Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
If you're a whiny
snowflake that can't handle the
truth, is offended by the wordfuck and about 37 uses of it in
different forms gets ass hurt.
When you hear someone speak theabsolute, real and raw truth,
you should leave Like right now.
This is Shut Up and Choose, thepodcast where we cut through
(00:25):
the shit and get real aboutweight loss, life and everything
in between.
We get into the nitty gritty ofmaking small, smart choices
that add up to big results.
From what's on your plate tohow you approach life's
challenges.
We'll explore how the simpleact of choosing differently can
transform your health, yourmindset and your entire freaking
(00:48):
life.
So if you're ready to cutthrough the bullshit and start
making some real changes, thenbuckle up and shut up, because
we're about to choose our way toa healthier, happier life.
This is Shut Up and Choose.
Let's do this Now.
(01:10):
Your host.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Jonathan Ressler.
Hey, welcome back to Shut Upand Choose, the podcast where we
cut to all the nonsense and allthe noise that the weight loss
industry is talking at you.
We talk about sustainableweight loss and the small, smart
choices that help you stick tothat weight loss.
I'm your host, jonathan Ressler, and today we're going to talk
about something that we probablyneed to talk about, which is
(01:33):
Thanksgiving.
It's tomorrow, so this is myThanksgiving survival guide, for
lack of a better term, becausewe all know Thanksgiving is a
special day, right?
It's a time when we gettogether with our friends and
our family and we share somegratitude.
We indulge in a lot oftraditions, and many of those
traditions honestly revolvearound food.
So for anybody that's on aweight loss or a wellness or a
(01:55):
healthy lifestyle journey, thiscan feel like a pretty high
stakes holiday where the sheervolume of the stuffing and the
pie and the gravy threatens todo the undue, the weeks or
months, or, in my case, close totwo years of progress.
But the truth is, you're notgoing to blow your progress on a
single meal or a single day.
I mean, come on, get over it.
(02:15):
That's not how progress works.
It's about the choices that youmake consistently, not the
occasional indulgence.
I always talk about feeding mysoul and all that stuff, not the
occasional indulgence.
I always talk about feeding mysoul and all that stuff.
So the occasional indulgence orthe occasional day that you're
really kind of going wild,that's fine.
Thanksgiving is a chance tocelebrate, to enjoy yourself,
(02:36):
hang out with your family, doall that stuff and practice the
balance and forgiveness thatsustains long-term success.
It's not about throwing cautionto the wind.
That's not what I'm saying.
And it's not really aboutpresenting that calories don't
exist, because of course they do.
It's about embracing theholiday though, savoring every
bite and trusting that you canget right back on track tomorrow
.
So let's take a look at how youcan make the most of
(02:59):
Thanksgiving mindfully, joyfullyand, most importantly,
guilt-free.
So, number one Thanksgiving isabout more than food.
I know for me, for many yearsit was all about food.
I couldn't wait forThanksgiving, eat like an animal
, feel sick watching football,but before we even get to the
turkey, let's reframe whatThanksgiving is all about.
Yeah, food plays a central role, but it's not the only thing on
(03:22):
the menu.
Thanksgiving is a day tocelebrate connection.
Right, you're getting togetherFor a lot of families.
People are coming in from allover the country.
Maybe you haven't seen eachother in a few months.
So it's about connection.
It's about gratitude and youknow I practice gratitude and
the traditions that make yourlife rich and meaningful.
I have great memories of 60 oractually, at this point, 59
years of Thanksgiving.
(03:42):
It's about remembering all thatstuff.
It's about remembering thosethings that make your life rich
and meaningful.
So I guess the first step forme is certainly going into
tomorrow is I'm thinking aboutwhat I'm really grateful for
this year.
Obviously, one of those thingsis this weight loss journey and
this new kind of journey thatI'm on to live healthier.
So I know that's going to helpme focus on abundance and all
(04:05):
the great things in life ratherthan restriction.
So soak up the moments thatdon't involve food, whether for
you if that's watching theparade, for me it's definitely
watching the football games andlaughing with my friends and
family and, honestly, takingthat snooze after the tryptophan
kicks in from the turkey.
I love that snooze on the couch.
