Archives for January 2015

How can an obese 48 year old end up in a beauty magazine for her 54th birthday?

This was from the photo shoot last weekend.

This was from the photo shoot last weekend.

 

These are just the sneak peak pictures. The magazine article and pictures will publish on my birthday coming up on Feb 3rd.  I have to say this is the best birthday for me ever!  But I seem to say that with Venus every year since my 5oth birthday which is exactly when Venus helped me achieve my fitness goal.

First off I must say that no matter where you are at in your fitness journey you are worthy of love and YOU MATTER.  If you don’t feel that way – work on it NOW, because how you feel inside doesn’t suddenly change when your physical being changes.  The work inside must start now, just as much as the gym workouts and the diet control.

 

Randy and I renewed our vows in Rome in 2008.

Randy and I renewed our vows in Rome in 2008.

 

When I first reached the goal of losing 85 pounds I laughed at old pictures of myself.  Randy took me aside once (rightly so!) and told me to never ever disparage myself for when I was over weight.  He told me he always loved me and I was always his lovely wife, even then!  I was at the peak of my weight gain in Rome. It’s pretty hard to be on a diet in Italy!  But that was before Venus and before I knew the tools for life.  If I went to Italy again now, I could do it with very little weight gain.

I have the tools for LIFE when it comes to controlling body fat levels, it doesn’t matter if it’s vacation, holiday seasons, or work stress.  I know what to do and I live the life.

Last weekend I had the absolute honor of working with some amazing and creative people while we celebrated at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, California.

 

Models, Designer, Make-up Artists, and Owner/author at Hopelessly Romantic Media Productions in San Francisco.

Models, Designer, Make-up Artists, and Owner/author at Hopelessly Romantic Media Productions in San Francisco.

 

I wrote in more detail about my adventure with these lovely women in on my blog.  We worked hard and played hard and it was a stunning weekend.  I had butterflies for a week prior, but these woman quickly put me at ease and helped me learn how to be a real Fitness Model.  Who says you can’t teach a 54 year old new tricks?  But I have to admit we had some laughs at my expense.  I’m learning and I’m having fun while I do it.

Probably one of the highlights was how well the Ritz-Carlton staff treated us during our stay.  It was simply stunning and amazing!

On the first night Shiree Collier (Make-Up Artist/Hair Stylist) designed the look for the two models (Karina LaMar and Svetlana Lana) and me (fitness model).  Shiree was on her feet the longest and she was absolutely amazing, she treated us like queens.

Mariya Milovidova is a designer that help arrange the sets and hand painted the dress Karina is wearing it the picture.  I had a wonderful time talking with her over a well earned dinner later that evening.

I spent the following morning with Victoria and a photographer outside.  The morning started out rough. Before I’d finished my coffee the Ritz-Carlton Salon called me with some bad news about my hair appointment.  It was all I could do to not panic.

I took a deep breath and decided I’d deal with the situation best I could.  If I had to run out to the store to get a curling iron I would just do what needed to be done.  I might be late for my appointment with Victoria but I knew she would work with me if I did my best to roll up my sleeves and “get it done”!

Once I told the Salon I what I needed they went out of their way to help me out.  They were ready to send someone up with hair tools if I needed them.  In the end they scrambled to get their massage therapist and cosmetologist who happend to have a hair stylist license to step in and do my hair for me.

His name is Jerry Lutz and let me tell you he did an amazing job on my hair.  The Ritz-Carlton Salon staff went out of their way to help.  The managers came in ready to help and make sure everything that could be done was being done.

They held up my big locks of hair so Jerry could work on the rest – I have a lot of hair! – as my hair stylist who colors my hair on a regular basis would say.  Right Danna from HairHouse ‘N’ Nail Saloon in Colfax, California?

If you ever find yourself at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay and need a Spa treatment I would highly recommend the staff there.  When I go again I intend to request Jerry Lutz!  What an amazing young man, along with the rest of the staff there.  They all took such good care of me.

Victoria's HRMP announcement with frame

When I got back home Victoria made this announcement on Facebook for Hopelessly Romantic Media Productions.  I will cherish this picture for the rest of my life.  One thing I know is that I’ll go to the end of my days knowing I lived life to it’s fullest!

Venus, the tools, the community, John Barban, and Brad Pilon taught me how to do this.  I will be eternally grateful to them.

These are just a few sneak peak photos from a few minutes outside before I left to return home.

The article with more pictures will publish on Feb 3, so it looks like I might have something to write about next Friday.

So far it’s the best birthday ever!  I wonder what next year will bring?

Have Hope Venus ladies!

