Venus index Transformation

The Venus Transformation Contest VT12 Will Start on September 1st, 2014

August 29, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

How would you like to achieve the same success as these previous Venus Transformation contest winners? You definitely can do it too – at any age!

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.

Here are the steps to enter VT12:

1) Login to your online Venus account

2) Click on the “Tracker” menu

3) Click on the “Contest Dashboard” button

4) Click on the green “Join Contest” button

5) Drag and Drop your contest pictures

6) Scroll down and enter your measurements with the drop down arrows

7) Click on the blue “Start Contest” button

8) You are successfully entered when you see the green letters that say “Before photos uploaded”

Please carefully read the contest instructions before you enter the contest.

If you receive an email after the pictures have uploaded YOU ARE IN the contest. So it’s time to hit the gym (even it’s at home!) and follow your nutrition plan. Make this happen!

See the results of our previous contests.

The Venus 12 week contest is an En Route Train Stop in your life long Venus journey!

Have fun!

– 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.

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

Filed Under: Contest, Uncategorized Tagged With: john barban, The Venus Factor, Venus Index, venus index contest, Venus index Transformation, working out for shape

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

August 4, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

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.

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

Filed Under: Contest, Supplements, Uncategorized Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, becoming a venus, bodyfat, Contest, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, transformation contest, Venus index Transformation, weight training, working out for shape

You can win a Venus Transformation contest in your 60’s; Ana Gomez

July 21, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

I am 60 years old and never imagined feeling healthy at this age,
knowing that this lifestyle will help me feel and look better.
It’s a dramatic change for someone who never visited a gym before.

Ana Gomez came in tenth place in our Venus Transformation contest VT10

Ana’s own words regarding the Venus Factor:

With the help of Valero Fitness Subsidy Program, I lost 36 pounds and prevented the return of cancer I joined the local YMCA and started going to Pilates classes which led me to other classes including Venus Index Program which I attribute the most to my success. During this VI10 contest I lost another 10.3 pounds.

As a cancer survivor, I know that exercising can help me live longer. Most if not all survivors find a new priority in life: keeping cancer from returning. After intensive research, I came to the conclusion that exercising after medical treatment was equal to a longer life and less recurrence. My goal then was to eat right and exercise, but I did not accomplish my goal for almost seven years.

I had tried every new diet in the market and media, constantly on and off of them. I had tried among others, Adkins, 3-day diets, weight watchers, the zone and nothing worked. After seeing a flyer at my local YMCA, showing before and after pictures of the Venus Index Instructor Liss Graham, who had the same problem I had for years, I enrolled in the class and just a few months later I was doing and “after” photo shoot. The program is design to create the perfect hourglass figure. The difference in my body shape was unbelievable. The beauty of this program is that it is not boring at all as every class is a different workout. Venus Index taught me to count calories, how to measure myself and keep a daily log of each indicator. Another tool that works for me is taking pictures every week to compare the progress. It is always best to compare yourself to yourself instead of finding random people who are not your height or age.

The most drastic change was counting calories and keeping a balance during the day/week. It’s amazing to see how I used to eat chicken nuggets as a snack without realizing that it was almost half of my daily calorie intake. My quick snack fix is a tablespoon of peanut butter, Ad-Mak crackers and a wedge of light laughing cow cheese. Now I enjoy salads and raw veggies with every meal.

My favorite workout routine is lifting heavy weights – it is what builds your shape. I use weight-lifting gloves, dumbbells, barbells, stability ball and a bench; I also use my fitness Pal iPhone app to count calories. I am addicted also to Venus Index webpage, I recommended EAT-STOP-EAT book to several people, I tell them that after I read this book, all the pieces started falling in place and started to make sense, only to reassure I was on the right track. A person usually questions you on the FASTING, so when they read the book and the precise explanation they start fasting. I personally drop 2.5-3 pounds when I fast.

Family members showed interest after they noticed that something I was doing was working. Now, several family members have started going to their local gyms after following my advice. I coach them over the phone and it’s working for them as well.

I am 60 years old and never imagined feeling healthy at this age, knowing that this lifestyle will help me feel and look better. It’s a dramatic change for someone who never visited a gym before. How I feel after every workout has made me become addicted. Today, workout is priority – my life and my days are planned around my 60-minute workout. I feel empowered!

Questions and Answers with our Venus winner Ana

How did you find the Venus Factor?

At my local YMCA. There was this flyer posted announcing the start of a VI class with pictures of one lady that placed high on one of your contests and she was teaching VI at the YMCA (Liss Graham). I saw the before and after pictures and caught my attention.

What aspect of the program was most beneficial to you?

The diversity of the program. Different every day!

Did you like the Venus workout?

I got addicted after I found myself not missing a class and wanted to go workout, I love it.

Which workout(s) did you use?

The class started with Phase I and went on and on with all workouts available

What kept you motivated?

The fact that I was seeing my own transformation, exactly as it was explained in that flyer, and the way my body felt, stronger every day.

Do you have a particular style of eating?

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

I did but I experience tiredness at first so I decided to do the deficit days when I was not schedule to WO so actually was 3 days a week.

Did you use any supplements?

No.

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

No.

Did you find support with friends and family?

Absolutely, furthermore seeing my transformation motivated them to start.

What was the hardest obstacle to conquer?

My sweet cravings before going to bed. I ask our instructor and she recommended Greek Yogurt and strawberries. That took care of it.

How did you feel about your final pictures?

I am my worst critic, I believe I could’ve done much better. Which being that critic to myself has been helping me during my VI journey.

Is this a lifestyle you will continue?

Definitely, I adopted this new lifestyle as part of my life and ever since then, my plans are scheduled around my workouts.

What is your best advice for other Venuses?

If you really want this change in your life, you have us to prove Venus Index works. So just adopt VI as part of your life no matter what. Some days you will be so sore you don’t want to hear about VI but two ibuprofen will take care of that, forget about your soreness and keep up with the next workout. Never Give Up!!

P.S. My husband reminds me every time we are traveling or out of town, ~you don’t need your dumbbells to workout, don’t create excuses, you can work out without dumbbells, just be creative. So True!!

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

July 14, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

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.

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

July 11, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

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.

