That is what I have been doing. I just upped my cardio to 1 hour a day. The first 8 months after the hernia surgery, my stomach would cramp from 10 sit ups or 2 minutes of sex. It is getting stronger, but the lower abs still stick out from being slice open. It sucks big time. Now getting the diet on track is harder, but it is coming along. One thing I find is that the more you diet to compete etc, the harder it is each time out to get the same results since your body quickly adapts to the previous regime. I so want to look like my avatar again!