FANGIRLING w/ SMALLER SAM PCOS

Summary

Summary of "FANGIRLING w/ SMALLER SAM PCOS" – The Carpool Podcast with Kelly and Lizz

Episode Information:

• Title: FANGIRLING w/ SMALLER SAM PCOS
• Hosts: Kelly Stumpe and Lizz St. John
• Guest: Smaller Sam (Sam Pace)
• Release Date: July 15, 2025

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1. Introduction and Guest Spotlight

The episode kicks off with Kelly and Lizz introducing their special guest, Smaller Sam (Sam Pace), a prominent figure known for her inspirational weight loss journey and innovative fast-food hacks tailored for busy moms. Lizz highlights Sam's remarkable transformation, stating, “She has lost 255 pounds and she does a lot of her content on high-protein, lower-calorie meals” (02:32).

Notable Quote:

Lizz: “She has really great fast food hacks, good recipes... it was just really one of the deepest, most inspiring episodes we've ever done.” (02:32)

2. Sam’s Influence and Social Media Presence

Kelly and Lizz express their admiration for Sam, emphasizing how her content has become a daily resource for managing meals on the go. Lizz remarks, “We're always like, what are we eating? Pull out Smaller Sam's Instagram” (03:24), illustrating Sam’s impact as a go-to influencer for practical, sustainable eating solutions.

Notable Quote:

Lizz: “I would probably stop what you're doing if as long as you're not driving and go check out her Instagram or TikTok for more context.” (01:36)

3. Sam’s Weight Loss Journey and Content Creation

Sam shares her weight loss journey, starting with the inception of her Instagram page, Smaller Sam PCOS, in May 2020. Initially, it was a personal accountability tool, but her content gained widespread attention after her first significant weight loss milestone. She recounts, “Everything I went viral on TikTok after the first 200-pound loss” (06:34).

Notable Quote:

Sam: “People care because you've had an incredible transformation which requires an incredible amount of discipline.” (06:34)

4. Managing PCOS and Personal Struggles

Delving deeper, Sam discusses her diagnosis with PCOS at age 12 and the subsequent challenges, including weight fluctuations and managing her health during pregnancies. She explains how PCOS impacted her life, leading to significant weight gain post-pregnancy and exacerbating postpartum depression and anxiety.

Notable Quote:

Sam: “Women with PCOS are more likely to experience postpartum depression and anxiety... it just spiraled.” (27:24)

5. Fast Food Hacks and Sustainable Eating

A significant portion of the conversation focuses on Sam’s expertise in creating healthier fast-food alternatives. Kelly asks, “How do you find the recipes or not the recipes, find the orders?” (10:05), leading Sam to elaborate on her method of selecting grilled chicken options and substituting high-calorie sides with salads or foregoing them entirely.

Notable Quotes:

Sam: “If a place offers grilled chicken, I'm going to get the grilled chicken or ask for a substitution.” (10:05)

Kelly: “Why can't we just have this? Why do we have to have this?” (11:33)

6. Merchandising and Collaborations

The discussion shifts to Sam’s merchandise collaborations, particularly her partnership with Clean Simple Eats. The hosts praise her ability to maintain authenticity while expanding her brand, noting the rapid sell-out of her merchandise.

Notable Quote:

Liz: “She just launched the cutest merch, which sold out.” (12:06)

7. Recipe Highlights and Viral Content

Sam highlights her most viral recipes, including her spring roll series and a protein-packed macaroni and cheese recipe. She candidly shares a moment where a culturally inaccurate term in her spring rolls led to controversy, showcasing her transparency and willingness to learn from mistakes.

Notable Quote:

Sam: “I misnamed a cultural food and pissed a lot of people off, but it was probably my most viral recipe.” (18:13)

8. Kelly’s Personal Journey and Overcoming Adversity

Kelly opens up about her tumultuous past, detailing her struggles with PCOS, eating disorders, financial debt from therapy costs, and her husband's battle with alcoholism. She describes the turning point where she realized the necessity to prioritize her health for the sake of her children.

Notable Quotes:

Kelly: “I have to be 100%. I have to be healthy. I have to be the one that I know they can rely on.” (34:35)

Liz: “You have such a powerful why.” (34:51)

9. Impact on Family and Children

Kelly shares a poignant moment where her daughter didn’t recognize her before her weight loss, underscoring the emotional aspect of her journey. She reveals her deepest fear of her children witnessing her struggles, reinforcing her motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Notable Quote:

Kelly: “My deepest fear is that my children saw me struggle... my girls are the reason that I am still here.” (37:10)

10. Food Philosophy and Parenting Approach

The conversation transitions to how Kelly plans to address food and health with her children, emphasizing a balanced approach without strict restrictions. She advocates for teaching children to understand how food affects their bodies rather than imposing rigid diet rules.

Notable Quote:

Kelly: “It's more about how it makes our body feel and less about restricting.” (44:51)

11. Practical Meal Ideas and Quick Recipes

In the segment “Ditch the Drive Through,” Kelly and Sam exchange quick, healthy meal ideas suitable for busy families. They discuss easy-to-make dishes like enhanced ramen using bone broth and soft-boiled eggs, ensuring meals are nutritious without compromising on flavor.

Notable Quote:

Liz: “It's my favorite. Pumped up ramen with bone broth and a jammy egg... it’s so easy.” (50:15)

12. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The episode concludes with heartfelt appreciation from Kelly and Lizz for Sam’s inspiring story and practical advice. They reinforce the message of sustainability in health and the importance of a supportive community for ongoing success.

Notable Quote:

Sam: “You are such an inspiration.” (38:05)

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Key Takeaways:

• Inspiration Through Transformation: Smaller Sam’s weight loss journey serves as a beacon of hope and practical guidance for moms managing PCOS and busy lifestyles.

• Sustainable Eating Practices: Emphasizing the importance of realistic and maintainable diet choices, especially for those frequently relying on fast food.

• Impact of Personal Struggles: Kelly’s candid sharing of her battles with PCOS, postpartum challenges, and family issues highlights the resilience required to overcome personal adversities.

• Balanced Parenting Approach: Promoting a healthy relationship with food for children by focusing on how food affects the body rather than imposing strict diets.

• Community and Support: The power of following relatable influencers and having a support system to navigate weight loss and health challenges.

