I know the question about restriction has been answered a million times, but I still need some answers, and hope everyone doesnt mind helping out here.

Ok, this is my situation. I have a VG band which from what I understand holds 11 cc but can be overfilled. I currently have 10.50 cc and just 1 day after the last fill can still eat without any problems. I know I need to clearify this statement. I dont want any problems, but it would be nice to know that if I ate something I shouldnt or didnt chew as well as I should, that there would be some type of consequences for my actions. For instance, I ate a bread stick and a slice of pan pizza from pizza hut without any problems at all. Im happy to say that I did get full and decided to stop at that, but this is where the point of the thread comes in. I hear everyone who has good restriction talk about not being able to eat bread and having to take their time while eating. This has never been a problem for me. At my last fill just a couple of days ago I demanded that the Dr give me a barium swallow to see what my band is in there doing. What a waste of time. All he said was that it was in the right place and that the liquid went thru as expected (no shit sherlock). Thats the problem, everything goes thru without any hesitation. I also want to make it clear that I love my band and wouldnt trade it for the world and it must be doing something because I have done what I would consider great on my weight lost. Its just that Im afraid that once I hit my goal, Im going to lose my focus and I just want to make sure that when I do my band is going to be there to remind me what it is that I need to be doing.

Ok so thats the background and this is what Im trying to figure out. I have read threads that talk about drinking warm liquids to open up the band. coffee is my Breakfast (I already know). Do you think that maybe Im opening my band every morning and thats why I dont feel much restriction? So please take the poll and feel free to comment one way or the other.

My dream would be to be able to eat anything but get "full" fast and to lose as much as you. Instead I geet stuck easy in the morning and can eat unlimited amounts the rest of the day and I'm hungry all the time. I think you are at your sweet spot. Hopefully you will stay there until you reach goal.

Can't you just not drink warm coffee a few days and see if it makes a difference?

I think to be able to eat bread or pizza but get full at a resonable amount is a great thing! I hope I can almost everything, but much less of it. If you get too tight, that's not a good thing.

You're twenty pounds to goal, you must be doing something right!

Cold contracts

heat expands

That's what i said, but many people say if they have trouble getting food down they drink something warm first. If we follow the "physics" rule, then the band would expand and we'd be tighter, so why would food go down better after warm things.

I have not found either to be true for my band,yet.

I have found, after my 4th fill, that I am tight to COLD liquids. As long as I don't eat or drink anything cold, I can eat a reasonable small meal within 30 minutes of drinking. If I add ice to my Water, I have to wait at least an hour before I can eat or everything gets stuck, even foods I know are normally OK with my band. It feels like a mild esophageal spasm.

The reverse is also true--if I'm having trouble with being too tight, I can drink hot tea and eat reasonably afterwards.

Can't you just not drink warm coffee a few days and see if it makes a difference?

Thats a good question. I have never intentionally not had my coffee as soon as I got up. But if it will make a difference Im sure I could give it a try. :thumbdown:

Thanks for the resposes so far, just these few makes me think that maybe it could be my answer. May I could just drink cold coffee.

I can see how drinking hot/warm coffee in the morning would open you up for maybe breakfast, but I can't see it opening you the whole day. I know warm liquids relax muscles but I just can't see it relaxing you the whole day, am I making any sense? To me, it sounds like you have the best of both worlds, being able to eat anything you want just not much of it and still loose weight. I would kill to be like that. Pizza or bread of any kind is a no no for me.

I don't think coffee is going to make a difference for you for the rest of the day. There are other people around here that don't have issues with any particular foods, and just eat until they are satisfied, and it's an appropriate amount, and that's what their band does for them. I believe that Jachut is one of them.

Warm liquids don't make that much of a difference for me. Some days I can eat breakfast, other days even if I have coffee, I have to wait.