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:

Filed Under: psychology, Uncategorized Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, becoming a venus, Bobbie Carper, body composition, brad pilon, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, Venus index Transformation, working out for shape

Venus mom Erin says “Just do it!” regarding the Venus lifestyle for fat loss

July 7, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Erin says “Do it. Just put your mind to it, and do it. You will surprise yourself at what you are capable of; you are stronger than you think.“

Erin Martin came in seventh place in our Venus Transformation contest VT10

Erin’s own words regarding the Venus Factor:

What Venus means to me:

I was postpartum with my second child and struggling to lose the weight on traditional diets. I was able to lose the pregnancy weight but eventually stalled. I was still overweight and really unhappy with how I looked, I was self conscious and uncomfortable in my new maternal body. Same story, different girl.

My husband found Venus by chance, he watched the video and told me he thought I should take a look. I was reluctant, I didn’t want a gimmick, or fad, or pill, after all I’d come this far on my own, “doing it right, with diet and exercise.” I just needed to keep going and add more cardio. With two small children, adding even more cardio, and possibly a new stroller, wasn’t all that appealing. After a day or two I sat down and watched the Venus Index video, and was intrigued. The theories made so much since to me, I finally felt like I understood what was going on with my body. I really appreciated all the science and research John and partners put into the system, and shared so openly. It’s actually what “sold” me.

I joined Venus in November 2013, and started the contest in Jan 2014 to keep me focused. As of today I’ve lost a total of 74 pounds on my journey, the last 20 pounds of which, are thanks to VI. I have learned so much about my body, how I respond to food and what I actually need. I’ve learned how to control things through eat stop eat, intermittent fasting, weekly caloric control, when to eat low, when to eat up, and book-ending special events. I’ve learned how my body responds to exercise, and it’s OK that I hate cardio. I do three to four Venus workouts a week, in 30-45 minutes depending on the day, and that fits into my life. That’s what makes Venus my lifestyle, it is adaptable, it is flexible, and I am in control. I can now balance food, exercise, work, children, and social events; navigate emotions, motivations, relationships, and negativity with confidence. I have confidence and comfort, not only in my appearance, but in myself and my abilities. I am Venus.

Questions and Answers with our Venus winner Erin

How did you find the Venus Factor?

My husband actually found Venus for me. He knew how much I’d been struggling with hitting plateaus despite doing “everything right.” He watched the video and encouraged me to as well. I was very hesitant because I didn’t want some gimmick, pill, or fad. I’d been working at a healthy weight loss for over a year, after the delivery of my second child. Well, I obviously watched the video.

What aspect of the program was most beneficial to you?

Being in health care, I felt I had a pretty good understanding of nutrition and how the body works. The science behind why women get stuck, and how to fix it with “eating up” and keeping leptin at optimal levels was the most beneficial. I’m the type that “needs to know why”, and because the program made since to me, I was able to stick to it and be successful.

Did you like the Venus workout?

Yes. I am unable to do massive amounts of cardio, so finding a way to exercise that I actually enjoyed was great. I like that I can do the program at home while my children nap.

Which workout(s) did you use?

I started with the 12 week program, then progressed to the final phase work out series. I am now doing the advanced strength series.

What kept you motivated?

Keeping motivated to reach the “goal” was easy. I looked and felt better, so I just continued to push myself to be the best me I could be. I entered the contest to keep on track. Now, while figuring out maintenance, I’m having a harder time figuring out my motivation.

Do you have a particular style of eating?

No. I don’t think the way I approached the program fits into any one particular style of eating. I use concepts and values from each style and made them fit with what is important to me. The biggest key for me, is being aware of calories. When I first started counting calories, in October 2012, I was shocked at what I was blindly putting into my mouth. I was easily eating 3000 calories. I’ve always felt that I had a pretty healthy diet, but I lacked portion control.

I was actually very surprised that eating “clean” and “whole foods” were a thing. It’s the way I was brought up. We eat very little processed foods. We did however, fall into the trap of eating out too often while I was pregnant and undoing some of those habits became difficult. Now, I cook 5-6 nights a week, and eating out is for special occasions. I typically do a daily 18 hour fast, eat “low” during the week and eat up on the weekends. If I know we have a function or “big” weekend, I will incorporate 24-hour fasts to maintain my weekly caloric budget. The most important meal in my household is dinner, we eat as a family and I budget my daily calories around that meal, and always eat dinner.

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

The first 12 weeks I followed the protocol. Well I guess only the first 10 weeks, exactly as written. The contest started in what would’ve been my 10^th week, so I started over, week one, day one on the first day of the contest. I was amazed at the differences I was seeing in my body, not only composition, but in how I felt. At first, eating 1000 calories was very hard, but I got used to it quickly. I stuck with the undulating protocol, extra fat, extra protein, through out the contest. I did not “eat up” carbs because of the photo shoot, and my body bloats in reaction to extra carbs. At that point I was eating as low as I could with one eat up day every 5 or 6 days. I’d never go more than 6 days without a maintenance day. I usually followed a maintenance day with a fast.

Did you use any supplements?

Yes. The last three weeks of the contest I used leptiburn, prior to that, nothing other than protein powder/shakes to help me meet my daily protein number.

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

In the beginning I did use the community. I was able to get help answering questions, get support, and I even tried blogging a few times. You need to offer support to get support and I just wasn’t that involved. I really “lost interest” after the first of the year when so many women joined and after the 400^th “is this real” question, I stopped utilizing it. I still listen to podcasts and read the Venus blog however.

Did you find support with friends and family?

Yes, for the most part. My husband was my biggest cheerleader. He knew how uncomfortable I was in my body and enjoyed watching me take control. He encouraged me and loved that I was becoming excited about the changes I was experiencing and comfortable in my own skin again.

What was the hardest obstacle to conquer?

Negative attitudes and comments. They were hurtful and two fold, sabotaging and made me think was I really THAT bad before! Second was figuring out how to fit lifting into my life when I started working again. Making ME a priority.

How did you feel about your final pictures?

I was a little disappointed. I didn’t come out quite as I’d hoped. I practiced my poses in the mirror, and even brought a mirror with me to the shoot, but dang, posing is HARD!! It’s really difficult to get that strong, yet relaxed look. My neck tendons are apparently connected to my abdomen. I am much happier with the pictures I took for the cover. I was able to look fit, but relaxed. It was very exciting to “see” what others saw. I was proud of myself and felt “Hot” for the first time in a very, very long time.

