Hiiiiii youuuuuu guyyyyys!!!!! It’s Sara!!!! So I’ve been posting lots of food pics on our instagram (twomeatballsgetfit) and my good ol’ pal Anna said Feeeeeed Meeeee!!!

Anna and I have been friends for around 14 years. We met through my best friend Katie and the three of us worked at Hilker’s Dry Cleaners!

I have never in all my days meet anyone like Anna Broome…or as I call her Nanners! She is so funny and has the weirdest obsessions…like Home Improvement and Dr Laura…..and Caaaaaats (cats are my sworn enemy, they want my blood…they want me dead) and she makes a mean banana pudding!

But you know I love a nut…and this nut is also an awesome blogger…check her out, it’s called Jobstalker and it’s hilarious! Here is a snippet!!!

Needless to say we became fast friends and the three of us were inseparable starting in late high school!

I mentioned last week that I’m now obsessed with cooking and feeding people so when Anna reached out I thought…don’t threaten me with a good time! I instantly made plans with her and last night was the big night.  Usually we would meet at a bar for drinks and not so healthy food so this was a great opportunity to hang out without the hangover. I decided to make Paleo Chicken Pad Thai which I discovered on the ever amazing and inspiring Pinterest! As soon as I got off work I started cooking. The night before I made the chicken and the spaghetti squash bc they were time consuming and I didn’t want dinner to be at 10!

Look at the joy in that face!
Anna walked in with flowers…adorable and soon it was time to eat!

It was a total home run! Pad Thai is a total weakness of mine and the unpaleo version is unnnnhealthy for sure…so this is now a super exciting option. And once all the prep work was done…it really didn’t take long at all to make. So dinner was yummmo, conversation was great and its always nice to catch up with someone you’ve known for years…we were only missing Katie! Anna is such a great supporter of the blog so it was so nice to be able to do something nice in return. Looooove you that much also Nanners. Good good good, yum yum yum! Here is the recipe and the much anticipated selfies of the past and present! Ps… do yourself a favor and make this delish dinner and maybe even catch up with old friends!!!
Recipe courtesy of Sensual Appeal via pinterest!

And last but not least (singing) Let me take a selfie! #vintageselfie #theghostofselfiepastandpresent
#wewerentgoodattakingthesethenandwearenobwtternow

Love you guys…PS TOMORROW ISTHE BIG WEIGH IN…DONT MISS OUT! All the cool kids are stopping by the blog tomorrow to check it out…no pressure!

Hello!!!!!!! Jenny here!  I am in weigh in count down mode.  My old unhealthy habits have a way of creeping back into my mind.  Like, How can I eat just veggies for the next few days and not eat after 4pm.   SOOOOOO UNREALISTIC.  Not to mention,  this mentality doesn’t make my personality sparkle!  We are staying so strong, why fuck it up with a one day a month eating disorder!!!! nope.   More than anything else, my beautiful London is watching and hearing EVERYTHING!  I leave all my F bombs for the blog!!!

Nothing would hurt me more than if I knew London was uncomfortable with her body because that was all she knew.  I know that the feelings I have for my own body directly influence her.  As well as what we are eating and the relationship this family has with food.  And it’s really hard!  Comfort eating is all I know! We went to the Doctor on Monday and she has a little ear infection and had to get some shots and right after I wanted to comfort her with kisses and an ice cream girls day. It broke my heart to see her in pain.  But……..It is true, I want her to know more than I did.   I am so grateful my mom had a really positive body image.  She never said she was fat or hated her arms or thighs.  So I have always been positive too, but my internal dialog has been unhappy for a while now. But I want moooooorre!!!    I want London to remember what we did together and not just what we ate.     Sooo  we are going to start cooking together.  Giada on the Food Network always has little Jade in the kitchen with her.  And she eats everything they make together!     I want her to totally own the meals we make and feel more confident because of it.

We love breakfast! Paleo pancakes and berries!

She loves doing whatever my husband and I are doing.  It’s really easy to miss the little moments that can bond us together due to out fast pace schedules and completely overwhelming life in general.  That can not be the excuse though.  Those things will always be there.   And I want to set her up for success!!!!!!!  This can’t just be about my journey,  my family has to come with me.  It is Brandon and I who need to teach her about good health.   I am new at this concept of good health,  so knowing I need to teach someone else and lead by example  is really intimidating.  But I Have too. Enough said.  BOOM!

