Going Blonder and Seeing Bandster Friends!

I had a really nice treat yesterday because my friend Peter (a fellow bandster who I've mentioned before) was in town for a concert, and we were able to get together before hand! Peter was banded about six months after me, has lost 80+ pounds, and has transformed himself into a fit, healthy runner. We actually met through LapBandTalk.com, and he was at the first bandster brunch I ever organized (can't find the date.. it was back in 2009, and Yana and Jen from Life's Little Journey were there, too!).

As an aside, I want to say that -- for any bandster who hasn't done this aready (and I know most of us have) -- I definitely recommend getting in touch with other bandsters in your area and making time for brunch and dinner (and a few cocktails). There is something so great about being able to talk band with someone else who actually really understands what it's like. Peter and I have had some great downloads through the past three years, and the same is true with many of my other bandster friends, too.

So, back to Peter -- I remember when he was just starting to try Couch to 5K. He was determined, stuck with it, and really became a runner. Earlier this year, he ran the NYC Half Marathon. He has totally changed his life since being banded, and really looks fantastic. Last night, we were talking about what made the difference for each of us with respect to getting to goal, and we both agreed that it was the commitment to exercising on a regular basis that did the trick. Any of you who have read my blog from the beginning know how many false starts (and posts about how bad I felt about not motivating to exercise) I had before the exercise habit stuck, but it did stick eventually, and it has made a world of difference.

On another note.... can you tell that I went quite a bit more blonde at the hairdresser's last week?? It's a big change (no more trying to channel Kate M-i-dd-leton) but I am really liking it for summer!