Notable Quotes Compilation:

• Lizz: “She has really great fast food hacks, good recipes... it was just really one of the deepest, most inspiring episodes we've ever done.” (02:32)
• Sam: “People care because you've had an incredible transformation which requires an incredible amount of discipline.” (06:34)
• Kelly: “Why can't we just have this? Why do we have to have this?” (11:33)
• Kelly: “I have to be 100%. I have to be healthy. I have to be the one that I know they can rely on.” (34:35)
• Liz: “You have such a powerful why.” (34:51)
• Kelly: “My deepest fear is that my children saw me struggle... my girls are the reason that I am still here.” (37:10)
• Kelly: “It's more about how it makes our body feel and less about restricting.” (44:51)
• Sam: “You are such an inspiration.” (38:05)

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This episode of The Carpool Podcast offers a profound exploration of weight loss, managing PCOS, and balancing family life, all delivered through engaging conversations and authentic storytelling. Whether you're seeking motivation, practical tips, or relatable experiences, Kelly, Lizz, and Smaller Sam provide valuable insights to support your journey toward a healthier, more balanced life.

Transcript

[Kelly]

Welcome to the Carpool Podcast with Kelly.

[Liz]

Freaking 10 years ago. Like, it was platforms and it was like, it'd be like we couldn't wear it. Like, we would get. We would be a distraction of the room.

[Sam]

And Liz, I can't just eat grilled chicken. Like, it makes me want to gag. Like, I need to douse it in sauce. My favorite one is where you do the hot sauce with the honey at Chick Fil A.

[Kelly]

Yes.

[Sam]

It's so good. I'm like, why is this not on the menu?

[Kelly]

Your mom time off starts now.

[Liz]

Welcome back to the Carpool Podcast with Kelly and Liz. And boy, do we have a show for you.

[Sam]

Maybe one of my favorite podcasts we've ever recorded.

[Kelly]

Okay.

[Liz]

One thing about us, you know us, we're shooting our shot. This is like something that we do here at the Carpool Podcast. And never forget when I one time, like wrote the name Smaller Sam pcos down on our reminders app to talk about this girl who was churning and burning some of the best content I'd seen in a long time. Just like, very creative, very good hacks for fast food restaurant recipes. And I was like, her content's just good. It was inspiring. I've started following her and I've just been. I've just continued to be so inspired by her story, by what she's gone through, what she's going through, who she is. And she's a guest today.

[Sam]

Smaller st pace of us is a guest in our podcast. I, Kelly and I are like just huge fans of hers and we are just so excited. We are. We just wrapped the podcast and it was amazing. Amazing. I. I feel like I know her so much better now. And so if you don't know who she is. Oh yeah.

[Liz]

Let me just tell you cuz the. Because I. I would probably stop what you're doing if as long as you're not driving and go check out her Instagram. Just like get some. Or tik tok. Just to get some more context for who she is. She has lost 255 pounds and she does like, a lot of her content is like good food that's just lower calorie, higher protein. So she talks about it more on like, the why she had to eat a lot of fast food on her weight loss journey. It was due to a lot of travel that she had to do for one of her children and that's what was available. So she had to figure out how she could lose weight while doing that. So she has really great fast food hacks, good recipes she's very vulnerable on her Instagram and on the podcast about losing the weight and then the loose skin and the skin removal surgeries and just, like, wanting to be, you know, wanting to feel confident in her own skin, how she plans to talk to her daughters about it. It was just, like, really one of the deepest, most inspiring episodes we've ever done.

[Sam]

Yeah, it was. It was amazing. So, without further ado, welcome Sam.

[Liz]

Smaller Sam, underscore pcof. Welcome to the carpool podcast.

[Kelly]

Hi. Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be here Thanksgiving.

[Sam]

So excited to have you. We talk about you all the time on this podcast.

[Liz]

No, and not even, like, the way that I think about you around lunchtime, like, almost every single day. Especially Elizabeth and I when we're at the dealership. Like, I can't get my life together to, like, pack a lunch. Like, we're just not. I got to pack lunch for my kids. Like, I can't possibly do it for myself. But we're always like, what are we eating? Pull out Smaller Sam's Instagram. You are every day and Smaller Sam. I'll just call you Sam. Sorry. You're so. Like, we have such. So many things in common. Because, one, you're tall. Aren't you, like, five? Ten?

[Kelly]

I'm six foot, yeah.

[Liz]

Oh, even better. So is Elizabeth. Like, we're tall girls. You eat in your car. What Feels like exclusively. I mean, I know it's not, but, like, you're always in your car, so, like, your car is obviously an important part to you. You're a mom. Like, there's just a lot. There's a lot of. A lot of similarities here.

[Kelly]

No. And I was so excited when I got my new Suburban. I was like, the car mom. Maybe she'll notice me. Maybe they'll about it. Because a Suburban was, like, my dream car. That was like. Because my car is, like, an extension of my home. I. I really just feel like it's like being in your bedroom, you know? Like, I'm the most comfortable when I'm, like, in my bed eating. I eat dinner on my bed. I don't care who knows. Like, I eat in my car. I'm just, like, happy. No one's bothering me.

[Liz]

It's fine.

[Kelly]

We're all chill.

[Liz]

Well, and a part of your story that I really want you to get into is, I mean, you're obviously your mom of three, and you spent a lot of time in your car, so. And so being able to be on the go was a really important part, like, of your Weight loss. So let's start with the beginning, because I, I don't, I did not start following you. Or maybe you didn't start until after you had lost, I think 250 pounds. Like, I think that was the, I think that was the intro that I grew up on. You know, the. Now it's 255, but I was around.

[Sam]

When it was 250, so.

[Liz]

Yeah, but tell us when you started.

[Kelly]

So I started documenting. I think I've always had the initial, the Instagram page, which is smaller Sam pcos. Now I think I added the underscore pcos. It was just smaller Sam initially. And I mean, like a hundred people followed me. It was like people from high school, like my close friends. And I was just posting like, like a picture of a meal that I would make. And that was just like an accountability page for me. So I always, I had that Instagram page. I started it in May of 2020. But never like recording because two, that was very scary for me. Recording myself was like, I don't like when you watch yourself back. You have to acknowledge your body and, like, where you are in it. Whereas a picture of something I can, like, honestly, like, curate, like, this is what I chose to show you. And the video is a little bit more, I don't know, a little bit more, what's the word I want to say? Insecure. It's not, it's not insecurity, but, like, it's more vulnerable with people because you see the real and the raw all the time. But so, yeah, that's when I started kind of just holding myself accountable. But everything I went viral on Tick Tock after the first 200 pound loss. And it was after I had my first tummy tuck, which actually ended almost very poorly. There was almost no smaller Sam after that, but oh my gosh, that's what went viral. And so we started to gain traction. And then I was like, oh, wait, people maybe care. Like, it was just kind of like a weird, like, why do people care about me? I, I. And I just kept on posting from. So that was probably 2020. That was 2022, the end of 2022.

