It does not take a special BREED to SUCCEED.

FRAME-Piggy-Bank-and-Fitness-Competition

What does a piggy bank have to do with this? Read on!

 

It does not take a special breed. Anyone can do it. The only thing great or special is persistence, consistency, and never giving up.

Anyone can do that if they decide to.

It’s pure day-to-day grit.

It’s believing in your self when no one else does.

Minimizing the negative people who act and speak in an uncaring manner.

It’s trusting the process and being patient.

It’s focus on the day-to-day victories and process.

It’s the picking one thing and making it a victory.

Not the results. Those come later.

Even when I did the fitness show last year it wasn’t anything special.  I had not even PLANNED on doing one.

I was just doing my thing and Coach Miles hey you are ready, you should do this!

It’s just the lifestyle.

I didn’t push hard and crash.  See that’s the trick, you don’t have to push until you crash. You learn to live it.  Sure you can dose out the hard push a few weeks.  Back off, then push again.  In a sustainable manner.

All the insane crashing and rebounding does not have to happen.  But it might for a few as they learn, that’s okay too.

It’s like when you save your pennies in a piggy bank as a kid. Day after day you drop the penny in. It’s hard to imagine you will get something for that someday.

But then suddenly you check one day and it’s full.

You spend it, and fill it again, or you save it and start filling up a new piggy bank.

Either way you keep going.

And so it goes for life.

You never actually really get “there”.

You achieve milestones, then you keep going.

You stop and smell the roses, or watch the beautiful deer, or hug your loved ones and enjoy some feasts and maybe a little fine wine if you are so inclined.

But then you motor on again.

Embracing the nitty-gritty of life.

Because THAT is where the MAGIC happens my friends.

I’m not a special breed. I’m just a lady who lives in the mountains, living in the day-to-day, embracing life and the nitty-gritty.

That means YOU can do it too!

BOOM!

Never give up
Never settle
Live your dream

Happy Friday!

-Coach Roberta

Happy Thanksgiving and tips from Coach Roberta

FRAME-You-don't-need-to-punish-yourself-for-food-Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to my USA Venus girlfriends!

I’m busy working on the Venus contest, but I had to take a quick break to write some words of encouragement for those I’m helping.

These are all my own pictures in the collage.

‘Cuz I’m the real deal.

In the purple shirt last night during a break in our workout with my Venus friend Kerry.

And the scenes at my home.

I don’t have to prep for photo shoots or events because I live the lifestyle and have been proving it for over 5 years now.

I’m not going to hide or be ashamed of my lifestyle, because it works for me.

Tomorrow you will enjoy a post from Anea, who is one of our talented Venus Ambassadors in the Immersion Online Community.  She has a long way to go in her Venus goals, but she is successful and well on her way.  She KNOWS with the Venus lifestyle she will get there too.  She knows it works for her too!

I’m quite excited about the way the Immersion community support is going.  It’s amazing.  It is all about women empowering other women.  They have even created phone app texting accountability groups and blogging in there.

If you haven’t yet experienced the Venus Immersion community support, well, you just do not know what you are missing!

 

Tips for the Venus Lifestyle

Never ever reward or punish yourself for food.

This is a mentality shift we make to succeed in fitness.

You never earn food rewards.

You are never punished for eating.

There are no good foods and bad foods.

You might be allergic or have bad reactions for some foods.

We need food to survive.

We are meant to enjoy food.

We are meant to celebrate.

And yes, humans are designed to fast for periods of time when it’s appropriate. Humans have been doing this since the beginning, both for spiritual purposes and out of necessity when they were hunter gatherers.

It’s only modern society who has created these strange fitness myths and have at the same time had to battle an over abundance of food and lack of physical activity.

So ENJOY Thanksgiving!

And ENJOY a workout if you want to!

You are never DOOMED by one meal, one day, one week. Just decide to get back on track when you are done feasting.

AND, if you stay on that track as can happen to many of us, DECIDE TO SAVE THE DAY at any moment you choose.

This is how we do it!!

BOOM!

Never give up
Never settle
Live your dream

Enjoy the holidays in true Venus Style!

-Coach Roberta

Hold the rope! The final countdown to VT15

Hold the rope for the final countdown to VT15!

Hold the rope for the final countdown to VT15!

 

Don’t let go of the rope now!