Sara’s post yesterday is completely relatable.  I don’t think people are ever sure what I am going to look like until they see me.  This Up and Down thing is so mentally exhausting!  But when I do get down, I am terrified about maintaining.  I am really good at losing weight!  I really suck at living a balanced life style.  As you’ve read,  it’s been a Go Big or Go Home  life I’ve been leading.  Having London has made me so much more consistent with routine.  Some really good and others really bad. Eating was a thoughtless activity. Completely careless about what I was putting in my mouth, because I DESERVED IT. I wasn’t respecting myself!  YUCKKK I hate saying that out loud,  Woooof. I deserved to be miserable?!?!?! huh.    It’s really interesting, when Sara and I started this whole thing I was really passionate about being self-aware.  When you have to sit down everyday and write your feelings out , It is nuts what you learn about yourself.  This journey is becoming more than I ever thought it would be.  So I say bring it on Dr. Phil!!!  I am in the hot chair. And I am ready to answer the heavy questions!  #spiritalanimalBEAR #besties #familylove #strongerthenyesterday!

Here are just a few pics of my weight all over the place…… who the fuck is that????  oh yeah it’s me!

Hiiiii youuuuuu guyyyys! It’s Sara!!!! Soooo…I’m closing in on 30!

But it’s not what you think! My dirty thirty hipster party was a year and a half ago thank you for asking! This is a different thirty all together. As I’ve mentioned before…I’ve lost and gained A LOTTTTT of weight over the years. I’ve lost 70 lbs at my most successful but that was 8 years ago. Since then my point of instant return seems to be right at a 30 lb weight loss and right above 300lbs. I find success and when I reach that first big step…I have this overwhelming feeling of Well I’m skinny now…back to burgers and fries! Whyyyyyyyy?!  Let’s go on a little journey and peruse some of my weight highs:

And here are my lows:

This last picture was my absolute lowest weight as an adult, 239! And I felt amazing. But something inside of me just totally sabotaged it. I gained back all 70 lbs and then some and I really hated myself for it. All that hard work…for what?! To gain back more than what I started with. This vicious and I do mean viscous cycle has continued since I was in late elementary school which is sad.

So our weigh in is quickly approaching and spoiler alert…I’m creeping towards thirty pounds lost(Wahoo). It’s mildly terrifying. Will I get there and quit…Again?!? Will I drive back from the Grand Canyon??!! Spoiler alert part duh…NOOOOOOOOOO! My commitment is strong and I need to get past this dark cloud that is thirty mother flippin pounds to prove my commitment to myself and my health. This, like my former lifestyle, needs to stay in my past…Forever!!! I’m starting to see results and there isn’t any part of me that wants to give up. My next big goal is to get under 300…and never see it again. #3’sarentmyluckynumber #itcomesinthrees I do feel the need to say that even when I look back over all the pictures of me at my heaviest…I was still happy! That smile on my face is genuine. But I feel like I owe it to her to really get and stay healthy!

If you are feeling this struggle too please know that you are not alone. But also know that there is little to no point in living in a constant state of regret or self loathing of your past failures or missteps. Embrace the goals you have now and make positive steps towards this new life everyday. And by the way…you guys have no idea what it means to us when y’all reach out and tell your stories! Two of my sisters best friends from growing up whom I idolized and thought were the most gorgeous, hilarious people reached out with their struggles and successes and it made my world! So thank you again for the support and love. We love you that much also! #diethirtydie #knockknockwhosetherearentyougladididntsaythirtyagain
#GOAAAAAAAAALS(likethesoccerguy)
#meatballnation

You guyyyyyyys!!!!  First of all ewwww…look at my butt and that redneck hair! #traj! Another week has flown by…Happy Fat Back Friday. We found some real classics this week. Ps…you are welcome #getreadytolaugh
#orbarf! #orjudge #judgeyouamirightkelly

There is nothing better and by better I mean worse than a school pic!

Am I right ladies?!

This is ah-maaaaazing!!!!!