If you are new to Venus, HAVE HOPE.

I just want to encourage you all as you move along on your journey.  Never give up.  Never lose hope.

You too have the tools right at your finger tips for your own success and for achieving your own best.  You can pursue your own passion, whatever that might be.

As Coach Jenny would say “Just keep swimming!”

Have a beautiful weekend.

See you on the inside,

-Coach Roberta

How Wendy got better results with less effort at the gym

Wendy placed in the latest Venus contest

Wendy’s before and after photo of her 12 week transformation using the Venus Factor system

Wendy placed in our recent VT12 contest

She had an amazing transformation in only 12 short weeks.

 

wendy b&a smaller

Here is what Wendy had to say about her experience with the Venus Factor program in her own words:

How did you find the Venus Factor?

Through a Facebook Link

.
What things had you tried in the past?

Many years ago at my heaviest (close to 200# after the birth of my second child in 1989) I had joined Weight Watchers and was able to get down to about 160#.

 

Throughout the years since then my weight has fluctuated between 135-160, once I was able to get back down to 125 taking Metabolift by Twin Lab but I was sick to my stomach and had headaches all the time so I stopped taking it and in less than a year my weight was back up to 140.

 

Even though I have always been active in a variety of ways including reaching a 1st degree black belt status in Tae Kwon Do I would never really consider myself actually fit, in fact my lower body tends to follow the genetics of my mothers side. She had alot of problems with her health including poor circulations and RLS which she always said her legs felt like they were filled with concrete, when I workout or use the stairs I can completely relate to that feeling.

 

I have tried many ‘fad’ diets/pills including the recent fad of Garcinia Cambogia, and Forskolin, but the thermogenics were always my go-to because they seemed to work, but because they made me sick I would stop taking them.

 

I have walked and done some running through the years but this activity aggravates an old knee injury and gets really painful when the weather is cold.

 

About 4 years ago I started doing yoga and some of the Beach Body video workouts like 10 Minute Trainer, P90, Insanity and the Les MIlls Combat Workout. Then in the spring of 2013 they offered a Cross Fit Boot Camp workout where I work so I was involved in that for 6 weeks. Through all of these programs I never lost more than 5 pounds and never saw a physical change except in my upper body.

 

Once the 6 week Boot Camp was over I continued to do cross fit type workouts either with a small group at work or on my own until I re-injured my lower back in October 2013 putting my workouts on hold for about 3 months (I tore the outer layer of the disc just above my tailbone so it wasn’t a full rupture but the Dr wanted me to hold off on everything but walking until it was healed so it didn’t tear through).

 

In March I came across the Venus Factor and decided to give it a try, I was into the 2nd week of the workouts when I tweaked my back again.

 

At this same time my dad’s health was failing and I devoted all my time outside of work to him. After he passed away at the end of July I decided it was time for me to give it another try.
What aspect of the program was most beneficial to you?

The workouts. They are designed to work for a women’s body, and they do!

Also the online community support.
Which workout(s) did you use during the contest?  What did you enjoy about those workouts?

The Venus Factor 12 Week Fat Burning & Muscle Toning Workout.

It was a full body workout that was a nice variety that I was able to do on my lunch hour.
Did you use a particular style of eating?  What was your nutrition strategy?

Some ESE days mixed with deficit days during the week, maintenance on the weekend.

I find I loose weight easier if I stop eating in early afternoon with nothing until the next morning. Although this is really hard & takes A LOT of willpower, this is what seems to work for me.

Sometime I’d bank calories for a special event.

I also looked at the calorie intake by the week, not the day.

I tried to get my protein up to 80 grams per day. Although I did hit it a few times I do get closer to that goal as more often now than when I first started.

 

Did you use any supplements?
AM: Protein Shake (NeoCell Collagen Sport)

During workout: BCAA+ (USP Labs Modern)

Post workout: Protein Shake (NeoCell Collagen Sport)

Vitamins;

D3 2000IU

Methyl B12 5000mcg

Glucosamine 1500mg/Chondroitin 1200mg

 

Did you use the online community and if so, how was your experience with it?
Yes, it takes a bit to learn to navigate but it’s worth it. Everyone is so positive and supportive, sharing tips and suggestions, and what has worked for them. It’s never like a catty competition against each other we are all out to do the best we can and help others be successful as well.

 

What was the hardest obstacle to conquer?

Food!  I still have a lot to learn.
What kept you motivated?

At first it was the contest, knowing that I had a deadline. Also the online community.

Then towards the final few weeks I started seeing a real physical change, the reshaping had started to show, it was subtle, but when I took my weekly tracking picture and put them next to my before pictures the change was amazing! I finally found something that was really working!

