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Learn How To Cook For Better Success With Weight Loss

March 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Kimberley is an awesome cook. Here she has prepared a special yet simple low calorie meal that was absolutely delicious.

Kimberley is an awesome cook. Here she has prepared a special yet simple low calorie meal that was absolutely delicious.

I’ve been preparing my own food since high school

This is Roberta up first and I’m writing this with Kimberley; I’ve been preparing my own food since high school.  It’s just what I do.  I packed my food during my long career at Hewlett Packard, while working a stressful job, driving long commutes, finishing school, continuing to workout, and raising kids.

One thing I did not have a clue about was calories which is why I gained weight slowly over the years.  I know I’m aging myself here but they did not have awesome calorie counting tools back in that day, let alone computers and the internet.

When you learn to prepare your own food you learn what spices you like and what combinations of foods you like.  You learn that with the same basic staples you can create something simple every day and keep things interesting with spices.

I like to fill up with low calorie high volume foods like vegetables and fruits

People ask me why I eat so many vegetables, doesn’t it bother my stomach?

Or, if calories are all that matter why do I eat so healthy?

I like to fill up with low calorie high volume fruits and vegetables because it makes me feel good.  I pick vegetables that don’t bother my stomach.  Sometimes I just want to feel full.  High volume low calorie is the only way I can do it and stay within budget.

With such a small calorie budget I have to make the calories count. In order to feel good and perform well I need nutrient rich foods.

Learning to listen to your body is key on this journey.  Home prepared foods made with simple ingredients make me feel better.  One ingredient foods like fruits, vegetables, meat, chicken, or fish in various combinations along with different spices are best for me.

I eat a big salad nearly every day, and usually a fruit salad if my calorie budget allows it.

I didn’t eat fruit so much in my weight loss phase when I lost 60 pounds. This was because I am small and it was harder to fit it into my small calorie budget.  Like everyone else there is always a tradeoff on ingredients;  Do I have a higher calorie protein OR avocado, or a lower calorie protein AND the avocado?

I still have to consider the tradeoff while maintaining but I had to give up more when I had a lot of fat to lose.  In the weight loss phase if I planned well I might have been able to fit one serving of fruit or one serving of grain each day, sometimes both.

Spice it up

I never buy salad dressing and have found it’s super easy to make my own low calorie versions without all the strange ingredients.  I just look at the bottle and see what real ingredients are used and make my own version, usually without the oil.  I’ve experimented with spices and various ingredients and on occasion it might not turn out so well but that is how I learned.

Sometimes just fresh squeezed lemon or vinegar, water, and some spices are all that’s needed.  Sometimes water, a splash of tomato soup, and some horseradish hits the spot for a dressing, especially if seafood is on the menu.

Spice rubs for meat and vegetables are also a low calorie way of adding a lot of flavor.  You can get pre-made mixes from the supermarket and feel like you are eating in a different country every day.

The key is finding a variety of things you like so you can change it up when you get bored.

When you prepare your own food you have better control of your calories

The biggest benefit in preparing your own food when trying to lose weight is better control of what you eat.

Another benefit is making sure your less calories really count so they fuel your body both resting and working hard.

A friend recently told me about someone they knew who could prepare his own food for a fitness contest, a sort of boring contest diet of something like plain chicken and broccoli, but didn’t know how to eat when “off season” so sort of floundered with staying at a good maintenance weight.

First of all I refuse to eat a boring diet.  Spice and fun food combinations are what make my diet fun.  By cooking for myself all these years I have found what I like.

When it comes to my diet, for either maintaining or weight loss, I don’t really plan much except to purchase a variety of lower calorie foods, good protein sources, and only a small amount calorie dense foods (just enough to add richness and satisfaction). Then I eat whatever I feel like for the day, keeping in mind what I had during the last meal regarding carbohydrates or protein.

I eat just enough carbohydrates and protein to give me enough energy, and the fats just fall into place.  Others might want to focus on protein, fat, vegetables and fruits and let carbohydrates fall into place.  The key is to find what is sustainable for you.

It does not have to be perfect.  I don’t drive myself crazy worrying about macro levels.  I keep it simple.  By being aware of what I’m eating while making choices throughout the day it falls in place as fairly balanced and within my calorie budget.

Blissfully ignorant – the real science of food

Most of us can resist a food that is sweet, salty or fatty but combine the three in the right amounts and you find you have very little willpower to resist.  This magic formula is called the ‘bliss point‘ by food scientists.

Food manufacturers and restaurant chains are well aware of the bliss point of foods and deliberately design their products to give the broadest range of the population the greatest pleasure.

Foods based on bliss point act as drugs that stimulate feel good chemicals in your brain like dopamine.  It encourages us to keep eating, and it encourages to be addicted to certain foods.

If you have ever wondered why you cannot put down the peanut butter and are compelled to keep eating, it is because of the feel good factor we have from being in bliss.  This does not mean you should avoid peanut butter, packaged foods and restaurants, it is just a gentle reminder to be aware of what you are eating, and when you are focused on weight loss a better strategy will be to limit these blissful foods.

The perils of eating out

Most of us eat out frequently with an average American adult having over 1/3 of their meals away from home.  Eating out is quick, it is easy and it is mostly enjoyable.  However women that eat out regularly eat about 300 calories per day more than their home cooking peers.  That can add up to a lot of extra poundage over the course of a year.

Packaged food from the supermarket all come with calorie and nutrition data.  This should help with guesstimating calories.  However, often the weight of the serving size is significantly lower than the actual product.  I just recently I decided to weigh a box of 60 gram protein bars.  The 12 bars ranged in weight from 62 grams to 72 grams.  That means I could be eating 20% more calories that I expected.

Recently many chain restaurants have started to provide calorie data.  However spot checks have shown that while some restaurants are reasonably accurate, some are underestimating the calories by up to 60%.

This does not mean you should not keep enjoying a lovely meal at a restaurant.  Instead you may choose to do it less often and when you do, be aware that it may very well be more calories than you think.

Recipes are a great place to start

Using simple recipes is a great place to start.  I rarely use recipes anymore but Kimberley and some of the other ladies in the Venus Community have a beautiful collection of recipes and they love to share them with us.

