore my sweats all day and the weight has just crept up on me. I really was feeling depressed, and it was harder to run and play with my grand baby. I decided to do something about It. I joined the Venus contest, and now 12 weeks and 24 pounds later I am seeing muscles I thought were gone forever.

 

 Seventh Place – Johanna

John, Roberta and his team have done an awesome job with the program structure because, it offer the flexibility I needed with my busy schedule and hectic life. This program gave me all the tools I needed to obtain the figure I wanted to recover. I felt I was having a personal coach that was leading me and encouraging me through my journey. I never thought it was possible to have the same weight and size again that I have when I was 20 years old. This is real and it works, consistency is the key. I was looking myself in the mirror dreaming about having a tone body again and I decided the moment is now, “I just don’t dream about it anymore , I make it come true” and thank you John and Venus team for helping me and supported me to make my dream come true!!!!! :-)

John, Roberta and his team have done an awesome job with the program structure because, it offer the flexibility I needed with my busy schedule and hectic life. This program gave me all the tools I needed to obtain the figure I wanted to recover. I felt I was having a personal coach that was leading me and encouraging me through my journey. I never thought it was possible to have the same weight and size again that I have when I was 20 years old. This is real and it works, consistency is the key.
I was looking myself in the mirror dreaming about having a tone body again and I decided the moment is now, “I just don’t dream about it anymore , I make it come true.”
Thank you John and Venus team for helping me and supported me to make my dream come true!!!!! 🙂

 

Eighth Place – Arionna

I have come to love the Venus Index system because for the first time I have learned that this is a journey that is not just about losing pounds. It's not even really about losing inches (which is a great side benefit, don't get me wrong!) but this is about a mindset. Anyone who can successfully do this can do absolutely anything because it's all about setting priorities and gaining some mental clarity and self control. I seemed to have epiphany after epiphany doing this system. Some days were really really hard and some days were super easy and some days were just days with nothing special about them. I started this contest right during my husband's third deployment while my kids and I were living in a foreign country and my sister and her husband came to visit and we also traveled to seven different countries while I did this. I feel like I could have blown this out of the water if all of this hadn't been going on but the thing is, it's about real life. And these are the things that happen in real life. People don't exercise and diet in a vacuum. I had to learn to do it during real life, during stress, heartache, confusion, happiness, celebration, and vacation and it's definitely do-able. I will definitely continue with this system for the rest of my life.

I have come to love the Venus Index system because for the first time I have learned that this is a journey that is not just about losing pounds. It’s not even really about losing inches (which is a great side benefit, don’t get me wrong!) but this is about a mindset.
Anyone who can successfully do this can do absolutely anything because it’s all about setting priorities and gaining some mental clarity and self control. I seemed to have epiphany after epiphany doing this system. Some days were really really hard and some days were super easy and some days were just days with nothing special about them.
I started this contest right during my husband’s third deployment while my kids and I were living in a foreign country and my sister and her husband came to visit and we also traveled to seven different countries while I did this. I feel like I could have blown this out of the water if all of this hadn’t been going on but the thing is, it’s about real life. And these are the things that happen in real life. People don’t exercise and diet in a vacuum. I had to learn to do it during real life, during stress, heartache, confusion, happiness, celebration, and vacation and it’s definitely do-able. I will definitely continue with this system for the rest of my life.

 

Ninth Place – Loretta

I've had so many people compliment me and some quite vocally (like today at a soccer game, one of the other moms was astonished to see how much I'd lost and said so very loudly!). Many ask me how I did it and I've come to the conclusion that weight loss is like smoking. You wont lose weight until you're tired of seeing yourself and hurting every day from joints that are taxed by your weight. Once you reach that point, Venus is the way to get your life back! Thank you Venus, John, Roberta, and all the wonderful ladies for the constant support in the blogs. I'm not quite to my goals, but I am very close - closer than I have been in over 20 years!!!

I’ve had so many people compliment me and some quite vocally (like today at a soccer game, one of the other moms was astonished to see how much I’d lost and said so very loudly!). Many ask me how I did it and I’ve come to the conclusion that weight loss is like smoking. You wont lose weight until you’re tired of seeing yourself and hurting every day from joints that are taxed by your weight. Once you reach that point, Venus is the way to get your life back!
Thank you Venus, John, Roberta, and all the wonderful ladies for the constant support in the blogs. I’m not quite to my goals, but I am very close – closer than I have been in over 20 years!!!

 

Tenth Place – Sue

The thing that struck a chord in me with Venus was the simplicity in the overriding diet philosophy – I can eat anything I want, provided I am accountable and responsible for it. And I can bank up my calories for special events. I LIKE THAT! It makes the whole thing so much more manageable .. and liveable! I also loved that I didn’t need to plan my own workouts .. just print it out and go do it. Brain interference = Zero. Thank you for the Venus program, the incentive of this contest and the incredible community you’ve built. I am so happy with myself and my journey and with my new starting point .. and I can’t WAIT to see what else I can do with this old bod!