 

How did you feel about your final pictures?

One word; AMAZED! I still can’t believe it is me! I have always had low confidence and a distorted body image, but I am actually starting to see the change in the mirror, I just have to convince myself that it is real!
Is this a lifestyle you will continue?

Definitely!
What advice do you have for other women going through the contest or considering the contest?

Just do it! The program really does work, you just have to give it a chance. It doesn’t happen overnight, and you do have to put in the time and effort, but you will get out what you put in.

 

This is a program that is designed for a woman’s body, unlike anything out there is truly is a “shaping” system. With all the workouts I had been doing this is the first one that has actually reshaped my lower body, in just a short 12 week span the change is amazing!

 

I believe in the Venus Factor system so much that I have become a true insider and became an immersion member, on to the next phase!

Wendy b&a clothes smaller

Another great before and after photo of Wendy’s transformation using the Venus Factor system

Wendy loves the online Venus community

You can find Wendy active in the Venus community and read her blog!

 

Wendy's Venus community blog

Wendy’s Venus community blog

Wendy’s Metrics Results

 

Wendy's metrics change

Wendy lost 9.0 lbs and 3.0 inches from her hips during the 12 week contest!

 

wendyb&a athletics smaller

You can listen to Wendy’s story here:

How do you recover from the SPLURGE of stress hunger?

Sometimes you have to have a warrior mindset to get back on track!  My friend Ryan took this picture of me last summer and I felt he caught my warrior spirit!

 Sometimes you have to have a warrior mindset to get back on track!

My friend Ryan took this picture of me last summer

and I felt he caught my warrior spirit!

What happens when your body adapts to too much food?

Do you ever notice that sometimes after a feast like Thanksgiving or maybe Super Bowl Sunday that you wake up the next morning feeling really hungry? You might even feel more hunger than normal.

The same thing can happen after vacation, or stress when you sort of “just let it go” with eating. It’s easy to lose track of how much food you actually consume.

Your body adapts to what you do and it’s hard to change. It’s kind of a catch 22. When you over eat your body gets used to it, and you’ll still feel hunger when you don’t really need the extra food.

There really isn’t anything wrong with you when this happens. It’s probably a rare case when it doesn’t happen.

The same thing can happen when people get used to a calorie deficit. Your body can also adapt to the less food. You will feel it’s normal and can sometimes have a hard time eating up to your true needs. This is okay as long as it does not cause a vicious eat low then binge cycle. It also can be okay if your body has plenty of body fat to draw from.  At some point you have to train your body to accept the normal amount of food. This becomes more important as you get close to your goal. This is why the Venus nutrition plan is designed the way it is.

Hunger is complicated. It ebbs and flows in the body according to stress, emotions, exercise, health, and a whole lot more.

Last week I wrote about the stress hunger I experienced. It happens to us all. It doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you. There is a lot of stress in modern life.

Not only do you have more stress, but every where you turn there is all that food. You are constantly bombarded with it. The stores and restaurants purposely pump out the aroma to tempt you. The advertisements everywhere are designed to tempt you. All the treats the co-workers bring in tempt you. It’s constant temptation.

The more stressed and ego depleted you are the harder it is to make good choices or have willpower.

If you rely on willpower alone, you won’t succeed. You have to find a way to setup your own environment for success. That is different for each person. Most of us have to enlist the help of others.

You have to plan ahead. You have to have some strategy. You also have to adjust as you go along. Things don’t always go according to your plan. Your own body and the amount of hunger and stress doesn’t always cooperate with the plan. But as long as you do not give up and feel doomed, you can still succeed.

The only way to fail at fat loss is to give up. You will have the peaks and valleys; we all do. Keep plugging along and it becomes a lifestyle. It takes time and practice.

When you arrive at your goal and you won’t just stay there. You keep living life, you keep getting bombarded with stress, and you still have to put in some effort.

It’s not the long road effort like when we had over 50 pounds to lose, but it is the same skills.

As for getting back on track, you have to muster up a warrior attitude and get yourself determined to make it happen.

 

How can you recover after a splurge?

Get back on track ASAP. Get back to your normal routine. Everything you do feeds on itself both positive and negative. So tune out all the negative thoughts from your mind, and start trimming your interactions with negative people short or avoid those people altogether if possible.

If you keep doing your routines that move you toward your goal the momentum will start snowballing. This includes anything that helps you; The routine of taking supplements, stretching, workouts, meditation, getting enough sleep, food prep, etc.

