janewhite1

Let me tell you a story. Last winter, I suffered a knee injury. Six weeks in a brace on crutches. By the time it was over, I'd lost an enormous amount of muscle in the left leg, and it was noticeably smaller than the right. But at the same time, it looked fat and gross! There was all this cellulite and loose rolls of fat just hanging out. The right leg, with the same amount of fat but with healthy muscles underneath, it looked fine.

Now, after 2 months of hard PT, both legs are stronger than ever. Short shorts w00t!

Now, your situation. Well, cardio won't make it harder to lose fat. That's impossible, cardio burns calories.

However, it may be that your bodyfat is actually normal, and the problem is just that your muscle is low, and too much cardio can make it harder to build muscle!

I strongly recommend strength training. Full body. Legs and arms, front and back, and don't forget your core muscles such as your abs. If you've never done it before, get some professional guidance. Some gyms offer a little free training to new members, or classes.

You may also want to look into a new-mommy exercise class. You bring the baby and lay him at the edge of the mat, and do some combination of calisthenics, strength building using the baby's weight, and maybe guiding the baby through some "exercises" designed to help build up the muscles he'll need to walk.