Today is the DAY! Get your VT16 entries in by midnight EST

VT14-Announcement-collage-TODAYistheDAY

Today is the day to get your final pictures submitted.

You have until midnight tonight EST (Eastern Standard Time)

Your essay should be at least 200 words and can be as long as you want.  You can write about your background and all the things you have tried in the past.  You can write about how much weight you have lost since you started the journey (not just these last 12 weeks).  Write about what you like about the Venus program, what your struggles were, and how you overcame them.

Don’t forget to read the contest Rules and Regulations.

The deadline on Monday April 11th is at midnight EST (Eastern Standard Time).

Just go to the contest link and upload your pictures, measurements, and essay.

If you have any problems or questions please feel to contact me via email.

I can wait to start seeing all the AMAZING RESULTS!

-Coach Roberta

Find out more about the Venus Transformation contests, they can be very motivating.

What about online coaching?

Many of our successful clients decide to invest in one on one coaching. You are welcome to choose which coach you would like to work with.  Our premium coaching program works for many!  Contest winner Andrea talks about what coaching did for her in our Venus podcast.

When is the next contest?

VT17: Start May 2 – End August 1
VT18: Start August 22 – End November 21

 

 

The final deadline for VT16 is next Monday April 11th

It’s so easy to let your mind go down a path of never achieving what those other people have achieved.

But that’s not true!

All you have to do is never give up and keep being your best.

They did not achieve it overnight.  In fact they didn’t do anything extraordinary other than never give up on the little steps every day.

Keep plugging along with the basic steps every day, even when you don’t feel like it.  We all have days we don’t feel like exercising or making the right food choices, but we do it anyway.

We don’t even have to be perfect. In fact none of us are perfect. We just get right back up again after we make mistakes.  We just keep going.

That’s the only difference between those who succeed and those who have not yet.  They just keep going and never gave up!

 

What about the contest deadline next Monday?

No matter what you feel like take your pictures before you decide if you will finish or not.  Most people are shocked when they see how much their body changed.  Sometimes you won’t know until you put the pictures side by side.

Your essay should be at least 200 words and can be as long as you want.  You can write about your background and all the things you have tried in the past.  You can write about how much weight you have lost since you started the journey (not just these last 12 weeks).  Write about what you like about the Venus program, what your struggles were, and how you overcame them.

Don’t forget to read the contest Rules and Regulations.

The deadline on Monday April 11th is at midnight EST (Eastern Standard Time).

Just go to the contest link and upload your pictures, measurements, and essay.

If you have any problems or questions please feel to contact me via email.

I can wait to start seeing all the AMAZING RESULTS!

-Coach Roberta

 

Find out more about the Venus Transformation contests, they can be very motivating.

 

What about online coaching?

Many of our successful clients decide to invest in one on one coaching. You are welcome to choose which coach you would like to work with.  Our premium coaching program works for many!  Contest winner Andrea talks about what coaching did for her in our Venus podcast.

 

When is the next contest?

VT17: Start May 2 – End August 1
VT18: Start August 22 – End November 21

 

 

Can that last pesky 10 pounds go at age 53? Heck yeah, meet Cindy

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Cindy looked good before but she knew in her heart she could do better.  Does it matter what everyone else thinks when you KNOW you will feel better without that last pesky 5-10 pounds?  No, it’s your choice.  It’s your body.  You get to own it and you can do it!

 

Here’s what Cindy had to say about Venus:

My experience with the Venus Experience I really don’t remember how I found Venus. It could have been through Facebook or a Google search. That was in October 2014.

I read the program and first thought that eating 1000 calories a day was just crazy. It went against everything that I thought I knew.

And working out while fasting? No way I could do that!

And I felt like I knew what to do to eat healthy and work out.

I read a lot and do a lot of research. I thought I knew it all!

I am 53 years old and have always worked out. Years ago it was Jazzercise. Since then, I’ve done Insanity, P90X, and joined a gym. I’ve lifted weights, done HIIT, hot yoga, you name it, I did it.