Is this a lifestyle you will continue?

ABSOLUTELY! I really enjoy lifting, truly enjoy it. I like feeling strong. I like looking strong. The eating portion will always challenge me, but I know that if I falter, it’s not the end of the world. I have tools to prepare for big events or make up for a goof, if I need. I can participate in social eating without feeling bad. The tertiary style of eating, as John calls it, perplexes me, and will for a while. If I am not cognizant of what I’m eating, I easily overeat. I’ve actually over eaten to the point of true discomfort. I’m slowly learning my lesson. I’m slowly learning to feed my body, not my taste buds!

What is your best advice for other Venuses?

Do it. Just put your mind to it, and do it. You will surprise yourself at what you are capable of; you are stronger than you think. The 12 weeks are going to go by either way, you might as well focus those 12 weeks on doing something beneficial for yourself. If you are doing the contest, my advice is practice posing. No matter how silly you feel, practice. Get the muscle memory, so that your pictures will turn out how you hoped they will, and how you envisioned them.

Ever feel like your self esteem is in the trash can?

June 27, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Do you ever need to pick your self esteem up out of the trash can?
This is our kitty Briquette, she liked to play there. 🙂

The perfectionist mindset; a lesson from a selfie picture

Like most of us Venus women my life is very busy and I sometimes feel I’m running on empty. A couple of weeks ago I had a busy crazy day away from home. When I got home I made Randy laugh so hard at how silly I am:

I showed him the cute selfies on my phone (not me it’s the T-shirts that are cute). I pointed out look at this and that with my arms and shape. He was very perplexed. He said “Why do you tell me and show me the selfie? I am looking at you for real, the most beautiful woman I know, right there as you hold the phone!!”

I showed him the cute selfies (not me it's the T-shirts that are cute). I pointed out look at this and that with my arms and shape and he said "Why do you tell me and show me the selfie? I am looking at you for real, the most beautiful woman I know, right there as you hold the phone!!"

I showed Randy the pictures on the phone and I pointed out what I saw. He said “Why do you tell me and show me the selfie? I am looking at you for real,
the most beautiful woman I know, right there as you hold the phone!!”

I pondered that. Most of us women don’t view ourselves as others do. Even after we reach our goals. It’s been three years since I reached my goal and my mind still hasn’t caught up. I seemed to spend most of last year attempting to feel good about myself and my body and all I could see were my own flaws. It makes me sad that I wasted so much happiness doing that. I want to stop doing that.

We ALL have to work on self image issues for life (especially all of us girls). I used to not like selfies much but now I see some value in them as long as they are not the same thing over and over.

As we reach our goals we tend to move the bar, which is not such a bad thing. But we move from a big picture view and narrow down with a microscope view and nit pic ourselves to death.

We all think “we will be happy when…”

We all have this thought that “If I could only get to such and such a size, or weight, or whatever measurement you choose, I will be happy“. But the reality is that when you get there the internal issues are still there.

I have found that the internal issues are intensified and “right in your face” because all of the relationships around you change as your physical appearance changes.

Start building your emotional stronghold

People become jealous and mean (even if they don’t mean to be) the more successful you become. They won’t consider your feelings even when they take “righteous actions” that would obviously hurt anyone in your place. It really doesn’t really matter why people do it. Sometimes they don’t even know they are doing it, or they don’t know why they do it. Sometimes it is intentional and you will never know why because you are not them. It will happen and it does hurt. Your insecurities intensify. Then you need to learn to build an emotional stronghold.

Sometimes you reach a point where you have to work on internal things that you may have put off for a long time. It becomes a matter of emotional survival. I’ve had some real breakthroughs in this area recently and it’s such freedom. Especially when you realize people who you thought were your friends are not really your friends, and they never were. Once you realize that, then you know that you have nothing to lose. There is freedom in knowing that since you have nothing to lose, you don’t have to let them hold you back. Nothing they think, say, or do matters anymore. That is tremendous freedom for yourself right there.

Since you are successful, and you are becoming even more successful, you don’t have time for negative and mean people to matter. Brush them off and focus on something positive, like helping out a friend who really does want your help.

Here’s what John has to say about the perfectionist mindset:

Weight loss isn’t easy, if it were nobody would have a weight problem. The process takes work, discipline and dedication which is hard enough on it’s own…but if you also beat yourself up during the process it’s almost impossible.

We all struggle with our body image and our appraisal of ourselves on a daily basis, and in most cases (and especially with women) you are usually your own worst and unforgiving critic.

Through all the interviews I’ve done and clients I have coached I have learned that women are typically the hardest on themselves when it comes to evaluating their body and their progress in weight loss.

If you lose 1 pound this week it’s not good enough because the goal was 2 pounds. If you lose 2 pounds it’s not good enough because your thighs still don’t quite look the way you want them too. If you made improvements in your arms and butt you start focusing on your stomach instead.

This self criticism has to be put in check for your own sake. You are much more than the sum of your parts or the most recent diet success or failure.

Taking a broader view of who you are and appreciating where you came from and where you’re going will help reduce the volume of your inner self critic.

Quieting that inner critic is easier said than done and I’m not an expert at it…I get help from a secret weapon…that secret weapon is my therapist Dr. Nicola Bird.

I don’t really know how to describe her besides that she is amazing and her techniques work!

I do a regular podcast with her about the mental and emotional game of weight loss and you can listen to the podcast we did on quieting your inner self critic here:

Listen to Podcast here ==> Quieting Your Inner Self Critic

You can check out more of our podcasts on the site or subscribe to the Venus index podcast on iTunes.

John

P.S. Dr. Bird is a regular contributor to the Venus community and you can look forward to hearing more from her in the future.

She also has a program specifically designed to eliminate emotional eating, you can check it out here: ==> Dr Birds Program for Emotional Eating <==

Start working on internal issues now and keep at it for life

So the main point: Start working on your internal issues and your self image issues NOW, because they don’t go away when you reach your fitness and fat loss goals. In fact, those issues become intensified after you reach your goals. They intensify more as you become successful in all aspects of your life.

There is a fine line between knowing you have a problem that needs to be fixed VS disparaging yourself for it. Humor is good of course, and it’s good to laugh at how silly we are, while at the same time not damaging our own self esteem.

