Are You a Venus Endurance Athlete?

Are you in this for the long haul?

Are you in this for the long haul?

Are You a Venus Endurance Athlete?

This past week has been one of remembering to be thankful. You must think about what it is for which you are grateful, and give thanks for it. That’s the interesting thing about giving thanks – it is very much an intentional act. It’s a lot like being a Venus. When we become a Venus, we have to go about it with a fair amount of intention. We choose to make changes.

I thought a bit about all these changes I’ve been making. Eating differently, exercising differently, thinking differently…it’s a lot of “differentlys” in a relatively short period of time. That can be something of a stressor, both physically and mentally.

I have had great success with Venus thus far – but my fat loss is the “long haul” sort. At the start of my Venus journey, my total weight loss goal put me at 105 pounds to lose. The 25.5 lbs I’ve lost with Venus so far is great! But I have 79.5 more pounds to go. It’s just a process, after all, but the REALITY is, it’s going to take me awhile.

It’s not going to happen in 12 weeks like it will for some ladies. Or 24 weeks or 36 or maybe even 48 or longer…I am having to mentally prepare myself for a journey that is going to require I have my head in the game for a bit before I’ve lost my optimal amount of fat. This isn’t a bad thing. Or a good thing, for that matter. It’s just what it is.

As usual, it got me thinking in comparisons. And I compare this journey to being an endurance athlete. Because like an endurance athlete, to DO this, we all have to be self-motivated, we have to be able to see the Big Picture, we need a team (family, friends, the Venus community), and we have to endure with a little panache.

Endurance athletes share other things in common with the ladies of Venus who are “In it to Win it!”

 

  • You focus on cumulative gains: Just like endurance athletes can’t complete a marathon in one day, neither can you lose all your fat in one fell swoop. You do it little by little, weights and measures. Week by week you follow the plan and you trust the process. As Coach Liss has said on Venus, JOT, or Just One Thing…you just do one thing at a time, day by day.

 

  • It’s you against yourself: You’re not doing this “against” anybody else. Your results are yours. And no one else’s. We are our worst enemy; once we figure that out, we face our own fears, our own constraints, our own worries. We face them and we conquer them, and that’s how we win. As Coach Roberta likes to say, celebrate each victory, every time!

 

  • You push your limits: It’s known that the reason endurance athletics is so hard is that it forces you to push yourself. Honestly, though, following an eating protocol and exercise program is the easy part. The hard part is the mindset it takes to make it to the end. Pushing your mental limits is where the real magic happens.

 

  • You help others: This isn’t totally necessary, I mean, you can succeed anyway without helping anyone along the way. But on Venus, we see again and again that those who reach out to others, over the long haul, just do better with their on weight loss and maintenance. You give tips or you share recipes. You encourage and support.

 

  • The more you sweat in training, the easier it is to race: I liken this to fat loss phase versus maintenance phase. If you put in the hard, grunty work to understand how to lose fat and build muscle during fat loss phase, when it is time to maintain, you will win that “race” because maintenance is for the rest of your life. Train yourself. And you’ll know how to race.

 

  • You will finish: And this is really it. You never quit. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, how often you stumble, how many times you have to buy new jeans, you will finish. This is yours and yours alone to finish. No one can do it for you.

 

So, are you a Venus Endurance Athlete?

– Anea

Keeping your Motivation Up

 

Jenny venus top small

Coach Jenny knows what it takes to win a Venus Contest.

As we start out this latest Venus Contest- VT12, expectation and motivation run high. It is so exciting to think of the possible change you can drive in 12 short weeks with consistency and hard work!

For some the newness will wear down after a few weeks; challenges will inevitably present themselves and motivation will wane. What you will be left with is a choice to continue on with the commitment you made or to throw in the towel. Many will choose the latter. Do not be one of them.  You can do this!
Here are some practical tips to keep up your motivation-

1) Refocus and reflect

I like to look over how I did the day before and plan out the day ahead for both calories and workouts. I then take my daily goals and turn them into weekly goals. Those become a weekly journal where I can reflect on what went good or bad.  It is from this weekly feedback that we learn what works.

 

Roberta-alone-at-gym

Coach Roberta’s main motivation is her workouts. The workouts help her keep her eye on the prize and make healthy choices with food.

2) Try a new tool

There are many to choose from, and how well they work for you will change with the seasons. Being open to trying new things and to changing something that is not working for you is important on a fitness journey. Experiment with the time of day you work out, try adding a day of cardio, change up the number of meals a day, or give fasting a try.

3) Find others who have walked the same path and succeeded

I find listening to Venus Index podcasts each day both inspires and motivates me.  They keep me focused and I always come away with at least one helpful idea.

 

The Venus Index community is brimming full of women who are previous contest winners and those who are on their maintenance journey.   It is so easy to reach out and get more personal via PM’s, texts, or email. The accountability is often very helpful when you are struggling.

 

We now have Venus Premier Coaching available for those who want it. A Venus coach will tell you exactly what to do and keep you accountable with regular check points.

Coach Lita is in tip top shape and knows how to get her clients there too

Coach Lita is in tip top shape and knows how to get her clients there too.

4) Start a streak

Get yourself a calendar and reward each forward day with a sticker. Log continuously on My Fitness Pal. Creating a streak can be motivating! They also tend to develop into habits which take up less mental space.

5) Spend money

Where your money goes often reveals your priorities. It should be enough to make you feel the need to use it so make the amount appropriate to your income. Some ideas would be to purchase home gym equipment, workout clothing/shoes, or advanced programming like Immersion or Venus Premier Coaching.

 

Hiring a photographer is another great motivating tool for your contest photos. What better reward than professional documentation of being in the best shape of your life!

Liss teal workout outfit

On scene at my last shoot, photographers and timelines are motivating for me.

Try incorporating a few of these methods into your contest or contest shadowing. This is a choice you are making, so commit to honor that as best you can. Forgive yourself when you mess up, learn from it, and power on. We call that stumbling forward in Venus land. Best wishes for VT12!

 

X- Liss

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