Wednesday, November 30, 2011

New. Wear. And. Fare. Wednesday.

I'm back this week now that I'm feeling much better! Here are some newbies for you all!

WEAR

Yep, I broke out the bell bottoms! These are new flare jeans by Old Navy...and they have a high waist! Yippee! Love to pair them with tucked in shirts and get my 60s hippy on! I often times throw a black jacket or other jacket or sweater over this in the winter. I think I wore a purple one last time! 


Scoop neck sweater: Express
Jeans: Old Navy
Black ankle booties: ALDO

FARE


Butternut Squash Arroz con Leche

I have been having  a lot of butternut squash soup lately but have been getting a little burnt out on it. I made some for Thanksgiving and I had half of a leftover squash and was trying to think of things to do with it. I realized I could make a healthy arroz con leche with it as a little clean treat at lunch!

How I made it:

First I poked holes in the squash, scooped out the guts and put it in the microwave. I cooked it maybe about 6 minutes. I didn't want it to be too mushy as it was still going to get the opportunity to cook some more. I took it out and peeled off the skin and diced it into pieces.

Next I put 1/2 C of almond milk in a sauce pan and on medium heat waited till it started boiling. I then put in rice - I used 1/2 C cooked brown rice, about 1/4 - 1/2 C squash pieces, a small scoop of slivered almonds, cinnamon (as much or as little as you like), a little bit of grated lime rind, a small spoonful of raisins and a dab of agave syrup. I waited till this all cooked down and thickened up a bit. And that's all! Super tasty and clean! I loved it!

Hope you all had a lovely Wednesday!


Tuesday, November 29, 2011

This. Is. Me...Raw.

I had this amazing post planned for you all tonight...but then it go derailed by an even MORE amazing post! How great is that?!

Today when I got home from work, I checked my business email per usual. Except that I had a new and exciting email from a company that I never expected! I had received a response from Raw Revolution with regards to a request I put in about them providing me with small bars for my business, Minneapolis By Bike! I hope to be able to give coupons and goody bags to people at the end of the tours by my next season. This winter will be spent making connections and getting some planning and strategizing done. 


How I came about contacting Raw Revolution is that firstly, I had seen these little bars at my local Lund's Foods. I didn't pick them up though. Then one day my friend came out with me and had a bar and said they were really good! So, then I had to go back and try them! I went and bought a couple. Raw Revolution is JUST food! It's clean and so I loved it! No extra sugars, no weird chemical names that I can't pronounce, just food - fruit, nuts...food!



I met with someone not too long ago who also runs a touring company of a different variety. He had told me that he gives Clif Bars away at the end of his tours and that he gets a ton of them and could give them to me for mine. I thought that was totally great and really generous! However, as I biked away from our meeting, I thought about how I really didn't want to give out Clif Bars. Why? Because not even I would eat Clif Bars on a regular basis. Sure, they are yummy treats but are loaded with extra sugars. Loaded with tons of extra things that I wouldn't put into my body regularly and I know that the program I follow, DAMY Health, wouldn't recommend these either. I decided that I wanted better for my participants! I wanted to give them a great treat that I would eat and was proud to put in my body!


So I went home and contacted Raw Revolution. I got a response that said they received my request and they would let me know their decision. You know how that goes, you get automated-like responses from companies and assume (incorrectly, of course) that you will not hear back from them and it is a fat chance that your request will even be approved. But NO! Today I opened my inbox and I had an approval request! :) My product should be getting here for next season and I can't WAIT to be giving them out in my goody bags! They even said that my business name would be on their site! Thanks Raw Revolution! You are the best! You all have to go out and try these babies! Perhaps, I'll even go buy some myself and GIVE some away! :)

Hooray for a super day!


Saturday, November 26, 2011

Go. Go. Rest.


I’m typing you all for a little update since I came down with a brutal cold. I’ve been feeling a bit better, but still haven’t kicked this bug! It’s come to my attention though, that I’m quite terrible at recuperating when it comes to illness, and partly it’s my own fault. I am a go-go-go girl so having to rest-rest-rest doesn’t jive too well with me. I lay down and attempt to rest and I think of all the things I COULD be getting done, the productivity I am losing. The list of to-dos that are sitting there and waiting for me to complete!

