Work It Out Wednesday

Sherri over at Boogers, Screams, Headaches, and Dreams has started a weekly workout activity for all of us bloggers to take advantage of and to share in our workout and weight loss progress. I think it is a FABULOUS idea Sherri, so am I gladly playing along this week.

Many of you know that I have been working out like crazy trying to lose weight. If you are new to my blog, you may not be aware of the aggravating plateau that I hit about a month ago despite the fact that I was eating less and working out more than ever before. I made this post desperately asking for advice, and the advice came pouring in! If you haven't read that post before, and you are struggling with weight loss yourself, then you really should read the comments that were left. You can also see the two posts that Makeover Momma dedicated to my fitness and my nutrition! Trust me when I tell you that I have taken much of all that advice and put it to practice... AND IT IS WORKING!

I'm still running, but no where near as much as I was doing before. I've now changed my workouts to a variety of different things to keep my body in a state of constant surprise and shock. My favorites...

Chalean Johnson's Turbo Jam has to be one of the MOST FUN workouts that I have ever done. Seriously! I was laughing while I was sweating to death as I told my husband that I felt more like I was breaking it down at "da club" instead of doing an aerobic workout. It was like a dance party in my living room! I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! I had so much fun the first time that I did it that I didn't even realize the workout had totally kicked my butt until I was finished and realized that I was drenched in sweat and exhausted!

Yes, I have jumped on the Jillian Michaels bandwagon, and I am doing the 30 Day Shred. I love the workout because I can instantly feel the burn! Her combinations of cardio and strength with upper and lower body workouts at the same time have really kicked my metabolism into high gear. And while I love the fact that the ENTIRE workout is only 20 minutes long, there are some days that I feel like it is not enough for me.

On those days, I also do Debbie Siebers' Slim in 6 program. It is very similar to the 30 Day Shred, however it is a bit easier! I'm currently doing level 2 (of three) on both programs. I would recommend Slim in 6 to someone like Leslie Ruth who finds the 30 Day Shred to be just a little too intense. The Slim in 6 workouts are longer (level 2 is 45 mintues, level 3 is almost an hour) but the workouts again cover both cardio and strength while working the upper and lower body.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is what I am working up to! Chalean Johnson's ChaLean Extreme. This is supposed to the hardest, so I haven't started it yet! My plan is to finish the 30 Day Shred in combination with Slim in 6, and then I will start ChaLean Extreme. It's supposed to be killer, but it's supposed to be amazing as well! I promise to let you know how I do once I get started on it next month.

I have quit paying so much attention to the number of Weight Watchers points that I eat a day, and I am focusing more on eating healthy stuff all the time and more often throughout the day. In all honesty, my diet really hasn't changed all that much... I just quit counting! But with the new workouts, I have lost an additional 2.5 pounds in the last week. That puts me at a total loss of 20 pounds, with just 5-10 more pounds to go!

So, head on over to Sherri's blog to read her Work It Out Wednesday post and then join us in this adventure!