Life With Cats, part whatever

Dear Cat Of Size: Nice try in stalking away in disgust and turning your tail to us, but I was on the sofa too, I saw you close your eyes in contentment while the Kitten of Thursday carefully groomed your head and chin. You're totally busted.

(also, the fact that you don't squash him like a bug when he attempts to bat you over the head with one paw like that's going to make any impact whatsoever...)

The Meerkat's (Relative) Stages of Temperature

• dying


• tank top


• long-sleeved tee-shirt


• hoodie


• hip-length leather jacket


• ankle-length cashmere-blend coat


• down-filled blanket

We may have achieved coat status today.  Brrr.


On the plus side, I actually remembered to buy everything I went out for.  Cold = sharpened memory?


(the coat is a remnant of my commuting-in-the-winter days.  It is a gorgeous coat that may well now last me until I die, since it gets far less use these winters...  If you ever get the chance to own a good-quality cashmere-blend coat, TAKE IT.)

mmmm, toast

I'm in decent if not fabulous shape (my cardio's good, my bones are strong).  All I want is to lose a whole grand total of 5 pounds, to get to what I think is a reasonable weight for my height, age, and build (that weight would be 135 pounds).

I can - and have - lost that weight and reached that goal. Repeatedly, as the joke goes. But dropping 1/2 pound a week requires a) moderate but regular 3-4 times a week exercise, AND b) cutting my calorie consumption.

Well, yes. That's how it goes.

Except cutting my calorie consumption, as calculated by my current weight/build and level of exercise, brings me to 1400 calories a day. And 1400 calories a day? Is putting me into hibernation/sleep mode.

(experience shows that I work best on 1800-2000 cal/day, mostly in protein and carbs. I burn hot, apparently)

But when I up the cals... yeah, no weight loss.

So. Upping the calories, and upping the exercise. ugh. Have I ever mentioned what an utterly lazy meerkat I am? Walking, sure, I can city-hike or trail-walk for miles and be fine. But running or biking, especially in not-ideal weather... I need a cookie to get me out and moving, and without a reliable exercise buddy, I suspect I'm toast.

Mmmm, toast.

So..looks like I'm going to have to be the shitty upstairs neighbor, and get a treadmill to go with my other routines.  Any recommendations, oh Internets?  (I need something that will go to at least 4mph, needs few bells and/or whistles, and has decent padding for my crap knee)


EtA: I have my doctor's seal of approval on both my eating habits and my exercise routines.  So please...don't post advice on how you think I should adjust any of that, if you're not a medical professional.  And even if you are.