I totally understand all of your worries! I was banded on Dec. 5th but I was only on clear liquids the day before surgery. I can't imagine having to do it for as long as you are.
After surgery, I did 3 days of clear liquids and then a couple of days of creamy Soups. I had my 1 wk post op visit after only 4 days post op and was told I could start eating soft foods and advance as tolerated. Everything beyond that day has been trial & error. Somedays I can eat anything I want but a whole lots less of it and other days that same thing would not go down. About 2 weeks post op-I was eating whatever I wanted and was feeling hungry more often.
I had my first fill on 1-5-06. I was down 17 pounds from the day of surgery. (I weighed 256 the day of surgery) I had to do clear liquid for another 2 days. I don't think I felt maximum constriction for a couple of days after my fill of 1cc. (my band holds 4) All of the sudden, I was having trouble eating anything! Pretty much everything I was eating I was having severe epigastric pain. You can totally tell when something is not passing. So I went back to creamy soups and mashed potatoes for a couple of days and slowly started eating regular food again.
As of today, I have lost 24 pounds but I haven't lost anything the past week. So, I guess I have been really long winded to tell you that you will adjust after surgery. It won't take much hurting for you to learn what you can and can't eat. Anyway, good luck with your surgery!