Episode 11Nov 26, 2025· 8:02
Thanksgiving Workout Strategy: How to Enjoy Holiday Food Without Gaining Weight
About this episode
Think Thanksgiving means choosing between pie and fitness goals? Ashley Grant shares her exact science-backed game plan for navigating holiday meals without sabotaging months of progress. Get practical strategies including the plate method, hydration timing, and why eating breakfast on Thanksgiving actually prevents overeating. Plus: Ashley's Black Friday workout plan and how to stay active from Thanksgiving through…
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MaryMay 22, 2026
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Full transcript
00:11
Hey guys, famous Ashley Grant here. Welcome to
00:13
More Movement Please, the podcast about inspiring
00:15
you to move your body more. So tomorrow is Thanksgiving
00:19
and I wanted to talk really quickly about something
00:22
that's been on my mind and probably yours too.
00:24
With the holidays here, it doesn't have to mean
00:27
that you destroy your weight loss goals. And
00:30
I know what you're thinking, but it's Thanksgiving
00:32
or it's Christmas. I'm surrounded by family and
00:36
there's pie everywhere and my gym routine is
00:38
completely thrown off. I hear you. But here's
00:41
the thing. You can enjoy, absolutely, you can
00:45
enjoy the holidays and stay committed to your
00:48
fitness journey. They're not. I repeat, they're
00:53
not mutually exclusive. So let's talk about tomorrow,
00:57
right? Thanksgiving dinner is going to be amazing.
01:01
And you should enjoy it. But here's what science
01:04
actually tells us about not overindulging while
01:06
still having a great time. First, I want you
01:10
to eat breakfast. I know far too many people
01:12
who will not eat breakfast the day of Thanksgiving.
01:15
In fact, it used to be a thing that my husband
01:17
was really adamant about. He's like, well, I
01:19
don't want to do breakfast and I don't want to
01:22
do lunch because we're going to have Thanksgiving
01:24
dinner and I want to be really, really hungry
01:26
for it. And it's tempting. It really is tempting
01:29
to save all those calories for the big meal.
01:32
But research shows that arriving whenever you're
01:36
starving leads to overeating. What you should
01:40
do instead is have a really good breakfast to
01:44
keep your blood sugar stable and then stay hydrated.
01:47
That's number two, right? In fact, you should
01:49
be doing that all day. Stay hydrated. Because
01:51
what's funny is we often mistake thirst for hunger.
01:56
So drink water all day, especially right before
02:00
the big meal. And third, and this is a big one,
02:03
I want you to use the plate method. Fill half
02:07
of your plate with vegetables first, and then
02:11
a quarter protein, hello turkey, and a quarter
02:13
with those delicious carbs and sides. Notice
02:16
I didn't say don't have the carbs and sides.
02:18
I want you to have it. I want you to have that
02:20
stuffing and the mashed potatoes and all the
02:22
delicious things, but you just have to be mindful
02:25
about your portions. And the biggest thing while
02:28
you're eating is eat slowly. If you're mindless
02:32
about your eating, before you know it, you're
02:34
shoveling in a crap ton of food and you may already
02:37
have been full, but you kept going. If you keep
02:41
going, even after you're full, you're just going
02:43
to overstuff yourself and make yourself sick,
02:45
right? So I know it's going to be hard, but I
02:48
want you to like put down your fork between bites.