Here’s a poster I really love for when you are taking corrective action to fix the health problem of being over weight:

Something to remember when you are taking corrective action to lose fat.

Something to remember while you are taking
corrective action to lose fat.

There is a before and after picture of me in a costume that John liked for an article. When I first lost all my 85 pounds I used to laugh at the before picture and my husband Randy got really mad and scolded me. He said “You were always my lovely wife, even then. I’m glad you are happy now that you’ve lost weight, but don’t ever disparage yourself like that again!”

He was right. It makes me happy that he loves me so much. It was a great reminder to me that I need to continue to work on my own self esteem, probably until the end of my days here on earth.

Here are a couple of helpful podcasts on this subject with Dr. Nicola Bird:

Ask Nicola; Perfectionist Mindset

Ask Nicola; Learn to Love Your Body

When you let your self esteem fall in the trash can like I do;

You can choose to pick it back up
Listen to some of Dr. Nicola podcasts
Do other activities which help your mindset and self esteem
Switch your mind immediately to positive things
Stay only in the positive, so that means no gossiping about the mean girls in your life!
When you let self esteem get you off track with diet or exercise here are some tips to get motivated to get back on track.

We all have these seasons of getting off track with our mindset, with workouts, and with nutrition. Sometimes we have to make an effort to get back on track, and we do this for life. Since we are merely human it won’t be the last time we have to do it. We do get better at it as we practice, just like everything else we do.

Have a great weekend, it’s full of opportunity to make good choices.

– Coach Roberta

(You can find me in the online community.)

Filed Under: psychology, Uncategorized, weight loss Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, body composition, diet for weight loss, Dr. Nicola, Dr. Nicola Bird, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, Venus index Transformation

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

June 23, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

I read many programs, diets and exercise plans. I have tried a personal trainer who supposedly designed a program for me specifically but I’ve never found anything like VI. I threw out the fat pants!

Valerie Pallister came in first place in our Venus Transformation contest VT10.

I have been fairly active most of my life. I used to run long distance and have had a gym membership for a good part of my adult life too. I’ve been trim and then not so much. Even running many miles a week, I have never been this lean! I’ve tried to gain arm and shoulder muscle at the gym working those machines but never achieved much progress. I can’t believe the back, shoulder and arm tone I have after just 14 weeks of doing Venus workouts!

I stumbled across Venus on Facebook shortly after the first of the year. I had decided that since I’d gotten to my highest weight ever and the largest level of fat pants were getting tight that I needed to do something! When I found Venus, I sped read the material and jumped right in. I already had the mindset to do something and I knew quickly that Venus was the ticket!! I also read through Eat Stop Eat which was so helpful in figuring out how to manage my caloric intake.

My journey was not without setbacks and disappointments but the community of women and the podcasts I listened to while working out (and driving, and cleaning house) kept me focused and kept me learning about tricks to try for my own challenges. I’ve accomplished more than I thought was possible and am amazed at the condition of my body.

Most of all I have learned invaluable things about myself that I did not know, even at 45 years old! Its been an amazing and educational journey.

Out of all the diets that I’ve ever done, one thing I have never done after I reached a fat loss goal: Threw out the fat pants!

I am so glad to tell you that 3 of my friends have purchased VI and two male friends are doing the Adonis program. Gotta love it! 🙂

Thank you Venus!!
Valerie in MT

I always wanted toned shoulders and back but never knew how to or was able to achieve it. Till now! I could not be happier with the progress I have made using your program. I have learned so much about myself, how much I was eating before and what I am capable of in diet and exercise it’s amazing. I have replaced weight training with my lifelong love of running activities.

Questions and Answers with our Venus winner Valerie

How did you find the Venus Factor?

I found Venus on Facebook by chance. Watched the video and bought it.

What aspect of the program was most beneficial to you?

I haven’t struggled with my weight too much other than trying to keep it in check but the structure of the workouts and the success I had with building muscle where I never have before was the most beneficial to me. I also learned things about dieting and about what is possible from the other Venues. It was a unique experience in that I learned much about myself along the way too.

Did you like the Venus workout?

As I stated previously, I loved the workouts! I like how it was set up to be for women. Also that each exercise had a video demonstration so you could get the right form. I like the flexibility of interchangeable programs and the whole body workout of each one. I am so amazed by the tone and definition the workouts helped me achieve.

Which workout(s) did you use?

I started with the basic Venus Factor workout. I tried the immersion trial and really liked having access to the other workouts available. Shortly after the contest started I started doing the circuits to challenge myself. I stuck with those the rest of the contest but I would go to the next difficulty level when I felt ready. It was nice because while they were similar exercises, they were different enough to keep me interested and challenged.

What kept you motivated?

I didn’t keep it secret what I was doing. For me, people knowing I’m in a contest kept me motivated and accountable. Like having spectators in a running race as opposed to running alone where no one will see if you stop and walk. But just as in running, you have to find your internal motivation and reasons to train for race day, cause most of the time, it’s only you and yourself watching! Most people only know of or see the final race day. It really is what you do when no ones watching that counts.

Do you have a particular style of eating?

No style but I try to eat higher protein while still trying to get plenty of fruits and veggies. I don’t eat much bread, pasta and potatoes though. Just because I can easily eat too much once I start. But if I eat them infrequently, it’s OK. I just try to keep it balanced and comfortable with what my life is like and what I like to eat.

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

I did use it. It worked well and I liked the change to 6/1 and 5/2. Much simpler and easier to keep track of than the previous protocol. Also the flexibility of using the eat up day on social event days was helpful. I only modified it by adding in fasting days. That worked well for me to offset any overage on calories other days. It was nice to think in weekly goals.

Did you use any supplements?

I had started drinking plexus drinks before I found Venus from a friend who is a distributor. I just continued that and my normal daily vitamins and glucosamine. I also began using creatine part way through the contest. I can tell I have better workouts if I have some before.

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

Yes, I liked being able to glean ideas and tips from other Venuses on the community. The supportive was awesome too. They are all great and so helpful! It’s one of the great tools of Venus I believe.

Did you find support with friends and family?

My husband was very supportive but I did better when he wasn’t home just because I didn’t have to cook for him or go out to eat with him. I have a few very close friends who were very supportive as well. They were patient and interested in what I was learning and experiencing. One of them actually bought eat stop eat after I told her about it.