So remember that the memoriesyou make at the table are about
(04:26):
more than just what's on yourplate.
So when you look at thisholiday, when you look at
Thanksgiving and, honestly, allthe holidays coming up with
gratitude and connection in mind, food becomes just one piece of
a much bigger and morebeautiful and meaningful
celebration.
So the most important thing andI say that all the time, but
this one's really important isthat one meal won't ruin
(04:48):
everything.
That's worth repeating.
One meal will not erase yourprogress.
Your weight loss or healthjourney is defined by what you
do the majority of the time, noton a single day of indulgence.
You know I'm all about feedingmyself, so I indulge all the
time, but I know this oneholiday, this one meal, this one
day of indulgence.
You know I'm all about feedingmyself, so I indulge all the
time, but I know this oneholiday, this one meal, this one
day of this eating orgy whichI'm not going to do but I'm
(05:10):
going to enjoy myself is notgoing to erase the progress.
Will I put on a pound or two?
Probably, but is that okay?
Hell, yeah.
So it's important to remember,because the stress and guilt
that we pile on ourselves aboutthis holiday eating causes more
harm than the actual food,because we tend to believe that
we've blown it right, and whenyou feel like you've blown it,
(05:32):
you're more likely to spiralinto overeating or just honestly
giving up entirely.
Instead, look at the idea thatThanksgiving is just one meal
out of literally hundreds you'lleat.
This year Will you eat more?
Probably, but give yourselfpermission.
Permission to indulge in yourfavorite foods, permission to
enjoy the holiday withoutoverthinking every calorie,
(05:55):
permission to forgive yourselfand move forward, no matter what
.
Your body is a resilient thing,and so are you.
Thanksgiving is a speed bump,not a roadblock.
So enjoy it, don't dread it.
The next thing is, if there'sever one day to eat mindfully,
it's Thanksgiving.
Right, not only is the fooddelicious, but the effort that
goes into making it deserves tobe for lack of a better term
(06:18):
honored.
It's not the time to justinhale your meal, which I do all
the time.
I mean, I used to eat like itwas a race but slow down and
enjoy every bite.
And in case you forgot how toeat mindfully, let me just give
you a few tips.
First of all, start withgratitude.
So, before digging in, beforegetting ready for that feast,
take a moment and appreciate thefood and the people that made
(06:38):
it, and definitely, eat slowly.
A problem that I have all thetime that I still wrestle with
19, 20 months into this thing ischew your food thoroughly and
savor the flavors.
This is a big one for me.
The next one, which is put downyour fork between bites,
because it's not a race.
I have to work, I have toliterally think to put down my
(06:58):
fork between bites, and when Ido that, I definitely eat a lot
less and I realize that I'm fulla lot sooner.
So when you focus on thatquality over quantity, like
choose foods that you love themost and enjoy them, a small
slice of pie that you savor is alot more satisfying than three
slices that you barely taste.
And when I used to eat, I wouldeat at such a fast rate I guess
(07:21):
I really didn't taste thethings that I was eating.
So mindful eating not onlyenhances the enjoyment of food,
but it also helps you recognizewhen you're full, so you don't
just overeat out of habit orjust because the food is there.
That's a big one for me.
Again, slow down, savor everybite because it's a great meal.
Hopefully you're going to havea great meal.
I don't know who's doing yourcooking, but I hope you're going
(07:43):
to have a great meal.
So enjoy it.
And of course, you have toremember that in spite of all
that, you have to feed your souland not just your stomach.
So Thanksgiving is the perfectopportunity to nourish actually
more than your body.
It's a day, like I said earlier, that you get together with
people you haven't seen, withyour friends and your family you
can reflect on all the greatthings that happened this year.
(08:04):
I know I'll be thinking aboutthe weight that I lost and the
health that I gained and thenjust get ready for the joys of
the season.
Food is just a single part ofthat equation.
It's not the whole equation.
So different things that youcan think about For me celebrate
the people.
Take time to connect with thepeople in your family, your
friends that you haven't seen ina while, that you haven't had a
(08:24):
chance to eat with, that youhaven't had a chance to hang out
with and even if that's just aphone call or a Zoom call, the
relationships and the thingsthat your friends and your
family, and those relationshipswill last a hell of a lot longer
than that plate of food anddefinitely focus on joy.
