The Further Adventures of Deluzy: Regalia police

Health and Wellness

The Google 15
An excellent weight-tracking tool that keeps track of your moving weight average over time so that no single weigh-in is a cause for ecstacy or despair.
Understanding Your Tests
A good preliminary resource for understanding your lab work (though of course it's no substitution for discussing results with your doctor)
FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal
An essential tool for me during my first 6 post-op months -- and a good reality check for anyone keeping track of daily food intake (e.g., calories, fats, carbohydrates, etc.) and activity levels
Gmaps Pedometer
A wonderful tool that allows one to map exercise routes and calculate miles covered and calories burned

Products I Like

Spanx
A line of comfortable foundation garments (and even easy-to-pack clothing) that comes in handy post-op to corrale that wayward, formerly obese flesh and make you feel comfortable. Available online, at Lane Bryant in larger sizes, at Nordstrom in smaller sizes, and sometimes at outlets for less.
Pure Protein RTD shakes
At an average of 35 grams of protein, 3 grams of carbs, and 160 calories, these ready-to-drink shakes work for me because I can chill them, grab them, pack them, and go. Available from a variety of online sources or at GNC stores.
Perfectly Sweet
Expensive but excellent source for sugar-free and no-sugar-added bakery and candy items.
Low Carb Corner
As near as I can tell, this site sells nothing but two kinds of breakfast cereal -- but as one who's avoided cereal since my DS surgery because it contains virtually no protein and far too many carbs, Protein Crunch is a wonderful option (i.e., 27 grams protein, 2 net grams carbs). It's horrifyingly expensive but for WLS cereal lovers, it's worth the occasional splurge.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Regalia police

Oops.

Apparently I had no idea how to arrange and wear my doctoral hood correctly.

My senior colleague E, whom I love and admire, flagged me down in the vast holding area before tonight's convocation began, and did a lot of tsk-tsking and clucking. I guess I was wearing the hood inside out, for one thing, and with my alma mater's colors poorly displayed, for another.

"Uh, this is how I wore the hood when I got my Ph.D." I mumbled, embarrassed, as E fussed over me and rearranged the silk and velvet drapery hanging down my back. "I haven't worn one since."

"Girl, didn't they teach you anything?!" she said, folding, tucking, and smoothing. "There! Now, look in the mirror. Doesn't that look better?"

Oh. Um, well, yeah, as a matter of fact, it did. Suddenly the midnight blue and gold of the hood were beautiful, not tawdry, when arranged correctly. It actually looked as if I might have a Ph.D. As if I might be Smart. Or at least know how to stay in school for a long time.

(Sigh. What do you expect? I'm the same woman who never fully unpinned the beautiful lace train of her wedding gown before walking down the aisle to be married -- and the train was the whole reason I decided on that particular dress in the first place.)

I'm hopeless.

Posted at 09:04 PM | Permalink