Consistent Exercise: Slow Results Are Still Results
Consistent Exercise: Slow Results Are Still Results
by Charlotte Siems
A crowd gathered at an outdoor gazebo on a beautiful Fall day on a college campus. It was a class reunion but we weren’t members of the class. We were there for the dedication of the gazebo, honoring the memory of a family member.
A pretty blonde woman made her way through the crowd and I immediately recognized her. She had attended an event where I had spoken about T-Tapp and what it had done for me. Several months later she had driven a few hours to attend a form clinic.
At the time of the clinic she told me how much she liked T-Tapp, and how she had stayed consistent but wasn’t really seeing much in the way of results. We talked about form and she decided to stay consistent because of how T-Tapp helped with energy and hormones.
Now here she was in front of me, and she gave me a quick hug. With a sparkle in her eyes, she shared how, after months of just keeping on, not doing anything different, suddenly the inches started dropping. She had lost two sizes in those nine months, but most of that inch loss was near the end of the nine months.
It got me to thinking about how consistency holds unknown benefits. Unknown because they don’t show up until we’ve been consistent.
Unknown because the human body is individual and complicated, so we can’t always accurately predict the effects of a treatment or routine.
I would venture to guess that most of the people who are impatient to get results yesterday, spent many years out of shape and overweight. No judgment: I was one of them so I can say it.
The vast majority of the discouragement and self-pity I experienced over the course of losing 100 pounds in a year and a half stemmed from thoughts of:
· Impatience (okay, twelve inches is good but what about the other 130?)
· Self-judgment (my hip pad looks pointy, this cellulite looks worse, why did I let myself get in this shape?)
· Comparison (she lost 6” in her bootcamp and I didn’t lose any)
· Clothes frustration (my stomach is STILL too big to get into the next size down)
· And more (you fill in the blanks)
What I wish I’d known:
· Patience, grasshopper.
· Self-judgment kept me focused on the negative so I got stuck there at times.
· Months of inch loss add up and at the end of 1 ½ years, it didn’t really matter how long it took. In fact, it seemed fast when looking back.
· You can’t compare your human body’s results with another human body’s.
· Wear pretty clothes no matter what size you are instead of always waiting for someday.
Just remember there is a difference between the results experienced by:
· someone who does two short workouts a week, watching TV while working out, going through the motions, flinging limbs and flopping and straightening knees and not tucking
and
· someone who does 4-6 short workouts a week, working mindfully, pushing themselves, always learning about form, going to their max, activating muscle and constantly checking their own form before, during and after moves.
I can’t predict the speed and extent of your results but statistics favor the second group. Be sure to tell yourself the truth about which group you’re in.
I love hearing (and seeing) results from people who hung in there and kept going, even when the going was tough. None of them regret staying with it and working through impatience and frustration.
Even if we don’t get the expected results, we’re always better off remaining consistent. Even with lots of form issues, moving our bodies benefits us. Slow results are still results. And you never know what surprises are just around the corner (even after many months)!
I hope this encouraged you–leave a comment below!
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 Charlotte Siems is a home-maker, home manager, T-Tapp Trainer, teacher, speaker and author. Her story of losing over 100 pounds with T-Tapp has encouraged thousands of people all over the world. She specializes in making home management and T-Tapp “doable” for real people and real life. She is happy to be a wife and mother of twelve children whom she has successfully taught at home for 25 years. |
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My favorite 2 sentences of this very encouraging post are:
” Months
of inch loss add up and at the end of 1 ½ years, it didn’t really
matter how long it took. In fact, it seemed fast when looking back.”
“None of them regret staying with it and working through impatience and frustration.”
I will never tire of these 2 thoughts as you keep writing them and encouraging me. As you keep expressing these thoughts I am inspired and motivated. THANK YOU!!
This is JUST what I needed! That was SO encouraging today. Thank you, Charlotte for your generous help and encouragement that you always give!
I am new to T-Tapp and new to your site. Hoping to see results on this 51 year old Mommy body. Thanks for the encouragement!