Here are some very simple recipes.  Cooking at home does not have to be difficult, and making larger batch sizes for reheating can provide for multiple meals.

Kimmits’ Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

12 large prawns / shrimp

1/2 cup shredded Chinese cabbage (wombok)

1/2 cup beansprouts

1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced

1 small cucumber thinly sliced

1/3 cup fresh mint leaves

1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves

1 lime juiced

1 TBSP fish sauce

12 rice paper wrappers

Step 1: Combine beansprouts, cabbage, lime juice and fish sauce

Step 2: Place 1 rice paper wrapper in warm water for 20 seconds (until soft).  Place on clean tea towel to drain.

Step 3: Arrange 1.5 TBSP of beansprout mix, 2 slices of cucumber and bell pepper, herbs and 1 prawn in the middle of the wrapper.  fold in ends and roll to enclose filling.  Repeat with other 11 wrappers.

Serve with sweet chilli sauce.  Serves 4 as a starter or lunch.

Liss’s slow cooked Tex Mex chicken

2.2lb / 1kg of chicken breast fillet

1 large jar of your favorite spicy salsa

1 diced onion

2 diced green bell peppers

Optional: 1 tsp of cumin and smoked paprika / chipotle

Step 1: Place all ingredients in a crock pot on low

Step 2: Cook for up to 12 hours until chicken is ready to be pulled apart

Serves 6 and makes great reheated left overs for the rest of the week.  This can be served in tacos or tortillas or with a kidney bean and corn salad or even over lettuce.

Kimmits’ 5 minute berries with butterscotch custard

1 cup of low fat / 2% milk

1.5 TBSP Mr Bird’s custard powder

1 TBSP of Truvia

1 TBSP Joseph’s SF maple syrup

8 drops of butterscotch Stevia

Mixed berries to serve

Step 1: Prepare custard according to directions on packet

Step 2; Arrange berries in the bottom of a bowl and pour hot custard on top.

Serves 2.

Cooking for your family and with your family is beneficial to all

I love cooking for my husband.  I like it even better when I can get him involved in helping me cook.  When I have family members and friends over I love to get anyone who is willing involved with helping prepare the meal.

I love cooking for Randy. Here I am preparing him an omelet for a TV documentary.

I love cooking for Randy. Here I am preparing him an omelet in a TV documentary.

I really do enjoy cooking for Randy although I will admit there were days when I was fasting that it was too hard to cook for him.  For the most part I’ve found that my willpower is stronger in the morning before I’ve taken on the stress of the day.

However many of us do not have the option of not cooking for our family so it may be helpful to think about aligning your food and fasting with family meals.  For example if dinner time is important and you typically have low willpower at this time, then fast dinner to dinner.

Learning to cook with lower calorie substitutes may also be useful.  For example a steak, broccoli and sweet potato dinner may be 450 calories, whereas the same volume of chicken, roasted pumpkin and french beans may be 320 calories.

I think most of the moms in the Venus Index Community understand the importance of teaching their kids about food and learning to have healthy eating habits for life.

By cooking for and eating with your family you are role modelling your new habits and behaviors.  You are teaching them how to make good food choices.

Happy cooking!

Kimberley

Ro

 

Filed Under: calories, fat loss, Food, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Poison Persuasion

March 22, 2013 by 6 Comments

Most of us are familiar with the kind of substances that are dangerous to ingest.  As a mother I kept all those cleaning supplies locked in the cabinet away from little fingers.  We wouldn’t dream of rubbing some cleaning chemicals on our face or pouring floor cleaner into our coffee.

No way!   Why would we keep something in our bodies that could harm us or hold us back?  This may sound ridiculous, yet when it comes to what we will put into our minds, or what we leave there unchallenged, we are all too comfortable with our poison.

Let me explain:

What do you really believe about what you can achieve?  When you face a failure do you think that you are worthless? Do you think that you are different from others and that you just can’t lose fat?  These are some examples of poison ideas that will hold you back.  In my opinion these false beliefs are just as harmful as some cleaner in your morning coffee.

Don’t get your hopes up

I would like to share a poison belief that almost kept me from ever trying out Venus Index.  When I first heard about the program from Brad Pilon’s blog, I felt it wasn’t for someone like me. I’d been overweight since I was 7 years old.   I have struggled with extra weight for so many years and was desperate at the time to even lose 30 pounds.  I didn’t think I had any hope of working toward a goal of ideal measurements.

I was almost 300 pounds at the time and felt hopeless.  I had tried over and over with so many complicated diets to lose weight.  I was starting to think  I should just accept being the fat girl. Honestly, it was probably just easier for me to see the weight as unmovable than to realize that I had gotten myself into that mess.  I needed to face the reality of my own responsibility to take care of my body.

In spite of the negative thinking I kept listening to the PhiLife and Venus podcasts with John Barban and Brad Pilon.  I was so impressed with what they said and believed they knew their stuff. What did I have to lose, besides a lot of extra weight?  I finally decided that I would never know unless I put it to the test. To begin with I bought The Anything Goes Diet and started following it.

Once I lost about 20 pounds I bought Venus Index.  Then I nervously went into the community to lurk around.  Once I saw how wonderful the women in the community were I jumped on in and found the support I needed.  I kept on losing weight.  The support of like- minded people is so important in keeping a positive mindset and clearing away false or negative ideas that can drain your motivation.

Speaking the truth

It is possible that you don’t think you have any poison beliefs floating around in your thoughts. It is tough to spot them since we are so comfortable with what has become so familiar.  Have you ever thought that you just can’t do what someone else has done?  Maybe you think you are too busy to work on a fitness goal, have a messed up metabolism, have bad genetics, or just don’t have the willpower.   Take a closer look.  Sometimes our behavior says much more about what we truly believe than what we say.

If you really believe something is true it will show up in your actions.  Sometimes those negative thoughts spill out when we view ourselves in a full length mirror, when we are uncomfortable receiving a compliment, or in what we say to ourselves when we mess up.

If I have a day when my thoughts tell me that I can’t change or that I can never look like that sexy girl at the gym, then it’s time for me to talk back.  I can ask if that is really true.  It’s not.

