Another Red Carpet Ready Success Story!

I just wanted to share another Red Carpet Ready success story with you all the way from Germany. People all over the world are getting results with Red Carpet Ready. Stefanie's email below is inspiration for you and a reminder to me that helping people feel better about themselves is what makes my job so rewarding!

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Success Story

Dear Valerie,

Ever since my husband proposed to me in October 2007 I was wondering how
to lose weight and build up muscles. I have tried various programs and none really worked to my satisfaction. I had just recovered from an accident and a workout pause of six months. During this time I put on 12 pounds.
12 P O U N D S!!! I am 34 years old but I looked a lot older.

Inspired by lovely Jennifer Garner and an interview in SHAPE where your
name came up I started searching for your website - and found it. I
decided to order your ValKit for Travel and also bought your Red Carpet
Ready Program. I started working out in February 2008 - 4 months to go
until our wedding on June 21st.....

I have been with Weight Watchers for years and already dropped approx 30
pounds but they used to claim that potatoes were top of the list for
weight loss (they know better now concerning the glycemic index). Since
I am a vegetarian I thought about how to increase my protein intake.
Luckily I do eat eggs (I buy them at a nearby farm) and dairy products
so I focused on that instead of fish or meat. Also I started watching my
portions of pasta and brown rice and realized I always had too much of
it! This was why shortly after eating I was feeling hungry again (we
remember: WeightWatchers and potaoes).

We Germans simply LOVE bread, it is one of our substantial foods. I
always used whole grain, anyway, but now I've reduced it to one
piece in the morning along with yogurt or egg whites (instead of
additional 2-4 pieces in the evening). I stopped eating at our canteen
at work (my favourite was baked potato with salad..) and started cooking
again. My husband loves it because he switched to my vegetarian way of
living shortly after we met and even he does not want to eat any chips
or sweets anymore - he COULD eat it, though, because he really is thin
but he just does not crave unhealthy stuff like he used to. This is
thanks to your program!!!

Now we keep fit and concentrated throughout our working day and I go
straight to the gym afterwards. Even on very hot days I do not give up
and use our cool cellar instead of the gym - I just kept going. I never
knew I could be so determined! Even my husband now takes time to workout
with me 2 days a week (it's a start).

The Red Carpet Ready Workout is challenging and I needed some time to
adapt to it - especially the ValSlide - staying balanced while sliding
is not that easy. Now I do really well with it and a trainer at the gym
even asked me if I was a trainer myself because the workout looked so
professional to him.

I never was slim and although I still have a long way to go until I have
my "dream figure" I am sure I will succeed! I was so happy when my
wedding gowns (which I bought in November 2007) had to be adjusted TWICE
to my slimmer shape and on our wedding day they would fit quite
loosely...

I dropped more than one dress size and I will now try your action hero
workout - I am curious how I will look like in 6 weeks :))

Enclosed I am sending you 2 photos of our wedding - one after the
registry office (in Germany this is mandatory) and one after our
ceremony in the evening under a bright blue sky....

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the inspiration, the super program through this
making me feel so attractive on my wedding day and ever after.

You big fan from Hamburg, Germany!

Stefanie


Stefanie (before her wedding)


Stefanie (after the ceremony)

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If you want to be Red Carpet Ready for your special event, then start now! It's never too late.

Click here for more information.

Lastly, I've had so many of you interested in joining the Red Carpet Ready club, and I'm so excited to get it started! If you haven't joined the interest list and want to be kept in the loop on the Club's progress, then visit www.chatwithval.com and sign up.

All the best,

Val

Earthquake Workout

“Call on God, but row away from the rocks.” -- Hunter S. Thompson

As I sat down to write today’s blog, my house started to shake. It turns out that LA was having an earthquake. Did you feel it? It registered at 5.4 and lasted 30 seconds. My heart is still racing as I write this. Nothing like an earthquake to get a little adrenaline pumping! It heightens your awareness and gives you the energy to get your butt moving. Of course, had the earthquake been more serious, that fight or flight response just might have saved my life. To learn more about how to increase your chances of survival during an emergency, read on.

According to a recent Time magazine article, surviving a disaster is not merely a product of luck, though it might seem so as we watch a fire take down a row of houses and then skip a few before burning through several more, or as a tornado that narrowly misses your house while flattening your neighbors’. It might seem that when disaster strikes it is so random that there is nothing you can do. Well, apparently there is actually quite a bit you can do to increase your odds of preventing or surviving a disaster.

People who study disasters and those that survive them have learned that there are specific things that survivors have in common:

1) Know the drill. If you live in an area prone to fire, mudslides, tornados, or hurricanes, have an action plan to get your family out. Often when disaster strikes, people freeze. The more automated your response is, the better chance you have. Run fire drills with your kids. Teach them which way you want them to exit. Do this repeatedly so they could do it with their eyes closed. Know where you keep important documents and have an evacuation plan for your pet. If you work in a high-rise, practice going down the stairs. As much as everyone thinks these kinds of drills are a pain, they could make the difference in your survival.

2) Knowledge. According to a Time Magazine article, knowing that you can survive might give you an edge in resilience. For example, did you know that 56% of people involved in serious plane crashes between 1983 and 2000 survived? Makes you want to pay attention to the in-flight briefing. Your belief that it is possible to survive helps you take responsibility in your survival.

3) Get Fit. If you need another reason to get in shape, here it is: When disaster hit the World Trade Center on 9/11, people with low physical abilities were 3x as likely to be hurt while evacuating the towers. People who are better conditioned are able to move faster to get out of harms way.