[Sam]

People care because you've had an incredible transformation which requires an incredible amount of discipline. And you've learned so much, like, through the process that you're just like a wealth of knowledge on all of it. And your content is so, like, approachable and relatable. Like, you're not. Your recipes don't require a lot of chopping, right?

[Kelly]

Like lazy girl meals, lazy mommy Lazy.

[Sam]

Girl meals on the go meals like, hey, I can only get fast food or right now cuz I'm out. How can I make a better decision? Like the way you are a resource. Like we're like, what should we get for lunch? Or small serum. We'll just look at smaller like every day.

[Kelly]

I love you guys.

[Liz]

No, seriously, I. I think like people who are. It's. It's such. You are exactly the type of content I love to consume. And I, I don't know why I enjoy like seeing people who have just undergone like really dramatic weight losses. I think gen. Because I've. I'm thin. I'm naturally thin. Like I've never had to do that. So I think that's why I'm so unbelievably inspired by the discipline that these people go through and the vulnerability, like to your point, like how vulnerable you are. And I haven't seen that video that went viral. I want to go back and look at it though. But you have shared smaller. Sam is not gatekeeping. She's like, she's like, hey, the last £5 I used semi glutide. Okay. Now I'm getting this surgery. Like now I'm doing this loose skin and like you're just. I can tell in your content that you're only put like putting yourself. Like you just. You're so authentic to who you are and you're not trying to put any filters or any. You're disguising anything.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Liz]

It's like, I mean the weight loss is just like I guess why you're that way. But like, I think I would, I think you'd be inspiring in anything that you did because I just love your vulnerability.

[Kelly]

Well, thank you. I mean, I think that's what I found encouraging when I was looking for people to follow. And when I started following people is the people who I followed were moms on the go, moms who were throwing. I. I don't know if you guys know her. I think her name is Felicia. I don't know. But now I'm going to sound bad, but I've been following her since 2020. I just am not good at names.

[Liz]

No, totally.

[Kelly]

But it's like I followed people. I noticed the trend and I felt like when the weight loss started working and when the journey continued on was when I was able to adapt it to something that I could, I could undertake at the time. I mean, I've shared a little bit of my story. You know, my daughter has had some. I'm just going to say Medical history. Like, she just needed a lot of my attention. And I also had a one year old at the time. And so I think what I had been trying to do prior, which was like grilled chicken, broccoli, always eating at home, never having anything on the go, never any convenience foods. Like it was always on or off, you know, 0 or 100. And I felt like that's why I failed. And then I noticed, like, the people I was following, the reason I'm following them and I like them is because this is real life. Like these. They're not just eating grilled chicken and broccoli. Like, how interesting would that be to watch every single day? Like, I, I don't know. But that's. That was the key. That was the sustainability factor was that, okay, we're just gonna like, adapt. I still have to stop at Chick Fil A because my one year old will only eat chicken nuggets. That's all she was eating. And I was like, what can I get here? You know, and change little. It's the little changes that add up and make the biggest difference. I think that's what I've learned.

[Sam]

So what's the process like? So if someone wanted to do it themselves, because what smaller. What we're talking about, in case you don't know what she does, is she'll go through a drive through and she'll say, this is what I'm going to get from name the fast food restaurant. Seems like you've done them all multiple times.

[Kelly]

Yes. And at this point.

[Sam]

Right. And she'll give you like a healthier option. So it has this many calories, this much protein, so then you can kind of make a healthier, lower calorie option. So how do you, what's your process to like, find the recipes or not the recipes, find the orders.

[Kelly]

So always if a place offers grilled chicken, it's going to be grilled chicken. Grilled chicken. Like, that's why I love Chick Fil A and I love Popeyes because they make the best blackened chicken. And Chick Fil a has more options than any other fast food restaurant. But so if somewhere offers the grilled chicken, I'm going to get the grilled chicken or ask for the substitution of the grilled chicken. And then usually a carb has to be replaced or you have to switch a fry for a kale salad. Like, you either have to take the bun off or if you want a side, you're going to have to make one of those decisions. Like sometimes I'll go to Chick Fil A. And I'll get the bun, and I'll get a kale salad. Sometimes I'm just going for the entree. I just don't get the side anymore. And. And that, too, is part of the process is understanding that, like, have you seen that meme where it's like, growing up is understanding that the main entree is the meal. Like, that's the meal. And, like, the sides are not necessary. Like, why do we think that they're necessary?

[Liz]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Kelly]

Right? Why can't we just have this? Why do we have to have this? And a large fry and a large soda, like, all those things. And then a diet. Diet Coke. Diet Coke for the haters. Yeah.

[Liz]

Your merch. You just. She just launched the cutest merch, which.

[Sam]

Sold out.

[Liz]

Sold out. Good for you. It is. So I. I sometimes. I like, sometimes hate when influencers just put out, like, merch. That's like, not, like. Just like, you know, it's like a screen printed, like, tea or whatever. No, this is, like, this could be at, like, Urban Outfitters will be calling because, like, they, like. Because they will want to have that in their store.

[Sam]

Did you have to work with. With Coke to allow to put the Diet Coke on there, or are you.

[Kelly]

Just going with it? So I'm actually working with a small business. It's through Loud Face, so I'm not really on that end of any of that. So I'm the. Know how I think Coke has better things.

[Liz]

Also, I'll. If Coke wants to come to you, you say, do you know how many Diet Cokes I've influenced?

[Kelly]

Is. Why would they. Why would I. I'm bringing them business.

[Liz]

It's advertising.

[Kelly]

I don't. Yeah.

[Sam]

Free advertising.

[Kelly]

Yes.

[Liz]

Okay. What was I going to say? So we were talking about the fast food. Oh, one other thing you're great at, though, is subbing sauces, because those are condiments. Are sneaky calories. Liz, tell her. Tell her.

[Sam]

I know what you're gonna say, and this is what I love about you, Sam, because I'm a sauce girl.

[Kelly]

And, like, me too.

[Sam]

And I'm a hot sauce girl. And you're a hot sauce girl.

[Kelly]

Yes.

[Sam]

So you always make sure. Cause I can't. I can't just eat grilled chicken. Like, it makes me want to gag. Like, I need to douse it in sauce. My favorite one is where you do the hot sauce with the honey at Chick Fil A.

[Kelly]

Yes.

[Liz]

It's so good.

[Sam]

I'm like, why is this not on the menu?

[Kelly]

Literally? Honestly, at this point, did you see that? They had the audac to comment back to me and they don't even follow me back. I was like, girl, I've been hustling. I'm the reason your kale salad sold out. Like, nobody liked the kale salad.