It’s not easy to think of myself in new ways.  That is a big reason I have loved the Venus podcasts.  The Adonis and the Venus podcasts helped me to turn my defeated thoughts into determination and fight  for my weight loss goals.  Now they help me to keep my mindset positive and powerful so I can keep going strong as I continue on the journey.  I had so many old diet rules and mainstream fitness ideas that had gotten me nowhere.

I like to use the podcasts, and the other Venus resources to keep my thinking clear of all those distractions.  If the old familiar diet myths didn’t work for all those years I certainly don’t want to fall back on them.  I have found some books to be very helpful but I am very selective.  I make sure that what I read won’t pull me away from what I know works for me.  I have gone back to read The Anything  Goes Diet more than once.  It’s been the guidebook  for turning my years of weight loss mistakes into steady steps forward to my goal.  I like to joke that I am AGD for life.

Remember the victories

When I run into setbacks or make big mistakes I’m tempted to fall into old thinking and habits.  I might wonder why I bother or do I have what it takes to succeed.  I may be tempted to go and try some crazy restrictive diet with all kinds of fancy rules.  It’s what I would have turned to in years past; a strict program with lots of food rules, excessive cardio workouts, or some special trick that will finally help me lose those stubborn pounds.

I know better than to go back to what was so punishing and useless.  This is the time I most need to remember my victories and the tried and true methods that I can count on.  I choose to take courage from the goals I’ve set and have achieved; the times my hard work paid off in progress. Each little victory along the way has made me stronger.

Victories feel wonderful, but to tell the truth failure has often been an more valuable teacher.  Failures can be a perfect opportunity to learn more about myself and what might help me to succeed in the future.  They show me my weak spots and are a great map for avoiding pitfalls.

If  used wisely those setbacks and mistakes will help me to succeed in the long run.  It’s a waste of energy to beat myself up for what I could or should have done.  I can choose to use that energy to focus on what have learned and what I want to do next.

You are not alone

No matter what the situation or challenge I find so much strength in support from others the same challenges.  It makes me feel stronger when I know that others have conquered the same challenge, felt similar emotions, or made some of the same mistakes I have.

The stories of other women who are transforming their bodies and learning new habits inspire me to keep working.  Their stories reassure me that I can indeed reach my own goal.  If someone else has walked the path before me it makes me even more determined that I can walk it too.

I can’t tell you how many times during my weight loss journey I have turned to the ladies at the Venus Index community and found just what I needed to push me forward.  It’s a wonderful thing when someone says just the right thing to encourage you, or gives you a dose of reality when needed.  I am stronger as part of this community… a part of team Venus.

We are in the journey together and it makes the process much more fun.  Yes, the challenge of losing weight becomes fun with a little help from some friends. Even if you aren’t part of the Venus community I challenge you to find the support you need wherever you can.  It’s priceless.

Going, going, but not gone

I’ve lost more than 100 pounds from my highest weight of 320, but I still find myself thinking like the woman I used to be.  I am still learning to master my mindset.  I want to learn to think in ways that charge up my motivation and push me to overcome obstacles.  I am making progress. I will use the tools I just wrote about.  Where there are lies I will talk back with the truth.  When there are failures I will remember the victories.

If I feel alone in a challenge I’ll seek out a little help from some friends. I have come so far from the woman who almost would not try Venus Index because she didn’t want to get her hopes up only to fail again.  I am so glad I took that chance on the program, but ultimately on myself.  What did I have to lose?  What do you have to lose?

 

Filed Under: change, fat loss, Phi Life, Podcast, psychology, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

What Are Weight Gain And Muscle Gain Escalators?

March 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Here’s the next episode of the UNCENSORED Podcasts Season 2.

Today’s topic:  Weight gain and muscle gain escalators

Muscle gain and fat loss are two separate concepts

Muscle gain and fat loss are two separate concepts

In order to get to your ideal golden ratio and stay there you have two things you must do:

1. Build muscle mass which gives you you’re golden shape

2. Reduce bodfyat to a level to show your muscle and shape

This requires two kinds of effort that should be viewed as separate things.

Muscle Building Effort

Building muscle is an obvious effort that requires you to move your body. It’s something that builds momentum and you can see it and feel it in the gym and every time you workout.

In order to push past your genetic set point of muscle you must follow a well designed workout program consistently. Even when you’ve achieved an impressive amount of muscle you must continue to workout to avoid losing that muscle.

Fat Loss Effort

Losing body fat requires a different kind of effort. It’s not a physical effort you put in the gym, it doesn’t require hours of cardio. The real effort that you must exert to burn fat is self control over your diet and eating habits. This is a daily effort that seems to start as soon as you wake up and doesn’t stop until you fall asleep each day. Most people who have successfully cut body fat and got in great shape will attest that dieting to burn fat is a much greater effort than working out to build muscle.

These two styles of effort should be viewed as separate things.

In today’s podcast we will use an analogy of the weight gain and fat gain escalators to explain how you should be viewing the process of gaining muscle and losing fat.

You’ll learn how getting to the muscle size and body fat levels you desire is one thing, and how staying there is another.

John

 

IMMERSION Clients May Login and Download Podcast Here

Not a Venus Index IMMERSION client? Click here to find out more… and hear a weird story too

Filed Under: Bodyfat, cardio, Exercise, fat loss, Uncategorized, Weight training Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Preparing For Your Contest Photo Shoot – Part 3: The Final Week

March 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The deadline for the 7th Venus Index Transformation Contest on April 15th is quickly approaching.  This article is part of a 3 part series to help gear you up with ideas on how to make your photo shoot fun and successful.  We covered posing practice in part 1 and Photography and lighting in part 2.  Today let’s wrap things up and talk about the final week.

Bikini and shoes

I’m told by more experienced Venus girls and models, although not required for our contests, that a solid colored bikini and neutral colored 5″ competition style heels are the best because they don’t distract from your overall look and shape;  This is exactly what one of our recent contest winners Deanne Hernandez used.

Deanne used a solid color bikini and neutral colored competition style heels. I think the overall effect on her is quite beautiful

Deanne used a solid color bikini and neutral colored competition style heels.

