Focus on abs now or lose stomach fat

Doing ab exercises can help strengthen your core, but so will most workouts at this point. I'd exercise, but emphasize cardio with some weight lifting sprinkled in. The most important thing is to keep an accurate food diary. Don't just leave the weekends or that dessert out because you're ashamed. That's why this didn't work last time for me.

You can't spot reduce. You can do 10,000 crunches a day, but if you have body fat to lose from other areas of your body, it will most likely come from there first....along with isolated ab exercises being pretty inefficient at body fat loss.

It takes.

Moderate caloric deficit+ work (cardio and compound lifting ) + patience. You can get there with 1 and 3, but would probably be happier incorporating all 3.

Since you say you only have a small bit to lose on your belly, you are probably more after a recomp rather than a number on the scale. Investigate you diet and a good lifting plan. Don't give up cardio if you don't want to, and keep in mind that few...if any...individuals on here with a solid midsection do a lot of isolated ab work....if any. There are many full body lifts out there that incorporate the abs and are more efficient at muscle retention. Ab exercises are good for general core strength.