[Liz]

Just kidding, Sam. No, I know, Sam. That's another thing we have such synergy on. Because the same way Chick Fil A ignores you, the car manufacturers like to ignore me sometimes too. Like, we're just over here like, like putting the entire industry on our backs.

[Kelly]

Right?

[Liz]

Okay.

[Kelly]

We can't even. No payout. And then somebody's going to report my video and be like, we think this is branded. I'm like, you think Chick Fil a branded this video? I wish I was getting paid. I wish McDonald's needed me.

[Liz]

No. Yeah, that's disgusting. That, like, smaller. Sam's still paying for her own Chick Fil A orders. Like, that's so, like, that is so insane.

[Sam]

It's insane.

[Liz]

Okay, but. Well, you want to go, Liz?

[Sam]

Well, I just had like one more follow up sauce.

[Liz]

We have so many questions.

[Kelly]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sam]

Okay, Sam, I have to know because you post a lot of your content in your car and you love to have a sauce splash. Like a sauce is always splashing.

[Liz]

What's your.

[Sam]

Will you tell me your secret? What's the setup? You're not just splashing it all over your new car.

[Kelly]

Have you received the NDA in the mail yet? I feel like this. I cannot tell you. But what I can tell you is I do have a husband and he does clean my car. So it's clean. Don't worry about it.

[Liz]

I'm not.

[Kelly]

I feel like I can't give it all away.

[Sam]

Okay, no, it's fine. It's fine. You can tell me privately.

[Kelly]

Okay. No, but you are texting.

[Liz]

You're a master. I mean, you're so talented. Like, we can't about you, but you're a master at cinematography. Like, it is. It is very honestly, like, if this influencing that doesn't work out, you should go be a food stylist. Like, I know that's a real career where they like make their job is like make it look good. All of your meals look insane. And I love that you are just. You're like, you're making the foods that we want to eat just lower calorie, higher protein.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Liz]

And it's just like you do such fun beverages. I know you're a big, clean, simply eats girl. We love clean simpletes. Oh, My God.

[Kelly]

So good. Anybody who hates on them, I'm like, we can't be friends. I don't know. I don't know what to tell you.

[Sam]

People are like, I didn't like the protein powder. I'm like, I just don't think you like protein powder then. Because it is the best.

[Kelly]

Right?

[Liz]

And it's okay.

[Sam]

It's okay to go with protein powder, but it's the best one on the market.

[Liz]

No, I agree. Because, like, I can't do a protein shake. Like, I don't. But I put their protein powder in my yogurt a lot. Mm. But I agree. Like, if you. They're like, it tastes. I'm like, yeah, it's. It's still.

[Kelly]

And it's a protein shake.

[Liz]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kelly]

I see people saying that they don't like the greens powders. I'm like, okay, well, it's just greens. Like.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

I mean, it's spinach, basically. You could go blend up some spinach. I don't think it would taste better, but.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[Liz]

No, yeah. They're, you know, all their stuff, and they.

[Sam]

They're.

[Liz]

What's. What's fun about them. And what's fun about you is, like, it's the foods and the flavors you like just, like, reinvented. Like, one of my favorite recipes that you made, you. You, like, did on the super bowl. You just made, like, lighter calorie buffalo dip. I'm like, that's exactly what I want to be eating. Like, thank you for that. And it's just like, that's such. We're still having it. And yeah, it's also, I think, what your content is so. For everybody, because it's not even for the people who are like, I'm not looking to lose, like, £200. Like, I've.

[Kelly]

Right.

[Liz]

But I just want to make better, more importantly, higher protein decisions. I have, like, some low blood pressure, so I keep my protein up is really important.

[Kelly]

Me too.

[Liz]

And I'm like, that is, like, great now. I like, that is so helpful. So your content's really just for. For everybody.

[Kelly]

Thanks. No, I mean, that's the goal, right? Like, I mean, this is still the way I eat now, and I'm not losing any weight. I, like, I feel like that is kind of what people don't understand or think that the videos that I'm making now is just how I eat now and not how I lost. Not how I lost the weight. And I'm like, you still have to eat the same way. That's the whole point is if it's not sustainable. If you're, if you start a diet eating grilled chicken broccol, you have to eat grilled chicken and broccoli for the rest of forever. Like, I'm not saying you can't occasionally go out and eat things that you want, but like, if you want to sustain that weight loss, you can't go from eating chicken and broccoli back to whatever you were eating beforehand. You're going to gain the weight back. So I think, like, to my point before, like, this worked because it's. My lifestyle just modified a little bit. Like, and you're right, it's still, we're still eating buffalo dip for lunch. Like, I'm still getting that like dopamine hit that. I'm eating cheese and dip for lunch. But yeah, and that's what's appealing to moms and like, I don't know, just people in general. I felt kind of crazy initially. You guys are making me feel better because I was like, do people eat chicken and broccoli all the time? And am I just, yeah, an oddball? Like, I'm like, you guys don't eat chick fil a or you don't eat at a fast food restaurant two or three times a week like that. And that might be not everyone's lifestyle, but it is mine for sure.

[Liz]

What has been your most viral recipe hack? Do you know?

[Kelly]

My most viral people really liked my spring rolls, like my spring roll series. That was probably the most viral that. But I don't know, maybe because it was controversial. I said a word that I, I misnamed a cultural food. I said the word bulgogi one time and it was not. It was ground beef and I pissed a lot of people off. But that was probably my most viral recipe outside of that one. Outside of that, my macaroni and cheese did really well. I really like that macaroni and cheese recipe with the bone broth and the protein noodles.

[Liz]

Do you just get tagged a hundred times a day and like when people are going through the drive through and.

[Kelly]

They'Re like, smell or sin. Yeah, I don't see them. And I feel bad at this point. I used to see every single one and like love everyone. And now I'm like, I don't see them anymore. And what I love is going through my main feed, like just my, like for your page and seeing people make a video about me. And then I'm like, oh, they tagged me.

[Liz]

Oh yeah.

[Kelly]

But I just didn't see it.

[Liz]

No, I have seen people definitely start to copy your style of like you being in the car.

[Kelly]

Oh, oh yeah, I can't talk about that. But yeah, we've had offline.

[Liz]

I've seen it. It's offline. It's kind of crazy.

[Kelly]

There was one man in particular that I know exactly. He was a man. I don't know why. I was just like, at least give me credit, bro.

[Sam]

Totally, totally.

[Kelly]

Like if it was another woman, I'd be like, heck yeah. Because it was a gym, bro. I was like, no, not the gym.