The thing that struck a chord in me with Venus was the simplicity in the overriding diet philosophy – I can eat anything I want, provided I am accountable and responsible for it. And I can bank up my calories for special events. I LIKE THAT! It makes the whole thing so much more manageable .. and liveable! I also loved that I didn’t need to plan my own workouts .. just print it out and go do it.
Brain interference = Zero.
Thank you for the Venus program, the incentive of this contest and the incredible community you’ve built. I am so happy with myself and my journey and with my new starting point .. and I can’t WAIT to see what else I can do with this old bod!

 

Cover Model Category – Julie

This category is for any previous Contest winner who wants to participate. These photographs may be used for future book covers or calendars.

Julie shows us all how we can still have fun at age 53 with the help of the Venus Factor program. "The mental energy required to get off the last 20 pounds was surprisingly challenging and required much more focus and diligence in sticking to my deficit eating than was required of me during the VT8 contest. I really had to toughen up my mental game. I learned that persistence beats perfection and to just put my head down and grind it out when the going got tough. Thankfully, I had a lot of support and inspiration and examples to follow from the Venus community in doing just that!"

Julie shows us all how we can still have fun at age 53 with the help of the Venus Factor program.
“The mental energy required to get off the last 20 pounds was surprisingly challenging and required much more focus and diligence in sticking to my deficit eating than was required of me during the VT8 contest. I really had to toughen up my mental game. I learned that persistence beats perfection and to just put my head down and grind it out when the going got tough. Thankfully, I had a lot of support and inspiration and examples to follow from the Venus community in doing just that!”

 

Prior Miss Texas got her Venus back at age 52, and the pageant dress fits again!

Bonnie said "I fit back into the sequin dress now, my rear is smaller and my shoulders are bigger.  Glory hallelujah!"

Bonnie said “I fit back into the sequin dress now, my rear is smaller and my shoulders are bigger. Glory hallelujah!

 

Bonnie Thwaits came in second place in our Venus Transformation contest VT10

 

Bonnie’s own words regarding the Venus Factor:

Howdy,

I was a senior at Texas A & M in 1985, I was also in the Corps of Cadets at A&M with an Amy contract.  Women were not allowed in the school band and out of 21 female fish (freshman, like a plebe at Westpoint or Annapolis), only 4 of us (women) made it to our senior year.  There were plus or minus 3000 guys in all branches at the military program which is the heart of Texas A & M.  So about 4 army women out of 900 guys for the class of ’85.  There was also a Texas superior court case argued at the same time to force A&M to allow women into the band and other military groups. (started in 1979) .  We were controversial to say the least.

Staying in shape was not a problem! But getting respect as women was.  I went out to prove that the girl with the rifle could look like the girl in the contest AT THE SAME TIME!

I was selected as one of the top four ROTC cadets in the nation, as well as top cadet in the third region over all ROTC Cadets.  It is important to note that Texas started their women’s program before Westpoint.

So way back in the day!

But the guys accepted us as sort of neuter.  We couldn’t be a Venus and a cadet at the same time. Hah!  So I went on to represent Texas A &M in the miss Texas USA pageant.

The beach photo is myself sandwiched between two of my children in June of 2013.  Ruh-Ro.  What happened?  I was 52, already owned the Venus program, (for a few months) and just sort of drifting.  Like I kinda sorta thought I might not be wearing my old clothes anytime soon, but it wasn’t that bad? Right?

We took my son in the beach picture back to start as a Plebe at the Naval Academy, so ‘glory days’ by Bruce Springsteen was sort of playing in the back of my head.  THEN I saw the beach picture.

I had to own that.  That was what I looked like.  I didn’t feel like I looked like that, but I did.  So I plunged into immersion and got to work.

I do listen to the podcasts.  Sometimes I even run one when I go to bed, similar to sleeping on one of my Veterinary Books on Surgical technique in the hope of getting smarter, or brainwashing myself, or.. or …something!

Most of the time I listen while I’m commuting.  Yet another new habit.  It’s hard to pull into Wendy’s while you are committing your time to STOP pulling into the same fast food joint for a quick pick me up (with a few thousand calories) on the way home from work.

Would you like to super-size that, ma’am?

Not anymore.

 

Questions and Answers with our Venus winner Bonnie

 

How did you find the Venus Factor?

 

I originally started with Isabel de Los Rios before she even had the beyond diet program, I also bought the workout booty for wife and a basic get a shape program from John Romanello .  I didn’t adhere strictly, but liked the idea of a workout designed to give me curves.  I use the bio trust supplements and that dropped me into the email list that led to your link.

