Total Workout with Health Improvements* 3rd Place Winner

Sheila B.

*Health Improvement: About 15 years ago I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I have struggled with my weight my entire life and the PCOS has made it a challenge to keep my weight within reason. I was able to maintain a weight of 140-145 for a number of years but just over six years ago I went through a full-term pregnancy only to lose my first son as a stillborn. With my first pregnancy I gained over 70 lbs to where I was over 220 pounds and was not able to lose it all prior to becoming pregnant again within 6 months. My second pregnancy was uneventful and we now have a wonderful 5 year old boy. However, I have not been able to shift my weight no matter what I try. T-Tapp has shown me that I can definitely lose inches and that the weight should not always be the main focus. I hope to help balance my hormones with this 60-Day Challenge. I’ve also had some regular maintenance/check up tests done and my blood pressure has gone up slightly from where it had been.

Since the loss of my first son, I’ve been on a healing journey physically, mentally, and emotionally. While the birth of my second son, Eamon, was a tremendous gift to me and I love him with all of my heart and soul, those first few years with him were clouded due to post-natal depression and grief. The harder I tried to keep focused on the day-to-day tasks and as hard as I tried to be there for my son, I just could not get handle it all. I found myself comforting myself with sweets and snack food which of course made the PCOS even worse and the weight gain continued. I would try diets every now and then, but without immediate results, I would stop. I started walking which felt wonderful but then I found I would make excuses not to go out…it was too cold, too hot, too rainy, too snowy, etc. I started to withdraw from my husband, Kevin, Eamon, and my life in general. Within the last couple of years I started to work full time. I thought that by having the distraction of work would help me not think about my loss so much. What I didn’t realize was that working full time would only add more stress to my system which has led to more weight gain.

I started walking at lunch with a couple of friends from work. They have both been very inspirational and their guidance has helped me so much. My one friend, Cathy, had talked about this T-Tapp program she had been doing for a year or so. I understood the theory behind the program and found it quite interesting. That’s as far as I went with T-Tapp at that time. Then this past February T-Tapp Trainer Kayla Howard came to Castlegar, British Columbia to do a session of T-Tapp. Cathy talked to me about it and once I got a chance to read Teresa’s book and watched some of the videos, I was in for it. Prior to Kayla’s session, I started a 14 day boot camp which I stopped at 10 days but it felt wonderful and I lost about 11 inches! Wonderful!!! How could that be?? I tried all kinds of diets, exercises including Yoga, Pilates, and had recently started jogging but none of those had made an impact on me like T-Tapp. I was hooked! I went to the session with Kayla in February which just seemed to seal the deal with my love for T-Tapp. I could not believe how I felt that night after the session and for days later. My legs were still shaking a ½ hour after getting home and yet I didn’t feel like I had done a 2-hour aerobic class to get to this point.

I started seeing a Naturopath doctor who talks about the benefits of skin brushing, neutralizing my system to help with weight loss, and how to stimulate the lymphatic system. I also started seeing a wonderful woman who does Craniosacral Therapy. She has helped my body let go of some of what it was holding onto since the loss of my son. It seems I’m drawn to techniques that are all kind of related in what they do for the body – balance it. Which is what I’m doing mentally and emotionally as well – trying to find that balance and bring it all back into alignment. It’s also what I need to do job-wise as well which is why I’m looking at working part time or in a job-share position within the next few months. Balance in all aspects of my life is extremely important to me and my family.

I have been doing T-Tapp on a regular basis and while the inch loss is not as much as I had hoped it would be, I’m trying to be very patient about it. I feel the difference inside! My moods are more even and I no longer feel trapped in a void of just getting through my days. I’m happier and I’ve noticed that my symptoms of PCOS have decreased as well. I’ve also noticed lately with all of our nice hot weather that my feet and my hands are not swelling like they used to. I find myself adjusting my posture at home and particularly at work where I sit at a desk all day. I find myself putting my shoulders back into alignment with my hips on a regular basis throughout the day. Cathy and I have even found a spot at the mall where we work that we can use a couple times a week to get in a quick T-Tapp session at lunch.

I look at my life differently now than I did a year ago. I’m happier now. It’s like as my body started to react to the changes from T-Tapp so did my mind and heart. While my journey out of my grief is not yet complete, I know that I am headed in the right direction for the first time in 6 years. I know that I will be T-Tapping for the rest of my life. I see and feel the difference. I have talked about this to other friends just as Cathy had talked to me about it. Besides, there has been no other fitness program that could get me out of bed at 5:30 AM!! Maybe 6:00 AM at the latest.