[Sam]

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[Kelly]

20.

[Sam]

The link is also in the show.

[D]

Notes and today's episode is brought to you by K12. As a parent, you want to set your kids up for success. That starts with empowering them to learn in ways that are best for them. K12 can help your child start reaching their full potential in life now and give you the support you need to get them there. K12 powered schools are tuition free online accredited public schools for kindergarten through 12th grade designed to help your child to learn at their own pace, in their own pace and with an engaging curriculum that supports their individual learning styles. This is different from homeschooling when you are responsible for teaching them. K12 powered school state certified teachers are trained online educators. They utilize hands on innovative technology to make learning interactive. So join the 3 million families who have been served by K12 and empower your student to reach their full potential. Now go to k12.comcarpool today to find a tuition free K12 powered school near you and enroll. Now that's the letter k and number12.com carpool k12.com carpool and today's episode is brought to you by Zocdoc.

[Sam]

Why is it that when we need.

[D]

A new doctor, our first instinct is to post in the group chat? Anyone know a good PCP or OB gyn?

[Sam]

I'm definitely guilty of doing this, but I always end up finding out the.

[D]

Recommendation is not network or the office is too far from my home. Enter ZocDoc. ZocDoc is a free app and website where you can search and compare high quality in network doctors and click to instantly book an appointment. We're talking about booking in network appointments with more than a hundred thousand doctors across every specialty. Also, with hundreds of verified patient reviews, you can find the type of care and support you're looking for. From good bedside manner to fast wait times to doctors with the best listening skills.

[Sam]

Once you find a doctor, you can.

[D]

See their actual appointment openings and choose a time slot that works for you and click to instantly book an appointment. Probably my favorite feature of all. So stop putting off those doctor's appointments and go to Zocdoc.com carpool to find and instantly book a top rated doctor today. That's Z O c d o c.com carpool zocdoc.com carpool.

[Liz]

Tell me a little bit about, can you, can we dive just a little bit into like the PCOS of it all?

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Liz]

So when did you, when and how did you get diagnosed? Was it like early on in the weight loss journey or did you not know till after? I don't, I don't have pcos, so I feel like I actually don't know a lot about it.

[Kelly]

I was diagnosed when I was 12. Okay. So I was diagnosed very, very early on. I've always been like a big, you know, I've, I've been 6ft tall since I was 11, so I've always been tall and just broader set and carried a little bit more weight. I don't think that I was like super overweight until probably like 12, 13, 14. I put on like £70 really quickly and I didn't have a period for over two years. So I like initially got my cycle. I had like three regular cycles and then my cycles just stopped for the next two years or so. When I was diagnosed, they put me on birth control and metformin which was just the, it's like the bread and butter of pcos. And so unfortunately at the time when I was diagnosed that's just kind of, they just gave you that and said, well, good luck, you know, come back to us when you're trying to have babies. So as a 12 year old, I was like, okay. I was on metformin and birth control until I turned 18. And when I found out that I was pregnant, which was crazy because they actually told me that I would not have children, that my ovaries looked so bad at 12 that I would probably have to have IVF. If I were lucky, it would work. So then finding out that I was pregnant on birth control was weird at 18, but that's when that stopped. So sorry, I'm like switching paces. But that's okay.

[Liz]

We're keeping up okay.

[Kelly]

Before so around. So I had was diagnosed at 12, I was put on birth control and metformin. I lost probably like 30 or 40 pounds. Doing that not very healthily, just kind of the weight, you know, my mom, I've talked about my mom. My mom was a weight watcher's mom, a diet mom. So I was put on every diet, the military diet, until I lost the weight and then it would always come back again because it wasn't anything sustainable. And probably around 16, that's when I developed a pretty bad eating disorder. I lost about 90 pounds one summer before my junior year of high school. And then all of a sudden I was cool and like, people liked me because I was thin and pretty and whatever. And so then I went from having an eating disorder to finding out I was pregnant pretty rapidly. So that's how the weight gain started because I went from 0 to 100. Yeah, I knew I had a baby in my body that I had to feed. I couldn't just not eat and I couldn't. Anything else I was doing at the time, I couldn't do that anymore. So it went from one extreme to the other and just carried on kind of in postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety. And also women with pcos are more likely to experience those things after pregnancy too. So that kind of just spiraled, I think. I was, I was like 220 after I gave birth to my first daughter. And by the time I got pregnant with my second daughter, she was a year old. I was probably like 280, 270. And then every pregnancy I gained 60, 70 pounds, except for my third daughter. But I mean, that's just kind of how it happened. So when people ask like, have you always, were you always big or things like that, I really wasn't that big. I did have the pcos, I did have the symptoms, things like that. But it was that kind of stretch of like four years that I had put on the weight and carried it usually I yo yoed, but this time, I just didn't yo. Yo as much. I just kept going up.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Sam]

And it is so hard when. During the childbearing years. It's the. It's the postpartum. It's the not having time. It's a sleep deprivation. Like, we're just not in a healthy stage. It's so easy to. I shouldn't say. It's so easy to make the wrong decisions. It's so hard to make the good decisions or to make the ones that we know.

[Kelly]

It's like.

[Sam]

It's so, so hard to do.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Liz]

And, like, you just don't always. At that point, you're not. It's not just about you. And, like, to your point, what you're eating, it's like. It's just the kids. The kids have to. The kids just have to come first sometimes. So.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Liz]

Thank you for that, like, background like this. I mean, it's. Wow.

[Sam]

So at what point. Now, let's go to when you. So you had your three kids, and then at what point were you, like, okay, let's try and, like, let me get this under control. Like, I'm gonna. I'm gonna hack it out.

[Kelly]

I. I know the answer to this. Just trying to rate it pg kind of. I. It wasn't a great time in my life. It was actually very traumatic. This was right after my daughter's diagnosis. I. She. She is on the spectrum, somewhere on the spectrum. That's as much as I like to disclose. But it was even, you know, whether or not you have a child with autism, and it's mild or severe, it's difficult because there was no one walking ahead of me. This was my first experience, and I was 20 years old, so it was one. We didn't have supportive family at the time because, I mean, there just. There wasn't a good reaction to us having one kid, and there was not a good reaction to us having another child. And so we didn't really have that support. And also, not everyone realizes how important it is to have early diagnosis and early intervention if you don't. If you haven't had a child close to you that's had a diagnosis like that or a parent or a sibling, and we had not. Neither of us had. And so we were kind of navigating that as one as babies, but two as the first ones in our family to navigate that. It was right as Covid hit, too. So I think we got her diagnosis about six months before COVID hit. And at the time, I Was a hygienist. I am a hygienist. Not practicing, actually. Hope I never have to clean teeth again.

