Category Winner
Basic Plus/SATI/STTM/TappCore Category

Mari C.

The terms “lymphatic system” and “boot camp” are what grabbed my attention when my friend Carol, a T-Tapp Trainer, introduced me to T-Tapp in December of 2007. My mother died of non-Hodgkins lymphoma at the age of 57, so I had some knowledge of the lymph system. My 19-year-old son, Steven, had enlisted in the Army the week of Thanksgiving and was headed to boot camp in early January. He was excited about enlisting and was looking forward to getting in shape at boot camp. I thought maybe if I had my own boot camp to attend that not only would it help me get my 54-year-old body in shape, but would also help me with the transition of Steven entering the Army.

I purchased the Total Workout and Step Away the Inches DVDs and signed up for a Step Away the Inches class one day per week. I worked out on my own at home 5 days per week. I was hooked immediately. The more I learned about T-Tapp and the more I did the routines, the more committed I became. The inches started dropping off – I could not believe the results I was getting! I started body brushing and taking the Alfalfa capsules shortly after I started T-Tapping. My skin actually felt better! It was not as dry as it had been and it felt thicker. I did a 4 day Basic Plus/SATI boot camp class in February. But I loved SATI so much and was getting such wonderful results that, I just kept going with the Step Away the Inches. I lost over 20 inches in four weeks. My weight remained the same.

I attended a workshop on a Saturday morning in March which I really enjoyed. Carol introduced me to some new exercises. Although I had purchased the Total Workout DVD, I decided to continue with “my” Step Away the Inches. She began talking about a 60-Day Challenge contest that would be coming up in April and was encouraging me to join. I had so much going in April, May, and June, I did not seriously think about entering the contest. The reasons I could not be part of the challenge were as follows:

* I work full time (and at the time I was way behind at work and was working some overtime)
* Had to clean our rental home in preparation of a new tenant moving in
* College visit first part of April six hours south of us for youngest son, David
* Few days after college visit, attend Steven’s boot camp graduation at Ft. Benning, Georgia
* Steven’s 20-day leave at home after his graduation (treasured time)
* David’s graduation from high school
* David’s graduation party and the graduation parties of all his friends

The results I had received from my T-Tapping thus far besides the inch loss were as follows:

* Increase in energy
* Less pain in thumbs and wrists (I think I had some carpal tunnel mixed with arthritis) – so much less pain that I was no longer waking up in the middle of the night because of the wrist pain
* Sleeping all night instead of looking at the clock just about every hour
* Improvement in posture
* Balance was getting much better (initially, I couldn’t do Hoe Downs)
* I got the arches back in my feet and I could wear heels and dress boots (prior to T-Tapping, I thought I was going to have to start wearing ‘old-lady shoes’)
* My skin looked and felt better
* People were telling me how good I was looking
* Absolutely no soreness from exercising
* Hard to explain, but I was feeling better from the inside out
* I felt healthy
* My hands and feet actually started looking toned – in fact my T-Tapping shoes felt real sloppy on my feet and they were snug when I bought them
* I do believe my lymphatic system is doing what it was created to do
* Through the hectic last 60 days, with the traveling, Southern food (which was quite delicious), graduation parties, and home-cooked meals consisting of Steven’s favorite foods, I LOST a few pounds!

I decided to bite the bullet and enter the contest. Carol suggested I go with the 15-minute Basic Workout plus Hoe Downs and Step Away the Inches when I could fit it in. So, I learned the Basic Workout routine and got up very early most every day to T-Tapp. The inches continued to drop. Carol worked with me on my form and I attended an all-day T-Tapp workshop in Madison in May. I used T-Tapp techniques throughout the day and snuck in TappCore moves. I did not put in a lot of time, but I did work hard and tried to go to my max at each workout. I started feeling the muscles I was exercising. I could feel the heat. I worked my way up to do Step It To the Max – Core Cardio by the second half of the contest.

I have had a fairly consistent weight throughout my adult years without participating in any exercise programs. However, when I had to have a hysterectomy in 2004, I was surprised when my doctor told me that after the surgery I should expect to gain 30 pounds! I was not going to let that happen! Well, I only gained 20 pounds, but it was 20 pounds that I did not want. It seemed my belly just kept getting bigger and bigger. I kept buying bigger and bigger clothes. I was up to size 18. My diet has not changed very much while being part of the 60-Day Challenge. I realized that we ate a lot of “God-made” meals. We rarely eat out. I take my lunch to work most every day, so I eat fairly healthy. I did start drinking lots of water – I keep a 16-oz. glass of water at my desk all day long.

I have not been clothes shopping, but every so many weeks, I stop at a store and try on different sizes just to see how they feel. I can get into some 12s although they are snug. When my husband suggested that maybe we could go to the Caribbean sometime this fall, I pulled out a size 9/10 swimsuit that I had – it fit!

My two sons inspired me to join the 60-Day Challenge. During the past 60 days I have learned a lot about my sons and about myself. Son Steven really enjoys the Army, and he is doing well. His boot camp graduation ceremony was impressive. He and his fellow soldiers are true heroes. Steven is in great shape mentally and physically and will be headed to Iraq later this year. Son David, who did incredibly well on the varsity football team this past year, has dropped 43 pounds since Christmas through very hard exercise. No one was telling him to workout. He did it all on his own. His workout consisted of running 12 miles on an elliptical and doing sit ups, curl ups, and crunches. I could not convince David or my husband to T-Tapp although both have noticed my results. I am hoping they change their minds and join me. Within the past 60 days, David has been accepted into the architectural program at Southern Illinois University and has received a four-year ROTC Army Scholarship. He will keep up with his physical training while in college.

T-Tapp has been wonderful for me, and it is my intention to keep at it. Carol keeps telling me it is progressive and I believe her. There are muscles I have yet to find and feel! I am blessed to have Carol so close by.

I have a niece, Sara, who is a marathon runner. At the end of her e-mails she has a quote from a runner, John Bingham, “The miracle is not that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start!” I am glad I had the courage to start T-Tapp. It has changed my life. I am glad my sons have the courage to serve this wonderful country. My sons and I are getting ready for the next phase of our lives. I am hoping the empty nest phase of my life consists of sitting on a beach somewhere. I have just the swim suit to wear.

P.S. Truthfully, I entered this contest for personal motivation and the reasons that I mentioned above. However, I would value the opportunity to come to Safety Harbor to meet Teresa Tapp if you decided to choose me as the Basic Plus/SATI/SITTM/TappCore Category Winner. A retreat sounds great right now, because in addition to the responsibilities mentioned above, many others were added to my list.

Thank you for the challenge.

Mari Conway