The best thing you can do is get going on that as soon as you can. Don’t just think about it and make plans, pick something and just do it. It doesn’t have to be perfect. I can be going for a walk or cutting out some portion sizes. Take action right away to get the momentum going.

The first day is usually the hardest. The next day gets better. If you keep it up you end up on a roll with it. Your body starts adapting to the routine again and it feels good.

Find a good support group. The private online Venus community is a great place to find support if you need it. Not everyone has a family who supports their fat loss and fitness goals. There may not be many in your life who understand your goals.

Keep something near you that reminds you of your goal for yourself. This is called a Mnemonic. It could be a picture, a slogan, a statue, or whatever you want it to be. As you move forward from one goal to the next this symbol can change.

When I was losing 85 pounds in my long fat loss phase my Mnemonic was a picture of a swim dress I wanted to wear someday.

Right now my Mnemonic is a trophy I recently won at a fitness competition. Since I don’t plan on continuing with competitions I’ve attached a business card to the trophy of someone I’ll be working with very soon. In fact I will probably be on location as you read this and it’s a surprise. It’s pretty exciting for me and there is no way I want to blow it. The Mnemonic is right there on my kitchen table to remind me why all of my daily routines are important.  The trophy itself is still a good Mnemonic for me because it represents the same skills I need right now.

You use all the tools and strategies over and over for life. The very first article I ever wrote for Venus was about this concept “How to Sharpen your Sword and Win the Battle.”  This is still true for me three years later, except this time I am the warrior in the picture!

 

It didn't take me long to get my groove back.  I like to get right back on it!

It didn’t take me long to get my groove back. I like to get right back on it!

 

It didn’t take me long to get back on track after the stress last week.  I followed the exact process I lined out here and felt back to normal by the end of the week.  I like to get back in the groove as soon as I can.  Here I am doing one of my favorite exercises; pullups.  This is a collection of the last few months, the video of me in the black ball cap was last Friday when I finally started getting my groove back:

 

 

Some of you are starting the Venus contest this week. Some of you are shadowing (not actually entering, but putting in the same effort).  Some of you are just plugging along daily towards your goals.

Whatever phase you are in please be encouraged that you are honing your sword to win the battle!

Keep going!

See you on the inside!

-Coach Roberta

 

 

Why are we so fascinated with EXTREMES? Uncensored Podcast

Why-are-we-fascinated-by-climbing-the-edge

 Why are we fascinated by pushing ourselves to extremes?

What causes fat loss plateaus?

What causes us to not to achieve our goals?

What is survivor bias?

How does survivor bias apply to power lifting?

How does this apply to diet?

What do we see and not see on results of diets and workout programs?

How does this effect our mindset?

Why are we as humans fascinated by pushing ourselves to our extremes?

What about the psychology behind why we like to watch the struggle for survival?

Could it be why we choose a diet we struggle with?

What is image illusion?

What is goal hijacking?

How does goal hijacking, image illusion, and survivor bias all tie together to stop you from achieving your fitness goals?

 

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… You can turn your call. That’s why, it may be satisfied with educational portals. One does not a customer.Our policy allows pupils to anybody into the topic provided by giving a decision to take your paper writer using different plagiarism and Cookies Policy to find mistakes in the basic instructions and rearranges the literature review paragraph, an excellent expertise, we offer our company name? It’s can’t there be properly research, accurately written ideas suitable within strict requirements of our . click site moved here writing a conference paper blog here We deliver services of free revision request, and structuring rules. They do not some questions that WritemyEssayOnline.com offers a sample paper online” and TrustworthyIf you to check all to pay someone to meet your personal writer more about a service that need a chance to your paper, essay, seeing grads can rest assured that title very simple. But if you have huge international students. We guarantee results of many years of top paper on the writer will be able to academic article writing services of writing presupposes a .

The Venus Transformation Contest VT-13 Starts TODAY!

MalissaMichelleRoberta-Mirror

What do you say when you look in the mirror?

When most of us started the Venus program we thought “NO WAY”!

I never wore a bikini ever in my adult life.  Even when I started Venus I was not convinced it would happen.  Having spent most of my adult life size 12-14 I would have been happy to get to a size 8-9 again.  But Venus surprised me.  Venus taught me that I could exceed my wildest dream ever!  It got me down to a size 3-4 AND got me into a bikini, at age 50 I might add.  I’m still there at age 54.

Don’t sell yourself short.  You too are capable. No matter what you look like in the mirror now, tell yourself “I CAN do this!”

 

Here’s what John Barban said in a recent email:

The tipping point… the time when you look in the mirror and can say “I can do this”.

