I'm assuming when you mean off restriction you mean once you go thru all the phases of liquids, mushies and soft foods. well you can really eat what you want, but of course healthy choices are encourgaged. I was told i wouldnt be able to eat certain foods, but everyone's band is different and the band itself changes what it tolerates some times. my list of no no's is slowing growing but right now it's carbonated beverages, steak, chicken breast(no matter how moist or how much i chew) and i just added rice to that list. I am able to eat bread although it's harder to go down and i just figured out today that certain french fries(yeah i know not a good choice) arent my friend anymore. My band is kind of fickle and some days it tolerates things better than others. Unfortunatlely you will learn by trial and error. Once you get stuck on a food, trust me you will have NO PROBLEM not eating it again! LOL! hope this helps.

I would post this in the forums, You'll probably get a much bigger response.

I can't eat most bread anymore, unless it's toasted. I also have a hard time with chicken unless it has gravy or some kind of sauce on it. Otherwise, I can eat just about anything I want.. just have to be sure pieces of meat are small and chewed really well. My band is like jennifer1 in that it's kind of fickle.. some days I will have a harder time with something that goes down with no problem the next day. It's weird.. and it's what keeps me cautious of everything that I do eat. Getting stuck is a very unpleasant experience for me!

I am 14 weeks post-op and have never had anything stuck, have not thrown up and have enjoyed my life every single day. I never use any condiment except mustard, no sauces or gravy ever because I want to lose weight. I am down 67 pounds in 14 weeks and NEVER go over 850 calories. I don't understand some of the horror stories I hear except to think that peeps don't follow the rules. NO BREAD (except toast) NO DRINKING WHILE EATING and for 1 hour later, NO FAT CALORIES, NO BIG PIECES OF FOOD, etc.

Come visit me at my external blog for more ideas and how I approach this.

Michaelwasfat.blogspot.com

Hello

for me I dont eat any rice pasta tortillas or bread...no carbination or caffine...some foods thats dont work with my band are sprouts or veggies with skin on...no potatos with skin...be very carefull of stringy things to like spinich...my band is pretty tight though... GL you will be ok ps no one can stick to a life without fun so if you want a slice of pizza go for it...non of us got here from 1slice! And trust me with the band I can't imagine you could ever eat more then 1 slice ...I have lost over 100 lbs and still eat sweets and fried foods ...but I also use the band to feel full from healthy foods and some portions most of the time...I'm just not into depriving myself...that sounds good and works in the beginning, but then it backfires