For me, thanksgiving is allabout laughing and sharing old
(08:45):
stories and just soaking in thatfeeling of everybody just being
together.
Those minutes, those momentsare what makes Thanksgiving
special.
Granted, if the food is good,we talk about some of the
Thanksgiving food that we'veeaten for years, but the reality
is it's about the laughing andthe stories and just the
camaraderie of being togetherwith friends and family.
(09:08):
I definitely this year willpractice some gratitude.
I'm going to take a minute toreflect on everything I'm
thankful for.
I talked about that.
It's two seconds ago.
I'm really thankful that I'vebeen able to go on this weight
loss journey and this healthjourney and I'm not on any of
the medications that I was onand I can really enjoy
Thanksgiving and enjoy my life alot more than I did.
I'm going to take some time.
(09:28):
I'm thinking about it now, butI'm going to take some time and
really think about that and Ibelieve when you practice
gratitude, it shifts yourmindset away from that guilt and
negativity around eating thefood and it helps you see the
bigger picture.
When you see, when you focus onfeeding your soul, food becomes
a source of joy, not stress.
So I'm definitely going to feedmy soul.
(09:50):
Now I'm also going to be reallyhonest here.
I'm probably going to eat morethan I planned.
I mean, I'm probably going tohave an extra helping of mashed
potatoes or go back for a seconddessert.
That's just the reality of thesituation and that's okay.
Thanksgiving is supposed to be acelebration.
The holiday is supposed to be acelebration, not a test of your
(10:10):
willpower.
Your willpower, you know aboutwillpower comes and goes.
Enjoy the celebration, becausethe reality is that guilt is
completely unproductive.
Beating yourself up over whatyou ate doesn't undo the
calories.
Right, you ate the calories,it's done.
I mean, unless you're going tostick your finger down your
throat, which I don't recommendbut the calories you've eaten,
(10:30):
it's done.
It only makes you feel worsewhen you think about it.
So when you forgive yourselfand get over it quickly, you're
actually much more likely tobounce back and make better
choices moving forward.
I always say when you feed yoursoul, when you make a mistake,
when you fuck up.
Weight loss is not linear.
Health is not linear.
It doesn't go in a straightline, but when you forgive
yourself, it helps you bounceback and make better choices.
(10:53):
Starting the next meal, right,you can make a mistake and start
the next meal.
What I said earlier was onemeal is not going to derail your
whole journey and it's alearning opportunity, right?
So reflect on how you feel andmaybe what you enjoyed the most
and what you didn't like, buthow much, how you might approach
the next holiday coming up,whether it's Christmas or
Hanukkah or whatever foodcelebrations you're about to
(11:15):
have.
We're going into holiday partyseason, so think about how that
made you feel and maybe youapproach the next one
differently, the next holidayparty or whatever.
So remember, your weight lossjourney is about balance and not
perfection.
It's never going to be perfect.
No matter what you do, it's notgoing to be perfect.
So it's about balance.
(11:36):
So enjoy that meal and enjoy itand then move on.
Move on to the next small smartchoice.
One of the things aboutThanksgiving that definitely is
I don't want to say a tradition,but it's definitely a fact in
my family is Thanksgiving ispretty much a sedentary day.
Right, we sit around the table,we watch football, we're
(11:56):
lounging on the couch, butmoving can be a great way to add
energy and joy to this day.
I'm going to start out my daywith some exercise, which, for
me, exercise all that is is awalk.
I'm going to go out for a walk.
For you it could be yoga athome or hit the gym if you're
one of those guys me, as youknow, I hate the fucking gym.
Still hate the gym two yearslater, but I fucking hate it.
I won't go there.
(12:17):
So I'm just going going to goout for a walk.
I know it'll set a positivetone and it'll boost my mood, so
that walk outside is going tobe refreshing for me.
It's going to start my day outright Now.
If you're really kind of a dork,you can organize like a family
game of touch football or abunch of you dorks dancing
around and you're some music.
Or if you're just a normalparent, you'll probably be
(12:38):
chasing your kids around theyard a little bit.
But anyway, movement shouldmake you feel good.
It's not like a punishment forwhat you ate.
The goal is to enhance your day, not to burn off the calories.
