Runner Up
Less to Lose with Health Improvements* Category

Annamarie J.

*High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Joint Pain, Pre-Diabetes Blood Sugar Levels, Extreme Fatigue

WARNING: DEVELOPING A T-TAPP PRACTICE CAN BE A LIFE-ALTERING EVENT!

After devoting a dozen years to raising my sons as a single mom, I was a lost soul caught in a downward spiral of despair. Don't get me wrong: I was proud as could be of my once-boys-who-became-wonderful-young-men, but as a typical middle-aged baby boomer, I had lost my verve and zest along with my figure and hopefulness. The details may be different, but it happens to far too many of us. In two words, "Life happens."

The story of how it happens to each of us is painful. In my case, the road signs read, "devastating divorce," "career change necessary," "financial challenges," and the resultant "no nuturing leads to poor health getting worse," "loss of spirit," and "fears and hopelessness." My last doctor's visit was the proverbial train wreck: high blood pressure and high cholesterol (my parents take medicine for both), pre-diabetes blood sugar (mother and grandmother had this), as well as achy joints (every member of my family has arthritis) and an overwhelming can't-get-out-of-bed fatigue. I felt as though I had that old bumper sticker plastered on my back: "Life is hard, and then you die."

Where was that fearless, slim girl of my youth? That gutsy, blond-bombshell-of-a-woman who walked away from a bad marriage and rallied around her two sons, building a new life and home and career in the Rocky Mountains? What happened to the once-joyful teacher who had students request to be in her room from hearing her constant laughter and enthusiasm radiate throughout her school?

As I paged through photograph albums, I literally did not recognize myself from years past. Who was this buoyant and dazzling lady? Where had she gone? Was there any chance of getting her back? I think, looking back, I was in a very typical situation of a woman who had given everything she had, and did not know what to do now that the ones she loved had moved on. "Get a life." Wasn't that the saying? Exactly how does one go about doing that?

My journey with T-Tapp started on my 54th birthday, in September of 2007. I know I must sound like a former alcoholic speaking in front of an AA meeting, but truly, embracing a life of hope and fitness has been just as profoundly healing and transforming as anyone's embracing sobriety!

There are no coincidences in life. I believe that, as much as I believe that "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear." Teresa Tapp appeared to me from the cover of a book called Fit and Fabulous in Fifteen Minutes. Browsing through a bookstore, latte in hand, I read that title. 15 minutes. I could do that. As exhausted and disheartened as I was, 15 minutes was do-able. Flipping through the book, I was delighted to see a DVD in back of it, and a discount coupon for any future purchase. I was, more than anything, profoundly touched by the wonderfully moving and inspiring color photos and stories of other "lost" men and women who had made tremendous gains in their lives. I was intrigued. I bought the book.

Rushing home, I immediately read the book in a hot bubble bath and right after the bath, spent over an hour on the living room floor deciphering the exercises. I knew I had found a treasure. Right from the start, I found T-Tapp to be both energizing and relaxing. The sequences were graceful, and reminded me of the many dance classes that I had taken in years past. The movements felt fluid and contemplative. Most of all, the twisting and tilting of the muscles surrounding the spine took me back to my youth--I felt young again!

I learned from reading Teresa's book that many of us use our arms and legs in daily living, and we generally maintain some muscle in those areas, but the majority of adults don't do the somersaults or cartwheels or rolling type of exercise that involves balance on a daily basis, which is necessary to challenge the core muscles.....thus the dreaded middle-aged spread. Doing T-Tapp, my body felt alive for the first time in years, and even the aches were good aches, like after a massage. I started doing the exercises as though my life depended on it. I understood that on some level, it really did.

Teresa's book is a brilliant, practical and wise guide for those of us trying to cultivate the best in ourselves, sometimes after years of caring for others and neglecting ourselves. T-Tapp became both a physical and spiritual practice for me. T-Tapp means taking time for myself, nuturing me, and is an everyday blessing. T-Tapp extends into my day, and brings moment-by-moment awareness of how I am standing and moving throughout my time at school and at home, in the garden and in front of the classroom or computer. When I've "tapped," I feel graceful and I have beautiful posture and I feel happy to be alive!