I:

A) liked the name Venus Index, ‘I’m your Venus, I’m your fire, instantly played in my head

B) just evaluated the unflattering ‘moment of truth photo‘ (beach picture at the top)

C) never thought about a shape or number ratio as a goal.  This was rather objective rather than subjective.  My ever vigilant scientist popped out.

 

What aspect of the program was most beneficial to you?

 

Workouts I could do at home with my kid, watching TV!  Whole new habit.  Instead of eating popcorn/chips/ice cream, I do a workout.  John asked me what about listening to podcasts?  Well…I want to look forward to having relaxing time, playing with my kid while watching TV that I normally would not have time to do, that is sponge bob or finding Bigfoot, not CNN, while my seven year old boy laughs and jumps around on my ball.

I replaced a bad habit with a good one, listening to Venus podcasts!

 

Did you like the Venus workout?

 

See above, it’s like twister at my house. Nor am I secret about it.  I just do it while husband attempts to watch seventeen shows at once.  Now he is forced to peer around whatever position I happen to be in.  Assuming you can edit this!  One morning husband queried/hinted…’ You could do that naked you know’. That was the day I got it!  He had not been supportive during my transformation.  Suddenly he had formed a new habit as well, and was not afraid of the new me.

 

Which workout(s) did you use?

 

I just stayed at 12 week level one the whole time.  Now that I moved onto operation build a booty, I’ve moved up to level 2- building muscle is harder than losing fat.  I understand the tightrope analogy now.

 

What kept you motivated?

 

I OWNED that hideous beach picture.  I have pictures of who I was but I needed to face what I had become.  I used that beach photo as my avatar, I posted it on Facebook.  I knew if I didn’t do something, nobody else would do it for me.

 

Do you have a particular style of eating?

 

I usually do a lot of less than 50 calories snacks through the day, even if I am not on deficit mode. Other than that I do fruit in the morning, salad or veggies at lunch and a big salad with some protein at night.

I’ve always been a natural faster.  It’s my work schedule combined with a busy mind.  That also means I have been a natural binge eater.  ‘I haven’t eaten all day, better suck down a gallon of blue bell, while cooking dinner’

 

Did you use the undulating  diet protocol?  If so how did it work for you and did you make any modifications?

 

I always try to put the bike together before I read the instructions so I was on 2:1 for the first seven weeks, oops. I found I sort of broke through to an ‘eat up’ day on my own.

 

Did you use any supplements?

 

I use the bio trust protein powders and make smoothies, I also use leptiburn, ic-5, absorb max, prox10, and now I use the omega desert.  I was using athletic greens and still have the packs for on the go.  I make my own green smoothie now.  I also use the krill oil 5x supplement that’s a pill.  All as directed on label.

 

Did you use the online community and how was that experience?

 

The entire experience was an evolution.  I started excruciatingly slowly.  First I bought the program about 2 months before I looked at it.

Then I tried to do the sneaky, not doing anything special with my food approach.  I did not work out at home and still went to gym.

Yet another hour not spent with my seven year old son.  I did not do much with community.  Sort of looked at it….sighed….what an ant nest.

Tried VT9 and just stopped program slowly.  Died off with a whimper.  Finally one day I realized I wasn’t doing it.

When I faced that beach picture again, that was STILL me.  Uh oh.  Then I jumped into the community and started pushing buttons, dialing knobs, checking out stories.  My motto was ‘no fear’.  I try to not repeat the same mistakes.

I Committed myself with the family.  Not an ‘I would like to lose weight comment’ but a forceful commitment.  An ‘ I am out here in the living room to exercise.  I am not waiting for you all to go to bed and yes I am doing push ups and lifting weights ‘ approach!

 

Did you find support with friends and family?

 

I was shocked that husband thought I was taking diet pills or starving.  He did some sort of negative intervention with me. ‘We are worried about you’ Do what?  I thought he would be ecstatic.  I got on scale for him.  I then got out wedding pictures.  Then I found the inner strength NOT to use this as an excuse to go graze in the fridge.  Looking back I understand he was worried about where our relationship and comfort zones were going.  He felt insecure in my affection for him. If I did not have the community I would have broken that day.  I was devastated.  Everyone on the blog was supportive, including YOU Roberta!  Thank you Bobbie, if I may call you that.

 

What was the hardest obstacle to conquer?

 

See above AND I  had to give up alcohol .  I love a glass of wine or a cold bottle of beer when I get home and plop onto the couch.  Something about drinking liquid grain or sugar leads to the desire to eat crunchy, salty fatty foods, or cake!  Why?  But I had to own this as well.  This also removed obstacle to working out.  Part of the new habit protocol. Come home, watch TV, play with kiddo, work out.  Best multitasking ever!

 

How did you feel about your final pictures?

 

Is that really me?

 

Is this a lifestyle you will continue?

