weight training

Is there room for lifting when you are training for a half marathon?

December 12, 2014 by Liss Graham 2 Comments

Liss and Jenny

This past weekend, I met up in Memphis with Coach Jenny to run the St. Jude Half Marathon. The run was really an excuse to go see her, meet her family, and vacation. And by vacation, I mean eat at all the great places in Memphis!

Happy, happy, happy! Jenny and Liss at the Arcade Restaurant

It turned out to be a little experiment to see what would happen if I did the bare minimum training for the race while continuing my Venus workouts. I did not want to:

run more than I had to
experience the hunger that comes with all that cardio
give up any of my normal 5 days a week of lifting

The plan

So my plan was to:

Lift Monday-Friday
Do one long run on the weekend
Take a rest day each week
Maintain metrics

I try to run most weekends whether I have a race or not. It keeps up my lung capacity and helps my asthma. It has its purpose but I don’t love running; I love lifting. The change I experience from lifting is more tangible. I can see it, feel it.

I wrote up my own running plan to taper up a mile every few weeks before the race, topping out at 12 miles. Unfortunately, I got sick and wasn’t able to run for the 3 weeks before the race. I saved what energy I did have for lifting. It took priority.

Liss running in Memphis

The results

I did a pretty good job of maintaining my metrics. I stayed within a half inch. I tried to make sure to save extra calories for the day of the run and the day after to help with hunger. I kept up with my weekday lifting schedule, although some days there just was not much gas in the tank.

I didn’t have a personal best time for the race but it was not my slowest half either! I finished the half marathon in 2:05 which was a pleasant surprise. John has always said that a strong muscle is a fast muscle. Lifting does pay off for running!

The best part of the race was the course. It was amazing! We ran by the Mississippi River, down Beale Street, and through the St. Jude campus where millions of children have been and will continue to be cared for. I will never forget it.

In the corral before the race started

The memories

Though Jenny and I have hung out many times together as we have become close friends, our families had never met. Our kids and husbands became fast friends. We hit all the sites and spent our down time learning how to finger knit along with the kids. We even went to an NBA game. Everyone had a blast!

Liss and her husband at the Grizzlies game

It was an amazing trip! I am so thankful for the friends I have found through Venus and I look forward to more trips in the future.

Liss and Jenny at the Wolf River

X- Liss

Filed Under: cardio, Exercise, Meetups, Uncategorized, Weight training Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, bodyfat, cardio, goal setting, half marathon, running, weight training

Learn to eat like an adult; Uncensored Podcast

December 10, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

John and Brad talk about the whole mind and body approach to diet and fitness.

How do we learn to eat like an adult?

What is the whole mind and body approach to diet and fitness?

Why is taking responsibility for your own body so important?

What makes the body and mind a two way street?

What happens when your body and mind grow at different rates?

How do you balance this all throughout your journey?

How does consistency fit in?

How does being a grown up and being responsible relate to our body shape?

What does eat like a grown up mean?

What can make the diet process unsustainable?

How does an all or nothing mentality come into play?

How does this effect our identity?

How can we get back on track?

How does the exercise part fit in to the whole process?

What does “less is better” mean in the fitness process?

How can we make all of the processes here keep us going towards our goals?

What is usually the easy part?

How do we deal with delayed feedback?

When do other people’s opinions count?

How do you make this process fit into your life?

What makes this process a whole system approach?

What can you do to make this a personal challenge?

Listen to what John and Brad have to say about this topic:

IMMERSION Clients May Login and Download Podcast Here

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

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

Filed Under: Uncensored Podcasts S03 Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, brad pilon, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, Venus index Transformation, weight training, working out for shape

A new Venus Kool Kat; Meet Katharina

November 14, 2014 by Roberta Saum Leave a Comment

Kat went from a size 14 to a size 6 and has lost more than 36lbs since April.

Different things work for different people

She goes by Kat and she is one of our newest successful Venus stories. Kat and I met behind the scenes within the Venus online community and in our Venus Live Internet Chat tool. We quickly hit it off and became friends on FaceBook. Like many of our Venus customers Kat didn’t feel like she had time for an online community.

