Laura Found Venus to be a Healthy Lifestyle NOT a Get-Fit-Quick Scheme

Laura before and after Venus - Front Clothes

Laura placed in our recent VT15 Venus Transformation Contest.

She did a phenomenal job and her results display the hard work she put in.

Laura before and after Venus - Side

Laura lost 7 inches from her waist and 7 inches from her hips in only 12 weeks! WOW!

Here is what Laura had to say in her own words:

“My experience with the Venus Factor system”

I have to say that I was a teeny bit skeptical about the Venus System when I first went through all the elements. Yes it made sense from a scientific point of view, but there are so many other get fit schemes in the market that I wanted to make sure I was putting my beloved body through a safe and trustworthy system. I then researched and discovered that John Barban is a fitness genius and has plenty of credibility. His explanations are valid, so I make the commitment and signed up! The primary focus I took was on the eating system using the morning fasts about 4 days per week, which made reaching the deficit goal much easier! I was not hungry apart from some days on a couple difficult weeks. Juicing from time to time helped me to get in extra vegetables and healthy nutrients. The forums are also great to read, they were instrumental to me at the beginning to wrap my head around how to really implement this into my life on a daily basis. The fantastic tips I learned from Roberta, Lissa (ah-mazing recipes thanks) as well as the other coaches and regulars on the posts and podcasts gave invaluable, uplifting recommendations. I have weights and other personal fitness gear so I could do modified workouts if I was working from home, on my back deck or would make the trip to a gym. I also bike to work a few times a week though as warned, that can be a little too much and make me more hungry and tired, so I avoided excessive cardio. Since I work in the field of health and physical education I wanted to be walking my talk more since I had got out of past routines over the last year with extra stress and responsibility adding pounds on. The Venus Factor system was the vehicle I needed to get there! The first few weeks of my subscription I lost 4 pounds but there was no contest to start until late August, then I lost the rest of the pounds and inches here in Contest 15! I am delighted to have improved my body to where I feel stronger and more energetic. I can even say focus is better. I have received several compliments and am motivated to keep going in order to shred, shape and tone even more! This is the end of one contest but the beginning of a new framework that is now over the weeks ingrained into me, on how to live a healthier lifestyle. I’m going to keep going until I reach my goals. Thanks Venus Factor!

Laura before and after Venus - Back

Laura’s Metrics

Weight Height Waist Shoulders Hips
Before 151 lb 67.5 in 36 in 45.3 in 42 in
After 141 lb 67.5 in 28.8 in 42.3 in 35 in
Deltas -10 lb 0 in -7.3 in -3 in -7 in

 

Listen to Laura’s interview with Liss below, or download it for later:

A fitness trainer at age 50? This Venus CAN! (Meet Sandra)

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Sandra placed in our last Venus Transformation Contest.

She thought she was doomed to middle aged hormones as age 50 approached, but with Venus she learned this was simply a myth.  Here’s what she said about her transformation pictures:

The 1st photo is from February 2015 and the 2nd is November 2015. 9 months, 35 pounds and over 3′ (that’s a yardstick) of inches! Am I proud of allowing myself to get in the previous state? No, I’m not! BUT, I am proud of the fact that I made a change! And it’s a change for life…thanks to Venus!

This journey re-stirred a passion of fitness for me and I re-certified to be a personal trainer. If you would like to lose some weight and/or gain some muscle mass, I will definitely help you achieve your goals!

 

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If I was looking for a trainer I would certainly want Sandra!  She has a lot to say about the Venus program:

 

I, like a lot of women, had succumbed to the mindset of…I’m getting older, I have health issues, my metabolism stinks, I’m starting menopause, blah, blah, blah. I had given up and given in to all these excuses. I had had my first knee surgery in 2008, 2nd one in 2009, and the 3rd one in 2011. All of which I gained a few pounds during recovery. In 2012, I went to a neurologist for chronic back pain resulting from an injury in 2010.

All the testing he did came back with a result of a high positive FANA, which has to do with your auto immune system. After 2 years, multiple doctors and every test known to man, no one could find anything wrong. But I knew from the “swelling” in my face and body, that something was wrong.

Little did I know, or more so, did I want to admit, was that “swelling” was called FAT and that’s what I had become!

My wake up call came in February of this year. We had visited some family in Maryland, and of course everyone was taking pictures. My cousin posted a picture on Facebook, and when I saw it, my jaw dropped.

THAT wasn’t me!

But the sad fact of the matter, it WAS me, and it was totally not acceptable any more.

Within a week, I went to a gym nearby me and got a membership along with a personal trainer. Soon after that, I was surfing the internet one evening and “stumbled” upon this program called Venus. (I say “stumbled” because I believe everything happens for a reason when it’s supposed to happen.)

Hmmm…$47. I had already spent hundreds if not thousands on HcG, NutriSystem, Hydroxycut, Phentermine, personal training, a myriad of other OTC weight loss products, and other STUFF. What did I have to lose? Some weight?

