Total Workout with Health Improvements* Runner Up Winner

Justine S.

*Health Improvement: Osteoarthritis in knees and lower back, plus pain and inflammation.

Excited! I am seeing definition in my arms, legs, and abdomen. I feel stronger. Fat is melting from my back, arms, inner thighs and knees. I feel like my body is being sculpted! My posture has improved. I feel tighter and toned, like I'm wearing an internal girdle. I am fitting into clothes I had in my closet I couldn’t wear before! My daughter said to me, “Mom, you’re getting skinny! What are you doing?” My boyfriend noticed my rear view looking much better. One of my clients said to me, “Someone’s been eating her Wheaties!”

I lost 17.75 inches and 7 pounds. I ate healthy, but did not diet and even ate ice cream. My knees feel better and my lower back pain has diminished. My knees do not “click” as much when I go up and down stairs. When I woke up feeling stiff and achy some days, the stiffness and achiness always disappeared after doing a workout. Most incredible is my sciatic pain in my right leg is gone. Amazing.

I first ordered the T-Tapp Basic Workout Plus back in 2001 after reading about it in Woman's World magazine. Sadly, I did nothing with it back then. Even though I knew it is a rehab workout, I was still afraid of hurting myself because I have osteoarthritis in my knees and lower back. I also have a scoliosis. I am a nurse who works with spinal cord injury clients in their homes. My work is very physical and if I hurt myself, I obviously can’t do my job. I needed to do something, so I ordered MORE and did that for about a month back in December 2007. Then I started doing the Basic Workout after I felt comfortable with MORE. Then I progressed to Basic Workout Part 2, then T-Tapp to Tempo and then Tempo Intermediate. However, I would do a boot camp, then workout a couple times a week for a couple weeks, and then stop. Months would go by, and I would start up again. Still, with all this starting and stopping I had lost 15 pounds before starting the 60-Day Challenge.

I saw this 60-Day Challenge as a great opportunity for me to stick with doing T-Tapp on a consistent basis. This turned out be quite a challenge for me because my work schedule during this time increased to 48 - 56 hours a week working all different shifts. I also help take care of my 4 year old granddaughter Bella and her puppy Harley. Fitting in sleep and working out around my schedule was hard, but, I did it!

I entered the contest in the Total Workout and Health Improvement categories. I did Tempo Intermediate, Step Away the Inches, and Step It To The Max. I started off the challenge doing a bootcamp of Tempo Intermediate and SATI for seven days. Then after that, on average I did Tempo Intermediate three times a week and SITM two to three times a week and SATI once a week. The last ten days I decided to workout in front of a mirror, because I wanted to perfect my form more. I corrected some mistakes I was making. What a difference that made. Very intense. I only wish I had done that sooner!

My challenge is not done. I am making a commitment to myself to continue this workout on a regular basis. I am still going to take 30 day pictures and measurements every month until I meet my goal. I love how I am looking and feeling now!

I want to win this contest because I want to go to the Annual Fitness Retreat in Florida and meet Teresa. I would love to go and learn from Teresa and the other trainers on how to improve my form better to get more out doing T-Tapp. I would love to meet other T-Tappers and make some new friends. I am really interested in the keynote speaker, Mary Shomon, and the subject of thyroid dysfunction and menopause because I am peri-menopausal. I also want to win because as a nurse, a mother, and a grandmother, and a daughter of a very sick mother, I am taking care of someone all the time. I realize that I need to take some time out to take care of me and I deserve to!