What was the hardest obstacle to conquer?

Social events and eating out. It’s hard to not eat everything they give you at a restaurant but I did learn techniques that enabled me to keep on track. Namely, banking calories!

How did you feel about your final pictures?

I am amazed at how I looked in them. I had some pictures taken when I was in my 20’s for my husband and I think these were better! I never would’ve guessed I could get to that level of fitness. I might have to get them done professionally sometime. These were taken by my husband in our living room.

Is this a lifestyle you will continue?

I will always use the techniques and tricks I learned from the Venus program. I won’t and don’t expect to be picture ready all the time but I have the knowledge of how to and that I actually can do what I need to if I want to get in picture shape again. Weightlifting is something I will continue always. I love the workouts and the results I get. It’s going to be fun to take pictures next April and see the muscle I’ve gained. I know it will take that long!! But it’s now part of me and I love it!

What is your best advice for other Venuses?

Don’t beat yourself up for mistakes. If you overeat one day or two, know you can fix it by doing the program and keep going. Never give up on yourself. Take progress pictures every about 6 weeks so you can compare them and see your progress.

That’s motivation there Venuses!

Workout consistently and make sure when your spending time at the gym or wherever you choose to workout, you make it worth while. Why bother if you don’t put the kind of effort in that will make you stronger and fitter?!

On the flip side, just listen to your body and don’t push through a pain. Tired and sore are good but pain during an exercise can lead to injury.

Also,the community for moral and educational support, listen to podcasts for helpful information and motivation. Both are excellent resources.

You can find Valerie in our online community.

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

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

Dear Valerie,

I’d like to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart. I know how hard you worked. I watched your struggles though the weeks as you wrote your journal. It was fun to see your strong victories after the weeks of struggle with social eating and vacations.

It was awesome to see you empowered by the Venus lifestyle as you embraced it with full gusto. You learned the energy balance that was needed for you. You learned to find your own sweet spot and walk your own tightrope.

It’s very nice to have you as part of our community and see you in there helping others out when you can.

Thank you for being a special part of our community Valerie!

All my best,

Roberta

Filed Under: Contest, transformation, Uncategorized Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, becoming a venus, Bobbie Carper, body composition, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, goal setting, The Venus Factor, Venus Index, venus index contest, Venus index Transformation, Venus Index Transformation Contest, weight training, working out for shape

How to Stay Motivated When You Over Eat and Don’t Feel Like Exercising?

May 30, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

How do I stay motivated when I over eat and don’t feel like exercising?

It is two weeks into the current Venus Transformation contest. Whether you are in the contest or not, we are all striving to be our best and make positive changes in our lives. We all want our dreams. Keep the dream, go for the dream, live the dream!

You might be on a motivational roll, or you might be in a motivational slump. We all have these ebbs and flows and need motivation to get back on track.

If you find yourself in a slump know this is normal. It happens to all of us. Don’t give up. We are all human. We all make mistakes. We all have to motivate ourselves to get back on track. None of us gets a free pass on this.

Listen to Dr. Nicola and John in our free podcasts:

Ask Nicola; Overcoming Inertia

Ask Nicola; What is Self Sabotage?

Ask Nicola; Are You Your Own Worst Self Critic?

Ask Nicola; Perfectionist Mindset

Ask Nicola; What Can You Do About Distorted Body Image?

Ask Nicola; Learn to Love Your Body

Ask Nicola; Three Things That Can Hinder Your Success

Ask Nicola; Can food be a reward?

Ask Nicola; What is closet eating?

Ask Nicola; Emotional Eating vs Emotional OVER-Eating

Ask Nicola; Identify Emotional Eating

Why the Venus program works

All of us love food. This is where we learn to manage it in a healthy manner for life. All of us have learned how to diet, and all of us have learned how to eat too much, but we have a hard time learning the middle ground. It is swimming up stream against society and social pressure to constantly eat high calorie foods. So we all have to learn to manage it like a budget.

Once the debt is paid off then we simply learn to have a one or two deficit days to offset the higher eating days. We balance it like a checkbook for the week or over a period of time. It takes a bit of effort to get used to and then it just becomes second nature.

Just like kids who get money from their parents when they are young and don’t have to worry about where it comes from or how much is in the checkbook; we all have to grow up and become responsible with food intake. If not, we spend calories like it’s a credit card with no limit and then we get into fat debt again.

There is a lot of science behind why the workout is designed the way it is, and why the eating schedule is designed the way it is; both of those give you an advantage as well as keep leptin up. But also not depriving yourself of foods you love is KEY. Most other diets restrict you from foods you love and you go crazy eventually and over compensate for depriving yourself.

I don’t like working out

Just do the best you can. It does not have to be all or nothing. Do something every day. Do just enough to so that you don’t dread it. Think of ways to make it fun. Is it music, time to yourself, a new piece of workout gear, shoes, clothing, something new to look forward to, spending time with friends? Try something to make it fun.

The more you do it the more you will see things about your body change and that will motivate you. It might just be walking to the end of a driveway without getting winded anymore. For some of us who are older we find our arthritis doesn’t bother us as much. Rejoice in the health changes.

The more conditioned you become the better you will feel, and the more good biofeedback you will receive to keep you rolling on a positive trend.

Any little effort you put into exercise gives you “skin in the game” to keep rolling with all your other choices like food and not let the day go to wasted effort.

How to deal with over eating?

None of us are perfect. As John says in the in the Fat Loss Manual, give yourself “Permission to be Imperfect”; It’s a great message. We are not machines, we are human, so we bumble along the best we can. The process still works if we are patient and don’t let peak eating days go on for a long string of time endlessly. Just increase awareness, live life, learn some new tools and tricks, be patient, and give it some time.

Day to day effort is all it takes. It is the daily choices.

You are not alone when you feel like you always want more food. Pretty much all of us want more, especially on a deficit. For three years while mostly on a deficit I had to constantly remind myself after every meal, and after finishing my small portions; “I can have more next time!” Drink a big glass of water or tea and walk away and get busy on a project, work, chores, whatever. Keep busy. Get away from food and get your mind on something else. I still have to use this technique today.

