I first heard about T-Tapp from a forum on low-carb diets. I wanted to lose weight and get back in shape, and as I recall, the person on the forum raved about the effectiveness of T-Tapp. I had not used exercise DVDs in the past, and the thought of doing exercise by video did not really appeal to me. I had been getting my exercise most recently through karate (but had to stop due to an injury), and by walking my dog. But after hearing about T-Tapp, I wanted to find out more about it. I went to the web site, and also to the reviews for the “Fit and Fabulous in 15 Minutes” book. From the beginning, I was very impressed with what I read about the science of the workout that Teresa developed, and the idea of building the core muscles, as well as the success stories that people shared. Of course, losing clothing sizes with only 15 minutes of exercise a day also sounded good!
I ordered the book and first tried to do the Total Workout following the photo sequence. It took me almost 1½ hours to do that workout (with not so great form), and I was drenched in sweat! However, I found out one of the people featured in the book - Kiona Leah – was a trainer in my area, so I talked to her, and signed up for her class. I also got some of the DVDs, and started doing the Total Workout or More at home, as well as Kiona’s class once a week.
I tend to be an all or nothing kind of person, so when it came to T-Tapp, I felt like in order to succeed, I “should” do a boot camp of the Total Workout for 14 days, and that I should be able to lose “x” number of inches. However, reality didn’t cooperate with my vision. More than once, I started a boot camp with very good intentions, knowing that “this time” I would be able to lose all of the inches that I wanted to lose. In reality, I would be successful losing inches for awhile, and then “fall off the wagon,” by missing a workout or two, and decide that I had failed at T-Tapp, and that I needed to start over again from square one with yet another boot camp.
Needless to say, this wasn’t working out very well. In order to come up with a more realistic and successful personal plan, I started to have Kiona coach me by phone. This helped not only in terms of form, and my workout schedule, but Kiona has also helped me to see what success, and, as importantly, progress, can mean with T-Tapp.
The best example of this has been in recent months, when I have been very busy at work with a big project. It was very stressful, involving long hours at work, often working at home in the evenings and the weekends, and spending most of my time at an office that was 1½ hours from my house, instead of the office close to my home. Needless to say, this was a time that I probably could have used T-Tapp the most, but I knew that if I tried to set too ambitious a schedule for myself, with a another boot camp, or promising myself that I would do T-Tapp “x” number of times per week, that it would become overwhelming, and I would, in my estimation, “fail,” again.
I talked to Kiona about this and she suggested that I shift my focus from the idea of having to do a complete workout, to doing just a few moves a day, in order to “maintain” where I was, and be consistent with doing something, so I would not feel like I was losing ground during this time. I thought that sounded like a good way to approach it, so that is what I did. For about a 3-month period I was not able to attend class much (maybe once or twice), and I didn’t do any complete workouts at home. Instead, I would just do a few moves per day (usually The Box, Hoe Downs, and Step Lifts), and sometimes I would do extra repetitions of The Box a few times throughout the day. I also did God Made/Man Made, but very inconsistently. I didn’t measure at the beginning, but I measured a couple weeks into it, and my inch loss for 9 weeks of that period, doing just those moves was 10¼”!
Here’s the breakdown of my inch loss:
Above Bust -1½”
Bust -2½”
Below Bust -½”
Waist +¼”
Abdomen -1¼”
Hips -1”
R.U. Thigh -¼”
L.U. Thigh -¾”
R.L. Thigh -½”
L.L. Thigh -¾”
R. Calf +¼”
L. Calf ---
R.U. Arm -¾”
L.U. Arm -1”
Total 10¼”
In the past, I would not necessarily have considered this a “success” because I have more inches to lose. However, if this wasn’t a complete success (is it ever?), it certainly was progress - I lost inches during this very busy, stressful time by just doing a few moves, instead of losing ground by doing no moves. I can now work from where I am, and, as Kiona says, I am not at “square one,” I am at “square five.” Now need to move forward again, building on the progress I have made, to get to “square ten.”
I have learned that the process of continued progress in T-Tapp, is success! I may not have met my inch loss goal yet, but I know I can get there, even if sometimes that means just a few moves at a time. I can adjust T-Tapp if I need to, and know that in the future, I can adjust it again, to fit with whatever circumstances arise…I’m still T-Tapping. Thanks to Teresa for developing such a great system that can work for anyone at any time, and thanks to Kiona for all the support, and for helping me to see what success really means, the T-Tapp way!
P.S. – Now that I am back in a more normal routine, I have been able to start back in Kiona’s class, and have started another boot camp – I’m at day 9 of 14, using a combination of T-Tapp MORE and T-Tapp MORE – From My Home to Your Home, with an inch loss so far of 7”.
Lynn in Baltimore
A Message From Senior T-Tapp Trainer Kiona Leah:
As a Senior T-Tapp Trainer I have learned the value of balance while getting amazing results with the T-Tapp Workout System. As a trainer working a full time day job, on top of my classes, private sessions and dance events; time management has always been a struggle. What I have focused on for myself and my clients is to be #1. Consistent and #2 a "Black Belt" in T-Tapp basics. For many busy people with a career, a family, a business, hobbies and more; finding time for long workouts can be an overwhelming challenge and sometimes even a 15-minute workout can be too much.
For myself, I created a "Two Move a Day T-Tapp Program" to be able to find more balance and have more consistency. I found a way to sneak in at least 2 single T-Tapp moves each day on a regular basis. In the first 5-week stretch of this, I lost about a half a clothing size. The consistency and practice to maximize my T-Tapp form delivered amazing results! Since then I have coached clients like Lynn to do the same. It has provided all of us a foundation of fitness for our lifestyle. So when life happens, as it eventually WILL....deadlines at work, family needs, vacation or anything that upsets our daily routine.....we can maintain or even continue to see small losses doing just a couple moves every day! Then when life gets back to a regular routine, you can feel like you are simply continuing to move forward, rather than the overwhelming task of starting back at the very beginning. For over 9-years myself and several clients like Lynn can say we have wither lost inches or maintained our size consistently. This security and confidence has given us even more than just inch loss, but a whole new fit and healthy lifestyle while doing LESS!
YES YOU CAN!
Kiona Leah
Click here to read my Trainer Bio
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