 

That’s the good  and bad thing about habits.  They are hard to break.  The taper up program was also a game changer.  When I got here.  I knew how to stay here.  I am doing second contest VT 11 to get a better booty, smaller waist, better shoulder definition.

 

What is your best advice for other Venuses?

 

Do not be shy.  Out yourself.  Avoid the negative, and the negative will come.  I need to give credit to the author of the community quote ‘stumble forward’.  I made mistakes.  I used the positive affirmation of the others in the community when I was laid low. There is a roll model for every personal Venus.

Example:  my plot= I had a great body! I Had a very physical lifestyle.  I ended up with job of my dreams! great kids! lovely ranch. Lots of very bad, lots of very good.

I wanted to look like I used to, I saw Roberta’s pictures and knew it was possible for a 53 year old to get back in shape.

I included the before I looked bad photos, the beach photo and I will get photo shoot pix and send those with the essay tomorrow

Thank you Venus and my personal role model, Roberta.

 

You can find Bonnie active in our online community, always ready to give a helping hand.

 

A common theme with Venus women in their 50’s and beyond

There is a common theme here at The Venus Factor with women becoming successful in mid life.  We are finding that what the rest of the world says about us not being able to lose fat in mid life is not true.  Here are several more stories from our most successful women who found the same success as Valerie here at The Venus Factor:

Putting it all Together: VI Open Winner Naomi Sandoval

Lift Heavy for Longevity: Interview With Denise DeGrazia

Be in the Best Shape of Your Life at 50

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

52 Year Old Cancer Survivor, Wife, and Mom of 5 Ditches Her Chocolate Pity Parties and Loses 100 Pounds

50 is the new 20!

Starting a Fitness Career at Age 51

Yet another mid life Venus throws out the fat pants and gets the body of a 20 year old!

 

Dear Bonnie,

I loved hearing about your owning your beach picture and finally making the commitment.  It was totally awesome how you cam full circle from the young woman as Miss Texas to even better that in mid life. It’s a very cool story and it’s an example for all women in mid life that we can age like a fine wine.

You are truly living the golden Venus life, maintaining and not rebounding, and living life to its fullest.  Thank you for sharing your story and for being such a bright beacon of light for many.  Your bright smile matches the bright light and passion that burns inside you.

All my best,

Roberta

Is this the New Normal?

Is this the New Normal?

Is this the New Normal?

 

As the current contest winds down to the end, some of you are preparing for a photo shoot and others decided this wasn’t your time for a contest.

This can be a time of excitement or disappointment.

A couple of weeks ago I encouraged those ready to forge on to the photo shoot to not let fear stop you.  This week I want to encourage others.  Most likely you made some progress but you aren’t giving yourself credit for because you feel like you did not “finish” the contest, but that is not true.

Sometimes the contests are simply not the right time for you.  The lessons you learned in the last 3 months are still valuable for the rest of your life.

What we do here at the Venus Factor is like fish swimming up stream.  Our lifestyle of impulse control goes against the grain of the rest of modern society.  I bet even with a few mistakes you overcame adversity and many hurdles already.  This is no small accomplishment.  The skills are important skills to keep for the rest of your life.

 

Modern society currently has an obesity epidemic

To quote an article that ran in today’s Daily Mail Online:

A vast majority of overweight and clinically obese children in the U.S. believe they are ‘about the right weight,’ a major study finds – and nearly a third of all kids incorrectly judged their weight.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studied over 6,100 children aged between eight and 15 and discovered that 81per cent of overweight boys and 71per cent of overweight girls believed their weight to be in the ‘right’ range, i.e. healthy.

Of children who were diagnosed as obese, almost half of boys and over a third of girls thought they too were of about the right weight for their age.

Notes:

OBESITY IS PART OF A CONTINUUM

NCHS Data Brief (From the Centers for Disease Control)

 

Normal tends to be relative.  Kids growing up now are learning a new normal. Unless our habits change as a society this is the new trend.  According to the NCHS Data brief people are consuming more calories and becoming more sedentary.

What we do at the Venus Factor is the opposite of this.  Even though you are embarking on a perfectly healthy lifestyle you will be viewed as “extreme”.  This makes the new lifestyle you are trying to learn become a hurdle.  Any progress is hard earned.

 

It is not a contest, it is a lifestyle

The contest is a mere train stop en route to the rest of your life.

I have several coaching clients who started the coaching program to help them complete the contest. They ended up realizing that the time was spent learning some valuable lessons and have decided not to finish the contest.

This one most precious young lady put her lesson into words so beautifully.

Yes she wrote the note to me, and I left it as is, but there is nothing special about me, it’s the lesson itself that she learned that is priceless. We all learn this lesson when we get so close to our goal.  I don’t think I can put it out any better than she just did:

 

Oh dear Roberta you are the most wonderful person I’ve ever known!!!

