Hi Guys, I've had my band in for 10 years so I thought I would just throw in some of my experiences. The first 6 months are the hardest. I did not lose any weight the first 3 months and finally went in for a fill. Wow..after I had my fill I was sick for about a week, couldn't keep any food down, dehydrated feeling horrible. I decided to suck it up got throught it. Drank gatorade, stayed away from water it made me feel very heavy and would cause me to throw up. I drank protein drinks, yogurt, the typical "slide down" food until my band felt like it eased up from the fill. I was starving, but you have to learn to get over that feeling and concentrate on something else. During the next six months after my fill I lost 30 lbs, my fill loosened and I was able to eat better foods. Oatmeal for breakfast, soups, small amounts of meat. The only thing is I have to eat 6-7 times per day. Do not try to consume everything at one time like a regular meal. Its not going to work. Sometimes I'm hungry but only eat maybe 3-4 pieces of watermelon, an hour later I'll eat some protein and my whole day will go like this. You have to find what works for you.