What's NEW!

Hello Fellow Health-mates!

It's been a busy start to 2013 for me!  I wanted to share some updates with you all here:

New Features of my journey towards becoming healthy:

FitFluential Blog: http://fitfluential.com/2013/02/fitfluential-transformation-andrea-hall/

Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/20/i-lost-weight-andrea_n_2639936.html

LifeTime Fitness: http://thehealthywayoflife.com/blog/2012/12/10/running-through-life-with-a-million-dollar-view.html#.UMpKnXy9KSP

Diva On A Diet Blog: http://divaonadiet.com/2012/10/26/featured-fit-friends-friday-andrea-dr-dre-from-renewed-me/

Peninsula/San Bruno Patch: http://sanbruno.patch.com/articles/overcoming-hardships-and-obesity-san-bruno-woman-loses-120-pounds


Great opportunities that I'll be in attendance at this year:

1) I will be completing the Coast To Coast Challenge offered by RunDisney in my completion of the DisneyLand Half Marathon this year Aug 30-Sept 1, 2013

2) I will be a guest blogger and attendee at this year's FitSocial Conference in Boulder/Denver CO and the best part it is approved as a CEC/CEUs earning conference by ACSM and ACE!
http://www.fitsocialconference.org/

And I've gone LIVE with my new Health Coach FaceBook page at
http://www.facebook.com/ReNewedYouHealthCoach

I look forward to posting more blogs about what is going on this year and how to better help others in finding their way on their own path towards a healthier life!

Stay tuned!!!

In good health,
Andrea

A little TKO to burn off calories and stress!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XElAGlahPA (just in case the video doesn't work for you.)

I'll admit, I bought the gloves just because they were pink and a portion of the proceeds went to breast cancer research!  But I'd always wanted to try boxing.  So after letting the gloves collect a little dust, I brushed them off and brought them in to train with one day.  I told him I'd probably start off uncoordinated and slow but I'd work on it to get better.  It was something I at least wanted to try!  Now I can't go a week without getting some boxing in.  We do everything from sparring to working on combinations (that's what this one is here, one of our longer ones).  It's great, I love it, and ALWAYS look forward to it!

I encourage everyone of every age to GET ACTIVE.  The definition of that varies for everyone, we are not a "one size fits all" society and what works for me may not work (or appeal) to someone else.  THAT'S OK!!  Just get moving.  Maybe that means taking the stairs instead of the elevator, maybe that means adding jogging to your walking regimen, or for someone it may mean getting up and playing with their kids instead of watching them play.  Whatever you decide/define as your goal to GET ACTIVE write it down and keep that somewhere that you can see it on a daily basis.  Writing it down helps hold you accountable to the goal that YOU set for yourself.  Achieving your goal will be an amazing feeling!

My goal with boxing was just to try it, at first.  My goal now (about 6 months late) is to take this into a ring one day and put my skills and practice into use!

We'll be sparring at Team Freska's UNITY Benefit Event February 23 on Treasure Island in San Francisco!  Come see us, I'll be wearing what I'm wearing in this video so I'll be easy to spot in the crowd!

Here's the link for the event:
http://teamfreska-efbevent.eventbrite.com/

The Half Experience

I'm horrible at getting race recaps up.  But truth be told, there's so much more that you'd get out of it by finding and creating your own experience. I used to think that 5Ks were so long!  Seriously, in high school, 5Ks we marathons in my ignorant mind!  If you asked me, my friend who ran on the cross country team WERE running across the country!  I admired their endurance!  Come to find out, they were 3.1 miles.  I 2009, I did my first 3.1 miles with little to no training.  Notice I said "did" as in completed. I did not run. I tried to but I only made it about 0.25 miles before I "pooped out" and started to walk. But I finished and that's what mattered to me! I started my journey with putting on e foot in front of the other and that's how I progressed.

 I did more 5Ks for another 3 years. They were fun and I was finally able to run them from start to finish!  Until.....until my then classmate and now friend encouraged me and flat out told me I was able to push myself to go further. I thought about what she had told me for a bit, but not long. Because within a month I was registering for my first half marathon.  (For more on this race see my post from August 2012)

Fast forward to now...I've already completed one half marathon this year (Walt Disney World) and I have three more lined up for this year!  How'd I get from none to four in one year?!  T answer that question for you and I, it's simple....I got out of my own way, learned to love myself, and stopped saying "I can't"!  Those three aspects have been crucial in my healthy lifestyle transformation. My original goal of going out and shedding weight turned into a much deeper and important journey and this is the year I will begin to pay it forward my sharing my journey and helping others find their own path.

So I opt to not half recap for my first event this year and encourage you to go out and find your own "first half" it's much more meaningful than you sitting here reading about mine.   Completing events like these fulfills our need for recognition, often not from other but from ourselves. It's reinforcement and encouragement that WE CAN do it and will moving forward!  So get out there and find something fun that will create your own Half Experience!  Come back and comment, I'd love to hear about it!

My First Video Blog

Here's the direct link if you have any issues. youtu.be/mxzysEVnM74 

"Take a risk, and you may lose. Never risk, and you will always lose."

Today, this was my risk as I've never done a video of myself for anything!  Thanks for the continued support and taking the time to watch!

Feel free to share :)