The 15 minutes were, and continue to be, my saving grace. Although I love to do the longer (45 minute) workout, I can squeeze 15 minutes out of the most hectic day. On a cold and snowy Colorado morning, my dogs keep me good company as I turn on the gas fireplace, light candles, and do my T-Tapp when the morning is dark and frigid. During my lunch time at school, I can take a quick walk to the canal, do the 15-minute workout from memory, and walk back, with time to eat a healthy lunch. Even at night, it feels wonderfully relaxing to do a quickie workout after school, and hop into a hot bath. I feel so much better after the twisting and stretching that it feels like I just got done with a massage (but saved the $60!)

The calendar on my refrigerator shows my T-Tapp sessions: 21 in September of 2007, 14 in October, 18 in November, 21 in December. The 2008 calendar has 14 completed T-Tapp workouts for January, 14 for February, and 15 for March. I used my discount coupon (thanks, Teresa!) to order the Full Workout and did the instructional tapes periodically as well. The purchase is really a great investment, because I always pick up new tips whenever I re-watch a DVD. Teresa is 100% correct when she says your form keeps improving. My reflection in the mirror while exercising went from frumpy to fabulous!

By April 2008, I was down 18 pounds and 18 inches. I started buying blue jeans in a thrift store because I changed sizes, smaller and smaller, so often: the incredible shrinking woman lives! With my lilacs blooming in the backyard, my playfulness and confidence were blooming, too, and I decided to enter the 60 day Challenge. Laughingly I told my son Jonathan to take the "Before" pictures and said, "It's ok if they look bad, but not so bad that I will die if they end up in Teresa's next book!"

Cruising the T-Tapp website, I read about the Ladybug workout, which was "tweaked" for menopausal women like myself. After a real ladybug landed on my arm that morning, I took that as a sign that God speaks (and has a sense of humor!). I ordered Ladybug, which I did this very morning and have been doing since April. The phenomenal inch loss I achieved from April to June (13 inches alone during the 60 days of the Challenge!) testifies to the value of this workout. I was really hooked on Basic, but now I am President of the Ladybug Fan Club! It targets just the areas I need help with, and the little changes from Basic that Teresa made suit me just perfectly. For instance, I never "got" the lat press until I saw and heard Teresa on the Ladybug tape. Now I "get it" (and have the lats for proof). Plus, the variations (standing, on the floor, combo) will keep me challenged forever!

When Robert Browning wrote, "Grow old with me, the best is yet to be," he was telling the truth. These years after my child-rearing is done can truly be my golden years to treasure. With my health and vitality restored, I can continue to live a life of inspiration (not desperation!) and service for many more years to come. I felt cast-off and spent just a short time ago, and today I am happy and gloriously alive.

I have even fallen in love, and am going to marry and move across the United States to relocate in a new adventure. Now, that never would have happened in the desperation mindset! As I read through the stories of Teresa's book (I love the stories and re-read them for inspiration), I found it is not uncommon to carry the success of fitness over into other areas of life. Once your health and well-being are restored and healed, you can see more clearly and use the success to springboard into other areas...I see that one chapter of my life may have ended, but another chapter is beginning. The "Next 20 years" really will be the "Best 20" for me. I feel as though I have my life back, and the girl of my youth has returned as a grown-up woman, looking and feeling better than ever. T-Tapp is a part of that life, because it makes me feel vital and fit and alive (and yes, it really does take only 15 minutes to fit and fabulous)! Thank you, Teresa and the T-Tapp team, from the bottom of a very grateful heart.

Cholesterol levels were over 200 in Sept. 2007 and now are in the 140-150 range.

Good cholesterol level was 40 and now raised to the mid-60's.

Blood sugar levels were about 200 and qualified as pre-diabetic; now they are in the mid-140 range.

I went to the doctor and had a baseline blood test before T-Tapping and went for another blood test during the 60 day Challenge. The results are just amazing. The doc was ready to put me on statins to lower my blood pressure, but now I don't need them; he was going to put me on cholesterol-lowering drugs, but again I don't need them; and he was going to put me on drugs to lower my blood sugar, but again, I don't need to do that. Both my parents take all these drugs and I really did not want to have to go down that path. I am so grateful to T-Tapp and the wonderful health benefits that come from a T-Tapp practice.