The bikinis in my pictures from part 1 and part 2:

  • My white bikini top is from Venus Swimwear.  I like this brand because they have “enhancer tops” which are necessary for those of us who may have lost most of our body fat in that area, or perhaps we are not otherwise genetically gifted or surgically enhanced in that area.  Victoria Secret makes some good enhancer products that go well with the Venus tops.
  • My white bikini bottom is from Berrydog company.  I’m fairly conservative so this was a difficult change for me (getting such a small bikini).  First of all only months prior to this photo session I’d bought my first bikini ever in over 30 years, let alone a Brazilian style bikini.  I’m sure less conservative girls would laugh at this difficulty as the Brazilian style is still relatively conservative by other standards.  It turns out if you want to show off your best shape smaller is the way to go.  The bigger the suit bottom the bigger your behind will look; it’s not fair but that’s how it is.
Five inch competition heels

Five inch competition heels

  • My shoes were from the brand Pleaser, but the shoes I got had a thin strap which kind of cut into my feet.  The shoes in the picture above are similar but the clear straps look more comfortable.

Once you’ve taken bikini pictures it’s fun to take some more sporty gym pictures as well.  Just remember you need the current days newspaper front page with each scene and for each outfit.

Tan, makeup, and other ideas

Tan

Having a tan definitely looks nice and shows off your shape.   You don’t want a tan as dark as fitness competitors.  Some people have fair skin and need a spray tan or lotion.  There are a variety of products you can apply yourself.  Try them out ahead of time with a camera.  I tend to tan easily and get fairly dark naturally so I get a base tan in the sun naturally (or a tanning booth once a week in the winter).  Then I use a VersiSpa spray tanning booth at the local tanning salon the evening prior to the photo session.  One important note for any spray tanning product is they work best if you exfoliate your skin first.

Makeup

I was lucky enough to have my friend and model Lauren Monday help me with my photo shoot.  She lined up the photographer and told me to prepare myself by practicing and bringing the pictures of the poses I wanted.  She also helped me with makeup of which I am a complete novice.  I learned from Lauren that you need to apply your makeup really thick and dark for the photos.  I couldn’t believe how thick it was!

Lauren did an awesome job helping me.  She held up the fitness model pictures and told me how to adjust my poses.  She helped me improvise when it wasn’t working right.  Many of the poses I ended up with were completely Lauren’s own imagination.  I can’t imagine having done as well without her help.  If you can, try to find someone who is used to being in front of a camera to help you.

Nails and eyebrows

I got my nails done and my eyebrows waxed for the first time ever.  The nails were kind of fun but I didn’t realize how much it hinders a tomboy like me.  I couldn’t take out my own contacts when I got home and I had to clip them off within days because of Sheriff training.  It turns out the training I needed to participate in was called “weaponless defense” and we were not supposed to have weapons, yet my nails qualified as a dangerous weapon!  Needless to say they were quickly trimmed and filed down to normal.

Teeth whitening

Some people make an appointment with the dentist to get their teeth whitened.  I just used the whitening strips you can purchase at the store a couple times during the photo prep week.

Hair

I also had my hair colored and styled the morning of the photo shoot.  I had a fill-in hairdresser and everything turned out different compared my normal style and it made me a little nervous.  I thought my hair was too “big” and it wasn’t the right color, but it seemed like everything turned out okay.  There wasn’t much I could do to change it so I had to go with it.  So I guess my only advice here is if you use a hairdresser it’s not the best day to try out someone new.

To water load or not?

To water load or not? Only you can decide.

To water load or not? Only you can decide.

I did both.

Water load

For the professional photo session I did a 3 day water load.  For my size at 5’1″ that meant about 2 gallons of water a day for 3 days prior to the photo session.  I typically drink about 1.5 gallons so this wasn’t such a big deal for me.  For me the hard part was the depletion day.  I only had sips of water and some coffee and constantly felt thirsty, but I was busy so that helped keep my mind distracted.

Muscle cramps

The other difficulty I experienced is that my muscles cramp and this makes posing more difficult than it already is.  If you look closely at my pool scene picture you will notice that 1) I’m not smiling so much, and 2) my right upper abdominal muscle is in the midst of a charlie horse session (which is why I was not smiling, it hurt!).  Even though I took my calcium and mineral supplement and my Electrolyte Mix this problem always occurs for me during a water deplete.  The problem is that I was dehydrated.  There could be health risks associated with this temporary procedure.  Only you can decide if you are willing to take the risk.

Diet

During this week you don’t need to do much different with diet except do not eat foods that make you bloat.  For me this meant I needed to eat gluten free carbohydrates.  Everyone is different.  You have to find what works for you.  By this point in your diet and fitness journey you are likely to know what makes you bloat.  During the water deplete I add in wheat crackers and that works okay for me.

Sodium and depletion workout

I didn’t add salt to my foods this week but I still ate foods that contained some natural sodium.  The day before the photo shoot I ate only protein and vegetables in the morning.  I fasted for 4 hours and hit the gym for a 45 minute “depletion workout” which was just a circuit and 30 minutes of cardio with only tiny sips of water.  I went home and added some fruit, crackers, and honey to my diet, along with protein and some vegetables.

In the morning I did another fasted depletion circuit and cardio. After the workout I snacked on fruit, almond butter, honey, and crackers the morning of the photo shoot.  I drank a Starbucks double shot espresso drink right before the photo session to help keep my energy up.

I did not do a water load or depletion workout for the 2nd photo shoot

For the next days photo shoot at home I was not water loaded nor depleted other than to not consume too much water or food until the photo’s were complete.  I did not do any depletion workouts the 2nd day.

Practice, practice, practice

If you do plan to try a water load you really should experiment at least once if not more to see how it goes for you, and of course if you have any medical concerns you should check with your doctor.  It’s not necessary to do a water load or deplete if you are uncomfortable with it in any way.

I did 3 practice photo shoot sessions at home the during the 6 weeks prior, once with no water load but one day of water depletion, once with one day of water load and one day of water depletion, and once with two days of water load load and one day of water depletion.

For the last two experiments I did the diet and depletion workouts I described above.

The visual results for me:

I took pictures during the experiments and it turns out the only real visual difference showed in my abs.  My arms, legs, and back all looked exactly the same whether I was full of water or not.

The visual results seemed the same for me no matter how many days of water load, but the real difference for me depended on how long I depleted.  I typically already have some ab definition but it took around 17 hours to see the deeper lines and then they rapidly turned to deep crevices after that.  The only reason I continued to do without much water after 17 hours was because taking pictures always took longer than I expected.