Contest photo and data submissions for VT15 will be due no later than Monday November 23rd at midnight Eastern Time.

For some motivation here are some beautiful pictures of previous Venus contest winners:

 

Vegetarian Venus

Jonda!

Jonda!

Learn how a Venus Vegetarian did it with Jonda.

 

You can do this in your 50’s!

Therese!

Therese!

Learn how Therese did this at age 5o against all odds!

 

You can keep on living the dream!

Pam, Helen, and Roberta

Pam, Helen, and Roberta

 

See how three Venus winners take it to the streets and keep on living the dream!

 

The success of the contest winners!

Pam and Roberta!

Pam and Roberta!

 

Learn the success secrets in the Tale of Two Venuses!

 

 The Venus Transformation contest!

Several times a year we have transformation contests in which 10 winners are recognized for their achievement in staying committed to their fitness goals.

All these contestants have one thing in common. No matter how tough it became throughout their transformation, they did one thing — they held the rope! What is “holding the rope?” Imagine that you are hanging on a rope like I did here a few days ago. There was only thing between myself and a fall to the floor, and that was hanging on!

When the going gets tough, you can rest assured that friends are there to help you. Whether it is clarification with nutrition or a mental stumbling block, or encouragement, motivation, or picking your own coach in the Venus One on One Coaching. Rest assured, all you have to do is “Hold The Rope!”

The person that holds the rope when the going gets tough is a winner. When you’ve had a long day at work and choose to go to the gym afterwards that is a “winning” decision. If you are frustrated and have lost the willpower to track your calories come and visit with some friends in the various place in the online community where other successful Venus women hang out.

In a matter of speaking, they will tell you they have been where you are, just “hold the rope — let it burn but don’t let go!”

Win or lose, remember that your transformation is a personal achievement and you should be very proud of your accomplishment. Personally for me I know it is the Venus golden lifestyle that enabled me to climb up that rope for real, and never let go.

 

Get empowered!

The Venus workouts are very empowering. You will learn you can eventually do things you never dreamed of. Just the other day I was at the gym doing my standard cardio when I saw a kid climbing this rope. I’ve never done it before so I thought I’d give it a shot. See there, at 54.5 years old Venus made me strong enough to do it!

Believe me, I was very scared at the top!  My heart was racing from the effort and I was shocked when I looked down and realized I can’t let go!  It took all of my focus to hang on until I got back down.

As for preparation for photos, there are many ways to do this. For the most part the work has already been done during the last 11 weeks. You can do some final last week “prep” but it not required to do anything special.

So hold onto that rope for life!

Never Settle!

Never Give Up!

Live Your Dream!

-Coach Roberta

PS if you have any trouble with submitting pictures or data you can email me:  roberta.saum@gmail.com

Lets Lead Together

 

IMG_2156

I started my weight loss journey as a lone ranger. I’m not the type of person to ask for help, and I’m working on that. After a year of steady weight loss, I plateaued and became frustrated.

Fortunately, I found Venus Index and was able to understand true fat and weight loss principles geared for women, adapt them into my life, and change my lifestyle.

Along with the lifestyle change came a lot of things, positive and negative changes, but a happier healthier me.

The most important thing I came to understand was a newfound responsibility to help, as I know how hard it is to ask.

People came to me with questions, wanting and needing help and advice on how to conquer their own weight loss battles, and I began to grasp the privilege I had earned; to help and give back all that I had gained.

Where do you start?

My journey, lead me to the expansive fitness industry that is no longer just within a gym’s walls. You can find health and fitness information everywhere, but without a basic understanding of where to start it is overwhelming, contradicting, and confusing.

There are a million products, programs, gimmicks, work-from-home fitness companies, eating styles, eating plans, personal trainers, supplements, equipment, apparel and on, and on, and on.

So where do you start?

The basic principles in which we are taught through Venus Index, excess intake will lead to excess fat. Period. Monitor and balance your intake and outputs. Have a deficit to your surplus and you will lose the excess.

 

What about the food and the middle ground?

Since really delving into the industry over the   last few months, I see a lot of people who say they want to helpIMG_0994 others which is an amazing thing, but what I really see are pretty pictures and motivational quotes, offers for quick fixes, gimmick products, crash diets, and money pits.

