Venus index Transformation

The next Venus Transformation Contest VT16 STARTS January 11th

January 5, 2016 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

The 2016 Venus Transformation Contest Schedule:

VT16: Start January 11 – End April 11
VT17: Start May 2 – End August 1
VT18: Start August 22 – End November 21

It’s easy to join. Any Venus customer can join at any time.

You can enter both your before and after pictures any time between January 11th and April 11th, but you will want to TAKE your before pictures as soon as you can after the 11th (with the current newspaper).

Make sure to read and follow the instructions:

Venus Contest Rules and Regulations

Once you get your pictures and measurements simply go to the contest form and enter them

— BUT NOT BEFORE January 11th because it won’t work until then!

Email me roberta.saum@gmail.com if you have any questions or need any help.

Have fun!

Never Settle

Never Give Up

Live Your Dream

-Coach Roberta

Filed Under: Contest, transformation Tagged With: diet for weight loss, Fit at 50, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, transformation contest, Venus index Transformation, Venus Index Workout

If you don’t like where you’re at then change it, says 1st place winner Danell

January 4, 2016 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Danell placed 1st in our last Venus Index Transformation Contest.

She decided she didn’t like where she was at, so she changed it! Here is what else she had to say in her own words:

My experience with the Venus Factor System: Venus is definitely unlike ANY other weight loss system I have tried. I found this to be life changing. I never imagined I could lose weight and change my body shape so effectively.

In fact, after roller coaster dieting for the past 20 years, I was about to just accept my out of shape, over weight frame. So Venus was my “last ditch effort”.

I have learned that I CAN change my lifestyle and body shape without giving up anything that I love. I still eat the foods I love but now I know how to incorporate ALL the foods into my life without it having to show negatively on my body.

I LOVE working out now. Venus is simply a recipe to follow and if followed WILL result in the shape that most women think they can never have.

But anyone who puts in the work, and follows the recipe will get results. I will be a forever Venus. A Venus for life.

This system works for so many reasons: There are real women here all helping each other in the online community.

All the coaches have gone through the program and faced all the same challenges as the ladies who are on their Venus journeys. They are a wealth of knowledge and support.

The women here are uplifting and strong and so helpful. Everyone loves to see everyone else succeed. It’s a sisterhood here and it’s beautiful.

The workouts are simple but challenging and really fun. Especially when you start to see the changes in body definition.

Exciting!

Nothing is restricted as far as food goes. Venus teaches you how to incorporate everything you love into your diet. It’s because of this that really makes a person able to stick to the weight loss part without feeling deprived.

This is so important because now it turns into a lifestyle. A person can really do this for life. It is sustainable. There are so many tools to use. Like Eat Stop Eat. Maintenance Days. Slim in 7. Final Phase. Access to Coaching. Everything you need is here to help you succeed.

So I started Venus in March 2014. I went through the first 12 weeks. I had lost 12 pounds in those 12 weeks. Then I entered the Sept 2014 contest.

I lost my focus and did not finish. I stopped all my workouts and logging my foods. I gained 19lbs in 7 months!

Since I knew Venus was something that truly worked for me, I decided to get my head on straight and go back. I restarted Venus April 20 2015. I followed the 12 week program and every workout.

I found Roberta online and Jonda Lowe. Jonda was in the current contest at the time and I watched her succeed. I new I could do it too. I took all the advice I could get from those ladies and applied them to myself.

There would be NO EXCUSES, only work. In those 12 weeks my weight moved very slow.

It was hard.

I lost 9 pounds but Roberta kept telling me to trust the process and enjoy the journey. Her daily posts kept me on track and motivated.

When I saw Jonda’s final pics, I was blown away. That put such a fire under me! I wanted that too! I can do it too!

I lost an additional 7lbs before the next contest start date. So I entered VT15. I took Ro and Jonda’s advice and worked out 5 or 6 days a week. I cleared my work schedule so that I would not miss a workout.

I had to get very creative sometimes in hotel rooms with no fitness room. I ate at least 100 grams of protein a day. I counted and measured everything. I fasted daily.

I booked my photo shoot with a professional photographer as soon as I entered the contest. I was INVESTED!

There was no going back, no excuses, just work. And I was enjoying my workouts so much. I was loving the food I was eating. I was able to eat at restaurants and still be on plan.

It was becoming a lifestyle I knew I could live with forever. My husband was so supportive with everything!

By the time I got to my photo shoot, I dropped an additional 15.2 pounds!

That’s a total of 30lbs since restarting Venus in April.

At 156lbs I am at the high end of my Venus weight range (130-158).

I am 3″ away from my ideal waist (26.64) at 29″. And at 42.75, I am under my ideal shoulder (43.11).