Okay, I’m in. I started Venus at the end of March. When I would meet with my personal trainer, I would tell him, let’s do THIS workout. So over the course of the next several months, I was eating at deficit, doing intermittent fasting and doing Venus workouts!

The weight and inches started coming off! I was ecstatic! I was no longer experiencing back pain which was HUGE to me! I had thought of doing VT14 but ended up just shadowing it. About this time I had a revelation.

In 2008, I had studied and became a personal trainer. However, the economy wasn’t good at that time, so it was a short-lived career. But working out again stirred that old feeling in me of helping others accomplish their goals.

I talked with my gym about being a personal trainer and they immediately said yes. They were seeing me transform in front of their eyes. So I re-certified in the summer and started training at the beginning of November.

I was once again doing something that I LOVED, and that was helping others achieve their goals! Why have I told you MY story?

Because I know if I’m going through it, there has to be one other person that is going through the same thing. And maybe, just maybe, I can help one person.

What has Venus done for me?

It has EMPOWERED me!!!

I am so fortunate to have found Venus! It has saved my life!

The women I have met on this journey are phenomenal! Roberta Saum is the BOSS! She always provides her selfless time and knowledge to all of us.

Even though I have never met any of you, the friendships I have made are insurmountable! The support of all the women I have met through Venus is beyond words. And the tools that I have obtained…are PRICELESS!

I now KNOW, at the very young age of 50, that I will NEVER be overweight again!

I still have goals that I want for myself and I know that Venus will help me get there! At 50, I AM the BEST I have ever been and I can’t wait to see what else I can do!

Thank you John Barban for creating Venus!

-Sandra

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Listen to Sandra talk about her story now, or download the podcast for later:

How to overcome hypermobility and still become VENUS (Meet Kittery)

"Thank you Venus, thank you to the Brad’s, thank you Coach Roberta, thank you to all of my Venus Sisters, and last, but certainly not least, thank you to my amazing husband for helping me become the person that can finally look in a mirror and say, I am proud of the way I look!"

“Thank you Venus, thank you to the Brad’s, thank you Coach Roberta, thank you to all of my Venus Sisters, and last, but certainly not least, thank you to my amazing husband for helping me become the person that can finally look in a mirror and say, I am proud of the way I look!”

 

Kittery has an amazing story of overcoming an unusual health adversity.  She did not let it stop her!

Here’s what she said in her own words:

24 months ago, I made a choice. It was an easy choice to make, but one that hasn’t always been easy to stick to. The choice I made was to NOT be the usual frumpy grandma.

At my heaviest I weighed in at 214, and was absolutely disgusted with how I looked, but all the cardio and weightlifting I was doing wasn’t getting me hardly anywhere.

I lost about 15 pounds, but couldn’t seem to go any further. I had very little energy and figured that I was as far as I was going to get.

Then my husband found Venus for me.

This program has truly changed my life. The support through the community is amazing. Because of a relatively rare condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome – Hypermobility Type, I can not really lift weights, so I do all of the exercises with nothing more than 2-3 pound weights and bodyweight, and I have still lost a grand total of 50 pounds through the Venus Index program and I am certainly not a frumpy looking grandma!

One of the great things about Venus is that it makes sense. Eat less, move more.

That was where I had a challenge; eating less didn’t seem right with all of the previous “training” that all of us have been taught. However, if you follow the Undulating Protocol, the weight comes off!

Thank you Venus, thank you to the Brad’s, thank you Coach Roberta, thank you to all of my Venus Sisters, and last, but certainly not least, thank you to my amazing husband for helping me become the person that can finally look in a mirror and say, I am proud of the way I look!

Kittery

 

 

Kittery has an amazing story about this picture and the chair.  She tells all in her podcast.  She is a pretty AMAZING lady.

Kittery has an amazing story about this picture and the chair. She tells all in her podcast. She is a pretty AMAZING lady.

 

 

Listen to her amazing story now or download the podcast for later:

 

 

Donette Lost Over 100 lbs with Patience and Consistency

Donette Heaviest before and after

Donette at one of her heaviest weights before Venus and after, unbelievable!

Donette placed in our recent VT15 Venus Transformation Contest.

She did a phenomenal job and her results display the hard work she put in. Her transformation stretches out further than this 12 week period though, she has lost over 100 lbs!

Donette Start of Venus 2014 to Winning VT15
Donette before starting Venus in 2014 and after this 12 week contest, unbelievable!