The ones that bother me the most are the fitness models eating a vat of ice cream, or a dozen doughnuts, with quotes, “I promote eating” or “I love junk food.” I see these images and wonder what am I doing wrong?

I work HARD and I can’t eat junk everyday. If I did I’d be bloated, feel terrible, gain weight, and lose all my hard work.

Don’t get me wrong, I love ice cream and I have said on multiple occasions that I don’t eliminate things from my diet that I love.

However, what I DO say that they DON’T is that I budget for that ice cream. I plan for it. I allow for it.

There is no way I could maintain my results eating ice cream alone. There is no way I would be anywhere near healthy eating ice cream alone.

To me, these images imply “look at me, I’m so awesome that I can eat whatever I want and still be smoking hot” and they just continue to taint the industry, confuse and impede consumers.

It continues to turn away people who are interested in being healthy and fit; leaving them feeling as if they have done something wrong that they too, can’t eat ice cream every day and rock Miss Olympia.

Then we have the other extreme, the epidemic of obesity that is plaguing a generation of instant gratification with a sense of entitlement. A generation that doesn’t know how to engage will power, self-determination, self-control, and drive to make choices to change their lives.

I know, because I lived it. I was too self-involved “enjoying” my 20s and engaging in ridiculous unhealthy behaviors ignoring responsibilities, not only to myself, but also to my future.

There were many times I consumed more calories in junk food and alcohol than in any sort of nutrition and wondered why I was over weight. Then I decided I’d join the movement of acceptance and just be “fat and happy” except I WASN’T happy.

Finding the middle ground between “fat and happy” and “I’m so awesome I can eat all the things and still be smoking hot” has been hard.

IMG_1134

 

Let’s lead together

This lifestyle is doable, this lifestyle is maintainable, but it isn’t without sacrifice. It isn’t without self-control, self-discipline, determination, and drive.

You have to want to be better.

You have to want to change.

Once you make that determination find the will power to keep going.

Turn to like-minded people, turn to people who want to not only encourage you, but also engage in your success.

Thankfully, there are people who do truly want to and do help, often for free.

Let us help you, and then pay it forward.

Lets change this industry.

Lets impact society.

Let us regain ideals of health and fitness.

Lets promote life long habits that will allow our children to grow in the world we envisioned for them.

Lets show them how to take ownership, how to cook, how to work, how to use their body, and minds for good.

Lets do this together and promote a world of moderation with an ethic for hard work and success, not just acceptance.

Lets BE healthy and fit.

Lets BE the example in which we want them to follow.

Lets lead together

– Erin

Therese found she REALLY COULD LOSE WEIGHT in her 50’s!

Therese-BnA-

Therese finally found she could lose the weight. She had lost hope.  She really and truly believed it could not be done.

She found Venus and decided it would be her last ditch effort.

Sound familiar?

So many of us in mid life and even younger have felt hopeless.

But don’t believe that!

Yes, it requires some effort, but in the end we find it’s kind of simple in a way.  But we have to learn the process.

And we have to give ourselves a bit of time to learn.

But it doesn’t take long.

Soon we find our groove with it.

And we are a constant work in progress.

Because it truly is a lifestyle.

 

The shorts I am in I bought in the beginning of the summer. They fit perfectly, size 10. They are my smallest shorts as I don’t want to waste money on clothes I am going to be too small for to wear in the near future. Now, they are too big. The swim suits I am in I have had for 20 years and have not put them on for the last 15 years.

The shorts in the middle picture I bought in the beginning of the summer.
Now, they are too big. I now have swim suits that I have had for 20 years and have not put them on for the last 15 years!

 

 

Here’s what Therese wrote in her own words:

The Venus Factor Program has been life changing. It has not only changed my weight but my body shape and mental attitude. I am nearly 54 years old and thought I was stuck as a fat, tired, old person until I did the research that brought me to the Venus Factor Program.

I started this research in Jan. 2014 when I weighed 204 pounds. As I was spending the time to make the best choice possible I continued to work on my weight loss with the vast knowledge I had gained over the many years of using every diet I came across from fad, Weight Watchers, injections, specialty foods etc. only to become an expert on loosing and gaining weight.

Even having a degree in Family and Consumer Education with an emphasis in nutrition wasn’t enough. This time I needed to make it my last time so in June of 2014 I started with Venus Factor weighing 193 pounds.