I’m literally about to barf…overeating started young!!!!

Ok…so an amazing woman named Sandra Axman reached out to us a couple of weeks ago! She is this super passionate personal trainer who owns Innovative Fitness Training and she offered to help us on our journey!

As Jenny said yesterday we sometimes struggle to get out of our comfort zone but immediately we decided to take her up on her generous offer!!! And you guys…we are so glad that we did!!!!!!!

First off she has the living best energy, she is gorgeous, has an ass to die for and she is so super passionate about what she does and she welcomed us with hugs (literally with open arms)…which you know we are all about. We walked into this cool facility off of Fairview Rd and saw all of these rope type things hanging from the ceiling…my first thought was Dammit!!!! But the training style is called trx and it was actually really fun!

I mean I don’t know if any more unflattering photo exists in the world but let me tell you this was an awesome work out! Sandra had us do several mini circuits! So we started off doing push ups and arm press things and crunch type things. Then we did wall sits (ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) (#evenmyvaginahurtshaha) and held this bar thing above our head and did high steps?! Obvi we don’t know what anything was called! Then we got to battle with these bars in between doing squats…fun!!!

I mean…who would want to mess with us?!? Then we did squats and wall balls…are you noticing a squats theme here guys?!

Anyways, with the best music bumpin’… an hour literally flew by. Sandra was so incredibly invested in our journey and super motivating! We were smelly, sweaty, red faced, out of breath and loving every minute of it by the end. This was actually the first time Jenny and I have been able to work out together since we started this whole blog/life change and SHOCKER it was soooooo fun. So thank you so much Sandra!!! We love you and we will be back!

If you guys need someone who is committed to your health and who will light a fun fire of fitness under your ass…Sandra Axman of Innovative Fitness Training is your woman. We can’t say enough positive things about her and our experience! Do yourself a favor … go see her, get your sweat on, get your health on, get your fitness on and get your life together! Call Sandra at (919) 601 3140 and set up your appointment today! Check out her website http://www.innovativefitnesstraining.com
Email her info@innovativefitnesstraining.com
Like her on Facebook at Innovative Fitness Training and follow her blog through her website!!! We love you Sandra!!!!! And to the meatball nation…we can’t thank you enough for your support! Have the living best weekend!!!!

pumped to workout!

Hello,   It’s Jenny :).  I just want to take a moment and talk about how grateful I am for all the support I’m getting from my family, salon family, and friends.  It just makes me wanna work so much harder!   With that said, I knew it was time to switch up my workout routine.  So Sara and  I planned to go to Zumba at fitness connection.  I  normally love working out alone,   It is my detox and somewhat peaceful time.  But going to a  class alone is not my dream.  I am definitely a creature of routine, and so grateful Sara would by my side.  I got some advice from my salon buddy (Dempsey) that we needed to sign up for Zumba well before it started.  I thought that sounded F ing ridiculous and kinda blew it off.  I had never had to do that before.  So I called the gym and was put on the list ( first in line!!!!!). It was happening,  we both paid a dollar for them to put us on the list over the phone.  Dummmbbbbb, oh well,  I was feeling even more invested in Zumba!.

Made the class, checkkk!

Omg!!!!  Sara can’t go!!!!!!!!   She called me and let me know she wasn’t feeling well.  For a slit second I thought,  Well Fuck, I guess I can’t go either.  This is life,  GET UP AND GOOOOOOOO!  I really didn’t want to go alone.   I just decided to be ok with being uncomfortable.  I realized very soon,  no one paid attention to me at all.  Even my first time sad Zumba moves phased no one!    I had no idea what I was doing!  so my workout wasn’t as fabulous as I had hoped, but I know more of the routine for next time.  It was soo funn,  and so not sexy!!!! hahaha  But it will be!!   Went to a class alone, check! 🙂

I have been eating!!!   Here is my yummy clean lunch!  Some turkey from the deli, Roman lettuce boats and sliced avocado.  I add just a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and a dash of salt!!!

For the family I made a Honey and  ginger pork tenderloin in the slow cooker with salt and pepper carrots!  I also roasted sliced zucchini and eggplant with salt and garlic!  375 for 25 mins!

