By Kathryn Skelton,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – She can cross her legs now, ladylike. He can walk 18 holes of golf without his just-in-case-of-a-heart-attack cell phone.

They’re regular, average, ordinary. What they hoped, ahead of schedule.

Tracie and Travis Dubois have lost 311 pounds. She had gastric bypass surgery one year ago this week. His one-year anniversary isn’t until December.

Results have come faster than either hoped.

The surgery left both with teeny, rerouted stomachs, small appetites and more possibilities.

She overcame an ulcer, he a scary post-op. Since then, their lives have changed in big and little ways.

Travis was mistaken once this summer for country singer Toby Keith. After losing weight, the couple started tanning, prepping their skin for its debut after years of being covered up.

He added blond highlights to his brown hair and grew a thin, manicured beard. There’s a bit of the rebel Keith in his look.

Diehard Maineiacs hockey fans and a billet family, the couple was at a team barbecue recently when another woman asked Tracie whether the guy next to her was their new player.

“No, uh, it’s Travis,” she said.

“At first I thought she was trying to make me feel good, but no, she was serious,” he remembered. “People don’t recognize me all the time.”

He’s enjoyed that sort of mistake. She’s had a harder time taking a compliment.

“My new favorite thing is to say, ‘Look at him,'” she said. Tracie deflects. But secretly, she’s enjoyed it.

‘My last resort’

Tracie, 36, and Travis, 35, met more than six years ago dating online. Already stocky, they put on extra weight after getting married.

When she went in for surgery Tracie weighed 317 pounds. He was 382.

She panicked about fitting into restaurant booths and he got winded after Ping-Pong. They spent more than a year on Dr. Gregory D’Augustine’s waiting list for a gastric bypass. He’s the only physician who does the surgery locally.

They knew the disclaimers and risks – a 1 percent mortality rate nationwide, a chance of complications – and decided for themselves it was worth it.

More than 700 people had the surgery in Maine last year.

“This was my last resort, and thank God it worked,” said Travis.

Tracie has lost 150 pounds, Travis 161. They’d like to lose another 20 each before leveling off. (They might have to take in more calories to maintain an ideal weight.)

She said they’re constantly reminded how different life is now.

There’s no more plus-sizes for either of them.

She loves – loves – to shop, still awed at the clothing sizes she’s bringing into the dressing room. Flash isn’t a factor anymore: She used to avoid pinks and feminine clothes for fear of sticking out.

“I’m in a smaller size than I was in high school – I never thought that would happen,” she said.

Travis doesn’t love to shop. Except, it’s not a size thing anymore. It’s a guy thing.

He’d like to start working out to build up his arms, but has orders to do no heavy lifting for a year. Tracie only got the OK to do sit-ups at the nine-month mark.

They started out this spring with lots of exercise, but skipped their gym routines when summer got busy. It hasn’t mattered. The pounds have come off anyway.

Some things in the household haven’t changed in the last year. She’s still on the scale five times a day. He’s still eating fast food.

Travis co-pilots a Department of Transportation vehicle that measures pavement conditions. Lunch on the road these days is often a small chili at Wendy’s or a grilled chicken sandwich at McDonald’s, minus the top bun, or a soft chicken taco at Taco Bell.

He’s eating the same sort of food as pre-surgery, only slightly healthier and less of it.

“I really have been able to change, fool, whatever, my brain,” Travis said.

At home, they eat on saucers instead of dinner plates for the illusion. And no seconds.

Hanging onto reminders

Tracie figures she eats about 1,000 calories a day. She’s nervous about overeating and stretching out her new stomach, undoing the surgeon’s work. She has a consultation with a doctor this month to see about removing loose skin.

Two months ago, the pair began leading the gastric bypass support group at Central Maine Medical Center. It’s every other week. The first session of the month is question-and-answer, mostly for newcomers considering surgery. The second session is more structured, with a topic and speakers.

They both have someone they’re mentoring, to whom they’ve given their old, large clothes.

Tracie hung onto a pair of shorts, pants and a top as a reminder, and for photos. He didn’t want to keep a thing.

Travis also ditched high cholesterol and high triglycerides. He used to take pills for the latter, but doesn’t have to anymore.

They have so much energy now, she said. For mowing or walking or even renting kayaks. Last weekend, Travis tried parasailing in Cape Cod.

“The guy didn’t even think twice about the size of the harness to put him in,” Tracie said.

At night, at home, they watch less TV.

They used to sack out in their matching recliners after dinner, too tired. That doesn’t happen anymore.

He thinks it’s made their relationship better.

“When you’re happier with yourself, you can be happier with the people who love you,” Tracie said.

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