I had only lost 10 pounds during the 6 months prior. This contest has only been a process in my journey.

Yes, and what a journey it has been! I have changed habits that I thought were impossible to change.

I no longer eat in the evening–a childhood habit that I have had all my life. I now exercise every week at least three times per week. I have not done this since high school–36 years ago–WOW.

I also believed I could not loose weight during the school year as being a school counselor is too stressful and has many evening obligations.

I have proved that wrong.

The pictures I have included really show my journey.

The shorts I am in I bought in the beginning of the summer. They fit perfectly, size 10. They are my smallest shorts as I don’t want to waste money on clothes I am going to be too small for to wear in the near future.

Now, they are too big. The swim suits I am in I have had for 20 years and have not put them on for the last 15 years.

The pictures showing my before Venus pictures and were I was during the journey before this contest show where I have come from and the direction I am going.

This contest is not the end but just one more step in my journey.

Today, I challenged my husband to who can get abs first–me or him. It is going to be me!!!

Since I have been doing the Venus Factor my husband has lost 30 pounds and two of my four children who are home for the summer have both lost weight.

The journey I am on has no finish line.

I will continue the weight loss with maintenance process until I reach my Venus Factor figure and then I will continue to strengthen my body and maintain the weight loss.

 

Here is Therese giving her very own video testimonial:

 

And I had the opportunity to interview Therese over skype: Игровые автоматы бесплатно и без дополнительной загрузки. Игровые автоматы абсолютно бесплатно и без регистрации, запустить их можно онлайн без регистрации, запустить их можно онлайн казино Вулкан на интерес каждому предоставлены на интерес каждому предоставлены на интерес каждому предоставлены на интерес каждому предоставлены на интерес каждому предоставлены на выбор виды бесплатных . игры онлайн бесплатно автоматы Выбираем сначала платформу автоматов, потом — сам аппарат. Вы можете попробовать игровые автоматы бесплатно абсолютно бесплатно абсолютно каждый посетитель нашего игрового зала, без регистрации и без регистрации, запустить их можно онлайн может себе это позволить, подобраны залы с наивысшими показателями всех важных параметров достойного азартного клуба. Игровые автоматы абсолютно каждый .

Three Venus ladies TAKE IT TO THE STREET!

FRAME-Pam Helen Roberta

One of our latest contest winners, Helen, travelled from Africa to visit us in California.

Helen lives in Africa but is here visiting family.  Pam lives in California near me, so we all got together at Pam’s house for a workout, good food, and some Venus chatting around the table.

We made a little video of the visit and wanted to share our struggles and victories with others.

 

We all had to change our habits

Each of us lost a lot of weight, Venus confirmed what we had been learning and took us to that upper bar we all searched for to be our own best.

Even though we are different heights and body types, we all struggle.

We all have stress.

We all wear different hats.

We all swim against the tide of too much food.

We all have to remind ourselves we need the awareness of food intake in order to stay healthy in modern society.

At first it feels sort of like too much work, but then you get in a groove.

Many habits feel like too much at first.

So give yourself TIME.

Riding a bike for the first time when we were young felt like it was too hard.

We fell and scraped our knees and got bruises.

But we got back up and pushed through.

Over time we got our balance and now we can just hop on and do it.  Even when it’s been years since we’ve been on a bike.  The muscle memory comes right back.

Well it’s the same thing with eating habits.

We all have to learn new ways to deal with stress.  It does not have to be about food.

 

Pam-Helen-Roberta-Workout-Collage

Oh we had such a blast working out together!

What if you don’t like to workout?

Working out is a great way to relieve stress.  Even those who never enjoyed workouts all their lives eventually find a way to see the value.

Changing your health with a workout, especially resistance training, is very empowering.  You end up moving with agility and a bounce in your step in all aspects of your life.

The combination of learning to ditch the excess unhealthy fat and building a powerhouse body for all you do in your life is an amazing way to build success in all areas of your life.

It changes your life in ways you would never have dreamed of.

The workouts themselves produce endorphin’s in your body and make you FEEL GOOD.

Luckily Pam’s neighbors didn’t mind us playing our music and flipping tires and running screaming with fire hoses;  They got a good chuckle out of it.

What about the food?

We all swim against the tide of too much food.  We just lost our awareness that it is too much intake that makes us store unhealthy fat.

