Like whales preparing for their continental migration, many Chicagoans bulk up to get through the winter freeze—be it through a few extra layers of clothing or a few extra pounds of fat.

Now that the warm days of summer are coming, more and more of us are hopping on our tread mills, exercise bikes, and elliptical machines, trying to undo the damage.

It seems obvious. You want to lose weight, so you do some cardio. Eventually, you can keep up a good pace for 30 minutes and afterwards you feel sweaty, tired and satisfied. You promise to work out at least three times per week to keep up your new routine, thinking “What could be better for losing weight and getting in shape?”

For many of us, this cardio commitment is the centerpiece of our work out effort and therein lies the problem.

Cardio increases your heart rate and burns calories—but not as much as you might think. Assuming a fast pace, you can burn approximately 300 calories in one, 30-minute workout--roughly 900 calories if completed three times a week. That may sound like a lot, but it is approximately 3.5% of the average American weekly caloric consumption which is over 25,000 calories.

You could get the same results by eating two fewer pieces of Chicago deep dish pizza per week. Painful, I know. Or just skip a regular sized Quizno’s sandwich or avoid the buttermilk blueberry pancakes you were craving.

While cardio can be a valuable part of your exercise plan, it can’t be your entire plan. Cardio is effective for burning calories while you are actually doing your exercise, but when you stop, so do the benefits. Cardio does not help you build up your muscle mass which ultimately improves your metabolism and helps with weight loss.

Instead of sweating through another half hour watching Family Guy in subtitles at your neighborhood gym, if you are serious about weight loss then it’s time to get serious about strengthening your muscles, improving your body –fat index, and making sure your burn more calories everyday and not just when you are stuck at the gym!

Before you decide if you are ready to make the cardio commitment, consider what your goals and how cardio will help you achieve them. If your goals include weight loss and looking good, cardio should come a distant second behind building up your muscle strength.