A really simple and satisfying lunch I love having is a tomato and avocado salad.  I looooove avocados. They are decadent and filling!  And they are so versatile!  I saw a chocolate pudding made of avocados and I will definitely be trying that soon.

Things are going so well.  With the exception of my wondering mind every now and then. Looking forward to our weigh in on My 1st!  BE THERE!!!!  Love you!!!

Hiiiii you guys! It’s Sara!!!!!!! So today I wanted to gush about my super dee duper supportive, loving, amazing, wonderful, attractive (too far?!) family. We all live in a five mile radius and get this…we really like each other…like a lot!!! I see each and every member of my little family at the absolute minimum once a week…every week!

Then…

During the more unhealthy times…

Now!

I love my family soooooo much and they have been hands down our biggest cheerleaders (besides Jenny’s fam of course!)! Jenny spoke last week about the fear of holidays not feeling the same without the food you are so used to. I understand that completely…in my family every holiday comes with several casseroles, biscuits and a never ending dessert table. But over the past couple of years my dad John, mom Anna and sister Kelly have all started getting healthy. I was def on the struggle bus of absolute resistance here. I would flit in and out of seriousness with diets while they were all making real strides to healthy lifestyle changes. I really didn’t want to become the person that was holding everyone back (and not that they would ever feel like that)…I noticed that my sister’s kids had starting catering to my laziness by offering to play games on the couch…where I had parked my fat ass with no real intention of moving! How sad!!! Two sweet little babies want to play with me but I can’t be bothered because I was so out of shape?!? Ugh…it sounds so awful when I admit it to myself but it was my reality then however it doesn’t have to continue.

I mean who feels good about saying no to these fun bunnies?!? Around these parts I’m known as Mo or Aunt Mo, Momo or WoMo if I’m with Wyatt! Wyatt christened me with the name when he was just a teeny weenie beanie bittle baby and initially it was aunt Mole-y so I was thrilled when it got shortened. Anyways, so Easter and my mom’s birthday came around this past weekend and I offered to throw the celebration at my house…because I live to throw a party! And also this gave me a little more control of the food (#controlismyfavorite). My fear was that my family would eventually get sick of me shoving paleo down their throats (literally cause that’s how you eat) so I really try to think of menus that can be modified so that no one feels deprived or that I’m trying to get them to join a grain free cult! (Which duh, I totally am winky face). Sooooooo, instead of a ham and multitudes of casseroles we celebrated Easter with a traditional….MEXICAN SPREAD…haha nothing says chicks and bunnies like guacamole and flank steak! It ended up being famazing (for those of you who don’t hang out with me and my sister…that means Fucking amazing). And it was a hit across the board.

And yes…that is saffron rice on my plate…it is my weakness and it was totes worth it. Everything was delish to the extreme and nobody got overstuffed! Which is the exact opposite of every other holiday…ever! This gives me hope that I don’t have to go off the deep end to celebrate with the ones I love! Also, I’ve never really cooked before and I’ve discovered a total love for it and for feeding people…it literally feeds my soul!!!

It’s so creative and exciting and fulfilling. I think I always felt like a feminist and that cooking was so domestic (can you read the disgust in my tone)…but guess what I’ve learned?! There is nothing that makes me more of a feminist than being in control of my own nutrition and health and spreading that love to my family. After eating we did the egg hunt for the kids which was so fun! Also I found my object soul mate…they are called confetti eggs and you smash them…it made my porch look like ke$ha’s dressing room!

Then the kids became obsessed with playing with the elliptical.

I just kept thinking what an ideal scenario…for once everyone is on the same page health/exercise and intentions wise!!!! There really isn’t any temptations here and then I thought…we are going to be one fit little family. I feel so lucky to be a Beard that  I just can’t wipe this smile off my face. I want to again thank my family so much for the unconditional love and support that they shower me with everyday. Blessed doesn’t even begin to describe my life.
#cohabitation #teamapple #teambeard #howdidigethislucky #thefamilythatgetshealthytogetherstaystogether! #lovinglife #ifilovedmyfamilyanymoreiwouldexplode
#mydadHATEShashtags
Love you all and hug your families tonight!!