So the next thing that I knowI'm going to enjoy is dessert.
So let's talk about dessert.
Thanksgiving pies iconic.
They're incredible, maybe,probably definitely better than
(12:59):
donuts.
I'm going to pick one or two ofthe things that I love and I'm
going to savor them.
That doesn't mean that I'mgoing to have the whole pie or
the whole whatever.
I'm just going to have a smallslice and I believe, if you
remember my rule of four, by thefourth bite you're satisfied.
You satisfied your sweet tooth.
So practice the rule of fourwhen you're eating dessert on
(13:20):
Thanksgiving and really in anyholiday party, and you'll find
that you're satisfied afterthose four bites.
And if you're one of thosepeople that think, hey, I'm just
not going to have dessert, I'llskip it, let me stop you right
there.
You're full of shit.
(13:40):
You're going to eat dessert, soyou might as well enjoy it.
There's no problem with eatingdessert.
It's part of the celebrationand you're allowed to enjoy it
without any guilt.
I know I am.
I'm going to eat the shit outof my dessert, but anyway.
Another thing that I'm thinkingabout is drinking, and I mean
drinking alcohol, because, alongwith all the food and stuff
that you're going to eat, you'reprobably going to have a couple
of drinks and it's easy toforget about hydration when
(14:00):
drinking.
I'm not talking about a gallonof tequila, but staying hydrated
can help you feel your best andeven, honestly, prevent
overeating.
So I'm going to start out.
I start out every day this way,but I'm going to start out with
a big glass of water in themorning when I wake up, because
I just find that kickstarts myday.
I know that there's some kindof medical stuff that says that
your brain needs to getrehydrated in the morning, but I
(14:21):
just drink water in the morningbecause, honestly, it wakes me
up.
I drink it before I do anythingelse, before I have coffee or
tea or anything else that I'mgoing to eat or drink.
So start early, have a bigglass of water, another thing
that I'm definitely going to doand that I try to do all the
time.
I'm not 100% effective in this,but I try to have a big glass
of water before I eat, like ahalf hour before I eat, because
it helps me to be a little bitmore full and it helps me to
(14:45):
realize when I am full actuallyfrom eating.
So I would say I'm definitelygoing to drink a lot of water.
On Thanksgiving, I try to drinkover a gallon of water every
single day or more.
And when you're drinkingbecause you're going to drink, I
know I'm going to have 3, 4, 5,7, 10 tequila.
Well, maybe not that many, butI'm going to have a few drinks
on Thanksgiving, and it's alwaysgood to kind of mix in.
(15:05):
Let's say, I have one drink,one glass of water, one drink,
one glass of water.
And and, by the way, that's notjust with alcohol, it's with
any kind of that sugary shitthat you're drinking.
Any of that special holiday Idon't know what the fuck you
drink on a holiday, but try toalternate it with water, because
water is your secret weapon forstaying energized and avoiding
that post-meal sluggishness.
Most people, they say, arewalking around dehydrated every
(15:30):
single day.
So make sure that onThanksgiving and throughout the
holiday season really throughoutthe year is that you really
make an effort to stay hydrated.
All right.
So now you've made it throughThanksgiving or whatever holiday
meal we're talking about, andit's time to bounce back.
So what do you do?
What am I going to do the dayafter Thanksgiving?
I think the day afterThanksgiving, bouncing back is
(15:50):
probably just as important asthe meal itself, and the good
news is getting back on track issimple.
It's simpler than you think.
The next day, just go rightback to making small, smart
choices.
Don't go out there and skipbreakfast or skip meals.
Start your day with a healthybreakfast and it will reset your
routine.
Skipping meals only makes youhungrier and it makes you a lot
(16:11):
more likely to overeat later.
Sometimes I do skip breakfast,but if I intentionally skip a
meal, I'm always hungrier.
Later.
Again, you want to drink a tonof water so you flush out any of
the extra salt or sugar or anyof the shit that's in your
system, and again that comesfrom being hydrated.
Definitely, I can tell you,friday morning I will be going
(16:31):
out for I don't know if it's mylongest walk of the year, but
definitely a walk or do whateverit is you do, like I said, do
yoga or go to the gym, if you'reone of those psychos that likes
a gym, but do whatever it isthat you do that makes you feel
energized and refreshed.
