Being a longtime couch potato, or rather, recliner potato as I rocked and nursed babies for 25 years, I wasn’t really in the market for an exercise program. I didn’t live to go to the gym, wasn’t looking to get into a size 2 and certainly didn’t plan on spending large amounts of time on fitness pursuits.
Dreaming of a size 14, I set out to do a 15-minute workout a few times a week and call it good. The cool part is that the 15-minute workout morphed into an occasional 45-minutes, and the size ended up at 6. I worked hard, but the workout worked, and I saw my body transform before my eyes over the months.
Eventually I became a T-Tapp trainer, and gained another perspective. When I look back on the journey, I see that I did some things that really helped, even though I didn’t realize it at the time. Let me share a few of those things as words of advice from a former size 22:
Keep going. Even when you get stuck, even when you’re not losing inches as fast as you think you should, even when you’re discouraged. I had several instances of slow progress. Four inches in four months doesn’t sound too motivating, does it? But I kept going and good things eventually happened.
Activate muscle. This workout is very effective and efficient, but only if you work it. When you reach away, reach with straight arms (no loose spaghetti arms). T-Tapp is angular and controlled, not flowing and loose. No flopping, no relaxing. Anything. If you think a move is easy and a break, you’re doing it wrong.
Learn form. The free T-Tapp forum is one of the best places to get your questions answered in your quest for form tips. The basic T-Tapp stance holds the key to your results, so it is worth study and practice. It’s what sets T-Tapp apart. Attend a clinic, work with a trainer or do a video review. A couple of live clinics, online classes and one video review were instrumental in helping me progress in form. Realizing you’ve been leaning back or straightening knees can change the whole game for you.
Commit to sweat. Personally I don’t like to sweat, but I knew a certain amount of it was necessary. I changed clothes before and after a workout and planned on additional laundry. I didn’t quit at the first sign of exertion or when I got uncomfortable. After sweating through many workouts, I no longer sweat while climbing stairs.
Understand that sometimes it’s hard. There were a few times that I sat on the edge of the bed in the middle of a workout and cried. It was hard.I was very overweight. I had too far to go. But then I picked up the remote and clicked to “Meet the Team” and watched some success stories. If they could do it, so could I. God bless you, Berei (gorgeous red-headed 80-something-year-old T-Tapp staff member)!
T-Tapp is not a miracle, but sometimes I think it’s close to it. To have rehabilitated the abs of a mother of twelve is a pretty incredible feat. Teresa Tapp would say it’s not the workout, it’s the amazing design of the human body. But I’m grateful that she understood the mechanics and physiology of the body to create T-Tapp. It may not be a miracle, but the hope it gave me eventually led to an almost unbelievable transformation.
How has T-Tapp given YOU hope? Please leave a comment…
HeLen says
January 17, 2014 at 8:54 amT Tapp has given me hope, I have my energy back, and I feel great. I’m a very busy Mom but even I can manage to fit in 15 mins of T Tapp, I used to do a lot of Cardio and it took 40 mins and left me tired and frustrated and unable to complete my daily tasks around the home. Although my progress has been slow I know my body is healing from Thyroid issues and T Tapp is the perfect balance for me to do something about being over weight without the frustration of being robbed of my energy. Thank you for your blog Charlotte.
Charlotte Siems says
January 17, 2014 at 9:30 amThat. Is. Awesome. Sooo glad you’re feeling better! Thyroid expert Mary Shomon recommends T-Tapp and I know it helps with my thyroid issues.
Dawn Gehling says
January 17, 2014 at 9:58 amDear Charlotte,
In answer to your article about “not a miracle , but hope” – I was struck with the fact that hope is the miracle! When you are at the end of your rope health wise, to find something so simple, so do able, so effective is nothing short of the goodness of God made real! The gift of hope is what gets us through and I am so grateful for your story and your ministry. Keep it up girl!
Charlotte Siems says
January 18, 2014 at 11:43 amSo true, Dawn! Very wise words.
Wendy J. says
January 17, 2014 at 10:08 amCharlotte, Thank you and bless you for continuing to motivate me with your emails. I started to do T-Tapp More in December 6 days a week with 1 day off….ended up losing 9 lbs and noticed that when I started my own 60-day challenge on January 13, I had lot a couple more inches in between. I’m doing T-Tapp More every other day now and I can feel when I’ve been sticking to proper form — I’m ready for bed by 9 PM and sleep tight.
Thanks, again!
Wendy
Charlotte Siems says
January 18, 2014 at 11:43 amAwesome results, Wendy! You GO, girl!! Love it!
Annie says
January 18, 2014 at 12:16 pmI have been trying to lose weight or inches for over a year now with no success. I’m 41 and was told that my 30 lb weight gain in the past 2 years was because I was getting older and my body was starting to go through premenopause. I came across T-Tapp online looking for weight loss exercises, bought the book and some videos and I recently started doing it. I was amazed to have lost 2 inches off my muffin top after one week and have my afternoon slump a thing of the past! Nothing else I had tried, ever gave me results like that. So excited to keep T-Tapping to get me where I want to be!
Charlotte Siems says
January 22, 2014 at 3:17 pmAnnie, that is SO awesome!! T-Tapp works from the inside out and helps heal our metabolism and glucose utilization and hormones. Good stuff. Carry on!
cynthia says
February 2, 2014 at 6:16 pmS.o.s!! Hate to admit this, but feeling ready to throw in the towel. I did complete the 14 day bootcamp, one more week of wk 5 of day on day off. Knee pain & back pain have held me back 1 day. Really getting discouraged by not seeing much in the resul dept.
Charlotte Siems says
February 2, 2014 at 10:10 pmCynthia! First of all {{{Hugs!}}} And congratulations on your effort (and honesty)!
I am guessing that you are tired, swollen and dealing with form issues. You are probably in a state of inflammation, thus what appears to be no inch loss.
A few form tips that might help: Shorten your stance, feet four fingers apart. Shift weight in heels (this will help take pressure off knees). Hold the squat on Plies. Don’t lean back when you hear “shoulders back”–instead lift ribs out of hips and shoulders will fall into place. And be especially careful to keep pressing lower back flat and don’t drop the elbow on the side you’re twisting toward on T-Tapp Twist.
Of course I can’t tell what’s going on without seeing you, but there could be a lot of different things going on here. Could you see a trainer or attend a T-Tapp event near you?
Don’t give up! What if things shift and your inch loss breakthrough is just around the corner? You’ll be glad you hung in there!
Susan Campbell says
January 17, 2017 at 7:28 pmCharlotte I have not seen the results you have seen but I know working out is good for me. I actually have not seen any results. So I did quit doing ttapp. I’ve read where some women see results and they don’t change their diet and some have to change their diet to see results and that ttapp heLPS with pain and makes them feel good. I just get tired of not seeing results.
Libby says
January 17, 2017 at 7:43 pmI did acrobatic dance as a kid, somersaults into a head stand turning on my head and back to a somersault. Then later I worked at the post office sorting mail and had three car accidents. At 50 I was told I had the neck of an 85 year old. I started T-tapp at 55. I now have the neck of a woman half my age.”smile”. I am not saying it hasn’t been a challenge but I am so happy I found T-tapp. I know my body , I know my aches and pains and how to help them.
Lately I found Renee McLaughlin tips and now I have a whole new out look on how I am doing the exercises. Wow! They just keep getting better and better.
Best exercises ever!
Andrea says
January 20, 2017 at 1:57 pmI want to try this. I heard about it on facebook, looked into it, and am very interested. Can you tell me where to start? And what is a 60 day challenge?