02:52
It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register
02:54
that you're full. Savor the flavors. Give your
02:58
body time to tell you when it's satisfied. And
03:01
not stuffed. So, it's going to be difficult,
03:06
right? It's going to be hard. I get it. I totally
03:08
get it. Because you start talking to Aunt Sharon
03:10
and before you know it, you have just shoveled
03:12
in a whole bunch of mashed potatoes and stuffing
03:14
and all the good things. And your brain hasn't
03:18
quite caught up to the fact that, hey, you might
03:21
already be full. Now, let me tell you what I
03:24
plan on doing. Tomorrow morning, before the chaos
03:26
begins, I intend to get my workout in. I am so
03:31
used to every single Thursday, I do Tabata and
03:34
I do stretch. And there's amazing classes online
03:37
that you can take. And so that's what I intend
03:39
to do. My goal is even if I only work out 30
03:42
to 45 minutes, I plan on doing some Tabata rounds
03:45
and I plan on doing some stretching. And here's
03:47
why. Not only does it set the tone for the day,
03:50
it reminds me that I'm someone who prioritizes
03:53
movement and health even on the holidays. And
03:57
on Black Friday, while everyone else is going
03:59
to be trying to get to the stores at dawn or
04:01
maybe going back to work or whatever, I'm going
04:04
to the gym. I definitely will be going to the
04:06
gym. I'll have my Friday routine just like I
04:09
do every single Friday of Zumba and low -impact
04:11
cardio because, honestly, that's going to feel
04:15
more amazing to me than trying to get some amazing
04:17
deal. And let's face it, so many of the deals
04:20
these days are on the computer anyway. You don't
04:23
have to go and be one of those doorbusters. And
04:26
do we really need $25 off a TV? Absolutely not.
04:29
What I need is 25 pounds off my waistline. So
04:32
that's what I intend to do. And I encourage you
04:35
to consider doing that for yourself as well,
04:37
because there's something so satisfying about
04:40
knowing that you had a good meal and you still
04:44
kept your fitness goals and your commitment to
04:48
yourself to get in shape as your top priority.
04:51
So when you enjoy your Thanksgiving meal, And
04:54
you continue to keep working out maybe the day
04:57
of, or at least at the very least, the day after.
05:00
You're energized. You've got extra fuel in your
05:03
system. And you're proving to yourself that one
05:04
day of celebration doesn't have to derail everything
05:07
you're working for. And listen, Thanksgiving
05:10
is just the beginning. I know. We're heading
05:13
into the full holiday season. You know, Christmas
05:15
parties and cookie exchanges and New Year's celebrations.
05:18
There's sweets. There's treats. And they're everywhere.
05:22
And here's my plan. And maybe it'll work for
05:25
you too. So I'm just sharing it with you in case
05:26
you possibly want to use it. I fully intend to
05:29
enjoy my mom's peanut butter chocolate candy.
05:32
I fully intend to have some cookies at the cookie
05:36
party, the cookie swap that I'm having with some
05:38
gym buddies. I even plan on having some pie.
05:41
But I'm also going to make sure that I am moving
05:44
my body consistently every single day, staying
05:47
active and not use the holiday as an excuse to
05:51
completely abandon everything that I've worked
05:53
so hard in the last few months for. Here's the
05:56
thing. This episode is intended to remind you
06:00
that the holidays are about joy. They're about
06:04
gratitude and they're about connection. I don't
06:07
want you to feel guilty. about the holidays.
06:11
But I also don't want you to overindulge. At
06:14
the same time, if you over -restrict yourself,
06:17
that's what's going to lead to the binging. So
06:20
don't feel guilt if you want to try your cousin's
06:22
banana pudding pie. Don't feel guilt if you're
06:25
really wanting a couple bites of that sweet potato
06:28
casserole. Have it. By all means, have it. But
06:33
just make sure that you are not overindulging,
06:36
you're being mindful about what you're consuming,
06:38
and Work out even on the days that you have family
06:42
things going on. Wake up earlier if you need
06:45
to. I mean, I know that sounds like the same
06:47
old things that gym bros say all the time, right?
06:49
But at the same time, if you just give yourself
06:52
an extra 15 minutes, it could be what you need
06:56
to stay on track. So wake up earlier. Do a quick
07:01
body weight circuit in the guest room. Take a
07:04
family walk after dinner. Movement, it doesn't
07:07
have to be perfect, but it does have to happen.
07:09
if you want to stay committed to your fitness
07:12
goals. You've got this. I hope you enjoy your
07:14
Thanksgiving. I want you to know that I am so
07:17
thankful that you're listening to this, and I
07:19
hope that you are moving your body more. Love
07:22
your people, eat the good food, and then make
07:24
sure that you are getting right back to the work.
07:27
Onwards and upwards, my friends. Have you worked
07:29
out today?
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