AlysonRR

I sat on one at work throughout both my pregnancies and I topped out at 327. They may have weight ranges on them - I know I saw ones that claim to be "burst proof" on Amazon when I was looking for a book for my mom (ended up with Exercise Balls for Dummies). SparkPeople has an online video workout for exercise balls - I haven't tried it. And they have lots of individual exercises for balls, too. Good luck! I'm doing some strengthening exercises starting this week, then I'll start working out in a couple weeks when I can be sure I'm not going to trash my already arthritic knees...

This is how I feel, as well.

Well, it's still there, but it's less uncomfortable than it was at first. I can almost forget it's there until I get dehydrated - then I can feel it bouncing around. I think that's the dangerous time - when I feel it I am compelled to work my throat/esophagus and I'm concerned that will pull too hard on the banded area and/or cause swelling. I really hope it goes down soon, or that the doctor will consider pulling it out - I don't think I can handle going through another month or longer like this... I'm scheduled for a visit on the 24th, so we'll see...

I don't know if it will pass or not - I'm not as far along as you - but there are other options for deep water aerobics. If you explained to the instructor s/he may have some ideas. I've done deep water aerobics with a pool noodle under my arms or with one or two noodles between my legs, or with dumbbells in both hands or under my arms. HTH!

I totally agree. Well said!

I started with the goal of going from almost 350 to under 225, because that's the weight my orthopedist said I needed to be for him to perform knee replacements on me. But seeing all the success here makes me want to reach higher, or um, lower, and try to reach get out of the obese range all together and into the overweight or normal BMI ranges. For me at 5'3" that would mean <170 and <141 respectively. I was around both those weights for at least a couple years and would be very happy to meet either goal. But honestly, I'd be thrilled to be under 225. I've noticed a difference in my energy level and a decrease in my knee and hip pain with just the amount I've lost so far, so I'm looking forward happily to more improvement.

Thanks for the continued support and ideas - I really appreciate it :-) I'll keep you posted!

I'm not that crazy about chocolate, but I pick chocolate over vegetable oil, lol. I did try to hack it up before I realized I might do more harm than good. I wonder if it would come up during a PB of another food? But I don't want to risk harming the band because of a tiny piece of gum...

I'm only 3 weeks post-op and the doc didn't put a fill in at surgery, so - unless I still have swelling - I'm as open as I'm going to be. I think it's a long skinny piece which means it has to go through vertically... (yes, Day 6 - still there :-( )

Day 5 of Gumwatch - still there :-( Hot liquid didn't work, unfortunately. I can't feel it when my stomach is full of mushy food, so I think "ah, maybe it went down!" but then my stomach empties and it's still there, bouncing around... A couple times I've felt as though it was going down, but then I am compelled to cough and up it comes. I'm frequently working my tongue (like a cat with a hairball?) and swallowing. I think it was a long skinny shape when swallowed so I'm not sure how to encourage it to point down. I have an appt with the doctor again next week. I'm not sure if it's possible to remove it endoscopically, but if it's still there next week I'm certainly hoping so!

My surgeon put me on Medifast for two weeks before surgery (they paid for it, too!). Five of the Medifast meals a day plus a "lean + green" meal of 2 cups veg and 4-6 oz Protein. You could check and see if your doc things that would be a good substitute for his plan. For your situation it's ideal - it's mail order: Official Medifast Diet site | Quick, Easy Clinically Proven Weight Loss Good luck!

Does lactose count as sugar? I enjoy the True Lemon / True Lime flavoring packets in my Water. They're crystallized citrus with a tiny bit of lactose, and they're yummy. Good luck on your fast!

Day 3 of gumwatch - still there :-( It sometimes feels as though it's headed through but then I'm compelled to cough and I can feel it bouncing around in there. I have a little concern I'm stressing the esophagus and stoma with the constant swallowing and throat clearing. Wheetsin - you're right - mints would be better since they'll just dissolve. Thanks for the suggestion about hot liquids, travelgirl - I don't drink them much, and I haven't had any since the gum incident, so I'll give it a try. I had some ice Water today and could sense the gum as more solid, so maybe the hot will work! Alyson Banded 12/18/07 by Dr William Neal