Most of us can eat more than we need.  We are designed to eat when food is available.

Well, it’s always available.

So we simply have to learn to say no sometimes.

 

FRAME-pumpkin custard with PB2 frosting

Sometimes having new recipes helps.  It helps to have lower calorie foods with high protein for balancing out the high calorie higher fat/carb days.

It is all about balance.

Pam made Helen and I the protein custard recipe I came up with last year.  She added a peanut butter frosting.  Everything is better with frosting!

FRAME-Pam's Spinach Dip

Pam also made a spinach dip.  She sauteed raw spinach with coconut oil and added goat cheese and blended artichoke hearts.

We ate the dip with gluten free crackers because both Pam and Helen have Celiac disease.

I counted out 16 chips because even gluten free carbs can add up really fast.

We all learn that too much HEALTHY food is still too much food and can make you store extra fat.

Most of us will want MORE food.

We have to remind ourselves that we can have more next time!

We put together a fun homegrown video showing our workout and chatting about our struggles at the table.

We hope you enjoy it.

We realize not all everyone has time to watch a 12 minute video of us goofing off, so we also created an audio podcast of us sharing our struggles and giggling around the table.

Have a beautiful Friday and a great weekend!

It is full of opportunity to for healthy choices and changing habits!

 

Never Settle

Never Give Up

Live Your Dream

-Coach Roberta

Helen takes the Venus program around the globe.

Helen took the community with her to Luanda and Angola in Africa.

Helen took the community with her to Luanda and Angola in Africa.

 

Helen is 49 years old and has struggled with her weight since her teens.

Sound familiar?

It seems like all the diets want to make you believe you can eat an unlimited amount of certain foods.

It feels like a mystery sometimes as to why the weight comes off.

And then you revert back to your “normal” foods and it all comes back.

So really there are no secret foods.  The secret is the AMOUNT of food; the correct energy balance for your own self.

That is what the Venus program teaches you.  How to find your own energy balance.

There is no one size fits all.  There is no magic formula.  But there are tools to help you find your own balance.

The transformation is just a small snapshot in time.  12 weeks is not very long.  But during that 12 weeks Helen started learning her balance.  She lost 13 pounds in 12 weeks, 2.3 inches in her waist, 3 inches in her shoulders, and 4 inches in her hips.

But more than that she gained confidence and finally showed the muscle tone she wanted.

 

Here is what Helen said about the 12 weeks in her own words:

 

I have struggled with my weight since my teens. I have always loved to work out, I was a runner, then did triathlons, but never looked like I did those things.

Then two years ago I had a total knee replacement and thought that I would bounce right back because I was athletic. I did recover functionally, though I do not have full extension in my right leg, but I can do quite a bit.

My weight has gone up and down since I can remember. It seems as if I was always trying something, vegetarian, Paleo, and all. I wanted something that basically told me I could eat an unlimited amount of food. I would lose some weight, but I tried not to get on the scale because it really was a mental issue with me.

I live overseas in Luanda, Angola in Africa and the food choices are very different from what is in the states. I do bring some things back when we come home, but I needed a program that did not rely on special meals. Being gluten free in a third world country is tough enough, but not being able to find other food was frustrating as well.

Also being a doctoral student , a stay at home mom, online instructor, and homeschooling my youngest son makes life a bit hectic as well, but working out has always been “my time”.

I found Venus while on the internet, downloading one more “thing” that would be a quick fix. I downloaded it, but just the basic program, I wanted to start with just that. I had started and stopped so many different things, and each time I switched, it was a day to “start anew” and give myself one more day of thinking I could eat what I wanted. I had started another 12 week program, but the food suggestions were impossible to acquire in Africa. I read the Venus program and thought this makes sense, you can eat what you want, you just have to account for it.

I kept thinking of all the people I knew who were thin, they didn’t eat like I did, they ate less. It just made sense. You have to eat less, and the only way you are going to do that is to track what you are putting in your mouth. I decided to start the 12 week protocol, and never thought about the contest.

Then the miracle of the Venus community happened, and all these amazing ladies, some who had already achieved amazing results, some who had quite a way to go, and some that were just like me, needing to lose, but not far from Venus numbers. I loved listening to their advice, their triumphs, their questions, and respected their challenges. It took me awhile to start blogging.

