:help: Hey everyone I was banded on 1/25 of this year and I have been doing really well, but I think I'm starting to slip away from the correct way of life that the band urges you to have. I feel as if I can eat more than I am supposed to, and its really hard for me not to drink with my meals. I guess my main concern would be overstreching my pouch which scares the life out of me to even think about. I mean I just had my first feel and it seems like the restriction isn't what its supposed to be although my doctor said my pouch looked perfect. Mainly when I eat the food feels like it gets stuck for a moment once the pain is gone from those first two bites I can eat pretty good, but its almost like I could eat like I used to other than those first two bites, although I haven't tested the limits of the band I feel as if I am eatin a little more than I should at meal time, and feel like I could fit even more if that makes since, so I'm asking for advice from anyone who knows what Im goin through....

Congratulations on your weight loss! The danger of drinking with meals is that you "water" the food down and it turns to liquid and easily passes through the pouch to the stomach resulting in NOT feeling full and causing you to eat more. Many people do drink a little with meals and don't overeat.

I am assuming you have a large band and you didn't mention how much fill you received but it's common NOT to feel restriction until after a few fills. Other people don't feel restriction for up to two weeks after they get it so you'll need to see if you fall into that category.

Make sure you're chewing your food enough. The pain before the food goes down IS the beginning of restriction. Also, you likely have some swelling from the first fill. Make every effort to stick to the rules and know you're doing wonderfully.