Transcript: A Letter to the Version of Me Who Was Afraid to Start
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Ashley introduces the episode as a reflection on what she'd say to herself two years ago when she first walked into the YMCA in Richmond, Kentucky, scared and convinced dieting was the only path.
What would you say to the younger version of yourself? What's up you guys? Famous Ashley Grant here. Welcome to More Movement Please, the podcast where I hope to inspire you to move your body more. So I kind of wanted to take this episode to... kind of reflect on what I would say to the younger version of myself. And I'm not going to go all the way back to childhood because, I mean, I don't think any of us have time for the psychological ramifications that something like that would require. But I do want to go back to Ashley just two years ago when I first started going to the YMCA here in Richmond, Kentucky.
I want to talk to that girl because I think back to that moment where I was honestly kind of petrified to walk back into a gym. had dabbled a little bit in trying to get a little bit healthier and I thought that the only path that was before me was to just diet because that's what I had always done you know if I wanted to lose weight I went on a diet and I you know several years ago did that crash diet where I took all those pills and shots and all the things and yeah I lost a crap ton of weight but at what cost so I guess I kind of just wanted to talk to Ashley two years ago and tell her there's a better way.
Ashley describes her previous medical weight loss experience — shots, pills, and a doctor she now sees as treating her like 'a line item on a spreadsheet' — and what she'd tell that version of herself: start moving immediately, and the rest follows naturally.
There's a more sustainable way. When I first walked into that gym, I was petrified. I hadn't been working out in so long. I thought the only way to weight loss was dieting because whenever I had lost all that weight before, I did it. with medical weight loss where I was doing shots and pills at the discretion of a doctor. Go figure. And I see it for what it was now that it was just a way for that facility to make money. I don't know if they actually stand by the things that they prescribed. The more I think about it, I think it was just I was a line item on a spreadsheet on a budget. And so if I could go back to actually two years ago. I would say to her, go in and start working. Start working immediately. As soon as you start moving your body more, you're going to start reaching for water more. As soon as you start actually doing the exercises, you're going to notice just how weak you are. And you'll start getting stronger.
And you'll naturally... Stop reaching for the crappy foods. I don't know if I would have believed it back then. But that's what I'd want to tell her. I'd want to tell her, keep going. Keep putting in the reps. Keep showing up. A lot of this is going to hurt. A lot of this is going to hurt. And even now, after... 280 days of maximum effort, so to speak. I still have days where it really hurts. And I still have days where I get massive sugar cravings. But I don't get it nearly as often as I did whenever sugar was the high. Food was the high. So I would tell her. To go to the gym, put it in your calendar, and stick to it.
Don't just move it to the next day. Don't just delete it. Don't just think you have more time. Because the truth is, every day that you wait to start getting healthier, to start moving your body, to start putting in the work, every day you wait. Is going to make it hurt that much more when you finally do get started. And so I would tell her. You've got to start now. Ten years ago was better. But now is the second best.
Ashley talks about 280 days of consistent effort, ongoing pain and sugar cravings, and her core message to her past self: put it in your calendar, don't move it, and don't wait — every day you delay makes it harder.
So. If you're listening to this and you're considering beginning a fitness journey of your own, I really want to encourage you to start. I don't want you to wait another day. Don't wait till tomorrow. I mean, unless you're listening to this in bed, obviously. I don't want you to get up and just start moving because your rest is important and I'm seeing just how important it is. But if you're listening to this and you have any hours left in your day, Hell, if you only have 30 minutes before you have to go to bed, I want you to do something to move your body. Even if it's just stretching. I can't even explain to you guys how much movement has changed my life. The only way to understand how profound of a change it can make in your life is to start doing it. When you start... putting in the reps and start really trying. It's really amazing, guys. Like, if you keep showing up, seeing how far you can come
in a short amount of time is just mind -blowing. I mean, I think back to just 280 -something days ago when I was lifting threes and fives, three -pound dumbbells and five -pound dumbbells, and I was struggling. And today I'm consistently reaching for the 20 pound dumbbells. And I think today I'm going to go to the 10 pound dumbbells as my small weights instead of the eights. I think I'm ready. And I'll tell you guys yesterday when I was in class, I was really struggling with those 20 pound dumbbells, but it felt good to struggle. Because I still got through it.
Sure, there were moments where I had to pause and I couldn't take that rep. I had to take a moment to, you know, regather myself and then be able to do it. But y 'all, it's so worth it. I think that's another thing I would say to the younger version of me is just how worth it it is. Even though right now it's going to hurt like hell. And it's going to feel like I should give up. Going and moving forward and continuing to try. Oh man, that's where the magic happens.
Ashley encourages listeners to start today — even with 30 minutes of stretching — and reflects on her own concrete progress: going from struggling with 3- and 5-pound dumbbells to consistently reaching for 20-pound weights.
And every ounce of pain I feel is a step towards being stronger. A step towards having another day of life. A step towards not being sick and not needing to rely on... medications to keep my blood pressure down or you know the track I was on I was headed towards so many bad things like when I think of all the medical woes that I was already experiencing if I hadn't made that change I don't even want to think about where I'd be right now because I know it it's grim so though this wasn't exactly a letter It is a message that I would want to say to my younger self. And I want to say it to you too. Find a gym. And if you don't want to go to the gym, find an activity that gets you excited about movement again. It's important. It's life -changing.
And not to be dramatic, but it could save your life. So that's the message I've got for you today. I hope this reaches you. I hope this reaches the people that need to hear it. Onwards and upwards, my friends. Have you worked out today?
Ashley reflects on the medical trajectory she was on — blood pressure issues and other health woes — and closes with a direct message: find a gym or any activity that excites you about movement, because it could save your life.
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