She joined our transformation contest and quickly felt like she was pushing too hard and that it was not sustainable. For some people it’s good choice to focus on a sustainable process instead of a contest. Although both the online community and the contest are good tools for motivation; they are not required for success.

As most of us learn; we are all different and yet the same. We all have to experiment a bit to find what works for us. The one thing that is the same is that if we became over weight it was because of too much food. Finding the right energy balance for fat loss for each individual is unique. So is finding the right foods.

Kat and I share a love for organic foods so she
brought me gifts from her garden.

The Venus tools are what gave Kat a new life

Venus helped Kat realize that she had too many good food and bad food restrictions. The tools helped her learn that her all organic food was simply too much food for her. Once she found the correct energy balance for her own needs everything clicked.

It’s been fun for me getting to know Kat because she lives in my old stomping grounds where I graduated from high school. She also learned to love a style of organic eating that I also followed. We both learned many of the same lessons about food. She goes hiking along the beaches of Northern California where I grew up. Her husband owns a business in the town where I once owned a house. We share a lot in common.

Kat loves to lift weights and exercise. She came to visit me a few days ago and we shared a workout with my coach Miles Cortez. We had all had a blast. Kat took Miles and I out to coffee after our workout. We all spent hours talking about how much we all love the persistent lifestyle of eating within our means and exercising for our health. We all share a passion for the lifestyle. It was a beautiful day.

Kat said one of the biggest keys to her success was the immersion program. She absolutely loved the uncensored podcasts. There are times she felt like reverting back to old habits and eating more food than she needs. The podcasts helped her get past all that. She listened to one after another. She said they were a lifesaver for her.

Kat’s world changed when she came across Venus Index.

Kat’s world changed when she came across the Venus Factor.

Here’s what Kat wrote to me in her own words:

Hi Roberta,

I first came to the US in 1995 as an exchange student. I stayed for a year and went back to Germany to finish my high school. The day after I got my German High school diploma I was on a plane back to the US to try my luck into getting to live here.

In April 2000 I met my husband trying to sell his business a website template. Never sold a single one, but we started dating and got married in 2003.

My husband owns Jake’s Performance Hobbies in Rohnert Park, a local hobby shop, selling radio controlled cars, airplanes, etc.

Once a week I do the bookkeeping for him, the other time I am a stay at home mom.

I come from Karlsruhe in Germany. It is South West on the Rhein river close to the Black Forest.

I like about America that I can do whatever I want and no one minds 🙂 I like how open and friendly Americans are (in comparison to Germans). I dont do well with people telling me what to do or how to do things 😉 Americans are also less judgmental and easy going. It really fits my mentality a lot better.

I went to a holistic nutrition school to become a Nutrition Educator, then I got my certificate as a Nutrition Consultants from the American Association of Nutrition Consultants, an online course.

Venus not only helped me, but saved my life. It freed me from labeling my foods as bad and good and therefore labeling myself as being bad or good depending on what I was eating. It freed me from yo-yo dieting and let me enjoy life and my body and finally love myself.

I do love Venus as a lifestyle. My motto is progress and not perfection! I love that Venus has given me all the tools to be in the shape I always wanted to be and better. It talks about so many aspects that are vital to successful weight loss that other programs don’t even touch upon.

I want to jump up and down and give everyone at Venus a big hug, especially John, Brad and you! You have no idea how much you have changed my life and the freedom you have given me! I am soaring right now. I am so happy and grateful! I will continue with the Venus principles for the rest of my life. I cant imagine anything better.

I will send you some pictures later….

Love,

Kat

This month Kat was featured in a newsletter success story

Kat is one tough chick for sure!

Kat’s been following what I’m doing on FaceBook so when we were setting up a time to visit she made it very clear that she wanted a workout with me and Miles. One thing both Miles and I noticed was that Kat loves to work hard! We had so much fun working out at the gym. Like the Anytime fitness author said “This tough chick deserves a big high five the next time you see her!” We did a lot of high fives at the gym during our workout.