-Danell

Danell did an amazing job! We had a blast talking about her story over the phone. You can hear the excitement in her voice in the audio interview below.

The 2016 Venus Transformation Contest Schedule:

VT16: Start January 11 – End April 11
VT17: Start May 2 – End August 1
VT18: Start August 22 – End November 21

Venus Contest Rules and Regulations

Listen to Danell’s story now in the link below, or download it for later:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Contest, Exercise, fat loss, transformation, Uncategorized, Weight training Tagged With: becoming a venus, body composition, bodyfat, brad pilon, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, john barban, The Venus Factor, transformation contest, Venus index Transformation

A Gift to My Best Self

December 25, 2015 by Anea Kamahele Leave a Comment

We are inundated this time of year with so much. In the US, the holiday frenzy has been upon us since Halloween, at the end of October. Since then, we’ve struggled to rein in the onslaught of comfort & joy that is ushered in with good eats and drink. Nearly 12 months are gone, and in a week we will welcome 2016. A new year is just around the corner.

Often as a year closes, we realize everything we didn’t get done, didn’t accomplish, wanted to do differently. I have tended in the past, at the end of a year, to wistfully look back at missed opportunities. And every time I have done that, it’s not made me feel any better about those things. In fact, there’s a penchant to scold myself. Basically, I‘d give myself a good mental thrashing.

This year is a little different. Since coming to Venus around the middle of September, I’ve been doing a whole lot of thinking. Yes, I’ve also followed the Venus protocol. I’ve logged onto My Fitness Pal and logged calories every day since I joined. I’ve done the Venus workouts. I’ve increased my barbell weights. I’ve weighed and measured my body weekly. I’ve done the work to watch my body change and shift physically. And, as I said, I’ve also taken the time to think.

A Gift to Myself

Changing the way I eat and exercise has been a gift to myself the likes of which I never expected to find. I’m still in process of losing weight and building muscle, and frankly, I always will be “in process.” But Venus gave me a unique way to look at not only food and exercise, but also myself.

I remember in my first week of Venusing, taking my BEFORE photos was such a terribly painful experience. We read about this all the time, how much people (especially women) cannot stand taking these pictures. And many do not take them. It is just too hard.

In the unforgiving lens of the camera we are faced with seeing, in full detail, everything we have ignored and thus hate about our bodies. We see the cellulite, the stretched skin, the way our fat spills over the waist of our pants and out from under the elastic of our bras. We see the puffiness in our faces. We can’t ignore the way our belly buttons aren’t round. Our double chins mock us. The dimples of fat and the soft muscles beneath shame and anger us.

Taking those photos put me in a foul temper for about 2 days. The day I took them, I was close to crying and then just felt stupid for getting so emotional. I got angry and started attacking my house and chasing dust bunnies along the floorboards with the vacuum cleaner. The next day I felt such an overwhelming sense of mortification. I reasoned with myself. “Anea, you’ve already joined Venus. You’re reading the manual. You got the calorie counting app. You figured out you can eat 1000 calories and not pass out. You’re already doing it. Stop.”

My Story Is No Different

I read a lot that first week on the Venus forums and blogs. I read again and again how women had wished they had taken BEFORE photos and then afterward wished they’d taken consistent progress photos. Because of that, I’ve made myself take weekly photos. When I reach my goal, I know I will appreciate listening to the voices of those who’ve gone before me.

In the meantime, the photos serve as a guide for what I have done. They help me see the changes I’ve made. They remind me I have everything I need inside of me to do this. I don’t take those pictures because I like looking at myself much more than I did on that first day in September. I take them because it’s important to document my success. And also because I’m learning to be a little more empathetic to who I was, who I am, and who I am becoming.

I look back on those pictures of me, especially those first terribly painful ones, and they tell a story of who I was when I came to Venus. My story is no different than yours. I was miserable with how I looked. I hated how I felt, physically and emotionally. I wanted to change. I found Venus and so I did.

Legacy Work for Our Best Self

Changing our own lives, that is legacy work. It’s what gives you your story. It’s what makes others look at you and say, “Wow! You did that?” And you look at them and nod your head and you say, “Yes. Yes I sure did do that.” When we create a legacy for ourselves, it is important. In the scheme of things it may seem small and insignificant to “just lose weight.” But the impact we have on ourselves, if we take on the entirety of that journey, it affects those around us too.

I’ve read and heard, again and again, how the physical changes women have made to their bodies have freed them from so many mental, physical and emotional chains from which they couldn’t break free before finding Venus. They’ve gained confidence. They understand consistency. They know what they are capable of accomplishing. And when we do that, we give our loved ones our best selves. Because that’s who we uncover in the process of taking control of our physical bodies – our best self.