Because I learned from the experiments that it took so long to get the deep ab definition I had to stop drinking water around 5pm the day before the actual photo shoot which was scheduled for noon.  We were late getting started and had a lot of setup, Lauren helping with makeup, etc, so by the time many of the bikini shots were taken it was getting later in the afternoon.  It was pretty late in the day when we did the gym pictures which is why the lines in my abs were so deep.

The metric results for me:

The morning of the photo shoot with Donnie I weighed 118 lbs and I was pretty nervous about not losing the water in time.  By 5pm when we just finished the last photo I weighed 109lbs and my waist was finally right at VI ideal for that moment in time.

I didn’t take any measurements except when I weighed 109 lbs I took all my VI measurements for the contest chart.

The months of hard work and proper calories are still the most important factor

All of the processes for water loading, water depleting, carbohydrate depleting, carbohydrate loading, depletion workouts, etc are not necessary to have a successful photo shoot.  They will only have an effect if you are already fairly lean.  The level of leanness varies for each person.  Most of these processes are uncomfortable.  It’s important to experiment well in advance before the actual photo shoot in order to not ruin your special day.

The most important factor is still the healthy lifestyle you embraced all the months ahead of time;  The hard work and fat loss over time.  This alone plus posing practice and good photography will get you a superior photo shoot.

Kimberley’s five day water load experiment

Kimberley day 5 1pm

Kimberley did a 5 day water load experiment.  This is her on day five.

My friend Kimberley did a 5 day water load experiment.  You are welcome to check out her pictures and results.

Process and select your final photos

Going through the process of selecting photo’s takes quite a bit of time.  Make sure you allow at least a day before the deadline to get this done.  Once you narrow down the selection crop them and make them look nice.  I have found that cropping takes out the distractions and helps put the focus on you in the picture.

I’ve found it helpful to have others help choose the pictures. If I didn’t have help I would have discarded what ended up being one of John’s favorite pictures of me.

Resize them so they aren’t too big for the download process.  Once you are ready to submit them you can use the community forum and there is a tab labeled “contest” at the top right.

Don’t forget the newspaper!

The day of your photo shoot don’t forget the current days newspaper front page!

An unusual and highly structured week

If you choose to structure your diet for less bloating and do a water load this final week it will be a strange mix of days.  It will not resemble a normal week in your life.  It is highly structured and not sustainable for a long period.  Most people who complete the process are exhausted at the end and will not likely want to do it again.  It’s hard.  It’s something most people will only want to do once or twice a year, if that.

Of course you can always forgo all the hard work and discipline, put health and longevity aside, and rely on the beauty industries “Fotoshop“.  You know I am just kidding, right?  Be proud of the fact that you have improved your health and have embraced a difficult yet rewarding lifestyle and don’t need to rely on Photoshop to look fit and fabulous.

This wraps up this 3 part series.  It is my sincere hope that this helps.  I know many of you have been working hard toward your goals.  It’s not easy.  Everyone struggles and yet seems to keep moving forward at whatever pace they can handle.  That is all you can do.  I am looking forward to seeing the beautiful results.

Have an awesome week and keep up the great work!

-Ro

 

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Filed Under: change, Contest, transformation, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Preparing For Your Contest Photo Shoot – Part 2: Photography And Lighting

March 15, 2013 by 8 Comments

The deadline for the 7th Venus Index Transformation Contest on April 15th is quickly approaching.  This article is part of a 3 part series to help gear you up with ideas on how to make your photo shoot fun and successful.  We will cover posing practice, lighting, photography, scene setup, water load and deplete, bikini and shoe selection, tanning and other grooming ideas. In part 1 we talked about posing practice.  Today lets talk about photography and lighting.

Take pictures at home or hire a professional photographer?

You can take awesome pictures at home or hire a professional photographer.  I did both.  One advantage of using a professional is they have special lighting equipment, experience, a variety of backdrops and props, and usually more powerful camera equipment.  The professional who took my pictures used a couple of remote flashes around me which had an amazing effect.

There is no way I could have duplicated this exact effect at home without the special equipment.  I watched and learned and then I improvised with lights at home but we’ll get to that in a moment.

The photographer used remote flashes in this picture

The photographer used remote flashes in this picture

The photographer I used was not nearly as expensive as I thought, especially for the quality of service I received.  His name is Donnie Newton and he did an amazing job.  He clearly loves photography.  I would highly recommend him to anyone in California; A day with Donnie in Sacramento is well worth the drive.

Donnie used special colored filters in the gym, but the photographer can create the same effect later when processing the photo.

Donnie used special colored filters for these photos

Donnie used special colored filters for these photos

Lighting at home

I saw what Donnie did with lighting so I decided to take some pictures at home.  I used my husbands Nikon D300s digital camera on a tripod.  I tried putting lamps behind me but I couldn’t get the pictures to turn out.  They either wouldn’t focus or were completely washed out.  I did some research online and it turns out that light shining into the lens messes up the camera.

The remote flashes Donnie used were timed and adjusted by the equipment.  You can purchase special umbrellas and light boxes but I didn’t have that option if I wanted to get my pictures done that day.  So I improvised with my husbands construction lights, tar paper, and duct tape.  These items were handy since the room was under construction.

I improvised with construction lamps, tar paper, and duct tape

I improvised with construction lamps, tar paper, and duct tape

The construction lamps were hot and needed to be turned off in between sets.  I did not dare leave the room with those hot lamps on.

The tar paper funnels kept the light shining on me but did not interfere with the camera lens.

One thing I could have done to improve the picture quality was to bring the camera closer so that my image filled the screen.  I wasted valuable resolution by having my image so small and cropping so much off.  The picture with the lamps is actually cropped from the original.

Here is the cropped version of the picture

Here is the cropped version of the picture

Sometimes you get “surprise” pictures

One of the fun things about this photo is that it was just a test.  I was using the camera timer and was testing the camera setup and lighting before “posing”.  I had mentally “discarded” this picture.  When I had my friend Lisa help me narrow down the pictures to select for the mandatory front picture she said she liked this one the best.  This surprised me.  You never know what surprises you will get if you have someone snapping away with the camera for you.