Here is what Donette had to say in her own words:

 

No matter how many times you are told something, do we really hear it? How many times have I heard “the scale is just a number?” ” Don’t let the scale get you down” “the number on the scale does not define who you are” Yes I have those sayings up on my computers both at work and at home, on my mirror and my refrigerator. But I never really listened and opened up my mind till now. Let’s rewind 14 years ago when I moved here from Arizona a depressed 270lb single mother of an almost 3 year old. I had once had a membership to Bally’s before I married my first husband, but I was way too embarrassed to go back to that meat market setting, so I joined Curves for women. I did well with Curves, between their diet program and workout machines I dropped 70lbs. For several years I would bounce between 200-230. I couldn’t get below 200 then I would go back up. I tried Medifast, HCG, diet pills, 3 different Curves diet plans, everything would work for a little bit, but then I would put some back on. For my second wedding I was able to get down to 175, then after the wedding I was right back up. March of 2014 I was on Facebook and saw an ad that has changed my life. Do I normally look at ads? Nope, and I have no idea why I that day I chose to watch the full add for Venus Index but it was the best decision I ever made (along with the best $47.00 I have EVER spent!) March to November I did well, I followed the protocol, all my days weren’t perfect but life is a learning process. I wasn’t really interested in the weight lifting. I hated it when I had to in school, me Bally’s experience was horrible so there was no way I was joining a “real” gym. My son and I would do a workout or two per week and that was about it. I was able to drop down to the low 170’s and would go back up to 180. I introduced my sister to Venus in November, she was going to Gold’s and I decided to start going with her @ 5am. We would work the machines 2 days a week and were doing the main Venus program the other 3. dropped down another 10lbs into the 165-170’s. Starting in January this year Gold’s was doing a contest coinciding with Venus, I thought perfect I can do both at the same time! Did well the first 6 weeks then fell apart. I was higher at the end than when I started, and I didn’t even finish VT13. So VT14 came around, again I’m going to do this, made it 8 weeks and crashed and burned. At that point I felt my body was wanting to stay right where it was at and I was done. My only goal at that point was to just finish the contest, which I did. I started this contest balls to the wall staying at my 1000 calorie deficit with maintenance days, working out 2 times a day, then 4 weeks or so in Labor Day hit. I was running my Chihuahua in an AKC Agility trial and at the end of my run: I came down hard on my right leg, jamming my knee and messed up a ligament. Holy Crap! I don’t have time for this, I’m trying to get Fiona to AKC Nationals next year, I’m driving across country with 3 dogs that I have registered in the TDAA Nationals in October. I’m kicking butt and staying on track and all of the sudden it all comes to a screeching halt. Or so I though at first . Turns out this injury that kept me from doing and lower body work besides walking for 4 weeks ws the best thing that could have happened to me. Liss put me in touch with my mind. Yeah I know it sounds kinda weird, but she sent me homework to work on my mind, to change the way I think of myself and to improve my self-confidence. Instead of throwing in the towel, I put up the scale. Instead of giving up on me (like I have done so many times before), I gave to myself. I gave myself the freedom to quit worrying about the wrinkles, the stretch marks, hips, belly and bat wings. Instead I have found the good in them. I realized I need to love myself. Once I started to love myself, so many good things started to happen. Barriers and walls that I had built on my mind started coming down. My self-confidence is rising and I’ve been able to do some of the things I though I could never do. The best thing is that none of them had a thing to do with a scale or what “number” I’m at. Vacation was a blast; my girls ran great with me and even earned placements at the National event. I was able to make great choices travelling for 10 days and maintained the entire time. Even though I had fun with Liss’s band workouts she sent to me to use at the hotel, I realized I LOVE my weight lifting and missed it! After we came back from vacation, I hit another 20+ year goal of climbing the Manitou Incline. I was afraid to try, 1 mile up over 2,000 steps and I can not remember the elevation change. It took us 2 hours, but we did it and I can’t wait to do it again! I also bought my very first “little black dress”. Besides my wedding dress, my husband had never seen me in a dress before. My son rides a dirt bike and my husband and I have ATV’s that we like to ride when we get a chance. All of my ATV pants are what the call OTB or over the boot pants. I would have to buy those because I could not get my calves and pants both into my boots. The beginning of the year I bought a pair of regular pants, the calves fit, but I could not get them zipped. WOOHOO they finally fit, now I’m ready to ride! Yes I’ve had my stumbles along the way and will continue to have more in my journey. Now I have gained the knowledge and I have the tools to move on and get past those struggles to a greater place in my mind. I have the loving support of my husband and son, and a wonderful Venus family. What’s next? No longer are the thoughts of I can’t, because I know I can do anything I put my new healthier mind to. Balloon ride, Whitewater rafting, zipline again this summer, hiking a 14ner in my new boots I earned just this week, they are on my short list. Who knows you just might see me running one of my girls on TV someday 🙂

Donette Heaviest before and after black dress

Donette at one of her heaviest weights before finding Venus and after, WOW!

"All of my ATV pants are what the call OTB or over the boot pants. I would have to buy those because I could not get my calves and pants both into my boots. The beginning of the year I bought a pair of regular pants, the calves fit, but I could not get them zipped. WOOHOO they finally fit, now I'm ready to ride!"

“All of my ATV pants are what the call OTB or over the boot pants. I would have to buy those because I could not get my calves and pants both into my boots. The beginning of the year I bought a pair of regular pants, the calves fit, but I could not get them zipped. WOOHOO they finally fit, now I’m ready to ride!”