We had a fancy reception paid for by my in-laws as a wedding gift, but we also had a second less formal reception for family and friends who couldn't attend (we got married in England where my husband's family live, and my family is in the US). The US reception was in my parent's backyard. It wasn't potluck, exactly, but several family members helped my mom and I get the food together. One aunt brought two crockpots of Beans, another a huge bowl of potato salad, one family friend brought a large green salad, another brought dozens of small sandwich rolls, my grandmother bought the cake, and my mom and I made two trays of deli meats and cheeses, a veggie tray with dip, and a fruit tray. When we were arranging it I made sure to tell the people who brought stuff that I considered their help our wedding gift. Do you have maybe five or six family members or friends who like to (or would be willing to) cook something for your reception? Hopefully your loved ones will be will be celebrating your marriage, not criticizing the food :-) Another friend of mine had a kind of tea party reception - tea, champagne, several Desserts, at 3:30 in the afternoon. Simple, easy, and off to the honeymoon sooner, lol :-)

My post-op instructions didn't have anything about gum, but honestly I didn't look until after I'd swallowed it and before I called (wanted to 'fess up if I did something against recommendation, even if it wasn't in the instructions). I didn't even think about having it - besides the horribly bad breath from eating high Protein, low carb I also developed thrush, which makes it multiple times more yucky. I really need a breath freshener before talking to anyone - my 5-y.o. daughter came to hug me and say "Man, mom, your breath stinks!" I don't think I've swallowed more than a half dozen pieces of gum in my life. Just bad luck, I guess. Everything was going along smoothly... I saw the doctor today and he said since it's so small it's likely it will pass through at some point. It's not very comfortable, so I hope it happens soon. Still there 30 hours later... Alyson, posting a GumWatch update, lol

This won't help, because it's a third option and you're trying to narrow it down, not expand your options! I love New Balance. I have a wide forefoot and a relatively narrow heel and it was hard to find a shoe that fit correctly, particularly since the C width I wear is not commonly available in stores. Anyway, they're springy and I like them. YMMV, lol. Alyson

You could mix eggbeaters and/or yogurt into your Optifast to increase the protein count. Ground flaxseed has protein - I use 1-2 tsp in my drinks. I never managed more than 25-30 grams of protein per day during the liquids phase. Now that I'm on to mushies I've been managing 50-60 with the mushie food plus one Atkins shake. I'm thinking it will be easier once I get to solids - hope so! Alyson

I swallowed approx. half a piece of Orbit gum (ie., pretty small) but it is just sitting there, not going down. It felt like it was just at the back of my throat, so I tried to cough it out, hack it out, and finally vomit it out... That was dumb - I should have phoned my doctor first. He explained that the esophagus doesn't have full sensory output, so even though something may feel like it's at the top, it could be at the bottom end of the esophagus. So I'm on liquids after a single day of mushies (waah...), waiting for gravity and peristalsis to take it's course. I probably won't stop chewing gum - I only have a piece every week or two - but I will be very, very careful the next time I do! Just wanted to share my cautionary tale...

To expand your choices, I was using Sparkpeople (have done for a few years, off and on) but I've switched to the free version of Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, Food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate It has more of the foods I use, and I find it easier to make combined meals, plus I like that the list of foods I frequently use is one the same page I add foods from. They have a pay option that expands the amount of data that can be tracked, but I haven't seen the need yet. Good luck finding something that works for you! Alyson