[Liz]

But that does make sense because you have. I know. You have amazing teeth.

[Kelly]

I have veneers. Don't worry.

[Liz]

Oh, I did know that.

[Kelly]

You're right.

[Liz]

I did know that.

[Kelly]

Yes. But yeah, I mean, I love teeth. I don't know. That was just, it was just a. It's a very draining career. Yeah. But so on. My daughter was recommended eight hours a day of therapy. She was, she was very young. She was two when we got her diagnosis. She was about two and a half when we were able to get her into therapy. And then it's the insurance fight. Right. So we're doing all of this not knowing if insurance is going to cover it. These services are like $300 an hour. Like something crazy that even I had a really good job. I was very fortunate as a 20 year old mom to have a college degree and to be paid what I was being paid as a baby hygienist. But nothing I could ever cover on my own, even with insurance coverage. We were digging ourselves deep into financial debt, like hundreds of thousands of dollars into debt. And we were, it was just very overwhelming. We were never going to escape it. Then Covid hit and I lost my job completely because I was in people's mouths all day and I was not trainable and that I hadn't been an assistant before that point. Like I didn't know the dental office. A lot of people who become hygienists, they were an assistant, they were an office, you know, they were office staff and so they can be trained in other areas of the office. And I just didn't have that space skill. So I had to leave my job so that I could take my daughter to therapy. It just wasn't, financially, it wasn't going to work out that my husband, he had the insurance so he couldn't lose his job. So even though I had the higher paying job at the time, that was the decision that had to be made. So five days a week I would take my daughter eight hours a day to therapy and we would, me and my one year old, we would sit in the parking lot, we would go to the park, we would walk around Target for hours on end because it was two hours away from our house. So we couldn't, we couldn't drive her there, come back, we would be driving all day like it didn't make any sense. So we did that. And then at the same time was finding out that My husband had been kind of leading a double life and that he had this alcohol addiction that I had been unaware of. And kind. Everything just unfolded, you know, when you. I mean, it was tragic. Yeah, it was tragic. Everything was just kind of toppling out. Everything was falling apart. And actually had my husband leave one couple weeks. It was to a point where I was like, you need. You need help, and if you can't get help, then you can't be here. And so he had left and I was kind of there with two children, one child with. At the time, we. We had no idea if she was going to speak. So it was kind of. I had to. I sat down one night and was like, honestly, like, what am I going to do? I've built my life on this other person that I had a partner in. And like, how am I gonna keep up and keep going the way I'm feeling? I could feel that my weight was affecting me, but I couldn't let it stop me, especially because I had the kids. But now I really. It was like deep self reflection. I was like, okay, I have to be 100%. I have to be healthy. I have to be the one that I know that they can rely on, because I don't have that anymore. Fortunately, my husband has been sober for four and a half years now, almost five, and everything is great. Love him more life. But it. I think as women, we just know there's just a moment where we're just like, yeah, I am my children's only person that I know they can rely on, so I have to be on for them.

[Sam]

Yeah, it's that quote that's like, you're replaceable everywhere except for at home.

[Kelly]

Yes, absolutely. I totally.

[Sam]

And it's that quote that's like, you would die for your children. Will you get healthy for them?

[Kelly]

Yes. I love that quote. I see that. I actually saw that last night, so that's crazy.

[Sam]

Sam. I didn't. I knew a little bit about your background. I didn't know the, like, the depth of it. And I really appreciate you, like, sharing it all. You are such an inspiration.

[Liz]

You have such a powerful why. Do you know what I mean?

[Kelly]

Like.

[Liz]

Like your why behind all of it is like, just. I mean, if anyone ever gives Mellor Sam eight like, I can't. I'm like, wow, I can't.

[Kelly]

No, thank you. I. I'm scared sometimes that I just have word vomit, because I do. Trying not to. I try not to trauma dump too much, but, yeah, my journey has been out of necessity. Yeah, absolutely.

[Liz]

What Was what if you remember, like, looking back, like, on the journey, what was like a really, like, whether it be like a no scale victory or like a weight that you were like, just like, felt like, really, really excited and proud of.

[Kelly]

Hmm.

[Liz]

Doesn't to be your favorite just like one. Like, was there just like, something.

[Kelly]

No, there actually is one that I. I was actually just. So my daughter. My youngest daughter is about to turn four, and my weight loss journey has taken. I had lost £100 when I had her because I had her in the midst of my weight loss journey. So I had lost £100 when I had her. I had maintained my weight through my pregnancy, and by the time she was a year old, I had lost the second hundred pounds.

[Sam]

Oh, my gosh.

[Kelly]

So that. So she. She really, you know, was an infant and has never known me to look different than I do now. And we were watching a video of her, and I think it had come up in, like, one of my dad's memories. Cause she was. It was like the first time she said, papa. And I was watching it, and I was like, look, baby, who's that? And she was like. Like, she was looking at me and her. Like it was my face and hers. And she was like, I don't know. And I was like, that's us. That's you and me. And she goes, that's not you, Mommy. That doesn't look like you. And I was like, that is me. That's me holding you. And she was like. It was just. It was kind of that realization that, like, my deepest fear is that my children saw me struggle. Because when I was struggling, I was struggling, like, crying in the car as we drive. You know, like, we're up at 5am Getting the babies in the car. Somebody's screaming. Somebody's trying to keep. Take their seatbelt off. That was. That was such a stressful time in my life.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

But, like, my deepest fear is that they saw that and that that would be something that they carry on with them through life or that they had somehow contributed to that part of my life. And my girls. My girls kept me alive. Like, my girls are the reason that I am still here. And I just. I'm just glad to know that, like, they don't remember that. They. They just remember me now. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sam]

Sam, you make me want to, like, cry. Like, it's just like.

[Kelly]

No, it's.

[Sam]

No, it's so. It's so powerful. And it's just like. Well, I can't relate to your story. Like, I can Relate to just, like, the love for my children.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Sam]

And just, like, how you would do, like, literally anything for them. And like Kelly said, like, your why is. Yeah. It's powerful and it's really inspiring.

[Kelly]

Well, thank you.

[Liz]

Okay, let's pivot just a little bit.

[Sam]

Let's. Let's. Can we swim back over to the shallow? I'm gonna, like, let's. Let's get out of here.

[Kelly]

Let's talk about chick Fil A. Yeah.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[Liz]

Okay, here's. I have two random questions. One, I have to know, as a tall girl, do you like being tall? Or, like, if you could make a wish, like, would you be 5, 7 tomorrow? Because I would be 57 tomorrow.