I enjoy working out, that’s never been a problem. Most people would probably say that I was in pretty good shape. However, I had been hovering around 135 pounds, no matter what I did. I know that’s not overweight and some people would be happy at that weight.

But I’m 5’5 and am small boned, and always wanted to lose at least 10 pounds. One day, a friend of mine stated that he thought he and his wife look pretty darn good considering they don’t work out. At all.

I took that to mean that they don’t look that different that me, who works out 4-5 days a week! And I eat healthy! Organic! Gluten and dairy free!

I should look REALLY good for all the hard work I put it!

Fast forward to summer 2015. Again, I was unhappy that with all my working out, I still was at 135-138 pounds. I kept thinking – it must be hormones, or my thyroid, I had half my thyroid surgically removed in July 2013.

I started reading again how important it is for women my age to lift weights and thought, well you bought the Venus program, let’s do it!

And so I did. In the past I must say that I’ve kinda done programs but not exactly followed it exactly. This time, I said I”m all in. And the only reason I entered this contest was the accountability. Someone had to hold my feet to the fire!

So I started with eating at a deficit at 1200 calories. But then I read how going down to 1000 calories really made a difference. So that’s what I did. But it was much more easily done when I fasted from 8pm to 12 pm.

And I found that I sure could work out fasted, it wasn’t that big of a deal. The first 2 weeks I was a bit hungry, but after that I got used to it.

Venus taught me that I just ate too much. And drank too much. I really enjoy red wine at night, but those calories sure add up! Increasing my protein helped me be less hungry and have fewer cravings.

 

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I was ecstatic when I saw the scale going down. I was blown away when my my waist went down by 2 inches. Woo Hoo!

My favorite part- is how I deal with special occasions and going out with friends. Just plan for it. I have fewer calories the day before and less the day after and I can still have a good time and most of all, I don’t feel deprived.

This is sustainable and it is my way of life. I kept up with HIIT workouts that I love, but have incorporated the Venus workouts 3 days a week. I have never looked and felt better. The workouts are giving the shape to my body that I have wanted for such a long time!

I love lifting heavy weights, and it is so empowering! I guess it’s the simplicity of the program that is so mind boggling to me. It just makes so much sense. Eat fewer calories and lift heavy weights.

There’s a part of me that’s upset. I mean, I have worked out for years, and not have had these results.

Another thing that I did was if I worked out (and somehow thought I exercised 300 calories) then I ate them back! I love that Venus says to forget that! Don’t think about adding back those calories. Because in reality we have no idea how many calories we really burned.

Many days too, when I worked out hard, I ate a bit more or had a dessert or had an extra drink because I thought I deserved it. Hey, man, I just worked out!

I have lost only 11 pounds but look so much healthier and shapelier. Venus was exactly what I was looking for. I am super happy with my results my I”m not ready for maintenance yet. I can still improve!

One of the main reasons that I first bought Venus is because I saw Roberta and her amazing body and transformation. She was my age and had muscle! That made me realize that I can still build muscle at my age.

Boom!

-Cindy

 

Cindy-Arms-crossed

Listen to Cindy’s podcast now or download it for later:

How mom’s can plan for family sport weekends.

Sherman Family

What we did for Easter

 

Even though my kids are 15 and 18, they still love hunting for candy filled eggs in the backyard. This year we had to have our hunt in the afternoon because we had just returned from a 4 day trip to Arizona to look at colleges. I had bought a couple bags of jelly beans in the grocery store Sat in AZ so I’d be ready to roll Sunday! The kids are super competitive and ran as fast as they could around my tiny yard to see who could get the most eggs! Funny and true.

 

How I planned for a crazy month of travel…

I traveled every weekend in March- mostly for soccer and the last weekend for college tours. This is a normal part of my life. Both my kids did(my son just stopped) competitive soccer which means lots of travel. This last month was all by car for soccer and by plane for the college stuff.

