Muffin Top - Baby Fat - Cardio??

TiredMom12

I finally joined the gym and plan to go at least 4x a week. I am working on the couch to 5k program, getting time on the elliptical machine, eating well 90% of the time, drinking my water and green tea and working towards finally losing the 15 lbs. of baby weight I've been holding on to for 18 months. Now, I really enjoy cardio, but plan to take a class or two a week for overall body sculpting. But right now, just getting a feel for the gym again and making it a part of my busy lifestyle. If I focus on doing 1 hr. of cardio a few times a week, will that help with the belly fat/muffin top/saddle bags? I carry all of my weight in my mid-section and now that ab work will be needed to tone up, but I'm still so flabby that I think if I focus on some real cardio, I will see results too. Am I going about this the wrong way?

missyjg99

I can only talk from my personal experience, but after 3 abdominal surgeries and being pregnant I had carried most of my weight in my midsection. I focused on cardio. I am choosing to do at least 45 minutes daily, but that's my personality, all or nothing. I am running now every morning. If you look at my profile pic, the before picture was april and the second picture was taken a few days ago. I quickly lost my belly fat. Still have a ways to go, but it's where I'm dropping weight from first. I do an abs program (iphone app) 3x weekly. I just started some weight training 3x weekly, I've only been at that a week.

peuglow

Want to lose fat? Hit the weights. I can't stress this to the ladies enough. Check out stronglifts, or the New Rules of Lifting for Women. Cardio is GREAT, but not the best fat burning method out there.

TiredMom12

Thanks and you look great. I'm glad to hear that for you, focusing on cardio is working for the mid-section issues. I plan to do at least 45 minutes of cardio 5x a week too, in additional to my usual running with the kids and household stuff. I really want to start running 3 miles a day and lose a few inches of this flab. Once that happens, I'll be more motivated to do the strenght and ab work.

jellebeandesigns

If you don't like cardio but concentrate on it. I run 20+ miles a week and I love it but I have been running (albeit not this much) for a year and didn't lose anything until I added weights and when I had my first I lost all my weight with weight lifting. I run because I love it! Not because I want to lose weight

Kelly_Runs_NC

Want to lose fat? Hit the weights. I can't stress this to the ladies enough. Check out stronglifts, or the New Rules of Lifting for Women. Cardio is GREAT, but not the best fat burning method out there.

^ what he said.