 

Donette’s Metrics

Weight Height Waist Shoulders Hips
Before 165 lb 69 in 31 in 42 in 40 in
After 151 lb 69 in 28.5 in 42 in 38 in
Deltas -14 lb 0 in -2.5 in 0 in -2 in
Donette before and after side 12 weeks

Donette before and after side 12 weeks

 

Donette before and after - she can run her dogs and hike any mountain!

Donette before and after – she can run her dogs and hike any mountain!

Donette is a beautiful Venus! Nothing can stop her now!

Listen to Donette’s interview with Liss below, or download it for later:

Laura Placed in VT14 and Did not Even Want to Take Pictures

Laura placed in our recent VT14 Venus Transformation Contest.

She did a phenomenal job and her results display the hard work she put in. In 12 short weeks, she transformed losing 10 pounds of fat and 1.5″ from her waist!

Venus Laura Front Before and After

Laura before Venus and 12 short weeks after! WOW!

 

 

Here is what Laura had to say in her own words

I’m a wife and a full time home mother of two little ones. I started to join the Venus work out class not to long ago because I was trying to find the work out class that I like in all the aspects. In a short time started to love it! Later our Venus instructor told me about to join the challenge and I thought it was not for me and I said to many excuses to myself but I decided to join. I made it trough and I gain so much more than I though. I might not did my full goals but I gain more confidence in my self and more self-steem. I’m so glad that I did it and I definitely will go for more.

Venus Laura back Before and After

Laura made a transformation in 12 short weeks, but she did almost not take the final pics to submit. She did not think she had changed that much! Listen to her podcast at the bottom for more details and her exciting news!

 

Venus Laura Clothes Front Before and After

Laura’s Metrics

Weight Height Waist Shoulders Hips
Before 149 lb 65 in 30 in 40.5 in 40 in
After 139 lb 65 in 28.5 in 40 in 40 in
Change -10 lb 0 in -1.5 in -0.5 in 0 in

Venus Laura side Before and After

Listen to Laura’s podcast interview with Coach Liss below or download to listen later.

Denise Rocked VT14 and Her Goal Jeans!!


Denise had such great success with Venus that it was no surprise to see her place in the last contest.   She lost an amazing 33 pounds and 7.5 inches from her waist!!!


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Can you believe she did this in 12 weeks??

 

What Worked for Her

She attributes that success to three simple things:

1. Delaying her first meal of the day

2. Saving her favorite foods for her maintenance days

3. Taking part in the Venus community

She used the contest to drive her, made working out a priority and now it is part of her routine.  She has such a huge heart and made time to encourage others while going through her own changes.  Here she is in her goal jeans MUCH sooner than she planned.


 

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Rocking the goal jeans!!

Listen in on our interview here:

Can a Vegetarian Venus stop the YO-YO? Yes, this girl Jonda can!

Jonda-BnA-Venus-Article

Since it is the halfway point through the Venus Transformation Contest VT15 we thought you could use a little motivation to keep you going.

Jonda did the diet Yo-Yo all her life.  Big time!

She placed first in our last transformation contest.

Jonda says she is NEVER GOING BACK to the diet Yo-Yo!  And she is proving that true still to this day.

Jonda says she is NEVER GOING BACK to the diet Yo-Yo! And she is proving that true still to this day.

 

Here is what she had to say in her own words:

I have fought weight all of my life…as a child, a teenager and an adult. My mom tells me that I was born 3 weeks late. I weighed 9lb 3oz. She says I stayed in there 3 extra weeks to eat. I remember asking my dad to take me to Weight Watchers in 6th grade and he did. I was 5’5” and weighed 154lbs. I came out of the program weighing 119lbs.

That lasted through high school and then in my freshman year of college I married and was pregnant with my first child 3 months later. I delivered at 200 and then starved myself back down to 125 before my college graduation. Slowly but surely the weight crept back up and I found myself pregnant with my second child and delivered at 225lbs.

My weight has fluctuated between 122lbs–180lbs several times over the last 20 years. Why? Because I never understood how my body works and frankly, there is a lot of bad information out there.

I will forever be an ambassador for this program.

Women face challenges that men don’t. We deserve to know what REALLY works and when we are wasting our time. This is not a difficult program. It is however a mindset. You have to be at that point in your life when you really want it.

That’s why I was able to put all of Roberta’s advice to work when I personally met her earlier this year. I was ready!!! We connected on FB over 2 years ago.

I read all the material, understood it and tried to incorporate deficit days and the eat-stop-eat (fasting) regimen. Didn’t get too far with the workouts but did drop a few pounds that found their way back to me. I had plenty of distractions in my life…things I put ahead of ME and my happiness. It finally occurred to me that I was in control of my happiness and I started “cleaning house”.

It’s true that when you surround yourself with a positive environment you can’t help but be positive yourself!

And well, the opposite is true too.

