Should I leave out cardio altogether?

You want to exercise your cardiovascular system for health reason. However, you can get good results with sorter amounts of HIIT as you mentioned. If you are doing more HIIT strength training, which keeps your cardio up anyway, you don't need much or any more.

HIIT is awesome.. don't cut out cardio or carbs.

Lots of low carb phobia on this board but, to each their own.

As for OP it depends on your body and how your body holds on to fat and muscle. I am a naturally curvy woman who is able to gain and retain muscle relatively easily, but also able to gain body fat like no one's business (don't you have that?). From experience I've learned that other than heart health benefits cardio does little to help me reach my fitness goals.

I lift 5 days a week on a low carb diet and am looking and feeling better than I ever have in my whole life! I will adjust my rest days to how my body is feeling and try to walk or other light cardio on those days to keep myself moving. After a lifting session I'll squeeze in 10-15 minutes on the stair master and I walk my dogs 3-5 days a week. Other than my stair master and walks I do almost no other cardio unless I decide to enjoy a bike ride or some indoor rock climbing. I have been interested in HIIT myself but don't know enough about it to give advice, although I feel like dynamic movements would overall work well in your overall cardiovascular health so they might not be a bad idea.

I used to be a cardio bunny, always on the treadmill or elliptical lifting maybe 2-3 days a week and restricting myself on a low fat, high carb diet. I got pre-diabetes, was depressed, felt foggy and tired and was struggling with my weight. Ultimately I just don't enjoy cardio like I enjoy lifting so it was a challenge to go to the gym, I dreaded it and wasn't getting results to make all the drudgery feel worth it.

I'm now eating a high fat, low carb ketogenic diet after performing independent extensive research from recent peer reviewed studies. I'd be interested to see the evidence and research supporting a low fat, high carb diet that's not being pushed by the FDA, American Heart Association or food and drug companies that are benefiting from keeping the status quo. Through my diet not only have my health problems (including diabetes) gone away but my lifting friends admire how cut I look, all gains no losses. Do I think the keto diet works/ is practical for everyone? No, but do I think it's a legitimate school of thought for eating and am always shocked at how vehemently people resist and demonize my diet. Everyone's body is different, mine happens to run efficiently, thrive, and gain muscle on a high fat, moderate protein, and low carb diet, if the OP decides to give it a try more power to her!

Good luck finding a solution to your problem but I feel like you're already at a very desirable and attractive body fat percentage and look~

No, you should do some type of conditioning. I dunno why you're lifting 5+days a week on a deficit.

I have to agree with this. It sounds a little excessive.

lifting five days week is excessive??? Care to clarify why that is?

I lift five days a week with minimal cardio …

My initial reaction is that having only two rest days per week from heavy lifting seems a bit minimal for muscle recovery, let alone adding cardio on top of that.

However, I am open to hearing other perspectives on the subject that differ from mine. I am still new to lifting so perhaps I am wrong. I don't have an issue with being corrected with respect and learning from others.

Compound lifts 5x per week is excessive. Isolated lifting can be done 5-6 days if you're working different muscles, different days.

We have the same question basically! I strength train about 6 days a week, alternating arms and lower body (legs, glutes, I also do abs on those days). Lately I've been doing 30 minutes of cardio a day while also eating at a deficit but lately I haven't had the energy. So I'm trying to eat more, especially more protein and now I only am doing about 50-minute Zumba sessions twice a week. They're intense, too. But I have the same goals, to burn fat and gain muscle. Though I'd be satisfied with a bf% a little bit higher than 16 or 18%. I'm around 24% now I think. I'll try to remember the advice from this thread.

Definitely eat more and you will have the energy to keep it up :-)

Lots of low carb phobia on this board but, to each their own.

what does low carb phobia have to do with OP's original post about cardio?

Because others have mentioned the possibility of OP cutting carbs in addition to the original cardio question and have been met with tons of opposition?

As it should... low carb craze is garbage.

Lots of low carb phobia on this board but, to each their own.

what does low carb phobia have to do with OP's original post about cardio?

Because others have mentioned the possibility of OP cutting carbs in addition to the original cardio question and have been met with tons of opposition?

Right, but that only got brought up when someone stated as a fact that the OP needed to cut carbs to get to her goal. That is completely false so of course people are going to make that clear so the OP knows.