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My name is Amy Howard and I am a 40-year-old homeschooling mother of four precious children ranging in age from 3 to 12. I discovered T-Tapp quite by accident while reading the Large Family Logisitics website. This past January, Charlotte Siems' story was mentioned on LFL and I was interested to see what "this T-Tapp thing" was about. Charlotte is a homeschool mom like me, and I figured if she could do it then so could I. Thanks, Charlotte!
I started T-Tapp one month ago and was struggling to zip up my size 10 pants and skirts. I usually left them unsnapped at the top, and hidden under my shirt, because I didn't want to admit that I really needed a size 12. I was not comfortable sitting because of the fat rolls that had begun accumulating around my middle since my 40th birthday last December. I would always cross my arms in front of me when sitting down so that no one would see the fat I was trying to hide. Four babies and three miscarriages in twelve years had taken a toll on my body, and now I was faced with the reality that the weight was only going to increase around my middle in my forties. To me, this was not acceptable. I wanted to feel comfortable in my own skin again.
In addition to the way I felt and looked, I had the looming prospect of genetically inherited heart disease on my mind. I was already beginning to have struggles with my blood pressure and although my doctor never said anything about it, I felt that my blood sugar was getting out of whack as well.
My father had a severe heart attack two years ago, and ever since that time, I have felt as if there is this gloom and doom hanging over my future health. Add to that the fact that I have been struggling with severe Acid Reflux and Irritable Bowel Syndrome for six years since the birth of my third child, and you will understand why I was ready to make some serious changes in my life. The reality had dawned on me that if I wanted to be around to see my youngest child grow up, have children of her own, and be available to help her when she is a mother some day, I needed to get healthy, not just "skinny," again.
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I love holistic and herbal approaches to medicine and have been using them for my family's needs for years. I also have been very much into the whole foods diet approach for some time, but what I lacked was the help to get my body functioning properly again. This is where T-Tapp has really helped.
I wanted an approach that did not lie to me. I didn't want to be told that I could look like a supermodel after four babies and stretch marks all over my body. I wanted something that would take me as I am and make me the best I, personally, can be. In other words, my max, not the personal max of a nineteen year old runway model with no children and nothing to do but spend hours each day in the gym. I don't have time for that. Like Charlotte Siems, I'm busy, really busy, everyday. I also write for a frugal website, homeschool publications, teach couponing classes with my husband, teach my children, and love on my family by building memories and planning fun times. I am also a friend to some really great people with whom I love to spend time.
Obviously, whatever I was going to do to get myself back into shape needed to be efficient and effective. It needed to mutli-task like I do all the time. T-Tapp fits this bill perfectly.
I must admit I was really skeptical when I started, so much so that two days before I started my T-Tapp boot camp, I bought another pair of size 10 pants thinking I would need them for a while. Well, here it is a month later, and I cannot wear those pants in public anymore! They are so loose on me it is comical! They are now about to be passed on to someone else who might make use of them (as long as they don't do T-Tapp!)
During my boot camp, I thought I would give up on day three. It was hard, just like Teresa said it would be. Teresa was right... I didn't like her very much on day three! But day four was an altogether different beast; I could do it more easily! It was like a miracle. My body had already begun to reprogram itself and it was beginning to crave the workout rather than giving up. That was different than anything I had tried before. I also noticed I had more energy by the end of week one. I began to wonder, "Hmmm where might this take me?"
By the end of my boot camp, I had lost 6.75 inches. I was so incredulous at this number that I measured again just to be sure! Then I immediately called my husband at work to tell him the news. He was so proud of me for sticking with it. I am blessed that he is so supportive. T-Tapp was what I had wanted for Mother's Day, and he got it. He is wonderful to me!
Week two came and went and I began to notice relief of my Reflux and IBS issues to the point where I didn't need as many of the medications anymore. I was so thrilled to stop some of these because I know the side effects are harmful to my body.
I also noticed, during week two, that my left hip and lower back, and my knees, which had all given me chronic and intense pain since the birth of my fourth child almost four years ago, had disappeared. I didn't notice it at first... somewhat like when a headache goes away and a little while later you realize that you are feeling good again; that the pain had subsided fully. What a blessing!