Hiiiiiiiii! It’s Sara! Youuuu guyyyyyys….I had the most amazing, productive, fun, meaningful weekend! After my last class at Bumble I learned a lot about what kind of energy are you putting out into the world and about setting intentions! I get really irritated and frustrated quite frequently and I’ve recently learned that I’m kind of selfish…who knew?! (Aren’t you just dying to hang out with me now?!?) These are all things I would like to change. So I decided that I would put open and loving energy into the world and set my intentions each day to be kind to others. I feel like when you bite off a big new project you get tested…instantly! The night that my boss and I were to return home from nyc…our flight got cancelled…and they couldn’t get us on another one until two days later…and all the trains and buses had already left…and it took three hours to figure all of this out!!! I instantly went to irritated…but  (and this is becoming a running theme for me) if you want to change you have to change! Soooooo I acknowledged my irritation and decided that I was choosing to feel that way. So I instead decided to feel sympathy for all of the jet blue attendants because they were getting massively shit on with hate by everyone who came across them! How awful…they had not caused the terrible weather (or had they…jk)! This shift in perspective followed me all the way home. The guy at the car rental place (yes we choose to drive home because it really was our only option) was super New and took forty five minutes to get us a car. Then we drove until 2:30 in the morning, in a monsoon on roads with construction and eighteen wheelers…eeeek! But you know what…I didn’t make any of these terrible situations worse by poisoning the atmosphere with my irritation or frustration. We eventually made it home later the next day. I was a grumbly grizzly bear that day at work and I thought…Dammit this isn’t working!!!! However another great thing I learned from Bumble was that you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others! Ohhhhhhhhh so I was sleep deprived, starving and dehydrated which only made me land on irritated and frustrated that much quicker! And then it all started clicking. If I take care of myself, and set my intentions and acknowledge my missteps (which there will be plenty) I can really affect change in my own life and possibly others.  I spent the rest of the weekend getting some sleep, getting back on track with my eating, spending really quality time with my best friends, having impromptu dates with the fam, taking down one project after another and celebrating Easter and my mom’s birthday with the ones I love the most. (I also burned my dessert, locked myself out of the house and fell down my stairs…it comes in threes right?!) Attempting to be a Better, more selfless person is the hardest/most rewarding way to spend your time! Love you all…sending my positive vibes your way. Now time for some pictures!

Reuniting with my super duper best buddy! We’ve made such positive changes in our relationship that I now feel at my best around her!

This is my sweet Katie! We’ve been friends for almost thirty years now! She tried so hard this weekend to help me better understand social media…she has the patience of a saint!

Getting back on track with pesto chicken and sweet potato chips!

Celebrating National High Five Day!

Finally got new mirrors for my bathroom and with the help of my super handy dad, actually hung them!

Celebrating my sweet mom, Anna for her birthday!

Easter egg huntin’ it up with Paw Paw

Good morning!!!!!!!!!! Time for Fat Back Friday!!!!! You’re welcome…enjoy our awkward.

Our hilariously romantic Charleston dinner date!

This one isn’t really fair…Jenny is pregnant but I think we can all agree we’ve looked better!

Post Bobbies…#swollen #moonshine

Carolyn’s birthday post dinner…woof!

Ok on to the meat of the blog! We’ve made a new cyber friend, Jillian Lama owner of Oh Sweet Heavens Bakery!

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of running across her website, Jillian is super passionate about living a healthy lifestyle while still enjoying the little things…like her super yummy paleo friendly, gluten free desserts!

She was kind enough to send the salon a selection of yummies to try! My cousin…the pregnant one…and I work together and besides Jenny I don’t think ANYONE loves sweets more than she does.

The Oh Sweet Heavens treats arrived on Kristina’s last day before maternity leave so we had a little going away break room party/tasting. We had mango green tea, vanilla coconut, and a variety of chocolate protein cupcakes!!!! And they were delicious!

As you can tell…they were a hit! This was just what the doctor ordered. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but Jenny has definitely mentioned her crazy sugar addiction. This is such a great option since we are trying to be so good. We also love supporting super passionate local business women! So check her out on Facebook at Oh Sweet Heaven and do yourself a favor and order EVERYTHING!