This is only one of the aspects of my resting problems. My worst offense is working out. While some people struggle to get to the gym every day or even loathe it, I despise not being able to go every day. I’m not going to lie...I’m the girl that shows up to the gym all boogery and probably getting everyone else ill. I can’t help it, it PAINS me to not workout on my non-rest days. And as much as I love to go, when I’m sick and workout, I still complete all my workouts but I know the workouts aren’t near as good and my ability is severely inhibited. Today I was talking with my sister on the phone and was saying how I felt worse today than yesterday. I may have mentioned the fact that I went to workout yesterday...yep, I sure got reprimanded! ;) I responded, “But what about my hamstrings?” (Oh, so typical me.) However, I know that she has a point and everyone tells me that I need to rest and not workout but REST! 

Given that I am feeling the pain today, I did exactly that. I rested! I REALLY wanted to get into the gym and do my workout, but I know workouts may have to wait until I am fully recuperated and can give it my all in the gym. I also know that perhaps I need to slow myself down and smell the roses sometimes! I can give myself more leisure time and time to just “be”.
This is exactly what I’m doing today. Resting and “being”. Yes, I’ve done my laundry (cleaned my sick-contaminated bedding) and picked up my house - seriously, it was disgusting - but I have rented some chick flicks and am spending the night resting and watching some films and no working out. Re-learning how to rest!  I am stopping and smelling the roses.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Wear. And. Fare. Wednesday.

Just getting it in here ...barely in time!

WEAR


I put this outfit together today and I love it! Looking at it now, I guess I need another undershirt under the white shirt! Duly noted for next time. I love everything about this outfit. It's warm, cozy, comfortable, just perfect! I love these jeans that I got from Old Navy They are grey-ish in color and I just love them! Plus, they are really comfortable AND higher at the waist! :) Also, the sweater I just love!! I bought it from a local shop here, located in St. Paul, called Karma. 

White shirt: Old Navy
Jeans: Old Navy
Sweater: Brand: Kerisma - Karma
Boots: ALDO

The jeans up close:

Love, love, love!

FARE

To be honest, I didn't get to cook anything new this week! I got caught up on lots of other cooking instead: butternut squash soup, greek yogurt, etc. What I am going to do though, is post something new I bought the ingredients for and PLAN on making this week! :) It's a lovely DAMY recipe and I've been wanting to try this one for AGES!!!!!


It's clean and carb free!!! Plus you get more veggies!

YUM! Can't wait to try it!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

10. Great. Things. That. DAMY. Gave. Me.

A list of 10 Great Things that DAMY Health gave me!
  1. Boosted self-confidence. The ability to look at myself and my own actions and be proud of them, every day!
  2. Freedom of choice. I get to CHOOSE every day if I want to live a healthy DAMY life that leaves me feeling great or would I prefer to go back to my old ways and be captive to my own addictions. I enjoy feeling great!
  3. The ability to stop hiding. Not hiding under clothes, goofy faces (but I still love making them) or amongst a crowd. Confident and happy to step out as me - sans hiding.
  4. Growth. Wow... I never thought I could do some of those workouts! Look at some of the old ones and how now it would be nothing! 15 jump squats? No problem!
  5. A cheering section. I get positive reinforcement every step of the way! If I slip up? It's okay, don't dwell on it, move forward and always give your best!
  6. A 7% body fat percent drop, 20lbs lost and down to a size 6 from a 10 - yet stronger than ever! Hello there high school me! I could beat you up! :)
  7. Being within reach of visibly having a six pack! Yea!
  8. Physically feeling when I'm not fueling my body appropriately. Overload of processed foods? Oh my! The worst tummy ache of my life!
  9. Knowledge - what to eat, when to eat, how to eat. No starving, no calorie counting, just clean eating! :) 
  10. The joy of living in a healthy way that fuels me, gives me energy and makes me feel great to be me!
                              Before DAMY                                            After DAMY (3 months)

THANKS DAMY!

Monday, November 14, 2011

I. Am. Fit. NOT. "Teeny".

I normally don't like to make posts ranting or complaining about life; it just isn't my style. However, I have been hearing a lot of one word lately and I thought I would make a few comments about this so as to make more people aware.