Lisa liked what my facial expression said to her.  I think I was just having fun enjoying the process and the progress I had made.  I had just finished a successful photo shoot with Donnie and was trying out some ideas of my own.  I was having fun and I think it showed.  Lisa said it looked to her like I was saying “I have a secret!” and I think I kind of felt like I did have a secret bubbling up inside.  I had not yet had a chance to show off my work.

The most important factor is still the months and weeks of hard work

One other important point about this picture and all the others I took at home during this session is that I had a full meal the night before.  In fact I had eaten a fair amount of calories and drank a lot of water because I was water depleted during the previous day’s session with Donnie.  The meal was a kind of “stress relief meal” that the photo session was complete.

I had not quite decided if I would take pictures again at home.  I nibbled at some food and took a few sips of water in the morning before this session at home.  This session was done with just a normal nightly fast and simply not consuming too much food or water until the session was over.

I will talk more about the diet and water deplete in part 3 but for now remember that it is not really necessary to do all that for a good photo shoot.  Of course you don’t want to eat a whole pizza the night before, or eat a lot of foods that make you bloated.  The most important factor for your shape is the exercise and diet for the weeks and months leading up to the time of the photo session.

It is not necessary to do a long fast or water deplete for good photos. The most important factor is still your months of hard work with diet and exercise

It is not necessary to do a long fast or water deplete for good photos. The most important factor is still your months of hard work with diet and exercise

Indoor scene setup at home

  • Select a backdrop; I like to use thick fleece blankets for the backdrop and on the floor because they don’t wrinkle like the sheets do.
  • Make sure the color of the backdrop goes well with the color of your suit and shoes
  • Make the scene clean from clutter; move items out of the scene, i.e. toys, trash cans, etc.
  • Try a variety of lamps
  • Try using daylight streaming in through a window

Outside pictures

There are a lot of nice outdoor settings that can be used; parks, gardens, fields, lakes, ocean and beach, forests, and pool settings.  Lighting can be tricky.  Like the problem I had with the lamps you don’t want the sun shining directly into the lens unless there is special equipment.  You can get some nice effects with early morning sun or evening sunsets.  A sunset scene can really show off your tan but you only have a few minutes before it gets dark.

Donnie had the right equipment to get the lighting just right for this pool scene

Donnie had the right equipment to get the lighting just right for this pool scene

Make sure you got what you wanted

Whether you are using a timer on a tripod or someone is taking the pictures for you make sure to check them before switching sets or calling it a day.  Zoom in on the pictures and scroll around making sure you like your facial expressions and poses.  Even better download them to a computer and make sure they are what you really wanted.

Zooming in on the picture helps you see if the focus is set correctly as well.  It is difficult to use auto-focus in an indoor setting like I used with the construction lamps so I had to switch to manual focus. If you are by yourself with the camera on a timer it’s a bit more cumbersome to set the manual focus. I used a white sheet of paper marked with a black felt marker as a focus tool.  The sheet of paper was attached to a large cardboard box which I moved to the spot where I would be standing whenever I needed to set the focus.

Don’t forget the newspaper front page with each scene and outfit.

Don’t forget to have fun!

Don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the progress you have made.  The reason you are doing this is because of what you have accomplished, be proud of what you have done.

Even of you don’t have time to do all this preparation you can capture your accomplishments in a five minute photo shoot like my friend Kimberley.  She was not planning to submit pictures and was packing for a vacation and knew she wouldn’t get back before the contest deadline.   So at the last minute she threw on some shoes and a bikini and had her husband Roly snap a few pictures.  And just look, she has been labeled the Every Day Venus ever since and her pictures happen to look beautiful.

On Monday we’ll wrap up with part 3 and talk about bikini and shoe selection, and what can be done the final week of the photo shoot; water load and deplete, tanning, and other grooming ideas.

Have a great weekend!

-Ro

 

Filed Under: change, Contest, transformation, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Preparing For Your Contest Photo Shoot – Part 1: Posing Practice

March 13, 2013 by 6 Comments

The deadline for the 7th Venus Index Transformation Contest on April 15th is quickly approaching.  This article is part of a 3 part series to help gear you up with ideas on how to make your photo shoot fun and successful.  We will cover posing practice, lighting, photography, scene setup, water load and deplete, bikini and shoe selection, tanning and other grooming ideas.

Preparing for your contest photo shoot – Part 1: Posing practice

When it comes to taking good pictures getting in shape is only part of the equation; it is the most important part but you still have to learn how to “present yourself” once you get there.  Posing is something you should start practicing now if you want successful pictures.  It takes some effort and can be tiring.  Like most “training” it works well if you can spread it out over time so you can rest in between sessions.  This gives you time to mull things over and come up with creative ideas to try out for the next session.  Always try to end your sessions on a positive note.

We already have a tutorial with Loren Jacobson and an interview with her; there is much to learn from Loren’s experience and wisdom.  I’ve tried this type of posing with a group of competition girls and it is hard; it takes practice.

One of the very first Venus contest winners, Alisha McGinn, did a phenomenal job with with taking pictures.  She took first place in two contests.  You can see the pictures and listen to what she did to make them so awesome during her interviews for the 1st Venus Index Transformation Contest and the 3rd Venus Index Transformation Contest.

Alisha is one of the first pioneers of the Venus Index program and her driving force, dedication, and trust in John and Brad have enabled most of us to enjoy new features of this program like the Reverse Taper Diet of which she is featured on the cover.

Alisha did so well on her photo shoot that her picture is featured on the cover of the Reverse Taper Diet manual

Alisha did so well on her photo shoot that her picture is featured on the cover of the Reverse Taper Diet manual

The Reverse Tape Diet manual and calorie calculator are included with the Immersion product.

Mandatory poses

You will need to take a mandatory front, side, and back photo, arms down, just like the before pictures you submitted.  These are for comparison but you want to make these look nice and show your best.  Once those are done you can be as creative as you want.  You can submit 10-15 photo’s if you wish.  You need the current days newspaper front page in a photo with you for each outfit and scene, they do not have to be in a “posed” picture.

Gather up photo examples

Spend some time finding pictures from magazines, supplement packages, advertisements, and internet searches and save or print them.