When I drive, I plan to take all my goodies to set myself up for success. This means my vitamix, baking cocoa, protein powder, powdered peanut butter, rice cakes, jerkey and apples. I also pack bars, dried fruit and rice chips/cereal for my girl. This way we will never be hangry and have the comfort of home in a hotel room.

I know it’s hard to travel- you never know where or when you’ll eat, what restaurant you will go to but you can control some of it. As a Venus girl, the hotel all you can eat breakfast buffet does not even appeal to me. And I’ve become such a coffee snob, I even bring my own coffee and French press!

Let’s face it- there are some non negotiables. I will not settle for hotel coffee. It gives me a  headache. There’s always hot water, so I just use my French press.  I’m not much of a breakfast person anymore thanks to Venus but do love my morning coffee.

One of my favorite drinks is protein powder blended with coffee after a workout. Great way to get your protein in and enjoy a delicious latte/mocha without all the added sugar you’d get at a coffee shop. If I can bring my vitamix, it’s great. If not, there are protein powders that stir into coffee that still taste pretty darn good. But Venus sisters, I’m telling you, if you’ve never tried this- you have got to do it! Blender, protein powder, hot coffee- blend for 20 seconds or so. It will be frothy and delicious.

Planning Workouts on the Road

I also try to plan my workouts when I know my kid’s schedule. With my daughter’s soccer team, we always drop the girls off an hour before the game for warm ups. That’s a perfect time to move. I was recently in Las Vegas for soccer and there was a huge walking path around the soccer complex. As well as a park. So I was able to get in 2 park workouts using a bench and some swings tabata style as well as get lots of steps in for the day.

What can you do with a bench you ask? Step ups, push ups, tricep dips, squats, Bulgarian split squats, planks bringing your knees to your elbows….. with the swings you can put your feet on the swing and do knee tucks or a pike, a modified pull up, a moving plank, a Bulgarian split squat, and the list goes on and on.

I know most moms stand around and talk. To be honest, after driving for 9 hours one way and knowing I had to drive 9 hours home, I wanted to move as much as possible. Even walking felt good. There was another mom on the team who was heading out for a run as we(my husband is a good sport and likes my crazy workouts) were starting our park workout. We were talking afterwards at the game. She commented that she heard a mom say, this season has just been so busy, she had gained 15 lbs. The gal I know took the words out of my mouth and said-just what I was thinking- hey, we’ve got an hour before every game- use it and move! The choice is  yours.

This past weekend in Arizona, we stayed at a friend’s house. It was gorgeous weather and perfect for an outdoor workout. One day my husband and I found one bench and a super small hill- we ran mini sprints and did tabata for 25 minutes or so. The tabata timer is awesome and gives you a quick (but painful) workout anywhere. The following day, my daughter and I got to workout together. One of us ran down the road and back while the other did a strength move. I was just happy to be outside and moving and anytime I can workout with my girl, I am happy!

I’m certainly not perfect by any means. I overeat at times as well as enjoy the occasional adult beverage. But, I always feel best when my body is moving. Traveling is tough. It’s tiring and can lead to bad choices- I know this first hand. Being exhausted never leads to good food decisions. All we can do is our best.

Travel is just a part of life. Some trips go smoothly, some are just hard. Planning what you can is a huge help. As well as planning your workouts. There’s not always time, but when there is- make yourself and your health a priority. You will never regret a workout.

P.S.- Tabata is a  workout where you work hard for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds for 8 rounds. The point is to try to get the same number of reps for each set. If you haven’t tried it, you can download a free timer on your phone and have some serious fun!

 

How Holly used Venus to make Empowered Food Choices for Life

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Holly wasn’t looking for a fat loss program. She was looking for a strength training program.

But she ended up getting addicted to the amazing Immersion podcasts with John and Brad, and learning how to make better food choices and got so much more!  Holly got an EMPOWERED LIFE!

Here’s what she wrote:

After a lifetime of struggling and obsessing about my weight and watermelon belly, I had decided to accept that my lean and athletic self image would ever match the woman looking back from the mirror.

