if it's any reasurance, i can tell you that i felt no restriction until i was at 6cc, my surgeon does all my fills myself and i feel very confident that he's doing them properly. i expressed my concern with him with i got in the 5cc range and had no restriction as well, and he said that everyone is different, i was worried about a leak, and he said take some time, and come back in 2 weeks, well now i have restriction. he also told me that because i was not as heavy as most of his pacients that my band was loose when he placed it and that could be a contribuiting factor to why it took so long for me to get restriction, he also said i will prob never reach 8.5cc so hopefuly things will work out now. with that all being said i just went in for another fill last week and i feel like i got more of an unfill than a fill, don't know why but i'm going back next wednesday to have him tweak it. just work with your band, remember it's a tool, and try to have pacients.