When I started the contest I was committed to starve myself and workout like crazy to get to my goal by the end of it, thinking that 10 weeks would go away like nothing! I thought you would support me on my plan to reach my goal, but instead you were honest and told me what I didn’t want to hear, that I was short and losing weight the healthy way would take longer. I was disappointed but realized you were right. I was tired of eating the way I was and relying on fasting to compensate for binging. I felt so lost during the long fasting and decided to listen to your advice and thank God I did.

It’s true my body is not quite at my goal, but it has improved a lot. And the most important thing is that thanks to you I learned to be patient, now I still have a goal, but not a deadline, I know if I keep going I will get there with what you taught me.

Thanks so much for what you do for me! I could never thank you enough. You coached me not for the contest, but for a lifestyle!

 

When people do the cycle of eat low and binge repeatedly I call this the “eating yo-yo”.  It’s a point of plateau or even going backwards.

No matter how much it would make me look good to produce a bunch of contest winners by cheering on with “eat less, eat less” I won’t do it. It doesn’t look good when they rebound after the contest anyway. None of us need that. We need our lives back.

All those in this situation are within a three inches of the VI waist. This is a critical point where the body refuses to be rushed. This is where the Venus Factor “Theory of fat availability” and “Reverse Taper” come into play.  You can’t make things happen any faster than the body will allow.  The rate you build muscle is genetic.  The rate you lose fat at this point is so low it might not show an indication on the body weight scale.

When you get to this point you can’t eat so low anymore.  You also can’t eat too high or for a long string of days if you want to lose that last bit of fat, because you can’t eat low enough anymore to make up for it.  It’s needs to be more of an even keel.  I call this the calorie tightrope.

 

Our Venus contest winners all learned valuable lessons for life.

Our Venus contest winners all learned valuable lessons for life.

 

 You are already a winner!

So the main thing to remember is that if you are learning to eat less for your deficit, or walk the calorie tightrope, or learning to make lifting weights a habit for life, these are all swimming against the stream of normal society. Each victory is hard earned.

No matter how far along you are in your goals, if you have been making progress it is a huge win.  It’s a huge victory.  Do not sell yourself short.  Just keep swimming and never give up.

The deadline for submitting the VT11 contest final pictures is August 11, 2014 midnight.  If you are in this contest and you are delayed due to waiting on photography final processing all you have to do is email me (roberta.saum@gmail.com) and let me know.  The front page newspaper picture must be dated August 11, 2014 or earlier.

I look forward to seeing your hard work shine!

-Coach Roberta

(You can find me in the online community.)

 

Find out more about Venus Transformation contests:

 

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The Hormetic Effect Of Exercise; Uncensored Podcast

 

What is the correct balance or "sweet spot" for exercise?  What is too much, and what is too little?

What is the correct balance or “sweet spot” for exercise?
What is too much, and what is too little?

 

The Hormetic Effect Of Exercise

What is “sweet spot” for the amount of stress or dosing workouts?

What are the various effects of exercise?

What about too little or two much exercise?

What happens when you do the right amount of exercise?

What about exercise performance?

What are the side effects?

What about health ramifications of exercise?

What is the concept of working out for being healthy and look good?

What is the right balance for exercise and nutrition?

How does exercise effect your digestion?

 

Listen to what John and Brad have to say about The Hormetic Effect of Exercise:

 

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There are NO SHORTCUTS for FAT LOSS; says contest winner Michal

Michal lives in the Philippines with her family.

Michal lives in the Philippines with her family.

 

Michal Gansad came in fifth place in our Venus Transformation contest VT10

 

Michal’s own words regarding the Venus Factor:

I had a baby last June 2013, ten months ago which caused me to gain lots of weight. I weighed around 183 lbs. after delivery and from then I struggled to put off those unwanted weights.

I am really huge from my youth. And as expected, I also have a lot of health issues because of that. But in 2010 I started to use a product that helps me become skinny but not lean enough having more or less 32% of body fat using the Tanita Scale. So, I am always positive that I can make it lose weight again. But then, I became disappointed because the magic diet seemed to lost its power. It does not work for me anymore. So, I searched for a solution and this time I wanted it to be a lasting solution. Fortunately I found Venus Index from searching in the internet. After being convinced from their presentation, I joined the community last October 2013. From then on, everything has changed for the best. I learned a lot and have to learn a lot more. There is no such thing as magic pill, or magic diet no shortcuts the first thing I learned from joining VI. Everything I went through VI are just wonderful, it is worth the pain. The sacrifices of eating deficits and doing all the work outs laid in the program improves my mood in day to day basis. It also improved my looks than before when I am lighter by using the product I mentioned earlier. Now I feel I am being freed from all those myths that I believed before. I am not dependent to any slimming products anymore.

Even if I will not win in this VT10 contest, even if I get pregnant again and gain weight, I already consider myself a winner for life, as long as I stick to VI practices. Golden ratio is within my reach, and I am a winner.