[Kelly]

Oh, I would be. Life is easier when you're not so tall. And I just mean that in, like, of course. You know, I also have the perspective of being big and being thin. You know, like, if I could snap my fingers, I would be thin forever. Like. Yeah. If I could have snapped my fingers at 400 pounds, I easily would have weighed 130 pounds. But, yes, if I could be smaller or more medium height tomorrow, I would.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Like, I'm so jealous of, like, five, six, five, seven girlies.

[Liz]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Because they're tall enough to command a room, but, like, not so tall that they can't find pants. Like, that's my thing.

[Liz]

Can't find pants. Like, constantly get asked, like, have you played basketball? Or just like. Yeah, I mean, people just always come up to me.

[Kelly]

Were you on the volleyball team? Yeah, I was actually. What position did you play?

[Sam]

I'm not like, yeah, it's like, what's the next question? Yeah, yeah, I thought so. Okay.

[Kelly]

Okay, girl. Or also, like, I'm so jealous of women who can walk in heels. Like, I just never. No, if I walk in heels recently at an event where they put me in, like, six inch heels and I looked like I. I was like, okay. A man on stilts. I was like, six foot six.

[Liz]

We look like clowns. Like, I agree. It's like, luckily for us, like, kitten heels are kind of trending right now, and flats are trending right now.

[Sam]

So.

[Kelly]

Trending.

[Liz]

We all, like, we need to be happy here because, yeah, 10 years ago, like, it was platforms and it was like, it'd be like, we couldn't wear it. Like, we would get it. We would be a distraction of the room.

[Kelly]

Like, the ballet flats are my fave. They're my fave trend since ever. I mean, I do still feel like an 11 year old at 5th grade graduate graduation, you know, but like, it's fine because they're trendy, right?

[Liz]

Yeah. Okay. Second question is, I don't think you live in Utah.

[Kelly]

No, I. I live in Virginia. Elizabeth, you said we visited. Well, everybody thinks I'm from Utah.

[Liz]

Why do we all think that? I think they.

[Sam]

Did you make a joke saying you were moving there?

[Kelly]

Yeah, I did make a joke where I was like, we should move to Utah, or the. What was it? We should move to Utah.

[Sam]

You know that I saw that I was like, oh, she's moving to Utah.

[Kelly]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, everybody thinks I'm Mormon and that I live in Utah. Everyone. It's not just you guys.

[Liz]

So.

[Kelly]

So.

[Liz]

I know, but I want it to be someone different, so I'm sorry that I said that.

[Kelly]

Don't worry. I'm not offended by that, honestly.

[Liz]

Maybe we'll take this part out of the podcast. No, I'm just kidding.

[Sam]

No, no.

[Liz]

So she lives in Virginia.

[Sam]

She lives in Virginia.

[Liz]

Do you have a restaurant called Culver's in Virginia?

[Kelly]

Oh, no. But I used to live in Georgia, and we have Culver.

[Liz]

So Culver's is like, when I was pregnant with my third, I ate it almost every. Like, almost every day. Like, I was obsessed with it. I still love it. And I've. You've never done Culver's, or at least I've never seen you do a Culver's order. So if next time you're around one, if you would.

[Kelly]

That's your special request. Okay.

[Liz]

If you was up in, like, I would love to know what you would get at Culver's.

[Kelly]

I actually have done one at Culver's before.

[Liz]

It was to find it.

[Kelly]

The kids. Chicken tenders.

[Liz]

Okay.

[Kelly]

And small fry. I think it was, like, 550 calories. Oh, and you get a buffalo sauce. They have good buffalo sauce.

[Sam]

They have good sauce.

[Kelly]

The container. The.

[Sam]

The kids meal at Culver's is actually the half.

[Kelly]

Yeah, yeah. Two chicken tenders and fries and a buffalo sauce and a Diet Coke for the haters. Well, they don't have Diet Coke today.

[Liz]

Yeah, no, they do now. No, they do now. No, Sam, you're wrong. They changed it a couple. Like, they changed it, like, maybe 18 months, two years ago, they got rid of their Pepsi products, and now they have diet. Now they have Coke.

[Kelly]

Oh, my God. Okay, well, when I'm back, I'll get it.

[Liz]

Yeah, it's like a really. It's like a really big deal for all of us.

[Kelly]

We're very excited. I really. It frustrates me to no end that certain Restaurants only carry Pepsi products. Like this movie theater right next door to us that only. I'm like, we're in Virginia. Why are you guys doing Pepsi? Like, this is weird.

[Liz]

If you go to a restaurant and you're like, can I have a Diet Coke? And they say, is Diet Pepsi okay? What do you say?

[Kelly]

I say no to water. Like, I guess I'll get a water. Like, and I'm pissed. I actually want to leave. Because if I go to a restaurant, especially with my kids, if I'm at a restaurant, I'm there for the experience. Like, to me, like, you can't get Mexican food to go. You have to be at the Mexican restaurant. The salsa, the Diet Coke with the fizz. Like, because I'm not. I might get a margarita, but, like, I'm not really an out. I don't drink a lot of alcohol. But, like, a Diet Coke hits with chips and queso and salsa.

[Sam]

This is what I like about you, Sam. You eat food the way regular people eat food, because most people will agree with you. They have to eat Mexican food at the restaurant because it's the experience. And getting it to go is just honestly not worth it. It's not good. But like, you said, like, you see other, you know, like, the bodybuilders of the health people on social media.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Sam]

And it's like the grilled chicken. It's like, no one eats. No one eats like that.

[Kelly]

No one is going to a Mexican restaurant to get the a la carte chicken. Like, go home and make that. No. At that point.

[Liz]

Yeah. Don't go. Like, that's crazy.

[Kelly]

Yeah. If I see one more person. Scoop. Okay, this is toxic. You know, I told you, my mom used to be. I mean, I don't speak to her anymore, but she was very, very toxic. And she would take us to me, only me, a Mexican restaurant. And what she taught me was you scoop multiple times with one chip. You just slurp the salsa off of the chip, and that's. It was like soup. It was like salsa soup. I was like, that's not why I'm eating that. Actually, I do put a lot of salsa on my chip, but I'm eating.

[Liz]

Let's have the chip for the chip. Like, yeah.

[Kelly]

But I've seen other people say the same, or they count their chips out and put it out. I'm like, this is just. Mexican is just one of those restaurants where it's like, you don't go for a hack like, you. You just do it in moderation. Like, you don't go Every three days either. But, like, once a month, I'm gonna eat some chips in queso.