As I look back on this year, I’m so blessed with this gift I’ve given myself. I’m thankful John Barban did his own legacy work and created a program with which so many women have found a way to uncover their best selves. I hope you’ll join me in using this last week of 2015 to reflect on everything you’ve gained as you’ve embarked on this journey to lose weight.

Merry Christmas, ladies of Venus, and here’s to a 2016 filled with more (and less!) of our best selves.

~ Anea

Filed Under: change, fat loss, Food, Health, transformation, Uncategorized Tagged With: goal setting, john barban, Legacy Work, The Venus Factor, Venus Index, Venus index Transformation, Venus Index Workout, weight loss, working out for shape

Donette Lost Over 100 lbs with Patience and Consistency

December 21, 2015 by Liss Graham Leave a Comment

Donette at one of her heaviest weights before Venus and after, unbelievable!

Donette placed in our recent VT15 Venus Transformation Contest.

She did a phenomenal job and her results display the hard work she put in. Her transformation stretches out further than this 12 week period though, she has lost over 100 lbs!

Donette before starting Venus in 2014 and after this 12 week contest, unbelievable!

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

No matter how many times you are told something, do we really hear it? How many times have I heard “the scale is just a number?” ” Don’t let the scale get you down” “the number on the scale does not define who you are” Yes I have those sayings up on my computers both at work and at home, on my mirror and my refrigerator. But I never really listened and opened up my mind till now. Let’s rewind 14 years ago when I moved here from Arizona a depressed 270lb single mother of an almost 3 year old. I had once had a membership to Bally’s before I married my first husband, but I was way too embarrassed to go back to that meat market setting, so I joined Curves for women. I did well with Curves, between their diet program and workout machines I dropped 70lbs. For several years I would bounce between 200-230. I couldn’t get below 200 then I would go back up. I tried Medifast, HCG, diet pills, 3 different Curves diet plans, everything would work for a little bit, but then I would put some back on. For my second wedding I was able to get down to 175, then after the wedding I was right back up. March of 2014 I was on Facebook and saw an ad that has changed my life. Do I normally look at ads? Nope, and I have no idea why I that day I chose to watch the full add for Venus Index but it was the best decision I ever made (along with the best $47.00 I have EVER spent!) March to November I did well, I followed the protocol, all my days weren’t perfect but life is a learning process. I wasn’t really interested in the weight lifting. I hated it when I had to in school, me Bally’s experience was horrible so there was no way I was joining a “real” gym. My son and I would do a workout or two per week and that was about it. I was able to drop down to the low 170’s and would go back up to 180. I introduced my sister to Venus in November, she was going to Gold’s and I decided to start going with her @ 5am. We would work the machines 2 days a week and were doing the main Venus program the other 3. dropped down another 10lbs into the 165-170’s. Starting in January this year Gold’s was doing a contest coinciding with Venus, I thought perfect I can do both at the same time! Did well the first 6 weeks then fell apart. I was higher at the end than when I started, and I didn’t even finish VT13. So VT14 came around, again I’m going to do this, made it 8 weeks and crashed and burned. At that point I felt my body was wanting to stay right where it was at and I was done. My only goal at that point was to just finish the contest, which I did. I started this contest balls to the wall staying at my 1000 calorie deficit with maintenance days, working out 2 times a day, then 4 weeks or so in Labor Day hit. I was running my Chihuahua in an AKC Agility trial and at the end of my run: I came down hard on my right leg, jamming my knee and messed up a ligament. Holy Crap! I don’t have time for this, I’m trying to get Fiona to AKC Nationals next year, I’m driving across country with 3 dogs that I have registered in the TDAA Nationals in October. I’m kicking butt and staying on track and all of the sudden it all comes to a screeching halt. Or so I though at first . Turns out this injury that kept me from doing and lower body work besides walking for 4 weeks ws the best thing that could have happened to me. Liss put me in touch with my mind. Yeah I know it sounds kinda weird, but she sent me homework to work on my mind, to change the way I think of myself and to improve my self-confidence. Instead of throwing in the towel, I put up the scale. Instead of giving up on me (like I have done so many times before), I gave to myself. I gave myself the freedom to quit worrying about the wrinkles, the stretch marks, hips, belly and bat wings. Instead I have found the good in them. I realized I need to love myself. Once I started to love myself, so many good things started to happen. Barriers and walls that I had built on my mind started coming down. My self-confidence is rising and I’ve been able to do some of the things I though I could never do. The best thing is that none of them had a thing to do with a scale or what “number” I’m at. Vacation was a blast; my girls ran great with me and even earned placements at the National event. I was able to make great choices travelling for 10 days and maintained the entire time. Even though I had fun with Liss’s band workouts she sent to me to use at the hotel, I realized I LOVE my weight lifting and missed it! After we came back from vacation, I hit another 20+ year goal of climbing the Manitou Incline. I was afraid to try, 1 mile up over 2,000 steps and I can not remember the elevation change. It took us 2 hours, but we did it and I can’t wait to do it again! I also bought my very first “little black dress”. Besides my wedding dress, my husband had never seen me in a dress before. My son rides a dirt bike and my husband and I have ATV’s that we like to ride when we get a chance. All of my ATV pants are what the call OTB or over the boot pants. I would have to buy those because I could not get my calves and pants both into my boots. The beginning of the year I bought a pair of regular pants, the calves fit, but I could not get them zipped. WOOHOO they finally fit, now I’m ready to ride! Yes I’ve had my stumbles along the way and will continue to have more in my journey. Now I have gained the knowledge and I have the tools to move on and get past those struggles to a greater place in my mind. I have the loving support of my husband and son, and a wonderful Venus family. What’s next? No longer are the thoughts of I can’t, because I know I can do anything I put my new healthier mind to. Balloon ride, Whitewater rafting, zipline again this summer, hiking a 14ner in my new boots I earned just this week, they are on my short list. Who knows you just might see me running one of my girls on TV someday 🙂