I also want to share that I do all my work outs at home. Having a baby and still breastfeeding, it is a challenge for me to drive 35 km. just to hit the gym.

 

Questions and Answers with our Venus winner Michal

 

How did you find the Venus Factor?

I found Venus through the Internet. At that time, my previous solution of losing weight did not work any longer. FYI, I am using Herbalife shake at that time if you are familiar with it. They always emphasize about the importance of taking breakfast using their product, of course. But then after delivery, while using the same routine, nothing works, if there is just a little change, that is why I did not stop searching solution and I found Venus. I found the best way so far.

 

What aspect of the program was most beneficial to you?

The truth about calorie intake, importance of fasting, fasting techniques, undulating protocol, the community, the girls supports sharing insights, podcast, workouts, almost everything in Venus benefits me.

 

Did you like the Venus workout?

Yeah, so much, the only work out I tried that works for me.

 

Which workout(s) did you use?

I completed the first 12 week program then, from VT10 to finished completed only up to 10 weeks Final Phase. Because my husband came home for vacation from work, it interferes my routines, lol. I actually asked John Barban what should I do after having few weeks of rest, he said I can repeat Final Phase. But I did not make it due to my busy schedule. So, I decided to go back to the basic and I will never give myself permission to jump forward without completing it.

 

What kept you motivated?

Honestly I am not motivated all the time, but then, I think about my health, my family’s health, about getting older, I am now 38 years old, I always wanted to get old healthy and fit, along with my family. I want to be like you, like Liss, like Alisha and all other good example Venuses. So, I keep telling myself to move ahead.

 

Do you have a particular style of eating?

I am not that strict these days unlike last time when I am in the VT10 contest. I just do the usual, eating breakfast late, sometimes I eat once, sometimes I indulge, I am only mindful about the principles of calorie deficit and calorie maintenance.

 

Did you use the undulating  diet protocol?  If so how did it work for you and did you make any modifications?

Yes. I just follow the advice I read. For example the post from VI Facebook page about the concept of the Reverse Taper Diets, it talks about fasting duration depends on our waist in inches. I apply it to myself.

 

Did you use any supplements?

Sometimes I take local probiotics. I stopped taking my Herbalife supplements for a long time ago after finding Venus. Then, recently I found out about GMO’s. Soybeans and corns from U.S, they are GMO (genetically modified organism) that causes leaky gut syndrome. I find that so scary, everything in the supermarket even supplements, we not that sure whether it is contaminated or not. So, I decided to go natural.

 

Did you use the online community and how was that experience?

Yes, I did. I am in HOLO/GOLO2 group. We have spreadsheets where we can put our stats, our goals and our actual accomplishments. Being in that group increased my knowledge on dealing with my weight loss goals.

 

Did you find support with friends and family?

Just few people knew I joined VT10. They don’t even know what was it all about. So, I don’t depend on them for support. I get most support from the Venus community and from the group.

 

What was the hardest obstacle to conquer?

My being imperfect, that’s the hardest. When you start to astray from what you are doing, it is difficult to get back on the track.

 

How did you feel about your final pictures?

Not so sure if I did well. I even doubted to submit it or not, but I learned from the podcast that we are the worst critics against ourselves, so I submitted it anyway to let other people judge.

 

Is this a lifestyle you will continue?

100 percent yes. What else can I do, is there any better way? I guess nothing.

 

What is your best advice for other Venuses?

Just keep learning and apply. Make time to do what is needed.

You can find Michal in the online Venus community.

More stories about Venus Mom’s:

Young Mom finds the Venus Factor to be a way of life instead of a means to an end

Lacey Gained her pre-pregnancy confidence back with the Venus workout

Just Say No to Elastic Waist pants; interview with Lori Aquino

An Original Venus who Never Gives Up

After pregnancy, Wins Transformation Contest

How to become a beautiful beach Mom

Venus Mom Erin says “Just do it!”

 

Dear Michal,

Congratulations the beautiful job you did transforming your life and your body from the inside out!

I love your perspective as being a young mom in the Philippines and your sweet countenance in the Venus online forum.  Thank you for being there with us and thank you for sharing your story!

All my best,

Coach Roberta

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The final sprint for the contest; Don’t let FEAR stop your DREAM.

I'm still pinching myself the way I did back in my Venus Transformation contest days.  What, am I really Cat Woman now??!!

I’m still pinching myself the way I did back in my Venus Transformation contest days. What, am I really Cat Woman now??!!

 

The final contest sprint

Many of you are now in the final stretch at the end of the VT11 Venus Transformation contest.  This is where you can make the final push with workouts and and a little more effort on the diet compared to a normal season of life.

It’s okay to put in that extra effort which is a bit more than a normal sustainable effort.

It’s okay to sprint for a few weeks.