I would just have to be a “border line obese” (as my Doctor stated) marathon runner, hiker, paddler, sailor, scuba diver and cyclist, that continually received the comment “you like outdoor stuff?!” as though a woman my size would not be able to manage.

I was tired of obsessing about food intake and what I could/could not eat. I have always loved cooking and meal planning, making a menu for the week and then shopping from that menu but I simply no longer wanted all the different “eating plans”

I had tried and failed at: Eat Right for your Type, South Beach, Shred and Atkins.

I just wanted to make a menu and cook based off my families’ activities and what sounded good.

I also knew, as my running, cycling coaches, paddling partner and my arms after pulling lines and equipment told me: “You have to start incorporating strength training.”

I use to lift in college but that seemed like a long time ago, and every time I had tried to get back into the routine it failed. I was not ready and it felt forced.

Lifting, I realized was also very boring to me. How had I ever completed 4-5 one hour lifting workouts a week!

That is when I began the all important Google search. I did not believe the Venus Factor information at first, thinking “Great, another way to be obsessive”.

I know the basic rules of weight loss: eat less-work more, but had never had any desire to “starve”.

The thought that 1,000 calories was enough was a little shocking. I struggled with keeping under 1,200!

I had never fasted, either.

The lifting is what caught my attention. A 12 week program that builds on its self, starts at about 30 minutes and does not say how much/little weight to use and bounce it’s on my phone.

That means on work days when my running partner and I don’t run I can lift on my lunch break.

I already had weights in my office and my running partner had a heavier set in hers!

I purchased the program for that piece alone.

Since it came with a whole app and immersion, I began listening to all the podcasts and learned about the contest.

As a “self competitor” I decided to go for it, what could I loose, if anything it would keep the strength training motivated.

I decided I would follow the whole program. The first 24 hr turned into a 32 hour fast, which was the hardest fast of the whole program; after that one the rest were relatively easy!

After 12 weeks I have learned that I can eat whatever I want, no more being obsessive, just being aware of what is going in is enough.

I have taken a full minute off my running pace and my knees are much happier these days. I have not made it to my Venus Index numbers yet but am very close and I finally feel that the athletic woman in my head is the woman seen in the mirror.

Now that I know what to do and most importantly how to maintain I’ll never have to feel like the overweight athlete again!

-Holly

 

Holly is really happy with her new Empowered Venus Life!

Holly is really happy with her new Empowered Venus Life!

 

Listen to her podcast now or download it for later:

How our British Venus maintained for two years after her goal (meet Kath)

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Overcoming cancer

Kath struggled with breast cancer and like many used food as comfort during her illness and recovery.  It’s a typical story and we’ve had many Venus ladies overcome this.

Kath overcame it!

She proved that no matter where you are in the world and no matter what your circumstance, you can CHOOSE to make it happen.

You have to step into action.

Sure the podcasts help, and reading and studying helps too.

But ultimately you must step into action.

And the action and the steps are where the motivation comes from.

 

It gets slower when you are close to your goal

It gets so much slower when you get close to your goals.

It’s already slow enough, right?

That’s why those who have the best success get involved in our online community.

That is where you can find the ladies who support you and make friends.

You can find Kath in the Venus private community and her profile FaceBook, and FaceBook Group.

 

Kath got out of her health slump and is enjoying the Venus Golden Life now.

Kath got out of her health slump and is enjoying the Venus Golden Life now.

 

What is maintaining the Venus Ideal like?

Kath, like many of us, found that in some ways maintaining is harder than the initial fat loss.  Changes in the body are very slow, it feels like it isn’t working sometimes, and people around don’t understand the need to stay disciplined with food in order to keep what you achieved.

She reached her goal and has maintained for two years now.  She proved it can be done, and she is enjoying her health and living life to it’s fullest now.

 

Kath has new goals to set personal records with running now. It's something she really enjoys with her husband and friends.

