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Gents: I've been wearing the same sturdy leather belt for 15 years. Today I [needed to] cut a new hole in the belt, [because my pants kept falling to my knees]. Made me feel like a million bucks. How are you guys celebrating?

I am 10 months out and I still can get the dumping sensation at least once every two weeks. Mixed blessing in that it is a good warning that I am over doing, but the physical aspects are not any fun at all.

I wore a size 38 pants in high school for about two weeks before I jumped right up to 42s [then all the way up to 46-48s after college]. Today I am buying 38s and they are falling off me without a belt. I have now given up on buying leather belts and only buy canvas d-ring belts so that I don't have to cut new holes. Feeling as lucky as can be.

I have found that if I am in the midst of a dumping spell, I often can feel much better by [slowly] walking for a few miles. I can't eat any food or drink anything. I have a love/hate with the dumping mode: Love the warning that I am over-doing it; hate the saliva explosion and lightheadedness/vertigo.

Brilliant. Way to go!

Sorry, a Fuel Band is just a fancy pedometer that also calculates calories burned. I suggest that the focus on the scale should be less important than other measures. For example, my success was getting off 7 prescription drugs that I needed prior to surgery due to my unhealthy lifestyle. My weekly blood work reports became all-important to me as I moved my A1C/blood pressure and cholesterol numbers to something near-normal. And I began to clock my exercise in miles per day. I'd like to suggest that those data points were much more meaningful to me than my scale readout at the end of each week. JMHO and wishing you good luck in all that you pursue.

May I share something with you? Don't focus on the scale. Focus on getting yourself healthy. The weight will come off when you commit to the program. The best advice I got was to log everything - and I still do [nearly 7 months from surgery]. When my caloric intake is 500 calories less than my output [buy a cheap pedometer please or Nike Fuel Band], you'll lose 2-3 lbs per week. It works. But focus on the program - not the scale. JMHO and good luck

Don't get overwhelmed. Go to Bariatricchoice.com and buy their brands for vitamins et al. Buy protein shakes from Pure Protein at Costco. You'll be fine.

My confidence in my new body. Awesome.

I recently went to the airport and when in the TSA line, I was asked to put my belt through the x-ray machine. As I am down 70 lbs, and I am too frugal to buy new pants, when asked to hold my hands over my head, my pants dropped to my ankles. I was wearing colorful boxers thankfully. What's the most appropriate comment to make when your pants are around your ankles? [Hope everyone is having a nice day]

3 months - 65 lbs [click on my profile to see my before after pix]

You'll be fine. Pls give us an update when you can

Central coast. Waving to you all from the beach this fine day.

Anyone have experience/advice for long flights/strange hotels after RNY surgery? Got to do business in LHR and then DXB this week. This is my first substantial business trip post surgery [12 weeks ago]. [i am an experienced road warrior with >4M miles]. Got clearance from the doctors, but they didn't have any real advice beyond staying hydrated and getting plenty of protein. Packing plenty of protein powder and bars. Kept the itinerary simple and uncluttered. The ride home is >22 hours next Saturday. Your thoughts? Advice?

1. If you can, it'll make life easier. Seriously easier. [Thank you Sweetheart!] 2. I think a compression garment would hurt, not help. 3. Yes, but I "built a nest" around me with pillows so that I wouldn't move much [to avoid hurting myself] 4. I had to wait until I got out of the hospital [5 days as I had complications/needed transfusions]. That shower was the most heavenly feeling in the world. [Agreeing with SoccerMomma] Good luck!

I hope this isn't trite, but you'll need to find another constant companion. Time for a dog? A partner? A mission or quest? This change you've made [RNY] is the impetus to further [perhaps even more meaningful] changes. Make a plan. I wish you the very best of luck and happiness in all that you pursue.

After I studied the available research, the only option for me was the RNY. But pls do your own research. Before my first doctors visit and prior to doing the research, I was convinced that the band or sleeve were preferable to me. Bu then you read the research [success rates over time].

I lost too much blood post-surgery and required multiple transfusions. Scary, but fairly easily solved. I have no regrets as I now live without seven meds [that I needed prior to the surgery for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol] and an extra sixty-five pounds that I was carrying around [surgery was 12 weeks ago today]

Someone give me a high five. My BMI is below 30. The last ten pounds have come off slowly, but they are off. Now to focus on 220. How you doing?