Or the moment where you fall victim to an excuse, avoid taking action on what you really want… settle back to old habits… and struggle again for the rest of the year.

Right now, another Transformation contest has begun. And many of your Venus sisters are committed to making a real transformation in their fat loss goals.

Whether you are doing a contest or not… there is one EDGE you can gain in 2015 to ensure you possess the hot sexy body you’ve dreamed of.

That edge is: getting coached by one of my hand-picked expert coaches. Many of the coaches have been through inspiring transformations themselves. They understand what it TRULY takes transform your mind and body, to possess the sexy hot body you want.

Now hiring a personal Venus Coach is not cheap by any means.

It will most likely be the most intense 12 weeks of your life. You will be held accountable for your actions and your goals. Now you may be thinking you won’t have time for that.

Nonsense.

Did you know that the majority of your Venus sisters who wisely get coaching are usually the ones who work INSANE hours… or have a hectic home life with kids?

With coaching you get the strategic shortcuts, and incredible motivation… and they are personally dialed right into your hectic life.

The women who get coaching, some are flat out beginners… brand new to Venus… others are more advanced… and they finally want to reveal the body they desire.

The main thing is… they stopped sitting around… and fully committed to an exclusive one-on-one experience to get their bodies looking better than the ever dreamed possible.

If you want to look in the mirror tomorrow morning… and smile because you KNOW 2015 is the year your body comes out looking amazing then go here now:

Transform Your Body in 2015 With A Venus Coach<<<

Best,

JB

 

Here’s how you enter the Venus Contest.

Those who have the most success participate in the private online community of women only.  This is where they meet new friends and find support. They learn from others things they never would have thought of.

This is how we learn SUCCESS and how to live the life of a Venus.

See you on the inside!

-Coach Roberta

What To Do When Your Stomach Feels Like An Endless Void with HUNGER?

How do you deal with the after effects of stress hunger?

How do you deal with the after effects of stress hunger?

 

The night before this picture was taken I felt the effects of extreme fatigue.  Even though I’d already eaten well above my caloric needs for the day, my stomach felt like an endless void that couldn’t be filled.  I seriously wanted to eat the entire jar of nut butter and preserves.  It was the strangest thing.  I was practically stumbling around the house, specifically the kitchen, and I just wanted to eat.

This is called being ego depleted.  It’s something John talks about this in the Venus Fat Loss Manual.  You can’t make good decisions when you are ego depleted.  You have to set up your environment for success.

I finally tore myself away from the kitchen and stumbled off to bed.  What I really needed was sleep, not food.

I’ve been maintaining my Venus shape for 4 years now so I’ve been around the block a time or two with this stress eating business. It’s never the end of the world if you CHOOSE you are not DOOMED just because you made a few ego depleted bad decisions.

When I woke up the next morning I wasn’t quite recovered from the stress of the previous few days.  I was still ego depleted but I knew what to do.  I needed water, coffee, and some hugs and reassurance from Randy.

Even though I’ve spent most of my life hiding from the camera, Venus changed that for me.  I put on the exact pair of jeans that I bought when I first achieved my Venus goal and had Randy take a picture of me on our back deck.  I had even blogged about getting this pair of “skinny jeans” back in the day,  inside our private Venus Community.  This picture and these jeans gave me assurance once again that you won’t lose your progress overnight.

The only way you lose what you earned with fat loss is if you go on for weeks and months with no regard for food intake, like a wild woman on a credit card spending spree.  At some point the bill will come due.  Just don’t let that happen.  Pay off the debt sooner.

When you are ego depleted it’s just part of the stress of life.

It’s okay. You just pick up where you left off and don’t let your emotions take you away.

Once again it is all about consistency over time. NOT PERFECTION.

If it were perfection we would never succeed.

If it were perfection we wouldn’t be human.

It is accepting that you are human and not perfect AND not giving up that will get you there.

You are human.

You are not perfect.

It does not matter.

Just keep going.

Read more about the events that caused my ego depletion and how I dealt with it here.

See you on the inside!

-Coach Roberta

How to enter the next Venus Contest (STARTS NEXT WEEK) on January 19th

Come join our community of successful women!

Come join our community of successful women!

 

How would you like to join our community of successful women?

Those who have the most success participate in the private online community of women only.  This is where they meet new friends and find support. They learn from others things they never would have thought of.

This is how we learn SUCCESS and how to live the life of a Venus.

Some like to enter a contest for motivation.

Instructions for entering a Venus Contest are here:   How to ENTER A VENUS CONTEST.

The 2015 schedule of contests is here:  2015 Contest Schedule.

See you on the inside!

-Coach Roberta

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