Here is Kat, Miles, and me; Kat like to work hard
and we all did lots of high fives at the gym!

Like Kat, Venus has changed my life for good. It is the very reason I’m living my dream today. Coach Miles has helped me take that farther and even get a trophy recently, but that’s all a story for another time. Today is all about Kat. Miles is a coach that found freedom from food restrictions with Eat Stop Eat and we all share a common bond and a common lifestyle. It’s awesome to find other coaches embracing the truth about food and willing to leave old school myths behind. It is pretty exciting and we are all thankful to Brad Pilon and John Barban.

Here’s a little video of us having a blast at the gym:

I hope you enjoyed Kat’s success story as much as I have.

Have a great weekend, full of opportunity to make great choices!

-Coach Roberta

You can find me in our online Venus Community

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Filed Under: Exercise, fat loss, Meetups, transformation, Uncategorized, Weight training Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, Bobbie Carper, brad pilon, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, transformation, Venus Index, weight loss, weight training, working out for shape

How does a young mom lose the “baby fat”?; She joined a Venus Transformation Contest!

September 8, 2014 by Roberta Saum 1 Comment

“I can now say that at the age of 32, and as a mom of a 4 year old and a 9 month old, I look the best I’ve ever looked.”

Diana came in sixth place in our Venus Transformation contest VT10

Diana’s own words regarding the Venus Factor:

The Venus Factor…Wow what a program. I have always been pretty lucky to have a high metabolism. I’ve always been thin and for the most part pretty happy with the “average” way I looked. I’ve never ever liked to work out. I hate cardio and since I don’t tend to gain weight I have never counted calories. I’m a terrible snacker.

I do however worry about health and try to cook wholesome meals for my family. I love all vegetables, I’m not a soft drink addict, I buy organic and so on. My excuse for not working out for the past 5 years has been “what’s the point if I’m just going to gain a bunch of weight back and undo all my hard work by getting pregnant again.”

Well I am done having babies so…bye bye excuse. Back in January I decided it may be time to start getting fit. I contacted my friend Liss Graham because I had seen a transformation in her. I asked if she had any good abdominal exercises she would recommend.

I look back now and think wow did I ask the right person the right question at just the right time or what!! Really it’s more like God’s perfect timing as always and he put Liss into my life all those years ago for a reason.

She tells me she’s been following the Venus Factor and they actually have a contest starting that week and I had till Sunday to sign up! This couldn’t have been more meant to be, it’s not like Venus hosts contests every other week you know.

I watched the intro video and thought “why not.” Let me tell you it’s been a perfect fit for my life! SIMPLY PERFECT. It really is simple but not necessarily easy…that’s my favorite quote from Venus. I didn’t want something that was too easy. I wouldn’t feel accomplished if I didn’t have to work a little for it. I also didn’t want something that was too tough because then I’d just give up.

We have a way of getting into our own heads and putting ourselves down don’t we? The meal plans are fantastic, the recipes are great and they take the guess work out of it. My family has even enjoyed the dinner suggestions. I have become so much more educated on calories, fat burning, protein, and so on.

My eyes have been opened and the veil has been lifted. It all makes sense now! Venus has given me the tools to succeed. And not just the tools, but the motivation and the right educational information as well.

Remember I said I’ve always been thin, well thin doesn’t always mean fit or healthy. I never realized how many calories I was consuming, it was astonishing! I love working out now!!! I’ve never said that before!

Venus has changed the way I look at the gym. I used to feel that if I didn’t do cardio then I was wasting my time. I think a lot of people are lead to believe that. You will never get me in a spin class that’s for sure, but I love lifting weights.

This program is so convenient. I take my phone to the gym, turn on my music, flip over to my workout plan and BAM, I’m on my way to a better me. The videos are perfect, short, and straight to the point.

