Today was cardio! I try to do cardio 5-6 times a week but on the days i don't lift I do HIITS. But today I did body combat. My fave class and I always come out looking like I have been thrown in a pool. I came out of there today with my heart monitor saying I've busted out 680 calories. Here's my question....does that count on cardio day or do I still need to to my HIITS that day? My goal is fat loss and maintain the muscle I have. I'd put this on a fat loss forum or something but they get kindof ugly. Too many little bitches feeling like hulks behind their keyboards..lol. And you all seem to know what you're talking about. Any help would be great! Ya'll ROCK!

Wow, cardio 5-6 times a week? That seems like a lot. Basically it comes down to calories vs. calories out. If you're trying to maintain muscle you want to have a SLIGHT caloric deficit. Not a huge one. In general the more bodyfat you have the bigger calorie deficit you can maintain without losing muscle. I try to do a combination of cardio and reducing calories when I am cutting bodyfat. Then again, I try to get away with the least amount of cardio that I have to do.

Thanks Rico! I know it seems like a lot. I don't go full out 5-6 times a week. Like on days I lift... I'll lift, then jump on the treadmill like at a 14 incline and walk at 4 mph for half an hour or so. Then on off weight days I'll do HIIT's. I try to get a long run in once a week. It's all different and I enjoy it. My husband is deployed so whatever I time I can get by myself I take it.....lol. I also feel like I have A LOT more fat to lose than a lot of people on here. I dunno..maybe I should scale back. All I know is I have 8 weeks until my hubs comes home and I am trying to make my goal happen before he gets here. Thanks for responding!!!

Hi Jana,

Have you tried mixing in cardio with your lifting? So, depending on what you're doing and if you superset etc. For example, today was shoulders for me. In between my superset I busted out 50 toe taps. Then after the next superset I did 50 burpees then back to my superset.... and so on.... this helps (us women) to burn more fat in the middle of lifting by elevating the Heart rate. since you wear a HRM (good job) you can see what's going on!!! It made a huge difference for me. I cut out the long distance on the treadmill and broke it up into interval training as well. food for thought. Just like rico said earlier, it's about maintaining the calorie deficit. Depending if I am in maintenance or I am trying to bust past a plateau for bf reduction, I go anywhere between 500 and 800 cals a day for a deficit. Others may disagree, but it is what has worked for me....My age is older and I find that I can just LOOK at food and gain bf! LOL

good luck! Susie

Thank you Susie!!!! I am going to try amping it up...I' run up the stairs and back during rests or do abs..but I might have to try some of your other ideas!!! I am so screwed up on the calorie defecit thing! IT's says I need 2400 to maintain. I have been eating 1400-1600 depending on if i lift on those days or not. And honey my family can get McDonalds and I gain weight smelling it.....hahahaha.