I kept thinking who is gonna want to hear my issues, I am a nurse, and it has always been my job to take care of others. But you start and you feel this connection and it’s a really great feeling. There was a group of ladies that were going to commit to the contest, and I thought why not.

I am committed to the program no matter what, so let’s see what I can do in 12 weeks. It is interesting because the timing comes right as we travel back to the US and usually I start focusing on all those foods that you haven’t had for 6 months.

This time I said to myself, you can have that food, but every bite that goes in your mouth will be tracked. I had a serious “coming to Jesus” moment realizing all the calories in some of the foods I thought I was so “good” in eating. I still decided to see it through, and there were days that I was not perfect, but I wouldn’t give up.

To me being a Venus means the process is a journey of learning and Venus fits in my lifestyle. Just as it was said in the beginning, the program is simple, but not always easy, but neither is life, and I feel such a connection to so many ladies on the forum, that my greatest hope is that one day I can meet them.

I will continue on this journey, and I am not where I want to be, but I much better than where I started.

Thank you everyone at Venus.

Helen

 

FRAME-Helen-in-the-community-SQUARE-PIC

Helen found the online community to be a huge part of her success. She made friends. With her travels around the world she was able to take her friends with her where ever she went.  She found a very nice group of ladies who listened and answered her questions and supported her.  And now she helps others.  Because that’s what we do at Venus.  We learn and we pay it forward.  But we also all still need the support of our friends and it’s an awesome thing.  That’s how friendships work isn’t it?

 

You can find Helen in the online community and read her blog there, and you can listen to her tell her story in our audio podcast:

Pam learned you can’t outrun too much food!

 

FRAME-Pam-BnA-Venus-Article

Like so many of us Pam used to be a long distance runner.  There is nothing wrong with distance running, but it may not be the best strategy for fat loss like most of us thought.

The excess endurance workouts make us fatigued, drive some of our needed hormones down, thus makes us extra hungry and then we overcompensate with extra food.  This hinders fat loss.

Pam has always loved working out, but when she switched her focus to resistance training and diet she found success.

 

Pam LAF gym

Pam has always loved working out! The right workouts and diet helped her succeed at what she loves most.

 

Pam was one of our Venus Transformation contest winners.  Here is her story in her own words:

Here I am a personal trainer who is supposed to be helping my clients get fit and I was not fit and a bit fat! I complained to my husband a lot about how horrible I felt. I just really didn’t know what to do and was feeling very low. I was at a high weight for me 159.8 and pulling my hair out.

Then I remembered Venus.

I had purchased ESE a while back and read it and it all made sense but it just wasn’t the right time in my life to implement it. I had listened to Venus podcasts before and thought the whole concept was nuts! I mean, I am a fitness professional- eating below 1000 calories and skipping meals is horrible for your metabolism!

Yes, I fell into so many of the fitness fallacies, it’s not even funny. I got every fitness magazine, email from too many health experts, books by the loads of people in the health field- I thought I knew it all. Well, obviously I didn’t.

So, I bought Venus in August and jumped in with both feet. The time was right for me and I needed to make a change. I kept the first month under wraps. I didn’t want to tell my husband and then have it not work. I remember finally telling him and being amazed at the results and happy to have finally found out what works for me.I feel like I have an advantage over a lot of the other girls in Venus. I have a lot of exercise experience, was familiar with all of the exercises, thrived on the weight workouts and have a bench and weights in my backyard so it was super easy to fit into my day.

Reading the blogs from newbies who haven’t really exercised or aren’t able to do more than a couple workouts a week made me feel like I was so far ahead of the game! And not only do I love working out, I really love the Venus workouts. I love how it’s hard work but not so crazy hard it leaves you wiped for the rest of the day. I was working for a women’s boot-camp style gym for the prior 3 years where we did a lot of box jumps, burpees, jump lunges etc and it was super fun but really exhausting.

 

Beautiful-Pam-LAF-gym

 

I never felt like that after a Venus workout. In fact my body felt so great that I lifted almost every day of the last 2 months. And felt better and stronger every single day. 1-2 times a week I even got in double days. My body has always thrived on movement and the Venus workouts really have made a huge difference in my world.