Contact her at ohsweetheavens@gmail.com
You guys…have a great weekend and enjoy Easter if that’s what you are into.
Xoxo!

Hiiiiiiiii! It’s Sara! I just came back from another amazing class in NYC at the House of Bumble.

I’ve been taking a lot of classes that require A LOT of self reflection…which is perfect right now!

Styling Your Career was all about a deeper connection with your clients, honing your listening skills, awareness of energy, staying inspired and social media(thank goodness…hopefully no more suspensions in our future)!

I learned so much I was bursting at the seams. These classes are also amazing because you are in a room full of 100 hair dressers and 10 educators who are just as passionate and committed as you are. Talk about energy…I was literally buzzing at times.

During the inspiration module the team from Bumble presented their muses which inspire them to then in turn inspire us! As per usual…it was ah-mazzzzing!

We were asked to bring something in that inspired us…so naturally I brought the blog!!! When asked if anyone wanted to share I shot my hand up…my boss Joelle was very encouraging and I got picked! Probably because I was sitting dead front row and center and waving my hand around like a first grader who has to pee. I got up in front of the crowded auditorium and told everyone our mission to get healthy and inspire others to do the same and to really embrace who they are. I was met with laughter (because I’m hilarious not because it was a room full of bullies haha!) and complete acceptance and the warmest bath of positive energy. It felt amazing.

Afterward, the woman directly to my left in the picture above approached me and said, “I’m following the meatballs on instagram now…that was really inspiring.” I’m a hugger so I instantly hugged and thanked her and she, her name is Bean, started telling me her story. She does Paleo and cross fit and over the past year she had lost 80 pounds!!!!! I felt so pumped and inspired by this transaction! Sharing your own story with your own struggles and successes and hearing others journeys is a really powerful thing. I started following her on instagram now to see her progress and I’m so thankful that I got to meet sweet Bean. You know I like to close with a Danny Tanner inspirational moment bc it helps give me perspective…so cue the learning moment music! If you are open, honest and put good energy into the world it will come back to you! Hope you have the best day ever!!!! Love the meatballs!!!!!

Ps…I ate pretty healthy too and walked for exercise! Xoxo

I want that candy!

Hi HI HI hi!!!!!  It’s Jenny!!

I absolutely love the holidays!  Growing up it meant games, movies, light-hearted smart ass jokes and traditional foods. We are a typical American family.  But every now and then our Italian heritage takes over, and family is everything!  We take pleasure in cooking together and celebrating our hard work with drinks, food, and desserts around the table for hours, remembering those who we loved with hilarious stories. It is how it has always been done.  Well it is about to be a little different from now on.  More then missing the foods I am not consuming,  I don’t want to outcast myself from my family.  You know you have a food relationship problem when you are questioning if the day will still be meaningful with out the food.  And of course it will  be!!!!  But it always seemed natural that I would celebrate holidays with London and Brandon the way I know how.  My body is feeling good,  the thought of putting toxic waste (CANDY!!!) into it will be an awful feeling literally and figuratively.  I am feeling satisfied today, I hope I feel the same tomorrow.     For those of you who don’t know me, I am a sugar fanatic!!  My award at “the Bobies”  this year was, ” Jenny will get molested for candy.” Easter is centered around candy!   I keep trying to come up with a good enough reason to some how allow myself all day Easter to totally blow this health stride and let my crack addiction take control and not feel guilty about it. Am I able to tell myself  “you deserve it, its one day.”  I have reward myself enough I think.  Ahhhhhh  Shitttttt I know to much now!!!!!! J/K(kinda, not really)  I can say right  now  I won’t give in, but the day will come and whatever happens will happen.  You will be the first to know!   No matter what, I love my family and my family loves me, even if I don’t stalk up on peeps in every color and freeze them the way I like them and eat them in the weeks to come………yeah I did that! #feelingfierce #familylove #Londonismypeepthatcomesineverycolor!!!!!

This was sooo much fun!!!

I think I want to make these for Easter,  yummmmmmm  Courtesy of The Urban Poser

– See more at: http://urbanposer.blogspot.com/2012/03/raw-carrot-cake-balls-giveaway-upgrade.html#sthash.v9GxIogl.dpuf