Here are some examples of pictures found online, in magazines, and even supplement packaging

Here are some examples of pictures found online, in magazines, and even supplement packaging

Practice imitating the various poses in front of a mirror.  Try it from various angles and you might find your right side or left side is better.  You will find that some poses look awesome on the model in the picture but not for you, or that with your physique it looks better with the same pose slightly modified, or even greatly modified.  This is where spending the time practicing will pay off.  Once you practice many different poses you will find the ones that look best for you.

Practice with a camera

Once you decide on poses that look best on you try them with a camera.  Lighting is important and we’ll get to that in part 2, but for now practice with a camera because you might find the poses need a few more adjustments.  Things are slightly different in the camera lens and on the actual photo.  If possible try taking the pictures in various light settings to see what looks best for your look on camera.

It is really important to practice with the camera whether you ultimately take the pictures at home or with a professional photographer.  If you choose to use a professional photographer you will want to know ahead of time what poses present yourself the best.  Many photographer’s may not be able to help much with posing or know what gives you your best look.

Change up the lighting

Try the same poses in different lighting if possible;

  • inside and outside
  • morning
  • middle of the day
  • sunset
  • sunlight streaming through a window
  • a lamp or two placed in various places around you
I practiced by copying online fitness model poses

I practiced by imitating online fitness model poses and experimented with lamp placement

Try different facial expressions

Some poses look best with you looking away, others look better with you looking into the lens as if you are looking someone in the eye, smiling or otherwise communicating to them with your expression.  Some girls can get away with a pout or sexy look while others look better with a simple smile.  Older women like myself usually do better with a smile while we might have done okay with a more pouting look in our younger days.

Have fun trying out new poses and expressions!

Have fun trying out new poses and expressions!

Try different stances

Front poses are usually best offset slightly with a kind of twist to show more of an hour glass shape, but you don’t have to follow any rules.  Find what works best for you.  I ended up doing some pictures offset and some straight on.

On the left; an offset stance with a slight twist shows of an hour glass. One the right; straight on. Try each.

On the left; an offset stance with a slight twist shows more of an hour glass shape. On the right; straight on. Try each if you want.

The back view pose

I found this pose to be the hardest.  In fact I spent a least an hour getting this one photo.  My extremely patient friend Judy helped me.  I emailed her what I had and she said “No that needs work”.  Then she pointed me to a fitness contest website (BodyBuilding.com IFBB Arnold Classic) with professional fitness models to attempt to imitate.  I took Judy’s advice and tried to imitate images from my computer screen.  I snapped some pictures, emailed her, and waited for her response.  She responded with feedback on what to improve and we repeated this process at least 10 or more times.  It was frustrating,  hard, and tedious but I am very grateful for the help I got from Judy.  It is a difficult pose but with practice you will see how you need to arch your back, set your head, neck, and shoulders.

I found the back pose to be the hardest but well worth it in the end

I found the back pose to be the hardest but well worth it in the end

 

Enjoy your own progress, your own physique, and have fun!

Most of all have fun and enjoy the progress you have made with your shape.  The end of the contest is only five weeks away.  If you have been consistent since the beginning you should be seeing some progress so enjoy those hard earned victories now while you keep moving toward your goals.

Do not compare yourself to others

One key thing to remember when using fitness model photo’s like this is to not compare yourself to them.  You have your own beauty, your own physique, your own gifts, and you have no idea what the model did to get her look.  The pictures are just examples for trying to figure out what poses bring out your best shape.  Do not aspire to be them; aspire to be the best you possible.

On Friday we’ll cover part 2;  Photography, lighting, photo scene selection and setup.

-Ro

 

Filed Under: Contest, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

How To Survive Years Of Fad Diet Yo-yo’s And Finally Succeed.

March 11, 2013 by 4 Comments

Today we get to read what Lori Anderson wrote about placing eighth in the 6th Venus Index Transformation Contest.

But first, check out her transformation pictures from the 12 Week Contest:

Lori Anderson before and after the 12 week contest

Lori Anderson before and after the 12 week contest

More of Lori before and after

More of Lori before and after

Lori experienced what many of us have experienced; falling into the trap of complicated fad diets and regimented workout programs only to end up in a perpetual yo-yo that can go on for years or even decades.  Sometimes it is embarrassing for us to admit all the various ways we tried that did not work.  In the end, with the right tools, we can be stronger.

Why? Because depriving yourself of foods you love and over complication is not sustainable.  In Lori’s own words we will see how the Venus Index Workout and Eat Stop Eat finally helped Lori to succeed in her diet and fitness goals.

In Lori’s own words:

Donuts don’t make a people fat, people make themselves fat. The power is not in the object, but the person. Making this connection with my work-outs and eating habits helped me realize that I was the only person going to give my self the body I desired, not a protein bar or meal timing.  It took a lot of messing up before I realized this liberating principle … Continue reading here

Filed Under: change, Contest, Interview, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Protect Your Psychic Space From Information Overload

March 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Here’s the next episode of the UNCENSORED Podcasts Season 2.

Today’s topic:  Protecting your psychic space from information overload

Are you suffering from paralysis analysis?

Are you suffering from paralysis analysis?

Learn how to protect yourself from getting distracted from your goals

Do you think others are concerned about your health -or- do they just want to be right?

  • Before the internet everyone relied on magazines or libraries.
  • Now there is a 24 x 7 endless stream of never ending opinion and anecdotes.
  • Everyone will have an opinion.  Even if you are successful you must be doing something wrong.
  • The secret is;  there is no secret
  • Before the internet and knowing that Leptin even existed in the body people figured out how to get fit.
  • For the people who have already gotten in shape; you know what you did, you know what worked, keep listening to your own body.
  • The old fashioned simplistic approach that has always worked will be attacked

Today Brad and John will talk about how to protect yourself from information overload and paralysis analysis.

 

IMMERSION Clients May Login and Download Podcast Here

Not a Venus Index IMMERSION client? Click here to find out more… and hear a weird story too

Filed Under: News, Podcast, Uncategorized, Uncensored Podcasts S02 Tagged With: , , , , , ,

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

March 4, 2013 by 4 Comments

Today John talks to Terry Clauss who placed seventh in the 6th Venus Index Transformation Contest.