My biggest advice on the over eating is that you can STOP whenever you decide to stop. You don’t have to think this is the end of the world and that you are doomed just because you over ate (and thus keep eating for no reason), just stop!

You may have to bump up your calories a bit. Anything under maintenance is a deficit. A slower more sustainable deficit is better than too low and then binging. Sometimes binging is a sign that it’s too low of a deficit for you. You might have too much stress in your life. You might have some emotional issues to deal with (we all do); it does not mean there is anything wrong with you. Hunger is our body’s natural reaction to any stress.

It does not matter what others are doing. Quit comparing what you eat with what someone else eats. What they do does not matter. You need to find what is right for YOU. All you need is a slight deficit over time, more deficit days than maintenance days, and keep the peak eating days to a minimum.

Looking at your string of positive days often

If you are using a calorie counting tool like MyFitnessPal then look at the 30 and 90 day calorie charts often to make sure your peaks are not too high, and not too often.

Get a calendar and use some fun pretty sparkle stickers for all deficit days, a different sticker for maintenance days, no stickers for over maintenance peaks, and a different sticker for workouts. No negative stickers!

Remember that maintenance eating days are always a WIN. They are not backsliding. They are eating normal. It’s the way you were meant to eat. It is just enough. The calorie deficit is not the way you were meant to eat; it is corrective action to fix a health problem. None of us are meant to stay on corrective action forever. We need breaks from corrective action. Corrective action is stress.

Then be motivated by the string of stickers or the graph of progress you see over time.

We all make mistakes. Every single one of us. We are all human, not machines.

Just stop where you are at if you are not on track and decide to get back on track.

Just DECIDE and DO IT.

Know you don’t have to be perfect.

Know you start with little steps.

Know you will feel pain.

Know you have to break through your fears.

The simplicity of Eat Less, Move More

The simplicity of “eat less and move more” is powerful. Sometimes we get far too caught up in the tools and letting them mess with our heads, when deep down we all know it’s just go to the gym and eat slightly less. Listen to your body when you need to eat a little more some days (not binge!) Rest from the gym when you need it. People figured this out before the age of technology.

Sometimes the age of technology is information overload, when this happens take a deep breath and listen to the simplicity in your heart and mind, it’s there. Then after a breather start looking around and navigating the technology if you want.

It doesn’t always matter about “counting” calories, so long as over all the calories in are less than the calories you ate to get you where you are today. That can mean smaller servings, or one less pudding, or don’t drink soft drinks.

Likewise, it doesn’t matter about being perfect with the exercise, doing something is better than doing nothing.

If you want to get stronger that doesn’t have to be perfect either, as long as the amount of exercise you did this week is somehow a little more than the amount of exercise you did last week. That can be going a little longer, or lifting a little heavier, or walking a little faster. Bodies take time to change, and lives take time to change too.

I hope this helps!

-Coach Roberta

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PS You don’t have to be in a contest to get coaching.

Filed Under: Diet, Exercise, Uncategorized, Weight training Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, becoming a venus, Bobbie Carper, bodyfat, diet for weight loss, Dr. Nicola Bird, Eat Stop Eat, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, Venus Index, Venus index Transformation, weight loss, working out for shape

Do you make this obvious mistake when measuring your fat loss progress?

April 4, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Comparing your rate of fat loss change to another is like
comparing apples to oranges.

Do you compare your rate of change to another person?

It is like comparing apples to oranges. All of us come into the process with a different genetics, age, height, body fat percentage, health, physical conditioning, history of dieting, and the list goes on.

Fat loss does not happen linearly, it happens in random chunks. We all have some periods of time where it appears that nothing is happening. People call it a plateau but it is not really a plateau. It’s just that the body weight scale can’t tell you what is happening. Water alone can fluctuate several pounds within any given day!

There are far to many factors that the scale can’t show:

allergies
muscle soreness
inflamation
muscle building
water retenion
food allergies
sodium
water loss
hormone fluctuations
food digestion
food allergies

And many more…

Water in the body can fluctuate several pounds on any given day

The body weight scale is really only good as a trend over time, sometimes months. It took me two years to lose 60 pounds; think about that, it’s not very fast (probably because I’m very tiny and short; it included large chunks of times where it appeared no change was taking place. But I stuck with the process and didn’t worry about it and finally something kicked loose. It happened in random chunks like that the whole time. It’s a good thing I didn’t get discouraged and give up or I would never have achieved my goal and I wouldn’t have the new life I have right now.

Sometimes people give up and if they would have waited just a week longer they might have gotten their random “whoosh”. That whoosh is sometimes just what you need to keep you going again through the next apparent plateau (which really is not a plateau).

New people come in all the time and complain that nothing has happened for 3 weeks!

Three weeks is not very long at all.

Most of us do see results in 3 weeks but it really depends on the randomness that your body decides to drop it. Usually those that have their big “losses” in the beginning will eventually also have some slow down and chunkiness in progress.

This is exactly why Jake protected his wife from seeing the scale when she was in the last contest. Michelle talked about how that worked for her and then John explained why that was such a clever idea! It’s probably a big reason she stayed motivated and came in first place. It is also exactly what I did in VT4 where I got first place.

Be encouraged by users in the community who sometimes had to wait 6 weeks to see results!

Here’s a list of ladies in the forum who had to be very patient and some of them waited 6 weeks before they saw a change. These ladies are always encouraging others and have great stories and words of wisdom.

Read their blogs and be encouraged and inspired.

nfaith

Valerie in MT

Living vintageously in a modern world

Here’s some words of wisdom from John Barban on the subject:

The terms ‘fat loss’ and ‘weight loss’ often get used interchangeably, but they shouldn’t.

If you lose a pound of fat, then technically you should weigh a pound less. This however is hard to detect if your daily water fluctuation and the amount of food and drinks you have in your body can be as much as 5-7lbs in any given day. If you just drink a few glasses of water you will easily be a pound heavier due to the extra water weight added to your body. Eating a big meal can easily add 3-5 pounds of weight to your body while you’re digesting and assimilating the food. These are temporary gains in body weight and do not necessarily mean you’ve gained body mass be it fat or muscle. It’s really just food in your gut.

Understanding that your daily body ‘weight’ can fluctuate 3-5 pounds just from the weight of the food you have eaten it’s not surprising that you may not really be able to detect a 1 pound decrease in fat mass. At least not detectably on a scale.