You decide who is in your life, where you work, where you live, what you put in your body…YOU, not a friend, spouse or anyone else. If there is something in your life you don’t like CHANGE it.

It won’t happen over night but figure out what you need to do and then do something each day that moves you toward what you want! And that’s exactly what I did.

My only regret 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 started cruising toward my ideal Venus Index weight.

The Program works if you do!

Jonda

 

Venus girlfriends from all over the world to meet with Jonda in California.

Venus girlfriends from all over the world got together to chat with Jonda in California.

 

Several of my Venus fitness colleagues from all over the world met at the beautiful Naggiar Vineyard and Winery to chat with Jonda:

 

You can read Jonda’s full transformation story and view the rest of the video interview with us on “The Jonda Lowe Transformation Story” and listen to the audio podcast right here:

 

Vanessa Quit Endless Running to get her Venus Body

Vanessa before and after Venus

Vanessa placed in our recent VT14 Venus Transformation Contest.

She did a phenomenal job and her results display the hard work she put in.

Vanessa bikini after

Here is what Vanessa had to say in her own words

Like many women, I have struggled with my weight my whole life. I was the chubby girl growing up and at the age of 16 decided just not eating would be the only way to lose the excess fat. I was trim and fit during early 20s when I was in the military, but after six months onboard ship; I packed on 20 pounds. I got married, and then had a child and I continued to fight with my weight dropping to a size 6, then back up to a size 12. At the age of 38, I finally had enough and went on a program and managed to lose 35 pounds and dropped from a size 14 to a size 2. I was able to keep that off for close to 7 years. But, again like most…”life happened”; we sold our home, we moved to a new state, I got a new job; we built a house (and lived in a hotel for a few months, which I strongly recommend against). During this time, I also decided I wanted to run a half marathon, so I started training for that. A lot of the materials talk about carb loading/glucose stores for long runs. That combined with a few overuse injuries and my job changed to work-from-home full time…added up to putting on weight again. So, what was my experience with Venus? I busted through two different weight plateaus that two years and several diets and exercise programs could not accomplish. But, not in two years; no I was able to finally lose the weight following the Venus Factor System in 12 weeks when I couldn’t do it with every other diet and exercise program on the market in 24 months. I call that a true success! I lost 8.2 lbs during this 12 week contest period but even greater, I lost 13 inches off my body. I had moved up to a size 6 but I am finally in my 2s again!! Do I still have work to do? Of course; I haven’t yet achieved my goal weight or goal waist size, but I know with hard work and dedication (never giving up or quitting); I will reach that goal once more and now I have the tools to truly stay there!!

 

Vaness at her heaviest to now using Venus

Vanessa at her heaviest to now using Venus

 

Vanessa after back

Vanessa loves the online Venus community

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

Vanessa Blog

Vanessa’s Metrics

Weight Height Waist Shoulders Hips
Before 130 lb 62 in 25.8 in 38.5 in 38 in
After 122 lb 62 in 24.7 in 38 in 36 in
Deltas -8 lb 0 in -1 in -0.5 in -2 in

 

Vanessa before and after Venus side

 

VANESSA  AFTER

 

Listen to Vanessa’s interview with Liss below, or download it for later:

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Tracie finally found something that worked to drop the baby weight

Tracy before and after

Tracie placed in our recent VT13 Venus Transformation Contest.

She did a phenomenal job and her results display the hard work she put in. She was late entering into the contest, so she did not even get a full 12 week run at it, and still she showed stunning results.

Tracy after

Here is what Tracie had to say in her own words

My decision to join Venus was fueled by looking at some pictures of myself & realizing that it was time to get rid of the baby weight. I tried a calorie counter & following various “drop weight fast” diets. It taught me a lot about how I had been eating. I did pretty good on my own & dropped about 20 lbs in 6 months (not exercising.) Then I plateaued & couldn’t get anywhere. I tried cardio & it only helped me to be hungry. I had heard of Venus & seen some of the results in person and online but I wasn’t ready to commit quite yet. The months dragged on with no real progress & I finally thought “What do I have to lose?” I joined with my best friend and the results were spectacular! In 8 weeks I’ve dropped 15 lbs & lost inches like crazy! My body is toned in ways that I hadn’t been since early high school. I’ve been shocked at the amount of people who have noticed & ask me what I’m doing – I’ve told so many people! People I’ve never really spoken to have approached me to comment on how great I look. Venus has given me more confidence in how I look & in how I deal with my children, spouse, & people in general. I want everyone to have the opportunity to transform themselves with the Venus program & I tell anyone who will listen about my Venus transformation. It truly is life changing. You don’t have to be perfect just trying my very best has provided amazing results! As a mother of 3 I love that I can do everything at home. I never dreamed I could have this great of a physique after having 3 kids. Thanks Venus!