Check out her transformation pictures from the 12 Week Contest:

Terry Clauss before the contest

Terry Clauss before the contest

Terry Clauss after the 12 week contest

Terry Clauss after the 12 week contest

The inner athlete

Terry always knew she had an athlete inside herself.  She knew she was strong and she liked to workout, but she never got the truth about calories until she found the Venus Index Workout.

Like many of us she only had one half of the equation down; exercise.   We couldn’t understand why when we worked out and built muscle we just looked bulky, hefty, and strong instead of feminine, sleek, and strong.  It’s all about calories (along with a superior workout design).

Terry loves her new look, strong yet feminine.  That is how the Venus Index is designed.  “The focus is proportions and shape (rather than weight loss at all costs or building muscle like a guy)” – John Barban.

Like most of us Terry learned the hard way regarding diet.  After years of trendy diets and good food lists and bad food lists, Terry found the Anything Goes way of eating refreshing. That’s what we do in the Venus Index Community.

As far as food goes you can have everything you want, just not all at once.  You learn to setup your own calorie budget and follow it.  No more depriving yourself of foods you love.  Just learn to eat the right amount for your size.

She is learning to enjoy being fit and have a nice shape without worrying so much about overall weight.

You can wear cute clothes in your 50’s

Ever wonder what it’s like to have the following problem; You are a grandmother shopping in the junior’s section because nothing in the women’s section is small enough to fit you.   Well Terry knows, just ask her how much fun it is.

Clothes shopping and planning for work or social events used to be stressful.  Now it’s fun.  It used to be that nothing looked good or felt good.  Now everything is cute and fun.

This was a big deal to Terry.

The problem used to be nothing fit right, nothing felt right, and nothing was comfortable.  Now the problem is everything fits and you can’t buy the whole section of cute small clothes that all fit and look good.  It’s like you turned into a barbie doll.  It’s just about every woman’s dream.

Like many of us, Terry found her dream in the Venus Index Community.  She said the community is amazing.  Everyone chimed in to answer her questions and give her support.  She learned to love blogging there.

When she didn’t have anything to blog about she read what others wrote and was amazed at the lessons learned.  She is amazed at all the successful transformations and that it is not a bunch of fake advertisements.

These are real women of all ages, from all over the world, achieving their dreams and transforming their lives.

Check out the comparison; The first picture was Terry when she was 60 pounds heavier.  She has lost 41 pounds since she started Venus Index.

The second picture is Terry now.   She has done a fabulous job.  Her hard work and dedication to her health and fitness has paid off!

Terry in Feb 2009 compared to Feb 2013

Terry in February 2009 compared to February 2013. She looks fabulous!

 

Advice from Terry:

 

Read what Terry wrote about her experience with Venus Index:

I began VT6 by doing VI Circuits but then switched back to Phase 2. I think Circuits is a great workout and I will go back to it at some point  … Continue reading here.


Listen to Terry’s interview here, and please “like” it when you’re done:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Filed Under: calories, Contest, Exercise, Interview, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Are You Running To Stay In The Same Place?

March 1, 2013 by 1 Comment
Are you running to stay in place?

Are you running to stay in place?

Life sometimes gives us setbacks

How many times have you heard someone say that they got sick and so inevitably the weight started to pile on? Yup, we all nod in agreement. It’s not your fault. It’s too bad about that but of course you became over weight when you:

  • broke your leg
  • had to take care of your sick relative
  • traveled 7 months of the last 12
  • <insert your situation>

Life will throw you curve balls. Regardless of the reason, just because you’re not able to exercise, gaining weight is not inevitable.

Because in order to maintain how much you were eating you exercised.

Since you had a valid excuse for why you could not exercise, you had every right and reason to gain weight. Right?

Do you tell yourself this story? It’s hard not to. Anywhere you turn, including the news, movies, fiction, even supposedly scientific books, you will find the perpetuation of this myth: You have to work it off.

The flaw with this logic is the minute you hit a setback, if you habitually eat the same amount, you will gain weight and you will believe it’s out of your control.

Illness is no excuse

Your next setback is waiting to happen.

It happens to all of us.  It’s a matter of when.  What will be your plan?  You can learn to handle the situation and maintain your weight.

How fast are you “running”?

Have you read “Through the Looking Glass”, the sequel to “Alice in Wonderland”, by Lewis Carroll? A famous quote from The Queen has always resonated with me:

“Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”

The fact is that simply maintaining is work.

You can’t over exercise too many calories, but you can learn to eat within your correct maintenance calories which are dictated by your height, gender and activity level.

The sooner you learn how much your body actually needs each day to maintain with your current lifestyle constraints, the better prepared you are for life’s setbacks.

This year I was broadsided by illness that set me back for two months, I could not work out at all. After that, I began the arduous process of regaining my strength.

Do you suppose I piled on pounds of fat?

No indeed, I did not.

And why is that?

Because I have a very clear idea of how much I need to eat to maintain my weight.

When I was forced to drop the gym habit, I simply cut back a bit on calories. I didn’t cut back as much as you might think. I just made small changes. A little less here, a few missed breakfasts, ice cream less often.

I made simple changes and I watched my waist metric. Without the ability to lift weights I simply had to eat less.  Every time the tape measure started to increase, I made a few adjustments to keep it in check. I rested, got well, and got the mental mindset to get back in the gym.

Every single time you have to start the gym habit again, it does require some discipline. The good news is habits don’t ever go away; they lie dormant.

The first week I was very sore. I had to talk myself into showing up for the first 3 weeks.  I eventually built up the strength to do the Venus Index Workouts.

We all have illness now and then

In November, my whole family got broadsided by a virus that was sweeping the town. I lost 10 pounds in one week.

I’ve never been more grateful for the simple fact of health and a strong body. To honor this body, I will not overfeed it or overwork it.

I will instead eat what I need. No more, no less.

I found myself faced again with the need to build strength in the gym. I “ran” to stay in the same place (not overeating in order to maintain) when I was sick. Now I am “running faster” (lifting heavy) in order to get my muscles back into the shape I like.   I follow Brad Pilon’s “Fat Loss Divide and Conquer” rule.

What about you? Are you making excuses or are you “running” towards your goals in whatever way you are currently capable?

 

Filed Under: Bodyfat, calories, Diet, Exercise, Health, Metabolism Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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