The Mind of a Woman (T-Tapper)

Before T-Tapp I actually prided myself on not obsessing over the scale or diets, and most of the time I had no idea what I weighed. Of course I was very busy, but part of it was denial. So it was a bit of a shocker to begin my T-Tapp journey with weighing and measuring. 52" abs?! Oh. My. Word. Then there was the mirror and the workout clothes. I bought actual workout tops and shorts to motivate me and see my form, but the view was pretty discouraging. My husband finally told me to stop brushing in front of the mirror because I would get so depressed about my appearance. I went from hiding my body from myself (you know, get undressed in the closet) to scrutinizing every lump and bulge. I hadn't paid much attention to sizes before, but then I began to covet the next size down.

The trick as a More to Lose person was to appreciate how far I had come and celebrate the changes I was feeling and seeing. There was a temptation to feel like I wouldn't look good until I reached goal. When I wore a size 22W I thought a 14 was model-thin and I would have been very happy to squeeze into 14s. When I wore a size 14 I thought only a 10 would make me happy. See the trap? As women we are so hard on ourselves. A man can look in the mirror, flex his muscles, and think "hey, baby, I'm lookin' good!" A woman looks in the mirror and thinks "this cellulite is horrible and my inner thighs are flabby and...."

The MIND and THOUGHTS are the place to start. How do you feel if someone says something critical or unkind to you? Your spirits fall, your heart pounds or maybe you get angry or want to give up. Guess what? Studies show that your body reacts the same way if YOU say critical or unkind things to your self. Same goes for saying positive and encouraging things to your self. Your heart soars, you feel like smiling and you want to rise to the occasion. Sure, those discouraging thoughts pop up, but you just don't go there. Don't water and fertilize them. CHOOSE to be kind to yourself and be hopeful.

I've got more to say about this, so stay tuned. Time to get back to the Extreme Laundry Challenge of getting out the summer clothes and putting away the winter stuff!

More about The Beginning

One thing I did from the very beginning was to keep careful records. There was something satisfying and motivating about filling in calendar pages and writing down goals. The fun part is that I have those records to look back on now. Through my inch loss journey I was able to track results and get a true picture of the results of workouts. When inch loss slowed or stopped all I had to do was look at what I had actually done in the last couple of weeks. Somehow we tend to fool ourselves about what we're REALLY doing when it comes to workouts, so the actual proof was helpful and eye-opening. Someone once said that we think reading about T-Tapp and posting on the forum means we're spending time doing T-Tapp but the only thing that gives you results is pushing *PLAY* and getting off the couch!

More coming soon on some of the emotional and mental challenges I faced as a brand new Tapper...

My first week with T-Tapp: the nitty-gritty details!

258 pounds, size 22W. 42" waist, 52" abs, 49.5" hips. I sat at the computer browsing through one of my favorite blogs, "Large Family Logistics" and read an article about the author's favorite "stretching exercise" called T-Tapp. I clicked on the link and looked around the website. My heart began to beat a little faster with hope--was it possible? The success stories were impressive, but I was skeptical. Still, my curiosity was piqued so I read some more. I decided to order the Total System and promised myself that I would do the 15-minute workout. After all, I reasoned, ANYONE can do 15 minutes a day.

Here are actual notes from my records of the first 10 days:
Day 1 - received package; watched "Yes You Can" DVD and Instructional #1
Day 2 - Instructional #1 first time! (shaky & nauseated) Brush and salt bath
Day 3 - Instructional #1, Brush
Day 4 - Brush, Instructional #1
Day 5 - Brush, Instructional #1, 1/2 set HoeDowns, sore
Day 6 - Basic Workout, 1/2 set HoeDowns, Brush, knees sore
Day 7 - Basic Workout, 3/4 set HoeDowns, Seeing results! Firmer thighs and arms, cellulite and stretch marks smoother
Day 8 - Instructional #1, Brush, (no knees on Plies--sore & crackling), new shoes--Skechers Energy
Day 9 - Basic Workout, Brush, first third of Instructional #2 and 1/2 set HoeDowns
Day 10 - Basic Workout Plus, Brush, salt bath, measured: -5 inches, -1 pound!!

By Day 16 I had lost 14.5" and 4 pounds. I felt better than I had in years. I was hooked!