Tracie with her best friend Erin

Tracie with her best friend Erin

Tracie loves the online Venus community

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

Tracie Venus Community

tracie before and after with same friend

 

Tracie’s Metrics Results

Weight Height Waist Shoulders Hips
Before 153 lb 70 in 30 in 42.5 in 39 in
After 140 lb 70 in 28 in 42 in 37 in
Deltas -13 lb 0 in -2 in -0.5 in -2 in

tracie before and after with baby

 

Tracie’s Written Interview (scroll down for podcast)

How did you find the Venus Factor?

I watched Coach Liss’ amazing transformation a few years ago. I wasn’t ready to start at that time because I was still having babies. Then when I finally was ready, I tried to just “eat healthier” but that wasn’t the answer for me. My best friend Erin is Liss’ sister-in-law & we decided to give Venus a try together. Having that accountability really pushed both of us to continue on!

What things had you tried in the past?

I found a diet on Pinterest that was a 10 day shred plan. I stayed on it for 14 days & it taught me a lot about how to make better eating choices. I also learned the importance of protein during that time! I was on & off that shred diet for around 6 months. I did dance workout DVD’s also & I lost about 20 pounds. But, I still wasn’t happy with my overall body shape.

What aspect of the program was most beneficial to you?

I think the fasting for 14-16 hours overnight helped me most. Thinking about my appetite as an on off switch made so much sense! Plus when I had 1100 calories to eat in an 8 hour period, I rarely felt hungry. Plus I love that no food was off limits. I LOVE pasta & the 11th & 12th week were the best because I finally could eat most of my calories as pasta!

Which workout(s) did you use during the contest?

All I did during the contest was the Venus workouts 3 times week. The only other thing I did was take walks with my kids.

What did you enjoy about those workouts?

They only took me an hour or an hour & a half to do. I was willing to commit that amount of time 3 days a week. Also, I always feel incredible after I’ve lifted! I might not enjoy doing the workout but I always look forward to the high afterwards!

Did you use a particular style of eating?

I get stuck on a particular food for lunch & I eat it for weeks at a time. I’m currently eating mushroom pizza made on a sandwich thin almost everyday for lunch. I don’t know if I have a “style” but, what helped me most was planning what I was going to eat for the day before I ever took a bite of food. That way I know what I can eat & when to eat it, so I’m not starving at 7 pm with no calories left.

What was your nutrition strategy?

Don’t go over my calorie limit & always hit my protein goal! I know I stay fuller longer & feel better if I eat all my protein. I also weigh everything I put in my mouth.

Did you use any supplements?

I take a multivitamin, fish oil, & a probiotic. The original shred diet introduced me to doing those daily.

Did you use the online community and if so, how was your experience with it?

I would get on & search if I had a question. There were posts answering every question that I ever had! I got more active after I completed my 12 weeks & I wish that I would’ve been active sooner because the women are all so amazing & encouraging!

What was the hardest obstacle to conquer?

I think it was not eating until I felt full. I cook big portions & my family enjoys eating my food. So I’d eat with them until I was full. Second helpings were not uncommon for me. I enjoyed the taste of food so I’d eat a lot very quickly & be miserable afterwards. Now that I weigh my portions I try to savor each bite!

What kept you motivated?

My best friend Erin was the best help. We’d ask each other about workouts & made sure the other one finished all 3 workouts each week. My husband was also very encouraging. He always told me that I was hot no matter what. But, the more I progressed the more he told me daily how awesome I was looking. Also, I started under growing my clothes so he told me that when I reached my goal I could buy new clothes. That really motivated me!!!

How did you feel about your final pictures?

My mom took my final pictures the day before they were due. So it was a bit rushed but I think they turned out so well! I still do a double take at my pictures because I remember how I looked before & I always think “that’s not me!”

Is this a lifestyle you will continue?

I always want to be a Venus woman! I believe that they are beautiful inside & out. They’re so encouraging & supportive of each other & they’re hot!!!

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

I hope everyone enters the contest! It helped push me on days when I just didn’t feel as motivated. Even if you don’t do the contest, take before & after photos. Photo results are very dramatic! They truly show how far you progress.

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Listen to Tracie’s interview with Liss and Jenny below:

Kirsty Set a Goal and Won VT13

Kirsty WON our recent VT13 Venus Transformation Contest!

She did a phenomenal job and her results display the hard work she put in. Kirsty brilliantly navigated through a full time career, social events, and going to graduate school during her stunning transformation.

 

 

Kirsty before and after using Venus Index for only 12 weeks!

 

Here is what Kirsty had to say in her own words

This was me on 19th January 2015 – And this was on 14th April 2015. 85 days later.