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

“All of my ATV pants are what the call OTB or over the boot pants. I would have to buy those because I could not get my calves and pants both into my boots. The beginning of the year I bought a pair of regular pants, the calves fit, but I could not get them zipped. WOOHOO they finally fit, now I’m ready to ride!”

Donette’s Metrics

	Weight	Height	Waist	Shoulders	Hips
Before	165 lb	69 in	31 in	42 in	40 in
After	151 lb	69 in	28.5 in	42 in	38 in
Deltas	-14 lb	0 in	-2.5 in	0 in	-2 in

Donette before and after side 12 weeks

Donette before and after – she can run her dogs and hike any mountain!

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

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Contest, fat loss, Interview, Podcast, transformation, weight loss Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, becoming a venus, Contest, contest interview, diet for weight loss, stress eating, The Venus Factor, Venus Index Contest Interview, Venus index Transformation, Venus Index Transformation Contest, weight loss

VT15 Contest Winners Announced – beautiful pictures!

December 14, 2015 by Roberta Saum 1 Comment

Before announcing the winners, this post contains several sections you won’t want to miss;

VT15 Contest Winners
Additional VT15 Transformations
Cover Model Winners
Next years contest schedule

1st Place – Danell

“I took all the advice I could get from those ladies and applied them to myself. There would be NO EXCUSES, only work.”

2nd Place – Sandra

” I now KNOW, at the very young age of 50, that I will NEVER be overweight again! I AM the BEST I have ever been and I can’t wait to see what else I can do!”

3rd Place – Anne

“I felt like I had conquered the biggest obstacle… which is myself. This program works and it’s liberating to know that I will always have something that works. I proved it. I never have to try a fad diet again.”

4th Place – Andrea

“After trying more dieting approaches than I care to count, I’m excited that I’ve found a plan that works and that I can be successful at for the long term – while still living (and enjoying!) my life.”

5th Place – Kittery

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

6th Place – Holly

“After 12 weeks I have learned that I can eat whatever I want, no more being obsessive, just being aware of what is going in is enough. I have taken a full minute off my running pace and my knees are much happier these days.”

7th Place – Robin

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

8th Place – Char

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

9th Place – Donette

“I know I can do anything I put my new healthier mind to. Balloon ride, Whitewater rafting, zipline again this summer, hiking a 14ner in my new boots I earned just this week, they are on my short list. Who knows you just might see me running one of my girls on TV someday :)”

10th Place – Laura

“So many people whom I have watched doing other programs, seemed to balloon when they quit their programs. I am very happy that I am getting shapely, as well as a losing weight. I think it is in developing a body shape with muscle that determines the great results.”

Additional Transformations

These were just too good to leave out. Each one of these ladies WON. They are still welcome to enter next years contests for the top 10 places.

The thing I’ve noticed when talking to these ladies that is really important for you to know; YOU DON’T REALIZE YOU HAVE TRANSFORMED when you are in the process. Several of the ladies in the top 10 thought they were FAILING at the process. They didn’t think they were good enough. But they WERE GOOD ENOUGH!

You see, it happens so slow. There is nothing glamorous about it happening. In fact you make mistakes and you don’t always keep on track with food. You miss some workouts here and there. BUT YOU STILL WIN.

We are all merely human. We are not machines. But sometimes you won’t know how you are doing unless you have someone who knows the process helping and watching. Many people who could have won one of these contests didn’t think they did good enough, so they didn’t finish. The fact of the matter is that most of us don’t really know what we’ve achieved. I didn’t know either. I had no idea.