I lost over 5 inches during week two. I knew at that point I was going to stick with this program. The workouts are designed in such a way that you don't have to spend hours each day working out to get results. I mentioned earlier that this is the ultimate multi-tasking workout, and it is. The reason I say this is because with T-Tapp when you workout, you are activating several muscle groups at once so that you get more results with less time. That's just plain smart.
I'd rather work smarter than harder any day, wouldn't you?
Another great result I have gotten from my first month of T-Tapp is that just two weeks ago I looked at my husband and said, "I'm happy with the overall inch-loss, now I want to see my baby-belly dissipate. When will that happen?"
My husband was very reassuring and said, "It will! Look at all of the results you are already seeing elsewhere on your body. It's working, I can see it!"
He was right. The change was obvious and it becomes more so everyday. Over the course of week three, I noticed that I was forming a bit of a "six pack" on my stomach. I couldn't believe my eyes! I thought I was seeing things at first, so I asked my husband where he noticed the biggest change and he said, "those muscles in your stomach. When you turn from side to side, I can see them." Wow! I never thought I would have a six pack (without sit-ups!!) after 40!
I know I'm forgetting to tell you some of the other things I noticed, but I've blogged about it every Wednesday so that other moms can see that they can do it too. "Yes you can!" No, really, I mean it!
My results from my first full month of T-Tapp:
Inch loss: 23.75 inches!!!
Sizes lost: Almost 2!!! I'm fitting comfortably into size 8 now!
Weight lost: Only 5 pounds. The inches truly are what matter, not the weight!
Height gained: at least a half an inch!
Areas where I've seen the most benefit: Pecs, lats, stomach, relief from Reflux/IBS, relief from back, hip, and knee pain, energy and clear-headedness; less overwhelmed by life in general.
I honestly cannot say thank you to Teresa Tapp and her team enough! I am so thrilled to have a workout—and lifestyle, now—that respects me as a person, allowing me to strive for the best I, personally, can be. I could never look like Teresa, we have completely different body types as I am a combo, bordering on short torso, and she is a long torso. I know now that I can be my personal best, and that is alright! I am beginning to feel comfortable, thankful, even beautiful, in my own God-given skin. I feel healthier already, and that is the best gift this program could have given me. I want you to know that YOU CAN DO THIS TOO! You really can.
I have further to go. I can still see where the fat needs to melt away on my body, but I am so encouraged by the success I have had already. A week ago, one of my favorite stores was having a sale, so I went in search of a swimsuit for our upcoming vacation. I was a bit nervous about it, but came away with a smile and a heart full of joy. I bought not just one, but four bathing suits that day! I feel confident in them and for the first time in my life, I am actually excited to go to the beach.
A week ago I watched Charlotte Siems' video testimony on the T-Tapp website. In that video, Charlotte said she had asked Teresa what the one thing she could do to flatten her stomach would be. Teresa replied to her, "Shoulders back, lats locked, ribs up!" Charlotte did it and had huge success. So I did it starting the next day, no matter what I was doing. I did it in the car, walking around the house and anywhere and everywhere I could. Three days later I began to notice that my tummy bulge was lifting higher. The day after that I noticed that it was getting flatter. One day ago, I looked in the mirror and couldn't believe what I was seeing! That low-hanging bulge in my abdomen is almost gone! It has stretched out, lengthened, and moved up. It's not completely flat yet, but it is getting there quick! This all happened in a mere five days. Astonishing! I thought I'd never see that belly go away.
I measured a day early this week because I couldn't wait any longer to see the results of the simple art of muscle activation in action. Guess what? In just five days of doing this little trick during my workouts and daily activities I lost two inches more in both my abdomen and my waist! That's four inches gone in five days. Incredible! I'm still doing double takes every time I see myself in the mirror. My body is literally being sculpted right before my eyes. What a miracle.
I have to wonder now... What will I look like and how will I feel for next year's vacation?
Stay tuned.....
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