I had been unhappy with my weight for a very long time. I always wanted to be thinner, but I could never get there.
My dieting habit started in high school. I would decide one day that I was sick of being chubby. I would start dieting immediately, and would plan to keep going for as long as it took to become thin.
I would cut out fatty food and do heaps of extra exercise. It would work for a few weeks and I’d be happy for a while. When the weight loss started to slow down, I would start doing EVEN MORE exercise and eating EVEN LESS food with the expectation of getting even better results.
Anyone who has tried to lose weight this way knows that eventually, you hit the dreaded weight loss plateau where everything comes to a screaming halt. As you try and force through it, you become as strict as you can be and have constant negative thoughts, trying to figure out what you did wrong to stall your progress. Your mood gets progressively worse, and eventually your willpower gives out.
My goal was to be thinner, and every time I stopped losing weight, I had failed. I was tired, grumpy and felt like a failure so I would give up on the diet. Then I put on the weight again, and sometimes more than I started with. A few months later I would decide to “do something about it” and the cycle would start all over again.
Did you see the mistakes I made?

My goal was not SMART. Being “thinner” is not Specific, and it’s never Achievable either. No matter how thin you are, you can always be “thinner”. It is a moving goal post that you can never actually reach.
My determination to stick to it for as long as it took could be seen as admirable, but when you set a goal that will require tremendous will power, it should be Timed so that you have an end in sight. This can force you to work hard and not procrastinate, so that you achieve your goal by the deadline; but it’s also important so that you have permission to relax once you reach the end without feeling like you gave up.

This time around, I was SMART about it.
I started by clarifying in my mind the reason for wanting to lose weight. It was to have more energy and avoid health problems. The focus of my goal was switched from being “thinner” to being “a healthy weight” which directly supports my dream of living a long and active life.

– I signed up with Venus and got advice about what my ideal weight and measurements should be. From their calculations I set my goals to reach 55 kgs, and a waist measurement of 65 cms. These goals were both Specific, and Measurable.
– Now, I actually wasn’t completely convinced that it was Achievable. Through all my prior dieting, I had never, even at 16 years old, gotten below 60 kg. I thought it was impossible for me to reach 55. I had convinced myself over time that I was genetically programmed to be bigger than my friends. But I listened to the stories and advice of others in the group and decided that it was time for me to really challenge and push myself. This would be my Big Hairy Audacious Goal for 2015.
– Reaching my target of 55 kilos would place me right in the middle of the healthy BMI range and this was a relevant step toward my long term goal of taking care of my health. This is in sharp contrast to my previous goal of “losing as much weight as possible”.
– Venus holds regular body transformation competitions. I signed up to the next one they ran and that gave me the Timeframe to work with. I had three months to transform my body.
I used the trick I mentioned earlier, and set my computer password to 55Kilograms so I was reminded of the goal every day when I logged on. When the contest ended after three months, I weighed in at exactly 55.1kg. which was almost 8kg lower than the lightest I have been in my adult life.
Since the deadline had come, I was happy to round off and say that I had made it. I rewarded myself by shopping for clothes that I would never have been confident enough to wear before.
By achieving this difficult goal, I now have the confidence to know that if the weight does creep back on a bit, it won’t really matter for long because it is completely within my power to do it again.

Kirsty side 2 before and after Venus Index smaller

Kirsty’s Metrics Results

Weight Height Waist Shoulders Hips
Before 148 lb 63 in 32 in 43.5 in 38 in
After 137 lb 63 in 29 in 41.3 in 37 in
Change -11 lb 0 in -3 in -2.2 in -1 in
Kirsty is a stunning Venus

Kirsty is a stunning Venus

Kirsty’s Written Interview (scroll down for podcast)

How did you find the Venus Factor? – Life changing! My results surpassed all my expectations and while I wouldn’t say it was easy, it was definitely a comfortable level of effort. The idea of having “eat up” days so frequently (and not calling them cheating) was strange to me at first as I’d always been a bit “all or nothing” about dieting. Having permission to eat up, with well researched justification, was very liberating.

What things had you tried in the past? – I’ve been unhappy with my weight for as long as I can remember and at least once a year I would go on a diet. When I was younger it was an all or nothing approach – eat as little as I could and focus on vegetables, and do as much exercise as I had time for. Anyone who has tried to lose weight that way knows that sooner or later your willpower gives out, and you can never stick to that plan for long enough. In more recent years I’ve tried various types of diets – low fat, low carb, zero sugar, paleo, juice fasting… I had the most success (loss of 10 kilos) with completely eliminating sugar from my diet about 2 years ago but found it a very antisocial way to eat so even though I wanted to keep going I stopped that after 4 months and gradually put back all the weight I’d lost.

 

What aspect of the program was most beneficial to you? – The virtual nutritionist was great by taking all the guess work out of how much to eat. I’m an accountant and have a mind for numbers so calorie counting is a good method for me but each time I’ve tried before I never really knew what numbers I should be aiming for.

 

Which workout(s) did you use during the contest?  What did you enjoy about those workouts? – I did the basic 12 week Venus workout through the contest period. I really liked that I could just do them at home with dumbbells and didn’t need any fancy equipment. I also played netball once a week and made sure I clocked up at least 10,000 steps a day on my fitbit.