Kath has new goals to set personal records with running now. It’s something she really enjoys with her husband and friends.

 

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Kath absolutely loves the Venus workouts and they are great cross training for the running she loves.

 

Kath really struggled with getting this far after her battle with breast cancer. She is an amazing and strong woman who does not take her health for granted.

Kath really struggled with getting this far after her battle with breast cancer. She is an amazing and strong woman who does not take her health for granted.

 

Meet Kath and listen to her story

 

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If you have achieved your Venus goal and maintained for two years or more and have a story to tell, and want to share it to help others, feel free to email me.

I hope you enjoy Kath’s story as much as I did.

Have a great week!

-Coach Roberta

I’m on the inside too!

You can listen to Kath’s story of perseverance and overcoming now or download it for later:

What was Brenda’s “Moment of Clarity”?

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Brenda made a transformation in her life.  Through the Venus program she learned how easy it is to use various health issues as an excuse.  No matter what the adversity, it still always comes down to the amount of food we consume.

It’s kind of like we don’t want to face the elephant in the room.

It’s hard.

It’s not fun.

It does not seem fair.

 

I have been over weight pretty much my entire life. I have previously dropped 87lbs, and maintained for about five years. However, over the last two years it has slowly crept up 10 pounds a year, even with an active attempt by me trying to lose weight.

I had been keeping up my exercise routine, six days a week, mainly cardio, with some weights, as well as my diet routine, just as before. Although my diet was not consistent, when I was having difficulty loosing I started taking the advice of others, like “you’re not eating enough”, which by their standards I probably was not, but eating less…eating more nothing was working.

I was also diagnosed 2 ½ years ago with a chronic medical condition which requires a daily medicine. I blamed the gain and inability to lose weight on the meds as it was the only thing that had really changed in my life.

I purchased the Venus program about a year before and Loved the workouts; however, I kind of skimmed the nutrition portion. At some point I decided to check in with the forum and it became apparent the Veteran Venus’ would not let the meds be an excuse, and it appeared nutrition was the key.

So I decided to put Venus to the test, this time trying the nutrition and weight lifting together. Low and behold the last year of weight gain was taken off in these 12 weeks, and my clothes fit again!

I may have not lost a large amount of weight in the 12 weeks, and will keep going to drop the remaining pounds, but I consider this a win in a big way. I not only didn’t gain, but I lost which is something I was unable to do for two years.

If you work the whole program it will work for you!

– Brenda

 

Brenda loves the outdoors and being healthier now!

Brenda loves the outdoors and being healthier now!

 

And here is more of Brenda’s story:

I have been on this journey for a very long time. I have always been overweight, but it peaked in April 2010. After seeing the pictures from our family cruise I put a stop to it and lost 90lbs by January 2011. I did this through hard work using another program and cardio, lots of cardio.

I have maintained the weight within 20lbs for the last five years. However, four years ago I was going through a divorce; lost my dad and my hero. Four months later I was diagnosed with MS. I immediately started treatment,which consisted of daily shots. Initially, I was angry because I had just got my life back health wise, and now the threat of losing my mobility was real.

How can that be fair?

My attitude adjusted very quickly and I said “No, I got my health back so I would have the strength to fight this disease.” As luck would have it though I started slowly gaining weight consistently over the last two years about 10lbs each Dr. visit. I blamed the new medicine, although that side effect was not listed, what else could it possibly be?

I was panicking with the weight creeping. I was trying everything adding weights, eating less, eating more, upping the cardio you name I was trying it. Here steps in the ladies in the Venus forum, and the podcasts.

I didn’t write or ask questions just went through the forum regarding medications. I learned very quickly a lot of these ladies were on medications, and they would not let that be used as an excuse. Roberta described her battles with medications, she and the others preached it’s the calories period.

I found this to be a no nonsense group, but the most supportive group I have seen. I have been in other groups, and they can get petty or have poor me parties. These ladies are not perfect, but the difference is they taken ownership and get back to business. It is an inspiring group to say the least, and one I am happily a participant in now.