There are so many things I have learned along the way these last 12 weeks.  I was a holier than thou, super judgmental, food snob who needed to relax, stop reading everything regarding health and fitness and just make it happen. Venus put me on the right path. The one I’ve wanted now for so, so long. I finally feel like I’ve got the magic ticket to life long health and fitness. There were a few stumble forwards along the way just like I had heard on so many of the podcasts. But that is life- it’s never just all smooth sailing.

 

FRAME Pam-Sherman-pretty-after-picture

 

On a final note, I cannot really believe how this year has turned out for me. The beginning was so horrible. Death, illness, depression, injury- I was just a huge mess. To have turned almost all aspects around and be in the best shape of my life at 47 is thrilling! Not only did I go through with it, I rocked it and had a hell of a time along the way.

Thank you for this amazing program.
The community is amazing.
The program is phenomenal.
It is life changing.

Pam

 

 

Pam is on the left and still enjoys the Venus Lifestyle.

Pam is on the left and still enjoys the Venus Lifestyle.

 

Pam still loves working out even more than ever now.  She enjoys summer vacations and time with her family.  We all have seasons of the year and seasons of our life.  We fluctuate a little as our bodies have these ebbs and flows and seasons.  But that is life.  Because of Venus we know what to do if we want to “work a little off”.   Sometimes we might get a little “off peak” after summer vacations, but it’s no big deal.  We slowly and patiently bring it back, and we KNOW it’s never the end of the world when we take the time to enjoy life a little.

 

Shampy Sherman-Boughner (the dog), and me with Pam couple of days ago when we recorded today's podcast.

Me and “Shampy Sherman” and Pam a couple days ago when we recorded today’s podcast.

 

You can find Pam active in our online community as an Ambassador, you can read her blog in there, and you can see her in a video interview.

 

Here’s the audio podcast where you can hear Pam tell her story:

Ten days left to go in the Venus Transformation Contest VT14

With the deadline quickly approaching we thought you could use a little more motivation for the final stretch.

So here’s another tale of a successful and powerful Venus who started the program this year.

I first met Jonda in person on March 6 of this year.

I first met Jonda in person on March 6 of this year at the Firehouse in Old Sacramento

 

You have to be READY to make a change.

Jonda is a successful business woman with a busy career.  She had purchased the Venus program a while back but found she was not quite ready to start.  She had a number of health issues to sort out, so she found me and we connected on Facebook.

She lives on the East Coast in the USA and happened to be visiting a business partner in California where I live.  She contacted me on March 6th and we decided to meet for dinner.  It was a wonderful and elegant meeting at the Firehouse restaurant in Old Sacramento.  We talked about Venus and various diet strategies, but mostly just had a beautiful time with her business partner Julia.

What happened when Jonda was finally READY?

Jonda came back to California and "Kidnapped" me for an overnight Venus meeting.

Jonda came back to California and “Kidnapped” me for an overnight Venus meeting.

On April 20th Jonda Lowe came to California and “kidnapped” me for a Venus slumber party.

I reluctantly took a break from my normal busy life and allowed her and her business partner Julia to love on me and pray for me during the overnight capture.

 

We went for a nice long walk in the hills where the cows wandered nearby.

We went for a nice long walk in the hills where the cows wandered nearby.

 

During the visit we made my beloved homemade popcorn cooked in coconut oil and went for long walks in the hills where cows wander freely.

Jonda peppered me with questions over dinner, of which I of course did not mind.

It’s my passion. It’s what I write about every day.

She is vegetarian because of health needs and thus needed some help figuring out the holes in her diet in order to achieve her goals.

With the Venus workout and principles, along with supplements to fill the holes in her diet, we came up with a plan.

Jonda is one of those who really took it to heart and applied it. She is driven. She has passion. She has fire.

Not only that, she is genuine, loving, kind, and highly ethical and professional.  She is female POWER through and through, as she forges her own destiny with the gifts God has given her.

She takes action with guidance.

And she learns from mistakes. Has she made a few mistakes since April 20th until today?

Absolutely, but she knows how to regroup and keep forging ahead.

 

Did the strategy work?

Well here’s the data..

 

Calories over time

Calories over time

 

Jonda's meal plan on July 18th.

Jonda’s meal plan on July 18th.