So we want you to see all these brave women that finished, and won at the game of life. And the journey does continue for all of us.

Since the journey continues, we will be happy to share their stories NOW, interview them, and then there WILL BE MORE TO THE STORY later if they choose to win again in the top 10 for future contests.

The stories always continue for life. You never actually “get there”, you reach a goal and then you keep going, because this is a lifestyle, not just a 12 week contest.

Kimberly

“The Venus system has given me the tools I needed to finally lose the weight that long distance running could not achieve. The podcast are filled with valuable information along with encouraging interviews with past winners.”

Christine

“The only person that could change that was me. I needed a program that I could actually follow and still live my life with my family. Venus was my answer and I am so happy.”

Brenda

“I decided to check in with the forum and it became apparent the Veteran Venus’ would not let the meds be an excuse, and it appeared nutrition was the key. So I decided to put Venus to the test, this time trying the nutrition and weight lifting together. Low and behold the last year of weight gain was taken off in these 12 weeks, and my clothes fit again!”

Cindy

“I am super happy with my results my I”m not ready for maintenance yet. I can still improve! One of the main reasons that I first bought Venus is because I saw Roberta and her amazing body and transformation. She was my age and had muscle! That made me realize that I can still build muscle at my age. Boom!”

Heather

“I love, love, love John and Brad’s podcasts. I listened to them whenever I could. They blasted away every myth I grew up believing, every misconception that I had adopted just because a fitness professional said it and I was finally able to break away from all the bad information that I had stored in my head and replaced with the facts that John and Brad’s research had taught me.”

Tricia

“I think the thing that really helped me with this part was that the whole program came out of John’s love for his sister. This is not a program designed to beat women down and make them feel inadequate. This is a program designed to help you know how beautiful you are.”

Laura

“I am delighted to have improved my body to where I feel stronger and more energetic. I can even say focus is better. I have received several compliments and am motivated to keep going in order to shred, shape and tone even more!”

Tara

“The ever changing workouts keep me from getting bored and help me to feel my progress in strength. This is so MOTIVATING!! I’m proud of my accomplishments over the past 12 weeks and can’t wait to continue along this journey.”

Cover Models

Anyone can enter the cover model contest, as many times as they want. It’s a fun way to shadow the contest and get creative with photos. Everyone has their own style.

In order for the cover designers to use your pictures you will need to send me a link to the high resolution pictures.

Erin

Anne

Danell

Sandra

Christine

Kittery

Congratulations to all the winners! What beautiful pictures. What hard work. It all paid off.

And the journey continues.

We will be contacting all of these ladies to see if they want to share their story and possibly do an interview.

The 2016 Venus Transformation Contest Schedule:

VT16: Start January 11 – End April 11
VT17: Start May 2 – End August 1
VT18: Start August 22 – End November 21

Never Settle!

Never Give Up.

Live Your Dream

-Roberta

Filed Under: Contest, motivation, transformation, Uncategorized, weight loss Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, body composition, diet for weight loss, john barban, The Venus Factor, venus index contest, Venus index Transformation

It does not take a special BREED to SUCCEED.

December 4, 2015 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

FRAME-Piggy-Bank-and-Fitness-Competition

What does a piggy bank have to do with this? Read on!

It does not take a special breed. Anyone can do it. The only thing great or special is persistence, consistency, and never giving up.

Anyone can do that if they decide to.

It’s pure day-to-day grit.

It’s believing in your self when no one else does.

Minimizing the negative people who act and speak in an uncaring manner.

It’s trusting the process and being patient.

It’s focus on the day-to-day victories and process.

It’s the picking one thing and making it a victory.

Not the results. Those come later.

Even when I did the fitness show last year it wasn’t anything special. I had not even PLANNED on doing one.

I was just doing my thing and Coach Miles hey you are ready, you should do this!

It’s just the lifestyle.

I didn’t push hard and crash. See that’s the trick, you don’t have to push until you crash. You learn to live it. Sure you can dose out the hard push a few weeks. Back off, then push again. In a sustainable manner.

All the insane crashing and rebounding does not have to happen. But it might for a few as they learn, that’s okay too.

It’s like when you save your pennies in a piggy bank as a kid. Day after day you drop the penny in. It’s hard to imagine you will get something for that someday.

But then suddenly you check one day and it’s full.

You spend it, and fill it again, or you save it and start filling up a new piggy bank.

Either way you keep going.

And so it goes for life.

You never actually really get “there”.

You achieve milestones, then you keep going.

You stop and smell the roses, or watch the beautiful deer, or hug your loved ones and enjoy some feasts and maybe a little fine wine if you are so inclined.