I believe I said immediately post-Roe there was an increase but that we are nearly down to the pre-Roe "official" rate, which is undoubtedly lower than the pre-Roe actual rate due to illegal procedures that weren't counted. Here's a quote from a CDC report (Abortion Surveillance --- United States, 2004): The national legal induced abortion rate increased from 14 per 1,000 women aged 15--44 years in 1973 to 25 per 1,000 in 1980. The rate remained stable, at 23--24 per 1,000 during the 1980s and early 1990s and at 20--21 per 1,000 during 1994--1997. The abortion rate remained unchanged at 17 per 1,000 during 1998--1999 and at 16 per 1,000 during 2000--2002 both overall and in the same 47 reporting areas. During 2003--2004, the abortion rate remained unchanged overall at 16 per 1,000, decreased to 15 per 1,000 in 2003, and to 16 in 2004 in the 47 reporting areas. The conclusions and interpretations the reviewing author made do not reflect the conclusions and interpretations of the researching authors, at least comparing the abstract which is all I can access: Pregnancy-associated deaths in Finland 1987-1994--...[Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 1997] - PubMed ResultThe Finnish retrospective study contradicts US studies which have found the mortality rate for women who terminate pregnancies to be <1/100,000 ("The case-fatality rate for known legal induced abortion for 1993 to 1997 was 0.6 deaths per 100,000 legal abortions." from CDC Media Relations: Press Release), and the rate for women whose pregnancies result in birth ~11/100,000 (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus07.pdf#highlights). When data conflict, more studies are needed. I also think the author made waaay too many conjectural jumps which support his bias, particularly regarding the Chinese data he quotes. Yes, I disagree - I think an unviable human fetus does not have the same value as the woman who finds herself unwilling to carry it to term. I think keeping abortion legal prevents the death of women and keeps the decision of whether to terminate a pregnancy where it belongs: between a woman and her doctor. No. You cannot make it that black and white. While working as a researcher in conjunction with a maternal-fetal obstetrician I had access to numerous case studies of women who didn't find out until early in the third trimester that their fetus had a serious genetic condition, or major physical abnormality. There was also the occasional very young (<11) girl who didn't realize she was pregnant until very late and whose body would not easily handle the trauma of childbirth. And women who were so strung out on drugs and malnourished that their fetus was 1/10th the size it should be. And women whose health was deteriorating daily, who had to choose between continuing their pregnancy or imminent death. Etc., etc., etc. It means I have an imagination and the background experience to realize that there are gray areas between the "yes" and "no" answer. It means I put more faith in medical practitioners to make those tough calls in conjunction with their patients. It means I think the vast majority of the ~1% of abortions performed in the third trimester are heartbreaking situations, like those I described above, in which the doctor and his patient made the best choice for all. And for the sake of those women (and young girls), I think keeping the decision between them and their doctor is best. If the mother is not taking financial/emotional/physical responsibility, who is? There are millions of orphans already not being given adequate care - with your imaginary scheme there would be an additional 800-900K children being born in the US every year. I think that's a significant issue, and it definitely would affect my decision. Just as many men do not contribute sperm to a sperm bank because they don't want to think they have unknown children walking around, I imagine there would be women who would not donate an embryo to an artificial womb. I think your scenario is complicated - again, not black and white. So here's what the CDC report (Abortion Surveillance --- United States, 2004) concludes: Although induced abortions usually are performed for women who have unintended pregnancies, which often occur despite the use of contraception, the approximately 4.6 million women who have had intercourse during the preceding 3 months but were not using contraception might be the most at risk for unintended pregnancy (18). Therefore, a reduction in the number of abortions will require adapting complex strategies aimed at reducing such pregnancies. Insurance coverage of reversible contraception (e.g., vasectomy and tubal ligation) has increased substantially since 1993 (68), although gaps in coverage remain substantial. Education regarding abstinence and contraceptive use, including emergency contraception, combined with access to and education regarding safe, effective contraception and family planning services, might help reduce the incidence of unintended pregnancy and the number of legal induced abortions in the United States (69,70). These are right-now solutions, not future scenarios. Expand insurance coverage, improve education, and increase access to family planning services. That's what will decrease abortions in this country. Alyson, not coming back to post for a few days - lots to do with the kids, starting with sleeping tonight so I don't run off the road tomorrow on the way to violin lessons!