And most important part of that,most important part of the
bouncing back after the holidaymeal or any big meal for that
(16:54):
matter is leave it behind.
Okay, it's done.
And it's not a reflection ofyour progress or your dedication
.
It's just a meal or whatever itwas, and now it's over, so
leave it behind you, get rightback to making small, smart
choices and, when it's all saidand done, take a minute to
(17:14):
celebrate how far you've come.
If you're approachingThanksgiving with mindfulness
and balance, that's a huge win.
Prior to this, I looked atThanksgiving as an eating orgy,
and it was.
I couldn't stuff enough shit inmy face to satisfy myself.
Now I look at Thanksgiving asjust another day.
Yeah, there's going to be someextra eating and possibly some
extra drinking and more dessertthan I would normally eat, but
(17:36):
that's it.
It's over the fact that I'mlooking at it now as a okay, I
have a plan.
That's great.
So whether you lost weight oryou built healthier habits or
you just had a shift in yourmindset, you're making progress,
I'm making progress and you canmake progress, and that
deserves some recognition.
So things that you could lookat like did you actually enjoy
(17:58):
and save your favorite foodswithout going overboard that's a
win.
Did you focus on gratitude andconnection with your friends and
family instead of feelingstressed or guilt about eating?
Hey, that's a win.
Did you move Like did you goout for a walk rather than just
lay on the couch like a lazysack of shit?
Those are all that's a win.
Did you move Like did you goout for a walk rather than just
lay on the couch like a lazysack of shit?
Those are all.
That's a win.
(18:18):
Each one of those wins is proofthat you're capable of enjoying
bigger meals, holidays, thesespecial moments, while staying
aligned with your goals.
It's pretty simple stuff,because Thanksgiving and
holidays shouldn't be aboutrestriction or guilt or
obsessing over every calorie.
You know, I hate countingcalories anyway, but don't
obsess over it.
(18:38):
It's about gratitude andhanging out with friends and
just connecting with otherpeople.
It's about choosing to livelife fully and enjoy the moments
that matter most, because thoseare the memories you're going
to remember, without letting asingle meal define your journey.
It's just one meal.
It's just one day.
So this year, I want you toshut up and choose.
(19:01):
Choose to enjoy the holiday,choose to forgive yourself and
choose to trust that one mealwon't derail your success.
So eat the pie, hang out withyour friends and give thanks,
not just for the holiday, butfor the progress that you're
making and the life that you'rebuilding.
Tomorrow you can get right backto it stronger and more
(19:22):
determined than ever.
So that's my thoughts forThanksgiving Short podcast this
week, because I know you're allon the way to friends or family.
You're preparing, so I'm goingto close it out, just remind you
.
Thank you for everybody who'sbeen buying my book and leaving
me great reviews.
I really do appreciate it.
I am grateful for it.
See, I'm practicing gratitude.
Also, don't forget, if you havea fat fuck friend that needs to
(19:47):
lose some weight, my videocourse Live Life, love Food,
lose Weight might be a greatgift.
It's not just a gift, but it'sactually something that will
help them change their entirelife.
Wow, I'm selling like a fuckertoday, but anyway, yeah, so you
can get that atlearnshutupandchoosecom.
That's learnshutupandchoosecom.
So that's it for Thanksgiving.
(20:09):
I don't know what else to sayother than have a great
Thanksgiving, a great holidayseason, and most.
I don't know what else to sayother than have a great
Thanksgiving, a great holidayseason and, most importantly,
shut up and choose.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
You've been listening
to Shut Up and Choose.
Jonathan's passion is to sharehis journey of shedding 130
pounds in less than a yearwithout any of the usual
gimmicks no diets, no pills.
And we'll let you in on alittle secret no fucking gym.
And guess what?
(20:39):
You can do it too.
We hope you enjoyed the show.
We had a fucking blast.
If you did, make sure to like,rate and review.
We'll be back soon, but in themeantime, find Jonathan on
Instagram atJonathanWrestlerBocaRaton.
Until next time.
Shut up soon.
But in the meantime, findjonathan on instagram at
jonathan wrestler boca raton.
Until next time.
Shut up and choose.