I had bought the program about a year ago and started the workouts, which I loved, but still not losing the weight. The forum was claiming the diet was the key so I started the competition with the 12 week nutrition program, just to see if anything really happens in 12 weeks.

It worked, I could feel it, but still didn’t believe it showed. I submitted my final pictures, and was pleased to see the difference 12 weeks makes. It is still not rapid for me, but the scale is lower than it has been in a year so that is a big win in my book!!

The workouts have completely changed my shape which makes me smile. I was not happy with my shape even with the prior weight loss, and honestly I was floundering with my weight lifting programs.

Truthfully I’m not working out half as much as I was with all the cardio. Venus works, it is a nutrition and workout program that just makes sense. I feel the other programs are starter programs, Venus is for when you mature and take responsibility to live your best life, by the controlling stumble forward.

Thanks for the wonderful program John and Brad,and thanks to all those wonderful ladies in the forum.

-Brenda

 

I love Brenda's smile and her Moment of Clarity!

I love Brenda’s smile and her Moment of Clarity!

 

You can find Brenda in our online forum.  Listen to what she has to say in the Podcast Interview below, or download it to listen to later:

The 51 Year Young Venus Contest Winner Robin

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Robin placed in our last contest.  She struggled for years with medications that were hindering her fat loss.  With the Venus Systems she finally found the way to succeed.

 

Here is what Robin wrote in her own words:

 

Venus has revolutionized any and all workout/diets systems I have ever tried in my nearly 51 years and is a God-send.

The system has increased my self esteem and given me back my drive for success in life. I feel sexy, feminine and strong.

Venus has enlightened my knowledge to how the body works by means of mechanics and chemistry. By utilizing this knowledge and putting it to work by eating whatever you want, but, staying within your calorie allotment has changed my life.

The program that John and Brad have put together works for any level of fitness and age.

If you are struggling with your weight,This IS what WILL WORK! If it worked for me who is on a medication that causes weight gain and LOST…you can too! The Law of Thermodynamics stands true!!

With the community of like-minded women, I have found friendships and support that will last a lifetime. I am truly humbled by their support and genuine love they have for one another. They uplift the fallen and cheer you on!

If you have a question, within a moment’s time , you have your answer. I have never seen this kind of camaraderie!

Because of the success I now have, I can stand and be a mentor to others while helping them be the best they can be.

This is my life now.

The only negative thing I have to say is, I wish I had known about this system years ago!!

If you are on the edge of whether or not to try Venus, DO NOT hesitate one more moment, you have nothing to lose, but, weight and inches!

Robin

 

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To hear Robin tell her amazing story listen now or download for later:

Venus veteran inspires Anne

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It all started when I attended a stock market class in the summer of 2012. I saw Deanne before VT-6 started and met her a few months later after she had finished (and won) the contest. She looked amazing!

I overheard her talking about her great results and I asked her what she did. I had completely given up on losing weight, but after seeing Deanne’s results, I had a renewed hope that it might still be possible. She mentioned the Venus Factor program as well as Eat Stop Eat.

I was extremely skeptical, having previously bought into the myth of starvation mode, having to eat five or six meals per day, and that eating under 1200 calories would wreck your metabolism — but Deanne’s success was staring me in the face!

I still held off on trying Venus for a while. I was walking and jogging a lot and I thought that would get me in shape. I had a goal of running a marathon, but kept injuring my ankle and dealing with plantar fasciitis over and over again. I saw a picture of myself in the spring of 2014 and thought I should really do something because I thought I looked better than what the picture showed.

I finally decided to try Venus, bought Immersion, and entered one of the contests in 2014. At the time my husband was dealing with a health issue where he couldn’t eat much and honestly it was easier for me to diet. I got really scared when I started to see major results in my body and people started commenting that I was “thin”. They weren’t used to seeing a smaller version of me and I began to question what I was doing.