I didn't write this sentence very well - it should end "abortions have decreased as low as 10-12%." Actually, while that may be true initially in the US (questionable, since it's doubtful the number of illegal abortions was accurately quantified), over a decade or two the abortion rate has declined in the US to almost the same level of reported abortions pre-Roe. I was thinking of Belgium, where abortion was illegal in 1988, did not increase once made legal, which has developed excellent sex ed programs and reproductive health access, and now has an abortion rate of 10%. Or Finland, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, Tunisia, which have very low rates in conjunction with improvements to education and contraception availability. Or the Eastern European countries, where abortion has decreased by more than half now that they can access better contraceptives. Regarding the source of my data, I typically search pubmed first, then try to track down the original articles whenever possible. I spent 10 years as a research scientist working in projects relating to women's health and reproduction, so much of the literature is somewhat familiar to me. It's not a medical study. It's someone's interpretation of a medical study. And their interpretation does not jibe with the authors, per the abstract. Every single study that has ever been done has shown that legal abortion has lower morbidity and mortality rates than illegal abortion. Is abortion the best choice for birth control - obviously not. Will some women pursue it when faced with unwanted pregnancy - absolutely. If a woman has decided that abortion is what she wants to do, she will do it. I would rather she does it legally, and therefore as safely as possible. Um, yeah, I said "without the womb, a fetus is (...) incapable of life". Does it make a difference to say "independent of the mother" when the womb is in the mother? For me there is not a black and white answer to those questions. I support leaving the decision to the pregnant woman, her doctor, and anyone else they choose to consult. The vast majority of doctors would not lightly terminate a pregnancy after viability - in fact they don't now; 89% of abortions are performed before the end of the first trimester, and just over 1% after 20 weeks. And a large proportion of those 1% are going to be for late-detected genetic or developmental reasons, which I have absolutely no problem with. I would prefer a woman whose fetus has reached viability be convinced to carry to term, but I wouldn't imprison her to ensure it happens, anymore than I would imprison a drunk or a drug addict or an anorexic or a smoker to ensure her baby is healthy. I also wouldn't support delivering her baby at bare viability and put hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars toward "saving" it. And again, if she wants to terminate her pregnancy badly enough, she will, with or without a doctor - drugs, knitting needle, "accident". What would happen to those babies? Would the procedure be lower in morbidity/mortality compared to abortion? Would the parents have to financially, physically, or emotionally support that child at any time in the future? Those issues would affect my answer. Right now, worldwide, about 30% of pregnancies are terminated - can the world really provide resources and adequate parenting for that many more people per year? Regardless, I think it's unlikely that a woman-free-womb-technology will be developed before impossible-to-get-pregnant-unless-wanted technology - the hormone manipulation for the latter is decidedly less complicated. I'd like to say that I'm a stay-at-home homeschooling mom now and part of me misses the intellectual stimulation of research (or sometimes just talking to another adult during my day!). I respect that people differ greatly on this subject, but for me it's nice to be able to use my brain to express my views. Thanks for the discussion - I'm back to the grindstone tomorrow so I don't know if I'll be able to check back very frequently. Alyson

I like a lot about the LBT format. The hover-over, New Posts, subscribed threads, the ability to select only the forums I wish to see posts from - very nice job! I haven't read all the pages of the thread, so I'm sure it's been suggested, but it would be nice to have a forum for BMI Over 50, not just a thread. Thanks for making it a nice place! Alyson

There's nothing rhetorical about the dependence of the embryo or fetus upon the woman. Without the womb, an embryo is unviable, incapable of life. Until 20-some weeks, without the womb, a fetus is unviable, incapable of life. Wombs are (at this point in technology) attached to fully viable, independent women. Anti-choice advocates would put the well-being/health/life of the unviable embryo/fetus before the well-being/health/life of the viable female human being. Pro-choice advocates do the opposite, feeling that an independent functioning human has the right to control whether or not she spends her time/money/health incubating an embryo/fetus from an unviabile state through to birth. Alyson

Commentaries like the latter two articles aren't any more relevant than any other person's opinion. I took the time to look up the first article on PubMed where I was interested to see that the conclusions in their abstract don't remark upon any significant mortality risk difference compared to previous studies. In fact they specifically point out that the decision of which post-maternal deaths to attribute in part to pregnancy, birth, or termination is arbitrary and difficult to quantify. I won't pay to get the article to evaluate it more completely, but neither do I trust the Eliot Institute to accurately interpret it. And finally, none of it - the heartfelt stories, the impassioned commentaries, the (mis?)interpretation of scientific literature - none of it changes the fact that where abortions are illegal, they still happen. And they still happen at about the average rate of 25-30%. Yet where abortion is legal and available, and contraception is free and available to all sexually active women, abortions decrease to 10-12%. So if you want to eliminate abortions, well, you just won't. Those who want one will just find an illegal practitioner. The wealthy will find a good one, the poor will find a butcher, and we'll have more dead women without decreasing the number of terminated pregnancies. And if you want to join with those of us who work to make abortions increasingly rare, you'll stop fighting to make it illegal and work towards improving reproductive health care for all women, particularly those in poverty and/or in rural communities.

Four oz of Protein shake fills me up for hours. I've only been managing ~500 cal and between 30 and 40 g protein with a 25 g protein shake during the liquid phase. That's within my docs recommendations for the first few weeks. I'm sure I'll be increasing protein as I add some higher protein mushie foods, and I'm not too worried about reaching 60 g once I get to solids... I definitely have struggled with finding Liquid Protein that I can tolerate. That's kind of how it feels for me, plus a feeling of fullness behind my breastbone. Alyson