 

Fear

Along with that sprint comes fear.  Fear of letting yourself down.  Fear of letting others down.  Fear of failure.  Fear of being a dork.  We all have these fears, and they don’t all go away.  We have fear when we push for something hard and try something new like a contest.

Even though there really is nothing to fear, we fear.  In many ways there is nothing to lose, but we conger up the fears.

I’ve been ready and in shape most of this year for a photo shoot, yet fear was stopping me from actually booking one.  I do a lot of networking online and have met some amazing and talented people.

About a month ago I finally contacted one of my online photographer connections.  His name is Ryan and I really liked the work I’d seen him post.  When I showed Ryan some examples of what I’d like to do with the superhero theme his interest seemed to perk up.

I had wanted to keep it a secret, in case I failed.  I wasn’t planning to tell anyone.  But Ryan was so excited that he posted a status update stating that we were doing a superhero photo shoot and that it was going to be “epic“.

Then the pressure was on because the secret was out.  All his friends and all my friends could see it.  So the panic and fear started.

I can honestly say that every day since then has been filled with fear, sometimes to the point of feeling ill and losing sleep (which makes EVERYTHING worse).  Some of my friends know as I posted some funny status updates, or even gym workouts at the “lonely sheriff gym” which made some of my friends chuckle. Fear makes us feel alone.

Someone had posted an inspirational poster about “Setting a goal that is so exhilarating that it excites and scares you at the same time.”  That pretty much summed up the two weeks for me prior to the “superhero photo shoot”.

I’ve got some amazing and talented people I’m connected with now. Every time I post a question about a personal problem the knowledge and generosity never ceases to amaze me. Not only from local friends but from people who I’ve never met in person. It’s simply amazing.

So some of my fear was that I didn’t want to let these amazing people down, or look like a dork or failure to them.  I know I shouldn’t care about what people think. I’ve learned not to care about what mean people think, but I still care about what people think who I know and respect.

I was so sick with fear that at times I wanted to just call the whole thing off, so the pain would go away.  But then I knew I’d have other regrets, and other pain.

I’m really glad I didn’t give up, because the prize was amazing.

 

It takes a TEAM

I can’t say enough about the fact that it takes a TEAM to pull this off a photo shoot like this. All I did was work on my body and the costume, and even all that took support of family and friends.

Then add in hair color, nails, hair style, borrowed boots (for the Ninja scene not shown in this post), general assistance and driving around, makeup artist, amazing photography skills, etc.  Things like this don’t happen solo. It takes people helping people. It does take a team.

A team takes teamwork skills, and thinking about how you effect others around you.

When you get a chance, help others out. What goes around comes around.

This was my team:

Photographer Ryan Lazalier

Makeup artist Diana Jeanette

Hair Stylist Shayn Guenther

Assistance from my dear friend and amazing woman who will soon realize her own dream of being a fitness competitor Nancy J. Meuer

I’m actually the 53 year old model living my dream (Roberta Saum)

In the days prior to the event my nails and hair color were done by HairHouse ‘N’ NailSaloon and Mekayla Ladd

The amazing thing about this event was that no money exchanged hands. This was totally made up of a group of people helping everyone else build their portfolio’s.  Not everyone gets this type of opportunity.  I was lucky, but I also spend a lot of time helping others out.

That’s how this sort of thing works.  It also helps when you are willing to do something different, out of the box, and scary, like dressing up like a cat woman.  This gave the creative people on the team an ability to use their talents in a fun and unique way.  They wanted to do it. In fact they were excited to do it.

When Shayn and Diana showed up to do my hair and makeup they immediately made me feel at ease.  Diana did an amazing job on my makeup.  Shayn took the effort to add in my hair extensions and style them to match and blend beautifully with my hair.

My hair was highlighted by Danna Ladd at HairHouse ‘N’ NailSaloon. Danna used a very complicated mix to make my hair match the extensions I had.

Danna’s daughter,  Mekayla Ladd, gave me a pedicure and manicure.

For your own success in the fitness game it means setting up your own team.  Get friends and family on board.  We all need support. Every situation is different.  Some really need the online community for support if their family is not on board.  Some have local friends. Some have friends who don’t agree with methods.  Remember this is YOUR journey and not everyone will understand.  It might be a fight for yourself, the fight is worth it.  So keep fighting the good fight until you get the team that works with you.  And always remember team is about give and take.

 

About the costume

Many people have asked about the costume and scene so here are the details on that.

I pieced together most of the costume with items from Yandy.com.  That is where I got the black pleather pants, camo top and shorts, cat woman mask, whip, and gloves.

I had to experiment and try things out for the costume.  At first I put the camo belt around my waist in a crisscross pattern, then went shopping for a waist belt and shoes.  I scoured the big local shopping mall and almost gave up, then at the last minute I found the shoes and the belts which I ended up using for the crisscross.  I decided to use the camo belt around the waist.  Then I had the idea to cut off the top of the camo shorts (along with the belt loops) and attach them to the black pants.  It took a bit of sewing skills and some Velcro pieces.