Ummm! This must be ME, and I am STILL frustrated! From Memorial Day until Labor Day I started EACH day with the 20 minute T-tapp routine as a warm up. I then mounted my bike and rode 10 minimum to 15 maximum miles PER DAY! Every day during those four months, maybe missing 7 days total in the entire time! I lost not 1 inch, I lost not 1 pound, I was mindful of my eating, and I did benefit mentally for my time. Physically, since I’ve turned 50, my body benefits from NOTHING! No amount of work, exercise, calorie counting can budge my pudge! While I am not terribly overweight, my clothes have been tight for 2 or 3 years due to menopausal bloating and swelling. I went to a medical Dr. who suggested I eat more protein. I do now. No difference! While your article is encouraging, weight loss after 50 (for me) seems impossible. I’m not addicted to the scales, I base my weight on the way my clothes fit. (And they don’t fit well). I was once (several years ago) fixated on the numbers. (what the scale said I weighed) I no longer do that. I was excited to know that T-Tapp could help me with inch loss. I bought the DVD’s, the book, and have attended your class with Kayla in Salt Lake City, Utah of this year. WAH – Still me! Still Swollen – Still bloated – Still fighting frustration! I’ll keep working on my patience! Thank You!
I have tapped doing bwo+ and a few other workouts here and there, for a year and a half. at most 5-6x a week at least 2x a week with maybe 3 weeks skipped due to vacations etc. I didn’t ever loose much but I kept doing it because I could tell I was stronger, felt better, needed the exercise. Well, then I dropped wheat and boom, I haven’t lost much weight but I have dropped almost 20 inches in 4 weeks. I attribute it to keeping up with T-tapp. All those muscles were there I just needed to figure out the x-factor that wasn’t allowing me to release the fat. If I hadn’t kept tapping I would be starting fresh instead of continuing my journey.
Ok! That’s encouraging! Thanks!
Charlotte- Just what I needed to hear! It never ceases to amaze me that the Lord cares about all the “little” things in our lives….like me being down over not seeing much inch loss in the last week, even though I’ve felt better than I have in years, and had tons more energy. Thanks for helping me put it into perspective- “Slow results are still results”
Nanci
Charlotte, thank you so much for sharing and continuing to share your story. I’ve read portions of your story several times and I’m always encouraged. Now I hope to turn that into action and especially into persistent, consistent action.
So true, Charlotte! I’ve fallen into a few of those traps over the years, too!
Great post!
~Trisch
I’m new to your blog, and i find it encouraging. I’m pretty new to T-Tapp. Did it for a good month, lost around 11″, then somehow went AWOL…..ahhh. still doing my other cardio couple times a week. Need to get back on track with T-Tapp. my biggest thing was that after 8 month of no monthly cycle (doctor told me i was in menopausal phase) after T-Tapp for a month, I’ve had 2 periods now. I know if definately works on our hormones and is a great program. I just need to get serious again!
I give myself 1 day off a week from the basic workout, and today I was crabby and just didn’t want to do it. This post made me change my mind! This Friday marks 6 full weeks of doing the basic workout 6 days a week with just a few extra days off for illness. And I am seeing the results!!!!
This freaks me out a bit – I’m fairly certain that I’m the Ang who commented on 19Nov2011. I needed this again today; I’m encouraged once again.
I’m glad for resets and fresh starts.
Charlotte,
This post is very helpful. I have a tendency to give up too easily.
This part of your post resonated with me: “how, after months of just keeping on, not doing anything different, suddenly the inches started dropping. She had lost two sizes in those nine months, but most of that inch loss was near the end of the nine months.”
And
“It got me to thinking about how consistency holds unknown benefits. Unknown because they don’t show up until we’ve been consistent.”
I am going to bookmark this post to retread when I am tempted to fall off the wagon!
Thank you!
Linda, I’m SO glad those words help! We all *know* these things, but it helps to be reminded. Best wishes on your continued journey!