As you have all followed me and cheered me on during my weight loss journey and my mission to get more muscle, you realize that yes, I of course have become smaller in size. This of course, is due to gaining more muscle and losing fat. As most people are well aware, muscle is much more compact than fat. It takes up much less space...see?


These replicas both weight 5 lbs. It's just that 5 lbs of muscle is much more compact.

Over this last week, the words, "you are teeny" or "teeny like you" has been uttered to me a number of times. I cringe at the word, "teeny". To me, "teeny" signifies many things, but it does not signify a fit and healthy person. Teeny, for me, signifies weak and feeble, malnourished and unhealthily skinny...neither of which I am. I am a size 6, 5'7.5", 139 lb, 19% body fat woman who just so happens to be in the best shape of her life.

Some people might say, "Why are you complaining that someone calls you "teeny"? It's better than being called "fat!"" I'm sure many people are aware though, that "teeny" people or very naturally thin people with high metabolisms, despise this word too! I know many women who are naturally very slender, and they are TRYING to gain weight! They try and eat a lot of food to put weight on and they simply cannot do it! It's frustrating for them to be called, "teeny" because they are working so hard to put weight on and this word is simply a discouragement to all of their hard work. This is just as bad as being called "fat."

Just like those high-metabolism slender ladies, I do not like to be called "teeny" either. Why? Because I feel like it fails to acknowledge all of the hard work that I put into my body each and every day.

I work hard to fuel my body and give it what it wants - nutrient rich foods all day long. I eat every 2-3 hours, after all!

I put in a lot of time, sweat and sometimes almost tears at the gym to put on muscle. It's hard work to get motivated to go to the gym somedays - just like it is for everyone. But I am there, doing the work. "Teeny" discredits all of the hard work that I put into building the muscle that in fact does make me smaller and more compact, but I am STRONG! 

Some of the strongest women in the nation may look "teeny" but if you ever see them at work, you will know they are powerhouses! They are fit, in shape, finely tuned machines! They work hard and their size is a reflection of this hard work and they therefore have results. 



I wanted to put this out there to remind people of how powerful words really are, for yourself as well as everyone else. If you are going to call me anything, call me fit, a buff mama, in shape, anything reflecting my hard work...but "teeny" does not describe me. I realize perfect strangers may not know this about me when they don't know me as a person and my activities, but as I mentioned earlier, there are also plenty of women out there who are naturally slender and trying to put on weight, and I know some of them despise the word just as much. So let's all try to be conscientious of the words we use to describe people - whether they are larger or smaller. We all come in different varieties and that's what makes us beautiful. 

What words do you think best describe women's bodies, all shapes and sizes?

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Wear. And. Fare Wednesday. On. Thursday!

Writing late again on a Thursday! Oops! But, I'm doing it! :) Here it is! 

WEAR

(Yep, I know, I have some crazy hair in this pic)

When I recently had my shopping spree at Old Navy for their BOGO sale, I also knew that I wanted some long sleeve A-line dresses! Old Navy didn't have any, but H&M did! I went and picked up two A-line dresses! I love them! I paired this one with a short-sleeved sweater, scarf, tights and boots! I love the color that the scarf adds to the outfit!

Where I got it:
Long sleeved dress: H&M
Scarf: H&M
Short-sleeved sweater: Express
Boots: ALDO

FARE

A few weeks ago, I made my own pumpkin smoothie at home! It was delicious! As I've said, I've been on a major pumpkin bender! I used the ingredients below!


1/2 C Non-fat Greek yogurt
1/4-1/3 C pureed pumpkin
Dash of Cinnamon and Nutmeg
1 Tbsp Agave Syrup (approx.)
Not pictured - few in a threw ice cubes to make it a smoothie!

Blend everything together and you will be able to suck up the joyous flavor of pumpkin through a straw!
YUM!

Hope you all try it and love it!

Hope you all had a great Wednesday (and Thursday)! 


Tuesday, November 08, 2011

OOOOh A. Giveaway! A. Giveaway!

