Have you ever dieted and exercised the exhaustion only to see little to no change in your physique? Have you tried weight loss supplements that left you jittery and lightheaded but did little to control your appetite or make the scale go down? I’ve been there. For several years I really just gave up. A couple years ago I did have some success with a workout program that was helping me tone my muscles, but the food recommendations were leaving me more than a little bored. Then stress hit like a freight train and the extreme structure of the whole thing was too much for me to follow and feel happy. Well, after throwing caution to the wind for almost 2 years my muscle tone is gone and the weight I lost has come back. Injuries in the meantime have made it difficult to get back into a good routine. I didn’t know where to turn next.
One day while looking for some exercises to strengthen my trapezius muscles (your typing, lifting, neck supporting muscles) I came upon a link for a program called the Venus Factor. After watching the intro video and seeing the many success story testimonials I decided to contact them. Thankfully, they are providing me the access to their 12 week program for the purposes of review (no other compensation is being received).
Like anything new the first time you look at the system as a whole it can seem pretty daunting. I appreciate the introduction video on their Venus Index website which explains where to start. Sometimes I tend to jump the gun and start following a protocol before understanding why or for how long, but the Venus Factor creators suggest to read their 12 Week System manual completely first. Reading this gave me better insight into the science behind the system and why this works for women. I learned that the reason women have a much harder time losing weight than men is that their bodies respond differently to the fat burning hormones, particularly leptin, when we diet. Women actually have a greater store of leptin, but when we diet it reduces much more quickly than it does for a man. Something else I’ve learned is that most calorie thresholds for weight loss are inflated or designed with the male physique in mind. If I’ve learned anything in my adult years is that trying to eat like a man will most certainly lead to weight gain in a woman – even if they are equally active. The basics of the Venus Factor system teach you how to control the leptin levels in the female body to keep them at optimum fat burning capacity. The maintenance level of calories and thus the fat loss deficit level is based on your height and frame type – not on your current body mass. The built in Virtual Nutritionist takes your measurements, height, age, and current weight and calculates for your height and build what your ideal weight range is. I played with it a bit and discovered that whether I was 130 lbs., 300 lbs., or my current weight my maintenance and deficit levels were always the same. What’s nice about this built in app is that it tells you how much you can expect to fluctuate in any given day because of water retention.
I started my second week on Venus Factor. I would have updated you yesterday, but I was sick as a dog with a terrible headache that kept me from seeing straight most of the day and made me awfully nauseous. Today I’m much better and back on track. Since last Monday 3/16 I’ve lost 6.6 lbs. – yes, ladies, you read that right – six point six!!! I don’t doubt that some of it was water weight, let’s be real, but it’s still pretty awesome considering I’ve been on a seemingly uncontrollable uptick lately. I’ve got to tell you even in one week I’ve learned alot about making wise food choices. There were days I felt more hungry in the afternoon or evening than others and I knew it had to be from eating the wrong proportions of nutrients. Foods high in protein and fiber worked better to keep me satieted through the day. Haven’t we all been preached that before? I’m sure you’ve heard it, but it’s different when you experience it in our own daily routine. Also, I was able to eat pizza, ice cream, frozen yogurt, chocolate and pie – and still lose weight. Plus, with strategically placed eat up days I could increase my calorie intake without feeling guilty and without a huge reversal in weight loss.
As of today, I’m on track to lose 10 lbs. by Friday. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Though I try not to get too ahead of myself because not every day is “perfect”, but any day that I keep trying is progress. I was hoping to get started on the Venus Factor workouts this week, but I may continue to focus on the diet to get my body acclimated to the change before I add another change in routine.
Want to learn more about Venus Factor? Click Here!
I received complimentary access to the Venus Factor program and Venus Index community for the purposes of review. No other compensation was received. This site makes use of affiliate links and clicking on them may result in compensation for this blog.
Firstly, I’m a mom and wife. Professionally, IT consulting is my job and blogging is the outlet for my passions. I write about things that affect the everyday life of a stay-at-home parent or any parent for that matter such as parenting, relationships, discipline, the media, product reviews, giveaways, social media, food, cooking, gardening and anything else that might come my way.
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