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
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.
I would tell her. You've got to start now. Ten
years ago was better. But now is the second best.
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
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.
to try. Oh man, that's where the magic happens.
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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