Exercise and Leather Pants

Last few days, I've been eating a little less, in a halfhearted attempt to fit back into a lovely pair of black leather pants waiting in my closet. But I think I'll need a better plan than that.

The pants really are quite nice. Black, full-length lined leather pants. Mmmm yum. I have lovely memories of events to which I wore these. Originally got them from a coworker because she'd outgrown them. The price was right. They turned out to fit me beautifully. Deal! :-)

But now I'm just a leeeetle bit bigger than I was then. I can still get them on, but they're not comfy. If they weren't lined, I'd just let 'em stretch, but they are. Most everything else I wore five years ago has either stretched, was loose enough to begin with, or has been discarded. But I am NOT about to go pay $gazillions to replace these pants if a little effort will make them work again.

I need about one inch less in the hips, and a proportionately smaller reduction in the thigh. Waist had better not get any smaller; I just started fitting into adult belts. Losing a little padding or converting to muscle will do it. This SHOULDN'T be too hard...

Just talked to my housemate. He says reducing caloric intake is, in his experience, very slow. Metabolism just goes into standby mode. Bummer! I don't want that. Sooooooooo I need exercise. That's too bad; reducing caloric intake is (for me) a whole lot easier. It doesn't cost money and it doesn't take time! But exercise...

Currently, my once-or-twice-a-week hiking has shut down for the winter. Dratted time change. My arm exercises with weights are NOT serious calorie burners. Experiments show that sex isn't reducing my hip size. I'll need something that is, ideally:
- fun to do, or at least unboring enough to take my mind off the exertion
- not very hard on knees
- doable without specialized equipment
- unscheduled (no team activities)
- not an amazing time hog

Tall order.