Also when you have a significant amount of fat to lose (in excess of 40lbs) you’re body will be carrying excess water along with the excess fat. This means that if and when you decide to start cutting fat you will experience a ‘weight’ loss that exceeds your actual ‘fat’ loss. As you lose body fat you will also lose a certain amount of excess water retention. This is a good thing as excess water makes you look smooth and bloated and it takes away from your muscular definition.

It’s typical for someone to lose twice as much ‘weight’ as ‘fat’ in the initial stages of a fat loss cut down. Someone who needs to drop 40lbs will likely see a big weight loss at the beginning. It’s a good bet that in the first 2-4 weeks at least 50% of the ‘weight’ that is coming off is water, the rest is actual fat. This higher ratio of weight loss to fat loss starts to drop as you get to lower body fat percentages.

It seems that as you drop below approx 25% body fat you can assume that most of the actual weight you lose is due purely to fat loss.

Finally when you’re close to or below 20% body fat or lower you may notice that you get visibly leaner and can lose fat without seeing your bodyweight change much at all. At this final stage you will be lean enough that even minor changes in fat levels will make a difference on your visible definition. These changes will be proportionally small when it comes to measurable weight, however the changes they make to your visible definition will be big.

It’s true that losing 1 pound of fat when you’re body fat is 30% will not even be noticeable, however losing a full pound of fat when your body fat is 20% will make a dramatic difference in your look even if the scale doesn’t budge.

Finally your muscle hydration and weight training status will also change how full and heavy your muscles are on a day to day basis. Having fully hydrated and glycogen loaded muscles can dramatically increase your bodyweight, even if it only lasts for a day or two. This ability of your muscles to swell with water, nutrients and glycogen can also throw off your measurement of fat loss vs weight loss. When you’re very lean you can actually lose fat, and even gain weight at the same time. These likely won’t be huge swings but it’s definitely possible.

In summary:

You can you lose fat without losing weight.

You can even gain weight while losing fat.

If you have lots of fat to lose, you’ll start out by losing significantly more weight than is accounted for by fat due to a reduction in water retention…this is a good thing.

When you’re approaching 20% body fat and attempting to cut even lower you will likely get leaner without seeing much of a change in body weight. (this odd effect is partly why people think the last 10 pounds are harder to lose.)

In reality they’re still losing fat but the total amount of weight that is coming off starts to slow down.

John

User quotes show how wildly the rate of change varies for each person

I went through the blogs today for a couple of hours and collected various progress report quotes from the top of blogs (you might see some of your own words here). They are in chronological order from the last couple of weeks. I was actually happy to see that most were happy posts, but some were frustration.

Besides the fact that the rate of change varies quite wildly from one person to the next, so does the mindset. Some people were happy with just a few pounds where others had lost more than that and were unhappy and frustrated. Mindset is EVERYTHING!

It was my weigh-in day this morning, and no movement, same as last week. BUT, I lost an inch off my bust, from 37″ to 36″, which I am hoping is my back bacon, and not my boobs! HA! Hey, a loss is a loss, am I right?

Week 10 and I lost another pound. My official weigh in days are Thursdays, but I couldn’t wait this morning. I had to see. Last week 158.6, this week 157.6. WHOA! This is weird to me because I lost close to 5 pounds the first 2 weeks on this program, then is slowed to about a half pound/week after that. It was slow going. I was starting to get frustrated, but I promised myself I wouldn’t quit.

Week 6 almost finished. The inches are coming off, but extremely slow!! I’ve only lost one inch in the waist, one inch in the shoulders, and 1/2 inch in the hips in the last three weeks!!! I guess it’s better than nothing.

It’s a lifetime of habit; but it was worth it. I am down 9 lbs. in 11 days.

The first week on this I only lose 2 pounds…..I hoped that by the end of week 2 I would have lost alot more, because I really tried hard this week. I didn’t lose any pounds…I’m very discouraged. I have 105 pounds to lose and I am tired of trying. I always hope but it seems like those dreams are always dashed….not sure what to do right now..any help?

I have lost 7 1/2 lbs to date and I have lost a total of 4.5 inches off my body. Things are changing, at a pace I can manage 🙂

I’m feeling so good about myself I’m down 5lbs in the first week. I’ve done a ton of reading and making sure that I’m active everyday.

Well I completed my first two weeks.
I am only down 4 pds overall….just yesterday I was down 5pds…lol
Trying not to get discouraged after listening to some people who have lost 9 pds in first week…….everyone’s different

I’ve determined that even though the scale as not even budged a 1/10 since March 7th, that I still must be doing something right. I lose anywhere from a 1/4″ to 1/2″ varying from every spot I measure (upper arm, shoulders, waist, hips, upper thigh). My muscle is getting better; I see some serious arm muscle when I flex. I REALLY wish the scale would keep going down, though. I’m going into my 10th week and I’ve only lost 13 pounds or so I dunno…. I’m sort of frustrated. It’d be great if I at least went down a size… what gives?

Well, i officially ended week 1 and could NOT be happier with my results! I am down 8.2 pounds in 7 days, which is more than I lost in 2.5 months on Weight Watchers this year!

Well I’m slowing down. The first 2 weeks that I was on the program (2 weigh in but only 11 days) I lost 3.5 lbs each time. The following 2 weigh in were 1.5 lbs each and now today’s was only half a pound!

Can I just say how excited I am? I started out at 188 pounds, and weighed in this am at 176. I am down 9.3 inches, too.

So, this morning when I weighed myself I was 174.2 Yippee!
It seems like so long ago, but last year before getting pregnant I weighed over 200 pounds.

Ok so I’m almost 2 weeks in and have only dropped 3 lbs, but not seeing any significant change. I’m kinda thinking the amount of carbs is a bit high on the meal plans. I see loads of post of women that are dropping weight like crazy. Any suggestions as to what has helped make significant changes in other people?

I’m going to start week 5 and I’m stuck in -4 pounds. I don’t know what happens. I don’t have any problem with the calorie intake and also I’m doing 3-4 times exercise per week I believe in the program but, something is wrong with me.

