I was banded on 6/25. I had a hard time eating at first just because I really wasn't hungry. One thing I loved was egg drop soup and French onion soup minus the solids. I very quickly got tired of chicken broth.
When you do finally decide to advance, definitely take a small bite and wait a little while to make sure it goes down.
As far as the pain goes, I did yoga exercises every morning at 5 am in the bathroom while my family was sleeping. It helped so much. Also, starting one day post op, I was walking 1-4 miles a day to work it out. After walking I would lay on my side for a little while and the pain would go away. Hope this helps