My confidence wavered and I dropped out of the contest. My husband’s health deteriorated and he required major surgery. My focus shifted to helping him through his recovery. The months ahead were long and stressful for both of us, but it all came out well in the end. I was ready to renew my focus on my own health. Then early this year I injured my back — a doctor said it was a herniated disc from sitting too long. I tried all kinds of things trying to “cure” myself. I tried quitting caffeine, going vegetarian, juicing vegetables, and going “all raw”. Rest and stretching eventually did “cure” me and I had regained the weight I had lost with Venus and was extremely depressed.

I regained it because I was self-medicating with too much food, not because of a lack of activity from the back injury. I also moved halfway across the country to Colorado from California which had been my home for 15 years. I remembered what Venus had done for me last year, without any fads and being able to eat like a sane person. I knew that if I just followed what other successful Venuses had done, rather than reinventing the wheel, that I would have good results.

I considered Roberta my mentor —she was my coach during a previous contest— and all of the other women in the Venus forums were incredibly supportive, too. I tried to follow in Roberta and Michelle Hahn’s footsteps because I liked their results in the after pictures. A big part of my transformation was finding out what works for me and what fits into my life. I discovered that we are all unique; we have unique families, personalities, and schedules.

I found that fasting from dinner to lunch was really easy for me and I thought of it as just having breakfast a little later. I would have my stepdaughter on the weekends and didn’t want to miss out on time with her, so it worked best for me to train Monday through Friday and rest on the weekends. This allowed me to finish the 12-week program early and start on Final Phase which I really love. I also refused to give up dinners with my husband… I love to cook! Some people have good results with longer fasts, but I like the shorter ones. I have coffee with a little cream and a teaspoon of honey before my morning workouts which helps curb my appetite before lunch.

You learn these little things in Venus that give you an edge. Some people might think it’s controversial to do a heavy weights workout semi-fasted, but that’s where the community is so great… You find out what worked for others, then experiment with what works for you, and you roll with it.

There are so many myths out there, for example, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Yet I found that eating it a little later, basically as brunch, was the easiest way for me to hit my deficit numbers. You learn to be covert about what you’re doing in order to protect yourself. The only people who knew I was doing the contest besides other Venuses were my husband and photographer.

This is a hugely mental journey. I had to constantly tell myself that this time is going to pass anyway, and my thoughts, emotions and hormones are all going to happen anyway, comments whether positive or negative are going to come my way anyway, so I might as well do the work anyway!

I got the flu around the end of October and had to take a break from everything for a few days. Then I got a bad cold in November with 2 weeks left in the contest. I tried to focus more on the calorie deficit at that time, as that was something still under my control.

Getting used to the higher elevation of Colorado and colder weather wasn’t easy either. Another challenge was that I traveled to California 3 times during the contest. I was around friends and family who don’t eat very healthy which can be stressful especially if you’re traveling and can’t always control what is on your plate — there’s a lot of temptation.

But now I look at social situations as “practice” so I won’t become a hermit. My husband Gary is my biggest supporter. I’m so incredibly lucky to have him in my life. He weighed me halfway through the contest and I didn’t look. I didn’t weigh myself the whole contest — just used the tape measure each Monday morning and tried to “Focus on the Process”.

It really helped not looking at the scale — having Gary tell me that the result on the scale halfway through was “indicative of healthy weight loss” was all I needed to hear, no matter what that number was! In conclusion, this is mind over matter. This is a journey that never ends and once I accepted that and started having a “bring it on” attitude, I felt like I had conquered the biggest obstacle… which is myself.

This program works and it’s liberating to know that I will always have something that works. I proved it. I never have to try a fad diet again. I know that I still have a ways to go before I’m totally “there,” and soon I’ll be entering maintenance which will be a little different, but it’s a constant learning and self-improvement process anyway. I’m incredibly grateful for this program. Thank you so much for creating it.

Anne

Anne is really proud of her after pics!

Anne is really proud of her after pics!

 

 

Listen to Anne’s podcast now or save it for later:

 

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:

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