In that three weeks I lost 2 lbs….. but it was 2lbs of FAT, I am positive there was no water loss this time. I can fit into a size 4 jeans still 7 lbs from my ideal weight range and 21 lbs from my target weight! Soooooo cool! And here I was thinking I was sabotaging myself…. silly me….

I started on week 5. I did finally weigh myself – 11 lbs down since the end of week 1. My work belt and pants are definitely looser. I haven’t done any measuring lately.

Was 78.6kg (2 weeks ago) Now 73.9kg I just wanted to scream it out loud LOL

Yay down 5.6 lbs!!! Started at 196lbs and now 190.4lbs. Love that I can still eat what I want as long as I am still within calories. Workouts are going well too as I have lost inches too.

I lost another two pounds, one inch off my hips and two inches off my waist. This is awesome.
For me I can tell that shoulders and thighs are going to be the slow ones.

Okay week one weigh in. I lost 1 pound and 1 inch. Hopeful to lose more. My son been great. We been doing Zumba together.

I have had a moderate start to Venus. I had a little over 60lbs to lose. So far I am down 14!

I was surprised to see that I am down 9 lbs. woohoo
145 to 136. I’m getting my fit on. I am really liking the results!

I am coming to the end of week 10 and I am happy that I have reached my Venus goals for my hips and shoulders, but my stomach is 3 or 4 inches away. My progress has been slow, but I am almost there. I am 9 lbs and 3 inches always from reaching my Venus goal. I don’t think that I will do it in the next 2 weeks. but I will get there. I hear the last 10 lbs are the hardest to lose.

So here are the results for my first 12 weeks.

Started at 92kg or 202.5lbs now 79.8kg or 175.7lbs with a loss this week of 1.7kg or 3.7lbs, total lost of 12.2kg or 26.8lbs.

Shoulders total loss of 14cm or 5.6 inch
Bust total loss of 14.5cm or 5.8 inch
Arms total loss of 5cm or 2 inch each
Waist total loss of 14cm or 5.6 inch
Hips total loss of 21.5 cm or 8.6 inch
Legs total loss of 8cm or 3.2 inch each

Grant total of 90cm or 36 inch

I have been on the program for one week. I am down one pound.

Definitely feeling smaller all over and clothes looser. Weight is down 16 lbs and waist is 2″ smaller.

Well, finishing up week 3 and enjoying the diet.
Its not as hard as i thought it would be. I didn’t lose any weight again though. That is very frustrating. I saw 169.2 once and then the next day right back up over 170 again.
So very frustrating!!

Down to 145 this morning!! Hello size 10! (Down from 13) can’t wait to buy a pair of size 8 jeans….hopefully soon!

This week I managed to be 1 pound lighter and remove .5 cm from my waist. Total of 7.6 pounds in 3 weeks.

Well, I am simply AMAZED to find that I am not only loosing weight but also loosing inches everywhere… Down to 9 pounds of weight loss & more than 12 inches here and there after 3 weeks.

I just finished week 12 on the program and I feel fantastic! I lost 3 more pounds this week for a total loss of 22 pounds since the beginning of January!

Start date: 30/12/2013 Waist: 81 cm Shoulder 110cm and weight 63 kilos
Today: Waist 74cm Shoulder 102cm weight 56.3 kilos
Total Lost to date Waist -7.0cm Shoulder-8.0cm weight -6.7cm
So in just over 3 months I am nearly 7 kilos lighter, which is fantastic.

So after my first week I am down 5 lbs.

It’s the end of my fourth week and NOTHING is happening! I waffle between 209 and 208. My measurements are exactly the same….I am soo frustrated!

Wow, that sure is a lot of variety. So what will you do next time you start to get discouraged?

I hope you come back and look at some of the community blogs for encouragement, read John’s words of wisdom, or just focus on the process.

Have a great weekend!

-Ro

You can find me in the Venus online community as RobertaSaum.

Filed Under: fat loss, Uncategorized, weight loss Tagged With: becoming a venus, Bobbie Carper, body composition, bodyfat, brad pilon, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, goal setting, john barban, muscle growth, The Venus Factor, Venus Index, Venus index Transformation, weight loss, weight training, working out for shape

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

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.

Here are the steps to enter VT12:

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

Questions and Answers with our Venus winner Bonnie

How did you find the Venus Factor?

What aspect of the program was most beneficial to you?

Did you like the Venus workout?

Which workout(s) did you use?

What kept you motivated?

Do you have a particular style of eating?

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

Did you use any supplements?

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

Did you find support with friends and family?

What was the hardest obstacle to conquer?

How did you feel about your final pictures?

Is this a lifestyle you will continue?

What is your best advice for other Venuses?

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

Ana Gomez came in tenth place in our Venus Transformation contest VT10

Questions and Answers with our Venus winner Ana

How did you find the Venus Factor?

What aspect of the program was most beneficial to you?

Did you like the Venus workout?

Which workout(s) did you use?

What kept you motivated?

Do you have a particular style of eating?

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

Did you use any supplements?

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

Did you find support with friends and family?

What was the hardest obstacle to conquer?

How did you feel about your final pictures?

Is this a lifestyle you will continue?

What is your best advice for other Venuses?

More stories about Venus women in their 60’s:

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

Questions and Answers with our Venus winner Michal

How did you find the Venus Factor?

What aspect of the program was most beneficial to you?

Did you like the Venus workout?

Which workout(s) did you use?

What kept you motivated?

Do you have a particular style of eating?

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

Did you use any supplements?

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

Did you find support with friends and family?

What was the hardest obstacle to conquer?

How did you feel about your final pictures?

Is this a lifestyle you will continue?

What is your best advice for other Venuses?

More stories about Venus Mom’s:

The final contest sprint

Fear

It takes a TEAM

About the costume

Don’t let FEAR stop you from achieving your DREAM

The history of VT contests

UPDATE for 2014: Schedule of Events

Erin Martin came in seventh place in our Venus Transformation contest VT10

Questions and Answers with our Venus winner Erin

How did you find the Venus Factor?

What aspect of the program was most beneficial to you?

Did you like the Venus workout?

Which workout(s) did you use?

What kept you motivated?

Do you have a particular style of eating?

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

Did you use any supplements?

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

Did you find support with friends and family?

What was the hardest obstacle to conquer?

How did you feel about your final pictures?

Is this a lifestyle you will continue?

What is your best advice for other Venuses?