60 Day Challenge Winner - Average to Lose Category

Category Winner
Average to Lose

Melissa G.
Short Torso Long Leg

Most of my friends and family always ask me how I stay sane on a daily basis and how I keep up with my crazy schedule. My answer is T-Tapping. It gives me the energy I need WHEN I do it. You see I am the Mom of seven children - six here with me and one our Heavenly Father is watching for me. I also home school all six and to make life more challenging I adopted 3 of the seven 6 years ago - all at the same time at the ages of 9,7, and 6 when I had a 7 year old, 3 year old, and a one year old. In my spare time I got my Black belt in Taekwondo. Oh my husband is also an Air Force pilot so let's just say his schedule is very unpredictable.

I did not have a problem with my weight until I had my first child. Like most teens I thought I was fat in high school. Now I look back and wonder what on earth I was complaining about. At 5'5" I weighed 125 pounds and was a size 9. In college I worked out like crazy thanks to the Air Force ROTC and didn't eat a lot. I was down to a size six and 120 pounds. Hey wait a minute that's a large difference in sizes but only five pounds. That was the first time I realized that I can weigh more but be in a smaller size- a concept that Tapping has really shown me to be true. Then I got pregnant. I somehow managed to eat enough to get up to 160 pounds. I wasn't too worried. I was always able to keep my weight off and figured it would just fall off with time and exercise after the baby was born. It was until I got a shot for birth control. I gained a bunch of weight and haven't been under 150 since. My oldest biological son is 13. That was the first time I realized hormones can also have a major effect on weight.

Over the next 7 years I gave birth to 3 children. My second child had a heart attack at 10 months and passed away at 18 months of age. That was a very stressful time for me and my family and yet I was still able to maintain my weight in my normal zone - 150 to 165. I had two more children the old fashioned way and when my daughter was born I started Taekwondo to help get back into shape. I worked out hard for several hours a day and managed to get back to a size 12 and 150 pounds. In 2001 we took a huge jump of faith and adopted three children from the foster care system at the same time. When all was said in done I had a 9 year old son, 2 seven- year old sons, a 6 year old daughter, a 3 year old son, and a 1 year old daughter. Oh and 4 out of the 6 had ADD/ADHD symptoms. The three year old also was borderline on the Autistic spectrum. I was forced to cut back on my workouts and picked up a bad habit of eating a Hershey bar and Coke on bad days. My Taekwondo instructor knew it was a bad day if I came in with one in each hand. The kids were quickly occupied somewhere else so I could get a break on those days.

In 2004 a friend introduced me to T-Tapping. I was skeptical that anything as short as BWO + could make a difference or be challenging enough to replace the long workouts I used to have. I decided to try it though. What did I have to lose except inches put on by stress eating? I worked out a couple of times a week off and on over the next few years and noticed I was getting in better shape even with the lack of workouts due to some surgeries (varicose vein stripping) and my kids wacky schedules. When my husband was deployed overseas for 4 months I was more motivated than ever to make sure I took care of myself. I started doing BWO + 4 times a week minimum plus swimming at the YMCA. By the time my husband came back I was down to a size 10 and 150 again. My sister didn't believe that I could fit a 10 at that weight but I was so toned that it was easy thanks to tapping. My husband tried to give my pants to my daughter when he got home. That was the ultimate compliment considering she was a size 2 and 10 at the time. I was doing well until about a year ago Tapping occasionally and working out with martial arts when I could.

In 2006 everything went crazy with my body. At first I thought it was a stressful move. I had stopped Tapping in the chaos of moving a family of eight, school, a son's knee surgery etc. Even when I started doing martial arts again and trying to get back in some kinds of a routine my weight kept shooting up. I had another varicose vein stripping surgery and started having major problems with PMS and crazy cycles. I finally broke down and went to see an OBGYN. She figured out my hormones were messed up and I remembered that Tapping had always helped that. She also suggested I might be gluten sensitive since my weight had gotten so out of control. At this point I was already dropping most sugar, eating healthy, small portion sizes and my weight had jumped up to 197!

