Transcript: Stop Commenting on People's Bodies: Rhonda Goode's Fitness Class PSA
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Ashley Grant introduces the episode as a PSA from Rhonda Goode, a returning guest known for speaking plainly.
Maybe at some point we just shouldn't say anything about anybody's bodies. 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. Today I have a PSA for y 'all and this one comes to us from Rhonda Good. And y 'all have heard Rhonda on the podcast before if you're an OG listener. And she holds no punches in this one either y 'all. And here's what she had to say. I will use myself as an example here.
Rhonda shares how classmates complimented her weight loss while she was caregiving for her dying mother and unable to eat, including one person asking 'where did your butt go?' She reflects on how weight loss is often assumed to be positive when it can stem from trauma, grief, depression, or anxiety.
When my mother was ill and I had been her caretaker for months before she went into hospice and ultimately passed, I had started losing weight because I couldn't eat. And it wasn't just that situation, but I had other things going on as well and was just wrapping up a lot of stuff in my life and I couldn't eat. And so Some of the people in class were complimenting me and telling me how great I looked because I had lost so much weight.
And one person in particular who just likes to comment, you know, said, where did your butt go? And things like that. And again, I'm not someone that lets anything get to me. So it didn't bother me. But I also knew that when I started eating again, when I felt like eating, that I was going to gain weight back. And, you know, and that is okay. So I think it's important for all of us that are in a fitness community to be aware because, you know, when we see people gain weight and it happens, you know, we never go up to people and say, wow, you've really put on some pounds lately. But yet when people lose weight for whatever reason, and a lot of times.
People know that there are things going on with folks. It's not as if they are not aware of what's going on. But if someone has been absent for a long time as well or, you know, a period of time and they come back and they've lost weight, we shouldn't assume that it's a positive or for a positive reason. So it's just be mindful that weight loss isn't always something that... is a result of us just working on ourselves and making the right decisions and doing the right things. Sometimes it's trauma and loss and depression and anxiety and all sorts of things that it could be. So I think we should all be mindful of that.
Same thing when people are gone for a bit and they come back. You know, our only response should just be good to see you, not... What's going on? Why haven't you been here? Things like that, because usually if people aren't there and you know that they are normally there, it's usually not for a good reason either. So I think that we should all just keep that in mind when we are addressing our fellow classmates. On the flip side, when someone is coming to class regularly and I can see changes in their body, I try to point that out to them so that they stay motivated and continue on their journey. That is the difference when we know that people are there consistently working and are in a good place where they feel like that they are reaching their goals in the gym. And it's obviously a positive for them mentally as well, which it is for everyone, even when we're going through things, right? It is the
Rhonda draws a distinction between commenting on someone's body when they've been absent versus encouraging someone who is consistently showing up and visibly working toward their goals.
best place to be. But there is a difference in people that are in a good place that are just working toward their goals versus when some of us hit rough spots and our bodies may change drastically for not so great reasons. Oh, another zinger from Miss Rhonda Good. Y 'all, I swear, it's like the woman opens her mouth and she just throws truth bombs at you faster than you can catch them. Like, it's just insane the way that her mind works. And that's why I'm so excited to share that she is the head coach for the More Movement Please Patreon. You can get into the More Movement Police Patreon for free, but if you upgrade to the $5 or the $15 tiers, you can hear more of Rhonda's awesomeness. You're going to get ad -free episodes and never before released episodes on the $5 tier. And then on the $15 tier, she is doing... something even bigger.
Ashley promotes the More Movement Please Patreon with Rhonda as head coach, describing the $5 and $15 tier offerings including Q&A sessions, worksheets, and customized plans.
We're doing some Q &A sessions with some of the deepest and most important questions people ask about fitness all the time. Over there, you're going to find things like how to work out with an injury, how to improve your workouts, how to handle the weight loss, and all the things. And there's going to be worksheets. like customized plans and everything that you could think of. This woman has agreed to just kind of open up her brain and unleash it on the world. And I can't wait to share everything she's got to say.
So head over to famousashleygrant .com backslash group, and you can learn all about the More Movement Place Patreon and join us. Again, you can join it completely for free, but if you do upgrade to paid. Oh man, there's going to be so much goodness that's coming out of this. And I'm so excited to see this movement of movement really take off. Onwards and upwards, my friends. Have you worked out today?