I could not believe the change and results just after the first week!! I lost 1.75 inches in my waist. Wow if that isn’t motivation to keep going what is. This is the most fit I’ve ever been. I actually miss going to the gym when I have days I can’t go.

I love being in control of my food options and truly enjoy my Eat Up days. I sleep better, have more energy, and feel so much more alive. I wish I could say my clothes fit better but my pants are all way too big now 😉 haha, can we say shopping spree!

My sisters now say I’m their inspiration, 12 weeks ago that would have been a joke. Let me also mention I gained 50 lbs with both my pregnancies! I can now say that at the age of 32, and as a mom of a 4 year old and a 9 month old, I look the best I’ve ever looked.

I’m the best me I’ve ever been and this is just the beginning. Sure I wasn’t bad before, but like Venus says, why settle for average? I have settled way too long. I can now be proud of the way I look because I did this, I worked hard for this and I’m so incredibly happy I did. There’s no stopping me now.

Thank you Venus Factor. What a blessing you have been!

Questions and Answers with our Venus winner Diana

How did you find the Venus Factor?

After gaining 50lbs during my last pregnancy I decided once my son turned 6 months old and the new year rolled around it was time to get serious about getting fit. I asked a good friend of mine what she had been doing because I noticed she had lost weight and looked amazing. She introduced me to the Venus Factor. Thank goodness she did!

What aspect of the program was most beneficial to you?

The workouts. They are simple, and I like that they only take about 45 minutes. I also love that I don’t have to go to the gym 7 days a week in order to get fit. Working out 3 days is perfect!

Did you like the Venus workout?

Yes, love them! I’ve never liked working out….until now! They really are simple but not necessarily easy. I have found my niche! My friends still can’t believe I love working and laugh when I say that I do because they have always known how much I hated it and how lazy I was about it. They can’t stop telling me how good I look.

Which workout(s) did you use?

I used them all and followed the workout plan.

What kept you motivated?

The contest! When I subscribed to the Venus Factor I decided to enter the contest as well. It really helped hold me accountable! Also my coach Liss was a great accountability partner and she kept me very motivated with her encouraging words and suggestions!

Do you have a particular style of eating?

I eat clean, lots of organic fruits and veggies.

Did you use any supplements?

I drink a protein shake after working out.

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

No, my coach was enough.

Did you find support with friends and family?

Yes my family has been very supportive and excited for me! My friends are full of compliments!

What was the hardest obstacle to conquer?

I love eating snacks on the couch at night while watching tv. I had to cut back on that some and learn how to use my calories wisely during the day so I could have calories left over for my nightly snacks. My snacks make me very happy and I’m glad I didn’t have to get rid of them with the Venus Factor.

How did you feel about your final pictures?

I couldn’t believe it. I am so incredibly proud of myself (I don’t say that often) I looked like the pinterest girls. I could print out my own picture now and put it on my fridge for motivation haha. That’s a good feeling!

Is this a lifestyle you will continue?

Yes of course! I already have! I’ve never been happier with the way I look or felt better in my life!

What is your best advice for other Venuses?

Just get out there and do it, it’s worth a shot! You have nothing to lose. Stop with the excuses. You owe it to yourself, love yourself!

VT11 12-Week Transformation Winners Announced

August 18, 2014 by Roberta Saum 2 Comments

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

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

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

Here are the winners:

First Place – Leann

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

Second Place – Malissa

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

Third Place – Tiffany

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

Fourth Place – Joan

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

Fifth Place – Tabitha

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

Sixth Place – Lorie

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

Seventh Place – Johanna

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

Eighth Place – Arionna

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

Ninth Place – Loretta

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

Tenth Place – Sue

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

Cover Model Category – Julie

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

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

Filed Under: Contest, transformation, Uncategorized Tagged With: Anything Goes Diet, becoming a venus, body composition, bodyfat, brad pilon, diet for weight loss, Eat Stop Eat, goal setting, john barban, The Venus Factor, transformation contest, Venus Index, venus index contest, weight training, 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.