But then you motor on again.

Embracing the nitty-gritty of life.

Because THAT is where the MAGIC happens my friends.

I’m not a special breed. I’m just a lady who lives in the mountains, living in the day-to-day, embracing life and the nitty-gritty.

That means YOU can do it too!

BOOM!

Never give up
Never settle
Live your dream

Happy Friday!

-Coach Roberta

Filed Under: change, Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Food, Health, motivation, Uncategorized, weight loss, Weight training Tagged With: The Venus Factor, Venus Index, Venus index Transformation, Venus Index Workout, weight loss, weight training, working out for shape

Happy Thanksgiving and tips from Coach Roberta

November 26, 2015 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Happy Thanksgiving to my USA Venus girlfriends!

I’m busy working on the Venus contest, but I had to take a quick break to write some words of encouragement for those I’m helping.

These are all my own pictures in the collage.

‘Cuz I’m the real deal.

In the purple shirt last night during a break in our workout with my Venus friend Kerry.

And the scenes at my home.

I don’t have to prep for photo shoots or events because I live the lifestyle and have been proving it for over 5 years now.

I’m not going to hide or be ashamed of my lifestyle, because it works for me.

Tomorrow you will enjoy a post from Anea, who is one of our talented Venus Ambassadors in the Immersion Online Community. She has a long way to go in her Venus goals, but she is successful and well on her way. She KNOWS with the Venus lifestyle she will get there too. She knows it works for her too!

I’m quite excited about the way the Immersion community support is going. It’s amazing. It is all about women empowering other women. They have even created phone app texting accountability groups and blogging in there.

If you haven’t yet experienced the Venus Immersion community support, well, you just do not know what you are missing!

Tips for the Venus Lifestyle

Never ever reward or punish yourself for food.

This is a mentality shift we make to succeed in fitness.

You never earn food rewards.

You are never punished for eating.

There are no good foods and bad foods.

You might be allergic or have bad reactions for some foods.

We need food to survive.

We are meant to enjoy food.

We are meant to celebrate.

And yes, humans are designed to fast for periods of time when it’s appropriate. Humans have been doing this since the beginning, both for spiritual purposes and out of necessity when they were hunter gatherers.

It’s only modern society who has created these strange fitness myths and have at the same time had to battle an over abundance of food and lack of physical activity.

So ENJOY Thanksgiving!

And ENJOY a workout if you want to!

You are never DOOMED by one meal, one day, one week. Just decide to get back on track when you are done feasting.

AND, if you stay on that track as can happen to many of us, DECIDE TO SAVE THE DAY at any moment you choose.

This is how we do it!!

BOOM!

Never give up
Never settle
Live your dream

Enjoy the holidays in true Venus Style!

-Coach Roberta

Filed Under: Diet, Exercise, fat loss, Food, Health, Uncategorized, weight loss, Weight training Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, becoming a venus, Bobbie Carper, diet for weight loss, goal setting, The Venus Factor, Venus index Transformation

How to deal with the success backlash?

November 13, 2015 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

There are 10 more days left in the current Venus Transformation contest.

Now that we are in the final stretch of the contest, many of you are having success with your goals!

It’s great to see. Some of you are done with your photo shoot already and it’s time to relax.

Many people seek success, whether they are open or secret about it.

But there is something most of us are not ready for once we achieve success.

The backlash.

Not everyone is going to be happy for you.

Some will compliment you one day and then they are a participant to the attack on you the next day.

You have had to make hard choices. When you make those choices you end up leaving others behind.

They are still back at the crossroad you left behind.

Some people will feel betrayed.

“Sometimes the people around you won’t understand your journey.

They don’t need to, it’s not for them.”

It’s true. People will misunderstand and sometimes do some weird things to attempt to hinder your success.

Sometimes it is intentional, and other times it is merely that they are human and don’t understand their own emotions and insecurities.

You just have to find another way around the road blocks they put in front of you.

The work to get around those blocks makes you stronger and better.

And eventually you get amazing messages and magic behind the scenes like I have going on right now.

The neat thing about forgiveness is it doesn’t mean what they did was okay or that they belong in your life again.

Just let it go. Release the burden and thank God that what they did made you stronger and sometimes it gives you material to write about!

The backlash that can follow success is not about you. It’s about the insecurity in others and that they in some way feel your success diminishes them (even though it certainly does not).

Even though they will not be able to share your joy, just keep going. Keep progressing toward your new goals, make good choices, and ENJOY your success. Some people who you may never meet will be inspired by you and that makes it all worth it.

BOOM!

Never give up
Never settle
Live your dream

-Coach Roberta

What about the final contest pictures?

Review the contest rules, review the mandatory pictures, but do more.

