Hi, Heather! I'm not sure how much advice and wisdom I have to impart, aside from *please be a little more gentle with yourself :* , but I thought I'd share a personal experience (I'm only 2" shorter than you, so we're probably close to the same body type):
Since I've incorporated more Cathe hi/lo into my ongoing program, I've noticed a significant leaning of the thigh area in general, coupled with a really nice increase in muscle definition. A couple of workout suggestions you might find helpful:
Try doing Circuit Max with barbell squats and lunges only (kind of like Power Circuit or the step-circuit segment of Body Max); I like to do this as follows: first resistance cycle standard squats (56 at tempo); second resistance cycle static lunges at tempo (28 each leg with a quick switch, no rest); third resistance cycle plie squats (56 at tempo); fourth resistance cycle static lunges (28 each leg with a quick switch); fifth resistance cycle standard and plie squats with a slow half-count tempo (28 each position); and the sixth resistance cycle static lunges at a slow half-count tempo (14 each leg with a quick switch). That is a real sweat factory, and obviously you'd need to do some upper body work afterward or next session, but it's great cardio AND leg work.
Try doing the following mish-mosh if you have it:
MIC hi/lo segment including warm-up
10-10-10 hi/lo segment
Boot Camp cardio only premix if you have it; OR
CTX Step&Intervals interval segment
Also try the following mish-mosh if you have it (DVD):
Rhythmic Step or I-Max 1 warm-up
CTX Power Circuit circuit segment
Boot Camp cardio+lower-body-only premix
These have been folded into my ongoing program over the past few weeks, and again I've noticed a change.
Hope this helps! And I'm looking forward to others' suggestions!
A-jock