I started tapping again with BWO+ in April. At first it was incredibly hard. That was a total shock to me. A year ago I was able to pass my second black belt test in Taekwondo- doing 100 real pushups and sit-ups in one evening and all my forms etc the next day. That is a major challenge for anyone. Now I could barely make it through BWO +. The first time I did Total Workout I was ready to cry in frustration and happiness. I was happy I was able to do it again but still frustrated at how far I had to go to get back where I had been. By the end of April/ Early May I was able to drag myself through Hit the Floor or Total again. That is when I saw the information about the contest.

I have never taken part in a contest like this before. I hoped it would help keep me motivated to stick with the tapping. I also knew I would be able to get a lot of support from the forums from others doing the contest. I took another huge leap and took my measurements plus the photos. I was so ready to cry after those photos. I knew I had gained weight. I knew I couldn't fit most things in my closet. I was at the point where I was wearing only wrap skirts - the one size fits most type. Those only barely fit. Seeing how many inches I had truly gained was one of the hardest moments in my life. I had never been this large before ever.

I started out well and did a lot of workouts in May and early June. Halfway through the contest I had lost an incredible amount of inches. I was overjoyed at my progress. Then Murphy's Law had to step into my life again. I had a girl's camp in June. I also strained my foot and spent a day on crutches and several wearing an ace wrap after overdoing it at Taekwondo. I had felt so much better I thought I could keep up with the teenagers. Then I had a surgical procedure which meant I couldn't work out for the last two weeks of the contest. My weight loss had stalled which showed me the dietary changes kept my weight from shooting up at the crazy rate it had been but I needed more to lower it. I needed to Tapp. I was so discouraged I didn't even want to take my last set of measurements. That is when the forums became so important. I mentioned how discouraged I was and several of the members encouraged me to go ahead and measure. I might be surprised. Even if I didn't lose any more or worse had a small gain just finishing was important.

I took my final measurements and was shocked again. Not only had I not gained but I lost a few more inches. The few workouts I had managed to fit in must have helped more than I thought. I also learned another important lesson. T-Tapping does not have to be done every day to work. Nor do you have to do all of a workout. When life steps in and things get crazy try to squeeze in what you can. Even when illness prevents any type of workout - don't stress. T-Tapp will be there to slowly ease you back into shape at a pace as fast or as slow as you need it. It works!

Although I still participate in Taekwondo I teach more than I work out there. Korean Sword is my newest sport but I don't work out consistently enough for it to be an effective aerobic workout. So T-Tapping is great for me. I can do a little bit on crazy days such as BWO+ or on days when I can squeeze in a full workout I can do Hit the Floor or Total. Total is great for my martial arts with the stretching and balance work and Hit the Floor targets my Abs and Hips, which really need the most work. I'm looking forward to ordering the Ladybug workout to help with my hormones too. That will be my post contest prize for me.

My goals at this point are to continue Tapping with at least one long workout a week and a couple shorter ones. I want to get back to a healthy size. The weight is not as big as an issue to me as the lack of physical endurance that I have now are. I have learned over the years that I might be heavier on the scales but smaller in measurements. Will I ever see 135 or so again? I don't know nor really care. I do know I can get back to my 10s with time and patience plus tapping. I know that when I am ready I will be able to take my third degree black belt tests without any problems. I do know I can be healthy again and be able to keep up with my kids. With a 15 year son, 13 yr old son, 13 year old son, 12 year old daughter, 8 year old son, and 7 year old daughter I can use all the energy I can get. Whether or not I win a prize from the contest I know I am already a winner. My family is also a winner with this contest because they got a healthier Mom.

LOSSES:
Bust:	-3.00
Waist:	-4.00
Abdomen:	-3.00
Hips:	-2.50
Right Upper Thigh:	-3.00
Right Lower Thigh:	-1.50
Left Upper Thigh:	-2.50
Left Lower Thigh:	-0.50
Right Calf:	-0.50
Left Calf:	0
Right Upper Arm:	-0.75
Left Upper Arm:	-1.50
TOTAL INCH LOSS:�	-22.75