Be creative.

Have fun.

Show your best side.

Put the same effort into your pictures as you would a job interview.

Make sure the pictures are clear (not blurry!) and show your best shape. it’s not all about skin or muscle, it’s about how you sculpted your shape. Make sure it shows in your pictures.

Pick clothing that shows your shape.

Make sure the after pictures show the change you made!

Email me if you have questions: roberta.saum@gmail.com

Filed Under: Contest, transformation, Uncategorized Tagged With: diet for weight loss, goal setting, The Venus Factor, Venus index Transformation

Lets Lead Together

October 16, 2015 by Erin Martin Leave a Comment

I started my weight loss journey as a lone ranger. I’m not the type of person to ask for help, and I’m working on that. After a year of steady weight loss, I plateaued and became frustrated.

Fortunately, I found Venus Index and was able to understand true fat and weight loss principles geared for women, adapt them into my life, and change my lifestyle.

Along with the lifestyle change came a lot of things, positive and negative changes, but a happier healthier me.

The most important thing I came to understand was a newfound responsibility to help, as I know how hard it is to ask.

People came to me with questions, wanting and needing help and advice on how to conquer their own weight loss battles, and I began to grasp the privilege I had earned; to help and give back all that I had gained.

Where do you start?

My journey, lead me to the expansive fitness industry that is no longer just within a gym’s walls. You can find health and fitness information everywhere, but without a basic understanding of where to start it is overwhelming, contradicting, and confusing.

There are a million products, programs, gimmicks, work-from-home fitness companies, eating styles, eating plans, personal trainers, supplements, equipment, apparel and on, and on, and on.

So where do you start?

The basic principles in which we are taught through Venus Index, excess intake will lead to excess fat. Period. Monitor and balance your intake and outputs. Have a deficit to your surplus and you will lose the excess.

What about the food and the middle ground?

Since really delving into the industry over the last few months, I see a lot of people who say they want to help others which is an amazing thing, but what I really see are pretty pictures and motivational quotes, offers for quick fixes, gimmick products, crash diets, and money pits.

The ones that bother me the most are the fitness models eating a vat of ice cream, or a dozen doughnuts, with quotes, “I promote eating” or “I love junk food.” I see these images and wonder what am I doing wrong?

I work HARD and I can’t eat junk everyday. If I did I’d be bloated, feel terrible, gain weight, and lose all my hard work.

Don’t get me wrong, I love ice cream and I have said on multiple occasions that I don’t eliminate things from my diet that I love.

However, what I DO say that they DON’T is that I budget for that ice cream. I plan for it. I allow for it.

There is no way I could maintain my results eating ice cream alone. There is no way I would be anywhere near healthy eating ice cream alone.

To me, these images imply “look at me, I’m so awesome that I can eat whatever I want and still be smoking hot” and they just continue to taint the industry, confuse and impede consumers.

It continues to turn away people who are interested in being healthy and fit; leaving them feeling as if they have done something wrong that they too, can’t eat ice cream every day and rock Miss Olympia.

Then we have the other extreme, the epidemic of obesity that is plaguing a generation of instant gratification with a sense of entitlement. A generation that doesn’t know how to engage will power, self-determination, self-control, and drive to make choices to change their lives.

I know, because I lived it. I was too self-involved “enjoying” my 20s and engaging in ridiculous unhealthy behaviors ignoring responsibilities, not only to myself, but also to my future.

There were many times I consumed more calories in junk food and alcohol than in any sort of nutrition and wondered why I was over weight. Then I decided I’d join the movement of acceptance and just be “fat and happy” except I WASN’T happy.

Finding the middle ground between “fat and happy” and “I’m so awesome I can eat all the things and still be smoking hot” has been hard.

Let’s lead together

This lifestyle is doable, this lifestyle is maintainable, but it isn’t without sacrifice. It isn’t without self-control, self-discipline, determination, and drive.

You have to want to be better.

You have to want to change.

Once you make that determination find the will power to keep going.

Turn to like-minded people, turn to people who want to not only encourage you, but also engage in your success.

Thankfully, there are people who do truly want to and do help, often for free.

Let us help you, and then pay it forward.

Lets change this industry.

Lets impact society.

Let us regain ideals of health and fitness.

Lets promote life long habits that will allow our children to grow in the world we envisioned for them.

Lets show them how to take ownership, how to cook, how to work, how to use their body, and minds for good.

Lets do this together and promote a world of moderation with an ethic for hard work and success, not just acceptance.

Lets BE healthy and fit.

Lets BE the example in which we want them to follow.

