I began using T-Tapp right around the fifth month of my pregnancy. Because my belly was already growing pretty well, I had a bit of a time attempting to achieve proper form, but I wanted to give it a shot anyway. Teresa’s philosophy on health is very interesting and it was refreshing to find someone so knowledgeable. I knew I had a way to go, but I wanted to keep moving to prevent more weight gain. I had started the pregnancy already several pounds overweight and never even took pictures during my pregnancy because I hated the way I looked.

I purchased the MORE 4-in-1 package and used it regularly. My two-year-old son loved it and he would try to do the moves right along with me. He even memorized parts of Teresa’s dialogue, repeating them throughout the day and he frequently posed his teddy bear in T-Tapp positions while giving it instructions.

I logged on to the T-Tapp forums regularly for accountability and received lots of support there from fellow expectant moms and the great trainers.

I also took Teresa’s alfalfa and used the CRT skin brush. My midwife commented that I had minimal swelling- a bit of a change from the usual swelling in the last few months of pregnancy. There was visible improvement in the appearance of my varicose veins immediately after skin brushing. I Tapped until the week of delivery and couldn’t wait to see if T-Tapp would help me get into shape after the baby was born.

However, on Wednesday, June 21, my world was forever changed. My son, Peter, was stillborn. My entire family, of course, was devastated. I didn’t know what to do with myself.

I began searching the web for help and relief from the pain. I found many wonderful resources and came across some that stressed the importance of taking care of yourself physically to improve your mental state and boost your immune system after a loss such as mine. It sounded good, but there were so many other issues to deal with first. I thought I’d get around to it later. My emotions were crazy. I felt so hopeless and depressed. I knew that I would see Peter again someday, but being without him until then was too much for me.

So there I was, just weeks postpartum, looking awful in my pre-pregnancy clothing, with no new baby to carry around and hide behind. This was not helping me emotionally. So, I decided to pull out my T-Tapp MORE DVD.

I started out slowly. I checked in at the T-Tapp Mommy Fitness forums because I knew those wonderful women cared so much. They’d already expressed their concern for me so I went there to talk. Starting up again was hard. I no longer had a baby to work around, so I was anxious to try the 15 minute Basic Workout instead of the one I had used during my pregnancy. I branched out on the forums and decided to take part in the mini challenges the individual members used for motivation. I also joined a popular weight loss group to have accountability for my eating habits and in one month, I’ve lost 9 inches and 8 pounds. My strength and flexibility are improving as well and I now fit comfortably in my pre-pregnancy clothes. I’m actually beginning to feel muscle under all that fluff!

It’s been 4 months since my son Peter died and emotionally it’s still very difficult, but I think the T-Tapp system and the great online support of the T-Tapp forums is helping me fight off most of the depression and begin balancing out my emotions.

I want Peter and my 3 other children to be proud of me. I don’t want to always be lagging behind my family when we go on hikes and outings. I want to be able to keep up with them and set a good example for them by putting forth the effort to be healthy.

My 2-year-old son’s favorite books are now Peter’s photo album and Teresa Tapp’s new book. He pulls it out of my bookshelf, sits on the floor and flips through the pages. Every so often, he says “Tuck Butt!” Ha-Ha! I’m very pleased that he’s so interested in exercise at such a young age.

I have a long way to go in my weight loss journey, and in my emotional healing as well, but I have finally gotten off to a good start.

Julie Ketter