Recently, I met with Ryan Ott, Mr. IamMNnice! Find him on Facebook here or follow him on Twitter at IamMNnice. I had donated 2 adult bike tours to him for the IamMNnice giveaways! Ryan spends his time interviewing local small businesses and areas in Minnesota as a way to promote them and bring them more attention. He also wants to give special attention to the phrase, "I am Minnesota nice." "Minnesota nice" is a term long given to Minnesotans as we have a reputation of being nice to others! Over the years, however, it has developed a negative connotation as people who aren't, "nice," rather "passive aggressive". Ryan and I agreed that it's unfortunate that the phrase has been turned into such a negative context. So what is he trying to do? Bring MN nice back! If anyone can do it, I believe that he is the man! If you are MN nice and want to bring back the positivity to this message, not only can you do it with actions alone but you can also purchase one of Ryan's shirts, wear it with pride, and make MN nice a positive phrase again! Check out Ryan's merchandise here. You can also attempt to be one of the lucky winners of one of his upcoming giveaways!

Ryan did an interview with me about my business as well!! Here it is folks!

Ryan and I were speaking about our different projects and I had mentioned to him that I wanted to do a giveaway and was looking for my first for my blog! He sure does exemplify Minnesota Nice!! Without a second thought he handed over an IamMNnice shirt and button to do a giveaway! Yea!

I LOVE this IamMNnice shirt! Only problem is that I don't wear t-shirts too much. I am going to get mine made into a tank! I love wearing tanks and can even wear them in the winter with sweaters! I most certainly will be wearing this one this winter and showing off my MN nice in apparel AND actions! :)

But guess what guys?! Thanks to Ryan, you can all have the chance to win one of these t-shirts OR the button! You can decide if you want to makeover your IamMNnice shirt! :) The shirt is a size MEDIUM. I'm doing these as 2 separate items as the shirt may not fit everyone.

Button!


Shirt!

To be eligible for this giveaway you have to do these 3 things:

1. "LIKE" IamMNnice on Facebook
2. Comment on this post sharing how you exemplify "Minnesota Nice". Also state whether you would like the pin or the shirt.
3. SHARE this GoalGetterGurl post on your Facebook page so that others may join in! :)

I am going to be doing the drawings on Saturday of everyone who is entered!

Closing time on the drawing is Friday, November 11th at 12am - Midnight! Do it up!

Please leave an email with your comment so I have a way of contacting you to give you your won item!

Good luck everyone!
Even if you don't win...keep being MN nice! :)


Sunday, November 06, 2011

Review. Of. Pro.Fit. International. Mobile. Device. Holder.

I had a wonderful call on my business phone a couple of weeks ago; it was Heidi from Pro.Fit International based out of Bloomington, MN. She asked if I would like to test out and review their  miniGRIP Universal Smart Phone Holder! I was pleased to accept! I got this device over a week ago and have just been so busy that I haven't had the opportunity to get it mounted on my bike and test it out. Plus, it gets dark here now much earlier so by the time I would get home from work, it was too dark to really get any good pics! Thank you for the holder, Pro.Fit! Sorry it took me so long to get this posted!

And now I present to you...my review!


These were all the items that I pulled out of the pouch when my package arrived.


First step was to get this rubber shim mounted on my bike where I wanted the holder to be placed Easy!



Next, screw together the base and adapter plate. Easy...kind of. This should be easy enough, but I had some difficulties.


Screwing the base and plate together.


All screwed together.

The one problem that I found with this is that the instructions stated to put them together with the hardware provided. That was the only instructions. I did put them together as I thought they should be, the bolt part of the screw and bolt system facing outward. This was all groovy until I reached the next step...


Placing the zip ties through the spaces to attach to handle bar. 
What wasn't noted was that if your screws are in, you can't really get the zip tie through as it blocks the way of the zip tie and you can't angle the zip tie better due to the bolt.

So then I thought, maybe I have the screws in the wrong way?


 So I flipped them all. But then of course that wasn't the right way because you can't then slide the miniGRIP holder onto the plate.  The square pieces above were blocked from sliding with the bolts facing the other way. I had to switch them again. This time though, I put the zip ties in before the screws. That worked much better. 


Unfortunately, during all of this screwing and unscrewing, I lost a screw! This plant ate it...


After getting all of that sorted out, I mounted the holder onto the handlebars by tightening the zip ties (you are to snip off the ends but I didn't have a scissors with me).