Lets lead together

– Erin

Filed Under: change, Diet, Exercise, Food, Health, Uncategorized, Weight training Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, becoming a venus, diet for weight loss, goal setting, The Venus Factor, Venus Index, Venus index Transformation, working out for shape

Can a Vegetarian Venus stop the YO-YO? Yes, this girl Jonda can!

October 5, 2015 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Since it is the halfway point through the Venus Transformation Contest VT15 we thought you could use a little motivation to keep you going.

Jonda did the diet Yo-Yo all her life. Big time!

She placed first in our last transformation contest.

Jonda says she is NEVER GOING BACK to the diet Yo-Yo! And she is proving that true still to this day.

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

I have fought weight all of my life…as a child, a teenager and an adult. My mom tells me that I was born 3 weeks late. I weighed 9lb 3oz. She says I stayed in there 3 extra weeks to eat. I remember asking my dad to take me to Weight Watchers in 6th grade and he did. I was 5’5” and weighed 154lbs. I came out of the program weighing 119lbs.

That lasted through high school and then in my freshman year of college I married and was pregnant with my first child 3 months later. I delivered at 200 and then starved myself back down to 125 before my college graduation. Slowly but surely the weight crept back up and I found myself pregnant with my second child and delivered at 225lbs.

My weight has fluctuated between 122lbs–180lbs several times over the last 20 years. Why? Because I never understood how my body works and frankly, there is a lot of bad information out there.

I will forever be an ambassador for this program.

Women face challenges that men don’t. We deserve to know what REALLY works and when we are wasting our time. This is not a difficult program. It is however a mindset. You have to be at that point in your life when you really want it.

That’s why I was able to put all of Roberta’s advice to work when I personally met her earlier this year. I was ready!!! We connected on FB over 2 years ago.

I read all the material, understood it and tried to incorporate deficit days and the eat-stop-eat (fasting) regimen. Didn’t get too far with the workouts but did drop a few pounds that found their way back to me. I had plenty of distractions in my life…things I put ahead of ME and my happiness. It finally occurred to me that I was in control of my happiness and I started “cleaning house”.

It’s true that when you surround yourself with a positive environment you can’t help but be positive yourself!

And well, the opposite is true too.

You decide who is in your life, where you work, where you live, what you put in your body…YOU, not a friend, spouse or anyone else. If there is something in your life you don’t like CHANGE it.

It won’t happen over night but figure out what you need to do and then do something each day that moves you toward what you want! And that’s exactly what I did.

My only regret is that I didn’t take the 1000 cal with 100g of protein daily regimen more seriously at the beginning of my transformation. I convinced myself that the extra 150-200 cal/day wasn’t that big of a deal and what could an extra 20g of protein matter? Well I found out that cutting the 150-200 calories and adding in an extra 20+g of protein keeps me full and I started cruising toward my ideal Venus Index weight.

The Program works if you do!

Jonda

Venus girlfriends from all over the world to meet with Jonda in California.

Venus girlfriends from all over the world got together to chat with Jonda in California.

Several of my Venus fitness colleagues from all over the world met at the beautiful Naggiar Vineyard and Winery to chat with Jonda:

You can read Jonda’s full transformation story and view the rest of the video interview with us on “The Jonda Lowe Transformation Story” and listen to the audio podcast right here:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: Bodyfat, calories, change, Contest, Health, Meetups, Podcast, transformation, Uncategorized Tagged With: becoming a venus, brad pilon, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, Fit at 50, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, Venus index Transformation

The 2016 Venus Transformation Contest Schedule:

VT16: Start January 11 – End April 11

VT17: Start May 2 – End August 1

VT18: Start August 22 – End November 21

The 2016 Venus Transformation Contest Schedule:

VT16: Start January 11 – End April 11

VT17: Start May 2 – End August 1

VT18: Start August 22 – End November 21

A Gift to Myself

My Story Is No Different

Legacy Work for Our Best Self

Donette placed in our recent VT15 Venus Transformation Contest.

Donette’s Metrics

VT15 Contest Winners

Additional VT15 Transformations

Cover Model Winners

Next years contest schedule

1st Place – Danell

2nd Place – Sandra

3rd Place – Anne

4th Place – Andrea

5th Place – Kittery

6th Place – Holly

7th Place – Robin

8th Place – Char

9th Place – Donette

10th Place – Laura

Additional Transformations

Kimberly

Christine

Brenda

Cindy

Heather

Tricia

Laura

Tara

Cover Models

Erin

Anne

Danell

Sandra

Christine

Kittery

The 2016 Venus Transformation Contest Schedule:

VT16: Start January 11 – End April 11

VT17: Start May 2 – End August 1

VT18: Start August 22 – End November 21

Tips for the Venus Lifestyle

What about the final contest pictures?

Where do you start?

What about the food and the middle ground?

Let’s lead together

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