To increase your odds of surviving a disaster you need to make sure you and your loved ones have a basic level of fitness. You should be able to complete the following circuit 3 times without feeling like you might pass out.

Survival Circuit
• 15 Bodyweight Squats
• 10 push ups (or modified push ups for women)
• 12 alternating forward lunges
• 12 two arm rows with a stretchy band or dumbbells
• Plank hold for 30 seconds
• 20 Bicycle Abs
• 15 reverse crunches

Rest 1 minute and repeat 2 more times.

This is the minimum you should be able to do.
To get more fit, go to www.redcarpetready.com

Enjoy!

Val

PS. Just a few more days until I start working on the Red Carpet Ready club. It’s coming, so if you’re interested be sure to visit www.chatwithval.com to join the interest list so I can keep you updated.

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How To Make Water Fun!

Hi!

Many of you wrote in following my Chat With Val asking how you can increase your water intake. (basically how can you make water more FUN!))

Well take a look!



Also, I’m participating in a Tele-seminar tomorrow called My Ultimate Body Fundraiser. The proceeds go to a charity called Trekking for Kids. We’re going to

Also, my good friend Scott Colby has put together an amazing event. It’s a tele-seminar where all of the proceeds will go to a charity called Trekking for Kids. It is a 7 call series and your donation will give you access to each of the calls as well as mp3’s and transcripts of each call for you to keep. Even better, you get to submit questions during the call.

You can sign up here: http://www.MyUltimateBodyFundraiser.com

I’ll be speaking tomorrow at 1 pm PST as part of the discussion on women’s health and fitness.

Even if you cannot attend the calls, you can still write in your questions before the calls begin and you will be given a copy of the mp3 audio replay of each call and the written transcripts.

Here is the link if you’d like to know more:

http://www.MyUltimateBodyFundraiser.com
Love,

Val

Valslide Cover Model

I was at the newsstand today and was so excited to see Jesse, our Valslide Manual cover model, gracing the cover of Maximum Fitness Magazine.  Check it out!

Here's a sneak peak inside the Valslide Manual that's coming soon!

  

My Secret Weapon Exercises

The Valslide & The Valband

As promised, here are a couple of exercises for you to do using your Valkit for Travel while at home or away. Have a happy 4th!

Travel Tips

Staying Fit on the Road

One of the busiest travel weekends is fast approaching. Whether you plan to be in a bikini or to simply be active (mountain biking, hiking or kayaking), I hope you have been following Red Carpet Ready or another plan so you feel confident and excited. Once you get there, you don’t need to let the vacation de-rail your fitness. Of course, you have earned a little break from your strict diet and your hard core gym routine but this doesn’t mean you eat anything you want and simply veg at the pool for a week. Fit people know (and I hope this includes you) that it is much more fun to be active and eat healthy while on vacation. I just got back from Kauai where I had the best time experiencing my friend’s Luxury Fitness Vacations (http://www.purekauai.com/). I stayed in a beautiful condo overlooking Hanalei Bay (I chose a condo for the kitchen), I surfed 2 hours everyday, ate healthy local fare and did my 20 minute Valkit for Travel workouts every other day to stay on my program. I came home completely refreshed, recharged and a couple pounds lighter. While your vacation may look different, here are some tips to stay fit on the road:

Travel Tips

Lodging

If possible, choose to stay in a house or condo so you have access to a kitchen. You don’t have to cook all your meals there (obviously you want to get out to some local restaurants) but it is nice to have the option. If you must stay in a hotel (or prefer to) have them clean out the mini bar before you get there. You don’t need the $7 M&M’s calling your name at 11 pm. Once you get settled find a local market and stock up on some easy snacks. I always get a few bottles of water, a bag of almonds, some California Raisins, a couple of low sugar protein bars and a couple of bananas. This way I have a few things to tide me over if my next meal is more than 4 hours off.

Find a Running Route

If you’re a runner, but don’t want to get lost in unfamiliar territory then check out http://www.runtheplanet.com/ People post information about the best running routes all over the country. Get your run in without getting lost!

Learn a new sport.

Anywhere you go on vacation, there is something active you can do. Don’t sit on the side lines just because you don’t know how. Sign up for a couple of lessons with an instructor and have the chance to feel like a kid again. Depending on where you are, you could learn to surf or boogie board, kayak, rollerblade, cycle, horseback ride, mountain bike or play volleyball. The options are endless.

Take your gym with you.

I like to get at least a few gym sessions even if I’m being active. While I always stay near a gym, I still bring my Valkit for Travel so I can be sure I have everything I need. Actress Kim Raver of Lipstick Jungle says of hers, “You can bring it to the gym or workout with it in your living room. I travel all over the world with mine, so I have no excuse NOT to workout.” If Kim can do it, so can you. Don’t leave home without yours!

If you can't see this video click the following link or copy and past this link into your address bar:http://youtube.com/watch?v=fsvxO46Q4eY

Newsworthy

The Valkit for Travel goes on Vacation

Last summer the Valkit for Travel went to France and Italy. This year, it went to Kauai, Prague, Australia, Greece and Germany! Where did you take your Valslides? Send us a picture and tell us where you took yours. We’d love to share your story!

My upcoming teleseminar

Check out my latest project here. I'll be one of the speakers participating in the Mid Year Resolutions tele-seminar. I think you'll get some great info. They'll cover everything from nutrition, making more money, getting fit, building healthy relationships, and more! I'm super excited and I think you'll find the information worth while. The best part is that it's free! The speaker schedule isn't out yet, but check back here as I've been told it will be posted soon!