Next, place phone in holder and push the sides in tight to the phone. Then pull the strap holder down and around the phone to keep it tight.


And here you have it!


I took this baby out for a ride on the bumpiest streets in Minneapolis and it worked like a charm! It didn't fall out, it didn't even rattle...even while missing a screw!


The great bonus is the pop open button on the side for an easy release when you are done riding!



Not only will this be great for my bike rides when I happen to get calls (biking up hills and holding a phone just don't go hand in hand), but I think that it has a ton of other benefits too! I have the CardioTrainer application on my phone which measures distance and speed. Rather than mounting a spedometer on my bike, I can just use my phone and that app when it comes to biking. The display screen faced me perfectly so I could look at my phone as I needed to see speed and distance. Also, this could be perfect for someone who has music on their phone and would like to listen to it that way. This may also be an item I could incorporate in the future in my business, Minneapolis By Bike, as we utilize cell phone-sized radios. I'll have to think about this as an investment in the future and determine if it will work!

PLUSES: 
A great tool for holding phones so you can use your hands for biking! Waiting on a call? You won't miss it because your phone is in front of you! Watch your route, distance and speed while biking via a GPS tracking system. Holds your phone tight and won't fall out! Worked great for my Android - this was a universal holder. They also have holders specific to Iphones. I biked standing up, sitting down, moving around, and this never got in the way or disturbed my pedaling.

MINUSES: 
I really like this new tool, I just wished it came with more detailed instructions. Maybe a couple more pictures to help those of us (like me) who learn by doing/seeing rather than reading. For not having too many detailed pictures, it still wasn't SO bad. :) I just thought the pictures would help and perhaps the order of the instructions needs to be rethought? Zip ties before screwing the plates together?

Besides the small snag in assembling this holder, I really liked it! It will remain on my bike for a while I am sure so that I can continue to use it and test it out, even for business purposes! You can purchase a Pro.Fit holder at any Erik's Bike Shop.

Thanks again Pro.Fit!

Besides their webpage, you can like Pro.Fit on Facebook HERE.



















Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Wear. And. Fare. Wednesday.

I'm back this week with a new Wear and Fare day! Yea! Been so busy lately! Why do I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to sleep much less get my stuff done?!?! Well, here goes nothing! :)

WEAR


Here's a better picture with the shoes, I just forgot the necklace in this picture.

I love this new outfit! :) I've been wearing it all the time!

Here's what I'm wearin!
Skirt: Old Navy
White Shirt: Old Navy
Vest: Express
Shoes: ALDO
Necklace: Goodwill
Button: IamMNnice

FARE


Strawberry and Spinach Quinoa Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
(Note: Minus the poppyseeds) :)

I was really craving a nice big salad one day and wanted something new. I decided to throw together a few things to get my carbs, veggies, fruit and protein all in one! I also had some extra protein on the side - some chicken breast. And you could just as well throw that on here too if you like! 

Clearly, I just put the spinach, quinoa and strawberries on the plate. Easy task! If you are looking for a GREAT carb choice that will give you fuel and has tons of nutritional benefits, quinoa is the way to go! It isn't even technically a grain! It is more closely related to spinach, beets and tumbleweed! Quinoa is gluten free, a complete protein and a good source of iron! Clearly a carb that every woman should have in her diet! 

The real kicker for this salad was the dressing! I LOVE this dressing and was craving something different to what I have had in a while. This is how I make it!

Poppyseed Dressing

A couple of spoonfuls of non-fat greek yogurt
Juice from one lime
Olive oil
Agave syrup
Poppyseeds (if desired - I didn't have any at home at the time so I didn't add any)

First put a couple of spoonfuls of yogurt into a bowl. Next squeeze the lime into the bowl. Add a small squirt of agave syrup. Mix these ingredients together well. Next, slowly drizzle in some olive oil while stirring - this helps to make a good consistency. I don't measure how much I put in, I just kind of go by taste and how liquid my dressing is or isn't. It should remain a whitish color though. I use a whisk to help with this part. Finally, add in your poppyseeds if you have them and you are done! I love this dressing with spinach and fruit! Such a great combination!

 Hope you all found yourselves having a wonderful Wednesday!