Transcript
Hey guys, famous Ashley Grant here. Welcome to
More Movement Please, the podcast about inspiring
you to move your body more. So tomorrow is Thanksgiving
and I wanted to talk really quickly about something
that's been on my mind and probably yours too.
With the holidays here, it doesn't have to mean
that you destroy your weight loss goals. And
I know what you're thinking, but it's Thanksgiving
or it's Christmas. I'm surrounded by family and
there's pie everywhere and my gym routine is
completely thrown off. I hear you. But here's
the thing. You can enjoy, absolutely, you can
enjoy the holidays and stay committed to your
fitness journey. They're not. I repeat, they're
not mutually exclusive. So let's talk about tomorrow,
right? Thanksgiving dinner is going to be amazing.
And you should enjoy it. But here's what science
actually tells us about not overindulging while
still having a great time. First, I want you
to eat breakfast. I know far too many people
who will not eat breakfast the day of Thanksgiving.
In fact, it used to be a thing that my husband
was really adamant about. He's like, well, I
don't want to do breakfast and I don't want to
do lunch because we're going to have Thanksgiving
dinner and I want to be really, really hungry
for it. And it's tempting. It really is tempting
to save all those calories for the big meal.
But research shows that arriving whenever you're
starving leads to overeating. What you should
do instead is have a really good breakfast to
keep your blood sugar stable and then stay hydrated.
That's number two, right? In fact, you should
be doing that all day. Stay hydrated. Because
what's funny is we often mistake thirst for hunger.
So drink water all day, especially right before
the big meal. And third, and this is a big one,
I want you to use the plate method. Fill half
of your plate with vegetables first, and then
a quarter protein, hello turkey, and a quarter
with those delicious carbs and sides. Notice
I didn't say don't have the carbs and sides.
I want you to have it. I want you to have that
stuffing and the mashed potatoes and all the
delicious things, but you just have to be mindful
about your portions. And the biggest thing while
you're eating is eat slowly. If you're mindless
about your eating, before you know it, you're
shoveling in a crap ton of food and you may already
have been full, but you kept going. If you keep
going, even after you're full, you're just going
to overstuff yourself and make yourself sick,
right? So I know it's going to be hard, but I
want you to like put down your fork between bites.
It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register
that you're full. Savor the flavors. Give your
body time to tell you when it's satisfied. And
not stuffed. So, it's going to be difficult,
right? It's going to be hard. I get it. I totally
get it. Because you start talking to Aunt Sharon
and before you know it, you have just shoveled
in a whole bunch of mashed potatoes and stuffing
and all the good things. And your brain hasn't
quite caught up to the fact that, hey, you might
already be full. Now, let me tell you what I
plan on doing. Tomorrow morning, before the chaos
begins, I intend to get my workout in. I am so
used to every single Thursday, I do Tabata and
I do stretch. And there's amazing classes online
that you can take. And so that's what I intend
to do. My goal is even if I only work out 30
to 45 minutes, I plan on doing some Tabata rounds
and I plan on doing some stretching. And here's
why. Not only does it set the tone for the day,
it reminds me that I'm someone who prioritizes
movement and health even on the holidays. And
on Black Friday, while everyone else is going
to be trying to get to the stores at dawn or
maybe going back to work or whatever, I'm going
to the gym. I definitely will be going to the
gym. I'll have my Friday routine just like I
do every single Friday of Zumba and low -impact
cardio because, honestly, that's going to feel
more amazing to me than trying to get some amazing
deal. And let's face it, so many of the deals
these days are on the computer anyway. You don't
have to go and be one of those doorbusters. And
do we really need $25 off a TV? Absolutely not.
What I need is 25 pounds off my waistline. So
that's what I intend to do. And I encourage you
to consider doing that for yourself as well,
because there's something so satisfying about
knowing that you had a good meal and you still
kept your fitness goals and your commitment to
yourself to get in shape as your top priority.
So when you enjoy your Thanksgiving meal, And
you continue to keep working out maybe the day
of, or at least at the very least, the day after.
You're energized. You've got extra fuel in your
system. And you're proving to yourself that one
day of celebration doesn't have to derail everything
you're working for. And listen, Thanksgiving
is just the beginning. I know. We're heading
into the full holiday season. You know, Christmas
parties and cookie exchanges and New Year's celebrations.
There's sweets. There's treats. And they're everywhere.
And here's my plan. And maybe it'll work for
you too. So I'm just sharing it with you in case
you possibly want to use it. I fully intend to
enjoy my mom's peanut butter chocolate candy.
I fully intend to have some cookies at the cookie
party, the cookie swap that I'm having with some
gym buddies. I even plan on having some pie.
But I'm also going to make sure that I am moving
my body consistently every single day, staying
active and not use the holiday as an excuse to
completely abandon everything that I've worked
so hard in the last few months for. Here's the
thing. This episode is intended to remind you
that the holidays are about joy. They're about
gratitude and they're about connection. I don't
want you to feel guilty. about the holidays.
But I also don't want you to overindulge. At
the same time, if you over -restrict yourself,
that's what's going to lead to the binging. So
don't feel guilt if you want to try your cousin's
banana pudding pie. Don't feel guilt if you're
really wanting a couple bites of that sweet potato
casserole. Have it. By all means, have it. But
just make sure that you are not overindulging,
you're being mindful about what you're consuming,
and Work out even on the days that you have family
things going on. Wake up earlier if you need
to. I mean, I know that sounds like the same
old things that gym bros say all the time, right?
But at the same time, if you just give yourself
an extra 15 minutes, it could be what you need
to stay on track. So wake up earlier. Do a quick
body weight circuit in the guest room. Take a
family walk after dinner. Movement, it doesn't
have to be perfect, but it does have to happen.
if you want to stay committed to your fitness
goals. You've got this. I hope you enjoy your
Thanksgiving. I want you to know that I am so
thankful that you're listening to this, and I
hope that you are moving your body more. Love
your people, eat the good food, and then make
sure that you are getting right back to the work.
Onwards and upwards, my friends. Have you worked
out today?