I had to alter the pants to fit as they were baggy in places.  I also had to modify the gloves which were too long for me (I’m short so they reached up to my armpits!)  I rolled them down and then they looked funky so I added some leather and buckles to the top cuff.  I found some cheap boots at a used clothing store. I cut the leather and buckles off the boots and sewed them on the top cuff for the gloves.

I also had to modify the mask as the holes for the eyes didn’t fit my small face.

I had to use duct tape to hold the crisscross belts up in place on my upper back.  I needed my assistant Nancy to help with that. The belts were brand new like the shoes and I didn’t want to cut them as they will be useful as normal clothing items.

The weekend before the photo shoot Ryan scouted dark alleyways in downtown Sacramento and practiced some night photography.  When he told me about it I feared a bit for our safety since we would be preoccupied with our work and not as aware of our surroundings as we should be.  I arranged for someone to watch out for our safety and who would call it off mid scene if it got too dangerous.

We actually had some close calls with the local night life, but everything worked out fine.

At one point we had a makeup disaster and had to go to a local grocery store for some quick fix items.  Dressed as I was in pleather and dark makeup, I’m pretty sure the locals thought I had different business in town. Nancy and I got a good chuckle out of that, but we motored on with purpose and did what we had to do to get the job done.

The alleyway for the cat woman picture was in downtown Sacramento.  Here’s one more picture from that scene.  You can see Ryan’s creative talents in both pictures.

 

My friend Nancy said of Ryan, "Wow, he got down on the ground and got dirty to get some great shots of you!"  Yes he did and it was awesome.

My friend Nancy said of Ryan, “Wow, he got down on the ground and got dirty to get some great shots of you!”
Yes he did and it was awesome.

 

One of the comments my friend Nancy made about Ryan was “Wow, he got down on the ground and got dirty to get some good shots of you!”  Yes, we all noticed that.  And let me tell you that alleyway was filthy.  Ryan is an amazing and down to earth guy who I thoroughly enjoyed working with.  I hope to get more chances to work with him.  I have a feeling it might happen again someday.  Since then he’s asked me to help coach him on “getting lean” and I can honestly say it’s my pleasure to help.

I told Ryan I’ll be cracking the whip! I have one now you see, as I am Cat Woman!

Ryan named the first picture “Catwoman GI Jane“, and the second picture “Alley Cat“.

 

Don’t let FEAR stop you from achieving your DREAM

So the bottom line is you won’t really know the outcome until you do it.  Take a leap of faith.  Believe in the hard work you’ve put in.  Believe in yourself even though the fear still exists.

If it’s one of our contests you are doing, in many ways you have nothing to fear.  Just like my superhero photo shoot, if the pictures didn’t come out no one has to see them.  If you you don’t like them, just keep them to yourself and keep on swimming.

We keep everything about people in our contest completely private and confidential.  Unless you place in the top 10, no one will even know you entered unless you talk about it.  No one except the contest judges will see your pictures unless you place, and then your awesomeness will be shown to the world.

Do this for yourself, not the contest.  It’s an investment in yourself.  Even if the outcome isn’t what you wanted. That is how we all learn.  Learning is an investment as much as success is.

Think of your photo shoot as something for you to have to look back on.  Just like when you take your family portraits.  It’s a memory of a special time.  Even though my VT3 and VT4 contest photo’s are a couple of years old now they hold very special memories for me.  I’m glad I have them. Someday when I’m 90 years old I will have them to show when I tell my old lady stories about my life if anyone bothers to listen.

We all have fear.  Some of it never goes away. Some of it makes us feel ill. Don’t let it stop you from achieving your dream!

The deadline for submitting the VT11 contest final pictures is August 11, 2014 midnight.  If you are in this contest and you are delayed due to waiting on photography final processing all you have to do is email me (roberta.saum@gmail.com) and let me know.  The front page newspaper picture must be dated August 11, 2014 or earlier.

I look forward to seeing your hard work shine!

-Coach Roberta

(You can find me in the online community.)

 

Find out more about Venus Transformation contests:

What about Wearable Fitness Technology? Uncensored Podcast

WearableFitnessTechnology

 

What is biofeedback?

How does biofeedback relate to wearable fitness technology?

What about biofeedback that you feel VS data?

How can this change your relationship with your doctor?

Who owns the data?

What about accuracy?

What about knowing your own body?

What about knowing the feeling of eating the right amount?

What about the pros and cons of the data?

Is it necessary to have these devices to be successful with fitness goals?

What will we need to focus on the most once have these devices?

What is the race in fitness technology about?

 

 

Listen to what John and Brad have to say about wearable fitness technology:

 

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