[Sam]

Or you go and, you know you're gonna fill up on the chips. So you don't also have, like, you can split entree with your husband to.

[Kelly]

Have a whole entree on top of it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sam]

So, Sam, I just.

[Liz]

Starving.

[Sam]

I know. Sam, I'm curious, and you don't have to answer this if you don't feel comfortable. We can cut it out if you don't want to answer it, but you just kind of talked about your mom a little bit and how you're kind of grown up with your eating disorder and, like, some toxic food hacks and everything. How do you plan on talking about food with your kids? Have you started this? Have you thought about this?

[Kelly]

Actually, I do think about that a lot because it's. I mean, I have one child who is built like me. It's very obvious. She's very, very tall. All of my kids are tall. But one is more my body type. And there was a time where I worried. And mostly because her diet was restricted for, like, sensory reasons, too. I've had people, even doctors, like, not, believe me, before, when she was considered overweight, and I was like, I don't know. And, like, where they're like, you never put a child on a diet ever. You never do that, but you increase their activity level and we're restricting their portion sizes. You know, I've never restricted any food from my children, but I'm not gonna let them have 25 food, like, fruit snacks a day. Like, you could have 25 cuties if you want. I don't care. But there are certain foods where I'm like, no, you've already had one of those today, you know, and to me, that was never taught to me. So, like, that's something that I enforced where it's, we're not gonna have seven cosmic brownies. But if you wanna have one cosmic brownie and you're still hungry after, there's apples, there's bananas, there's cheese sticks, there's all of these options to you. Whereas it was more taught to me as a child. Like, cosmic brownies are bad. They make you fat. But you can eat all this cabbage soup that you want. That's fine. These are. It was the Weight Watchers era, so it was all your fruits and ve free. Where I put more emphasis on, you can't have too many of these foods, like, cosmic brownies, whatever crap. You know, the crap that you get your kids. Any of Those things, you can't have too many of those because it's going to make you feel yucky. But if you're still hungry, you can have any of these that are going to make you feel good. So it's more about, like, how it makes our body feel and less about restricting. My kids eat anything that they want. I've even been. God, have you seen my Reddit page? I. I gave my kids a lunchable one day.

[Sam]

I can't imagine, Sam. I cannot imagine.

[Liz]

We stay off Reddit. This is the tip of the iceberg, man. I saw your. I saw the comments. You did a crumble cookie review one time, and I saw the comments and I was raging. I'm like, people are. I'm like, you posted what you. What you eat in the day, then you.

[Kelly]

Come on, you ate the crumble cookies. You just didn't record it and put it. But also, this is part of the reality. You can eat a crumble cookie. Even though we know they're 800 calories, you can eat one crumble cookie, and that doesn't make you bad. You're not gonna gain five pounds. Just don't eat 17 of them. You know, like, just. Just have one and you're fine. It's fine. It's because people have the all or nothing mindset. I mean, it's what I was a victim to my entire life. Life. And this is revolutionary for people because this is not how. This is not the generation.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

That raised us.

[Liz]

Yeah. Sam, before we let you go, we have a segment on our podcast called Ditch the Drive through. And I'm gonna stretch you a little bit because I don't want it to be a drive through. But I want to know, like, after a long day, you're home. Like, what is your. You want to get dinner on the table in 15 to 30 minutes? What are you making?

[Kelly]

Hmm? 15 to 30 minutes. Give me just a sec. Hang on.

[Liz]

Okay. While you're thinking, I'm actually. I actually do one of Sam's a lot, so I'm gonna share it. Okay. It was actually. I think. I think it was an ad that you did, but it was such a good ad. It was with the soup dumplings from Costco.

[Kelly]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Liz]

It's these.

[Kelly]

You stole that one from me.

[Liz]

Oh, no, we can share this one because I've been making it a lot. So she gets these soup dumplings from Costco, and then you made this, like, pepper slaw. It was just like, peppers, jalapeno, soy sauce, cilantro, maybe any Veggie in your green onion. Yeah, whatever you have, you clean it out. You, like, make that. And then you hard boiled eggs, but just like, so they're jammy, which is, like, so good. And also, like extra protein. And then you put them all together. So you had this like, red pepper cucumber slaw with this soup dumpling and this, like, jammy egg with, like, a little soy sauce on top. Like, it is so good. They take the dumplings, take like a minute.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Liz]

And like, my kids like them too. Like, they're good. They're like pot stickers kind of. Yeah, that's such a good one.

[Kelly]

Noodles. Like, if I don't call it anything special, my kids eat it. I was actually. I do have a good one. It's along the same, like, like, flavor profile. I just did a ramen video. We do ramen a lot. And I, instead of like, top ramen, I buy the momofuku because they have, like, sweet versions, they have savory versions, not spicy versions for my kids. And I throw that on with bone broth. Like, you guys, you. You might know. But I use the. The bone broth instead of water to, like, get the protein and, like, nutrients. Even if we're not focusing on protein, it's like, so many more nutrients. It tastes so good. So we did that. We do that. And then a soft boiled egg. My kids love soft boiled eggs and they love top ramen. So I'm like, this is a quick. They can't tell the difference. I just tell them it's ramen. Ramen noodles. And they're like, heck, yeah.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

And we do. And a vegetable. Like, literally any vegetable. Like, my girls eat, like, frozen broccoli. We have. We'll. We'll just replace it every time. Like, it's either frozen broccoli, peas. I have edamame. So we'll do the ramen eggs, chicken, sausage, and a vegetable. And it's so easy. It literally takes like 20 minutes tops.

[Liz]

But those are three things just to. I love a recipe that just sasses ramen up because I agreed. Ramen's so good. Do it in the bone broth. Okay. More protein, more flavor. A jammy egg, more protein, more flavor, and then whatever. Like, you could throw frozen meatballs in there. Like, whatever.

[Kelly]

You don't matter.

[Liz]

Like, whatever the.

[Kelly]

Any meat. Yeah.

[Liz]

Yeah, that sounds so good.

[Sam]

Well, guys, that was a excellent episode. Sam, thank you so much for coming on the podcast.

[Kelly]

Oh, my gosh. Thank you for having me.

[Sam]

It was so wonderful to talk to you and hear more about your story. You are just as I thought you would be. Actually, you're better than I thought you were. Like, I love you guys. Like, your biggest fan, so. And everyone, thank you so much for listening to this special episode of the Carpool Podcast, and we'll talk to you next time. Time.

[Liz]

See ya. Thank you for listening to the Carpool.

[Kelly]

Podcast with Kelly and Liz. Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode.

[Liz]

And if you enjoyed riding with us, tell everybody you know there's room in the car for everyone.