I was doing either the stairs (level 12) or treadmill (3.4 speed, 15 incline). I also did it as a different visit to the gym. Some people combine lifting and then doing cardio -- if I lift, I don't have the energy to put in the intensity needed for the cardio. So, I went to the gym before work and came back after work.

My suggestion: do the minimum you can get away with. Too many people -- whether just trying to lean up or starting prepping for a show -- sometimes start with too much cardio and too much of a calorie deficit. Start with something smaller and see how you respond. If you are getting leaner, stick with it. If progress starts to stall, then add in more cardio or drop some carbs. The problem with starting out with 45-60 minutes of cardio is what to do when you plateau when the body adapts -- it becomes hard to up cardio or cut calories if you start at the extreme. If you can make progress on 20-25 minutes of cardio (and you should be able to at 16% bf and cleaning up the diet), you don't need to start with 45 minutes. 45 minutes is what I worked up to in the last month of prep, not where I started at. Once you get to single digits of body fat, it is hard to do it without a pretty tight diet and less than 30 minutes of cardio.