 

Here’s what she says in her own words:

Messing around with the reports section on MFP. My only regret Roberta is that I didn’t take the 1000 cal with 100g of protein daily regimen more seriously at the beginning of my transformation. I convinced myself that the extra 150-200 cal/day wasn’t that big of a deal and what could an extra 20g of protein matter? Well I found out that cutting the 150-200 calories and adding in an extra 20+g of protein keeps me full and I am cruising toward my ideal Venus Index weight. I want to give a special shoutout to Will Grumke. When I first added the 1st Phorm’s Bliss Go Pack, I was getting hungry. Will encouraged me to eat closer to the 100g of protein per day to stay full. I’ll say it again, the Program works if you do!

 

But that’s just the diet side of the coin.

What about the workouts?

When we were together in April Jonda asked a lot of questions about the workouts and what her strategy should be for equipment. She decided to join a nearby gym.  Once she started there was no stopping.  She posted a lot of gym updates on her Facebook profile and posted questions on my timeline.  This kept her accountable and by posting the questions on my timeline others got the benefit of seeing the answers.  She inspired others the whole way.

 

Jonda at the gym on July 22 this past week!

Jonda at the gym on July 22 this past week!

 

Do you see how much she has changed since our walk in the hills with the cows in April?

She is amazing.  She is inspiring.  She is an example to all those around her.

She is going places. You might want to follow in her footsteps.

Pretty amazing what you can do when you:

Never give up
Never settle
Live your dream

 

What about the Venus Contest?

Clearly contest or no contest Jonda has already WON.

This is what Venus is all about.  Changing your life, Living your Dream.

But if you happen to be participating in the current Venus contest VT14, the deadline to submit your final pictures is August 3rd, 2015.  Make sure you get your final pictures in before then because the contest form closes at exactly midnight.

If you have any questions or problems entering your material into the contest contact me:  roberta.saum@gmail.com

Now, go WIN your LIFE BACK!

-Coach Roberta

Venus contest news; things are changing up for the better

Leanne before and after

Leanne before and after

 

The next Venus Transformation contest (VT14) starts on May 11th.  Do not attempt to enter your pictures before May 11th.  The contest entry form will open on the 11th.

The current contest winners for VT13 will be announced right here on the Venus Blog next Friday May 8th.

As many you inside the Venus community have noticed, we have a new online platform.  The team behind the scenes is making things better for all of us.

There will be a new contest entry form:

Venus-contest-dashboard-with-arrow-frame

 

Once you get there and click on the contest it will be obvious where to put your measurements and pictures.

The following will be needed from you:

  • Age
  • Weight
  • Height
  • Shoulders
  • Waist
  • Hips

 Pictures (bikini or two piece) used for primarily for judging:

1) Front – Facing camera with arms at your side

2) Side – 90 degrees to the camera with your arms at your side

3) Back – Facing away from the camera, with your arms at your side

The pictures need to be full body head to toe. It is very important that for your front, side, and back poses your arms are down at your sides but not covering your waist and that they are full body head to toe pictures.  Do not crop out your face or your feet.

4) Newspaper picture –   This should be a current issue of the national or local newspaper in order to validate the day you took the picture. You need to take a picture in this same group of pictures with the current day’s newspaper in your hand and the front page visible.

 

Pictures (NOT bikini) used for winner publications and future publications:

This can be in workout clothes, yoga pants, dresses, skirts, or whatever you are comfortable with that also shows your change in shape when comparing before and after.  We would like to publish more pictures that are non-bikini like Leann’s picture.

5) Front – Facing camera with arms at your side

6) Side – 90 degrees to the camera with your arms at your side

7) Back – Facing away from the camera, with your arms at your side

The pictures need to be full body head to toe. It is very important that for your front, side, and back poses your arms are down at your sides but not covering your waist and that they are full body head to toe pictures.  Do not crop out your face or your feet.

8) Newspaper picture –   This should be a current issue of the national or local newspaper in order to validate the day you took the picture. You need to take a picture in this same group of pictures with the current day’s newspaper in your hand and the front page visible.

So as you can see, there will be eight pictures to enter.

As you make progress during the 12 week contest look for pictures of when you were at your biggest weight.  We would like one submitted with the final pictures.

We will only use first names for all publications.

The only deadline is the last day of the contest, August 3rd.

All start and finish entries can be entered any time during the 12 week contest window:   May 11th – August 3rd

We look forward to hearing more progress stories and can’t wait to announce the winners of VT13

-Coach Roberta

Support