Did you use a particular style of eating?  What was your nutrition strategy? – I learned pretty quickly that the best way to make sure I wasn’t hungry on 1000 calories a day was to eat low-carb and high protein with a good amount of fibre. I swapped my cereal for eggs at breakfast and sandwiches made way for salads at lunch. I’ve worked out a good little chicken & veggie salad for lunch that is about 220 calories, with 20g protein and 10g fibre. I make up a big batch at the start of the week and take a portion to work with me every day. I’m lucky that I’m happy eating the same thing every day because I find having standard meals takes some of the stress out of monitoring your calories. A few weeks into the contest I started skipping breakfast and worked my way up to a 15 hour daily fast. That was probably the change that made the most difference for me and I am still comfortable doing it now. In the mornings I have a coffee with almond milk when I get to work, and quite often a second one about an hour later. Then I start listening to my body and I have a snack when I start to actually feel hungry, which is normally around 14-16 hours after the previous night’s dinner.

Did you use any supplements? – Not really. In the first few weeks I had some protein powder and fibre powder but once I started getting used to myfitnesspal.com I learned what foods to eat to get all my nutrients from diet alone so I didn’t need them anymore. Before I started Venus I would take iron and vitamin C supplements every day because I had been diagnosed as anemic at one point and for years I had trouble maintaining a healthy iron level. After a few weeks of better eating in Venus I also found that I could stop taking those supplements without any negative effects. My last blood test was pretty good so it seems like I’ve finally found the correct way to eat.

Did you use the online community and if so, how was your experience with it? – Yes, after reading the Venus ebook I was really excited about the program and went into the community reading almost every post to try and learn more. In the first few weeks I spent most evenings after dinner reading blog posts and making a few posts of my own on the forum. I found getting involved with the community was a really good way to stay on track when I got the munchies at 9pm. It gave me something to do so I didn’t eat out of boredom.

What was the hardest obstacle to conquer? – I found the biggest challenge to be the social side of eating, and having to say no over and over to people that want to feed me. Most social events with my family and friends revolve around a meal, and invariably it’s something like pizza and ribs with lots of alcohol and cake for dessert. I started turning up to parties with a precooked plate of chicken breast and veggies, and if we were going out to a restaurant I’d ask lots of questions and look up all the options in myfitnesspal.com before deciding what to order. I was ridiculed a bit for it. It got easier after I explained to everyone that I was in a contest and was determined to stick to my diet so I could win some money. Now that the contest is over and I’ve moved into maintenance mode, I give myself one day a week where I don’t bother tracking calories, and I try to listen to my body and just stop eating when I’m satisfied. I still try to make the healthy choices but don’t obsess about portion sizes or get upset if they forgot to leave the dressing off my salad. I’ve found that since starting Venus and really focusing on my food choices, my taste buds have changed to prefer the healthy options anyway. I never used to like seafood much but now I far prefer fish and crab instead of pasta and burgers. I’m also appreciating a much wider variety of vegetables

 

What kept you motivated? – Entering the contest made me accountable for sticking to the weight loss program. In all my previous diets, it was easy to give up because no one else was really affected. By signing up to the contest and telling people about it, I had made a commitment. If I gave up, I would have had to explain to a lot of people that I’d failed, and I really hate having to admit failure at anything. When we were about 3 weeks into the contest, my local newspaper actually announced that they were going to run a weight loss contest as well. I thought that was perfect since I was already putting the work in for Venus so my brother and I signed up to that one together. It was pretty popular, I think they had 500 spaces and they filled them within 2 days. My brother and I started going to the gym together once a week. We’re both pretty competitive people, so neither of us wanted to be the first one to admit that we were tired; that made sure that we both stayed there and kept working for longer than we would if we were on our own. He ended up winning the men’s division of the local comp, and I came 3rd in the ladies.

How did you feel about your final pictures? – I had a lot of fun taking them. I was still losing weight and hadn’t bought many new clothes yet since I wasn’t sure what size I would end up with so I started the day by raiding my friend’s wardrobe to find something flattering.

Is this a lifestyle you will continue? – Yes. I haven’t achieved my ideal Venus waist measurement yet but I’m at the low end of the healthy weight scale and people are telling me I look too skinny so I’m giving up on the last 4 cms and moving into maintenance now. I’m currently giving myself two eat up days per week (one midweek to the maintenance level determined by the calculator, and one on a weekend where I don’t bother logging food and just try to listen to my body). I’m a bit scared to stop logging all my food in case the weight piles back on so I’m just gradually increasing my deficit days every few weeks and waiting to see what level I can eat at without the scale changing.

What advice do you have for other women going through the contest or considering the contest? – Do it. You don’t lose anything by signing up and it makes you accountable for sticking to your weight loss plan. By having a deadline it’s far easier to keep working hard for the three months to achieve your goals, because you know it’s not going to be hard work forever. Three months is long enough to develop some really good habits and make big changes to your body, but not so long that it seems impossible.

 

Kirsty Venus Index Collage

 

Listen to and/or download the podcast contest interview with Kirsty, Coach Jenny, and Coach Liss below:

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