More to Lose Runner Up Winner

Christina C.

I DID IT! I really DID IT this time!

This is the third year that I entered the T-Tapp Challenge and the only year that I’ve made it all the way to the end. The first victory was enlisting my mother, Carol (More to Lose) and sister, Megan (Youth) to enter the challenge with me. The next victory was (gulp) taking those starting photos and turning them into major points of motivation. (“Ok, so here I am…Next time we take photos, my body will have changed…”)

My T-Tapp journey began about five or six years ago, when I read a post about T-Tapp on a weight loss message board and was intrigued by what I heard. I was living in New York City at the time, working two jobs and barely had time to sleep, let alone exercise. As I pored over the T-Tapp website, I became certain that this was a workout I needed to try. I wouldn’t need to buy any equipment other than the video, I wouldn’t need a lot of floor space to do it (which my teeny studio apartment appreciated) and there were elements of dance in the workout (familiar from my dance classes training to be a musical theater performer). I jumped right into the Instructional tapes and lost 8 inches in my first week (despite being in the middle of a 14-day bootcamp). I saw great inch loss by continuing every other day and was down a few sizes in time for my sister’s wedding (hello, bridesmaid’s dress!).

I can’t exactly pinpoint what happened after that, but I fell off the T-Tapp wagon, hard. Life got in the way, I was too exhausted, etc. I tried a couple of diets, hoping I could lose the pounds without exercising—nope. I tried a few other exercise programs—kicking, punching and jumping my way to a firmer and bigger me—um, seriously, NOPE. Many times over the years I have returned to T-Tapp and have been surprised and delighted anew at the many ways my body responds to this workout. I see my hips smooth out first where they otherwise like to round out on the side, the belly rolls below and above my waist start to lift and cinch in, and the energy I gain. Oh, the energy!

2009 has been a year of transition. Early in the year, I was laid off from my job and decided the best place for me would be moving back into my childhood home. As I pondered my next steps, I realized that I wasn’t sad to lose my job (I had never felt truly happy at the company) and I realized that I would now be FREE to follow my dreams. I have jumped back into voice lessons, acting classes and auditions and am receiving strong feedback. Increasing my health, energy, and stamina (and trimming inches) are key ingredients in my plans for success…and that means T-Tapp!

When I read about the 2009 60-Day Challenge, I knew things would be different this year. Lack of time or being too tired would not be issues (I’m job-hunting at the moment). I recruited my mom and sister to enter the Challenge with me so we could motivate and hold each other accountable. I created a reasonable schedule of workouts so I wouldn’t burn out by doing too much or doing too much too soon (as has happened in the past). I would not obsess over the measurements. I would only take measurements and step on the scale at the 30-day and 60-day points in the Challenge.

The three of us worked out together in the first week, when we followed the MORE Instructional. My dad and brother got used to having their TV time interrupted, “OK, we’re going to T-Tapp now. You can stay if you like, but we’ll be using the TV and DVD player.”

Mom and I stuck with T-Tapp MORE, occasionally adding on one of the extras (MORE Broom, MORE Step Away) or swapping in Step Away the Inches (on the days when we really needed to improve our moods). We were focused on working out every other day and we did, except last week when we threw in a 4-day boot camp. We T-Tapped when it was cold, when it was hot, when we were tired and when we weren’t sure we felt like it. One of us would say, “So, T-Tapping at 9?” and we’d tie our sneakers, pour the water and get moving, always feeling better after we were done. My sister decided that Basic Workout Plus was better for her (and she continued working out on her own).

I saw some small changes in my body along the way but I had no idea what that meant in inches. Even though I have seen the miracles T-Tapp has worked for so many other people, I was still ecstatic to see that I lost 18 inches and 10 pounds…in 60 days! (Mom lost 23 inches, my sister lost 8 ½ inches.) Get out of town! Woo-hoo!

I am so excited that I’ve been posting my family’s results on Facebook, and fielding tons of questions from family and friends. So far, I know I’ve converted at least one friend and an Aunt to T-Tapp after last month’s results. I have participated in the last two T-Tapp Retreats at Safety Harbor. The first time I was so nervous, I stayed in the back of the room, away from the cameras. I so hoped I wouldn’t be the most out of shape person at the party. Last year, I was less nervous but went to keep a promise to myself (I had promised myself I would go and, though I hoped I’d have more progress to show and didn’t, I went anyway). It was a revelation when I heard people huffing, puffing and grunting as we all wrestled with a new form tweak (thinner people, T-Tapp veterans, trainers too). Oh, Teresa, you exquisite torturer, you!

On a break, I told T-Tapp Trainer Barb O.,“Next year, I am going to be one of the success stories.” I don’t need to go to the Retreat to know that is already true. Since the Challenge started, I am sleeping so much better, my body is moving better (no more cricks and creaks in my knees and back) and I am *ahem* eliminating more regularly. My posture has improved and I am feeling more confident, which definitely helps me make a better impression when I enter those audition rooms. And, let’s not forget, I’ve dropped 18 inches and 10 pounds, without dieting!

As delighted as I am with my results, it has been fabulous to observe my chronically exercise-phobic mother and sister getting onto the T-Tapp and fitness bandwagon. My sister, who is just 20 years old, has found a habit that will help keep her fit for life, in 15 minutes a day. After so many years of putting the family’s needs ahead of her own, my 60-something year old mom has prioritized her health. She thinks I don’t know that she signed on for the Challenge only to support me. She had zero expectations related to T-Tapp and herself and now she’s found that she always has 20 minutes to spare for T-Tapp. She’s seen all kinds of health improvements, too, but you’ll read about those in her essay. I couldn’t be happier that T-Tapp may help extend her time on this Earth.
Whether I am part of this year’s Retreat or not, I will continue tapping every other day, working my way up to the Total Workout and Hit the Floor Softer. My favorite part of each workout is the end, when I mirror Teresa on that arm pump and shout, “Yes, I can.” Oh yes, I did it!