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 When I started my Masters program I thought I’m going to have to hide my bodybuilding lifestyle, ever changing physique, & routine discipline so they don’t judge my ability to help others.
Then I thought of the benefit of exposure therapy & thought what better way to get them more comfortable with bodybuilders than by showing them one with a healthy relationship with food & her body. I didn’t decide to immerse into the field to play THEIR game, I’m immersing into the field to CHANGE the game! Any push back or doubt or judgment along the way is better to go through me so I have the opportunity to educate them on how much deeper than surface level this sport is for us. I just got tired of hearing so many sad stories about mental health pros & leaders judging/discouraging athletes from pursuing their passion. I believe intention is everything & while providing clients with the BEST chance at success is important—removing them from a lifestyle they love is as unsustainable as the negative behavior patterns the therapist works with the athlete to shift. If a client’s goal is to be able to compete with a healthy relationship with food, no more binging, no guilt, no fixation on food, no crazy body checks or fears of foods or the scale or the challenges that come with goals and expectations changing—THEN HELP THE CLIENT ACHIEVE THIS. In some cases, removing from the triggering environment can be helpful before returning. But it’s not 1 size fits all. The problem I see is as much as a non-judgmental & holistic approach the mental health practitioners are licensed & ethically expected to take is preached—it’s unfortunately not always practiced. Which is why I’m changing that with the services I provide now & my continued education. I applied for my psychology degree program with a letter about this, then when I went for my masters I had even more evidence & knowledge to substantiate the cause; I refuse to shy or hide away the community & lifestyle I love when it’s important to represent it. Helping competitors #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY is not a 1 man job which is why I want to bridge the gap between 2 worlds I respect to foster mutual understanding & expand support options for athletes. You with me? For more resources & to learn more visit: www.celestial.fit/links
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 It’s surreal to see myself up on the prestigious muscle contest USAs national stage.
I envisioned this, but nothing compares to actually doing it. This experience supported me in my journey as an athlete as it raised the bar for me. I feel so inspired after stepping on that stage & truly cannot wait to grow & come back better than ever, again. I am so proud that I brought my best to the national stage & I’m even more proud that I took more joy in the process & execution than anything else. I fell deeper in love with bodybuilding this year. I am channeling my energy & focus into growth & improvement. I review my feedback every week, I practice posing still & despite having such an inflow routine I know it needs improvement to be even better. I am tuning out distractions & using these photos and this experience to ground me as it keeps me humble & reminds me there is always more work to be done yet the joy in doing the work was and is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Seeing these stage shots means so much to me because I see a version of me that has been forged through many inner transformations and physical demands. I see an athlete who honors the importance of every detail a stroke of a brush brings to the whole picture. I am not in a state of panic or rushing to a finish line yet my urgency to improve and show up by surrendering to the requirements that come with up-leveling & persisting through challenges is strong. Bodybuilding reminds me perfection is impossible for the athletes with high standards because there will always always always be a new better and a new best. I am excited to see how this girl continues her journey, she is a representation to me that whether you become a champion with a target on your back or you place last, you still stand in line, get your feedback, & bring something better because it's not the titles driving us as humans as much as it is the genuinely never-ending process of self-actualization.  Before the show I had issues with hotel room, my suit breaking and having to fix it, & getting an ashy tan look on my butt.
When my suit broke (it had been well worn so it was tired & hers last forever tbh so just bad timing), I reached out to Ingrid, she told me I could fix it & I went to store across the street bought their ONLY sewing kit left-which was broken lol, & I fixed it. When my tan got ashy I was able to call Elysa with Pro Tan n she helped me fix it & one of their tan specialists was competing and staying a couple rooms down with one of my girls and reassured me it would be okay & even if it’s in pics judges won’t see it too much. When the hotel issues happened (stinky rooms, sketchy area & blood on the curtains) I was able to call a teammate who just dealt with the same thing & she drove me to the hotel where she had booked so I got a room & it turned out to not only be a better hotel but also with more athletes & a cool shuttle. Had the show not been relocated I may not have been there early enough to have suit break with enough time to fix it before the show. Had my hotel room situation not happened I wouldn’tve been right across street from CVS to get a sewing kit or be placed on same floor as my client Fran & her roomie Bri. Had I not connected with Elysa a few months ago I wouldn’t have gotten the immediate support I needed with it either. If it wasn’t for 1 unfortunate event, I wouldn’t have been able to make it through the rest with more ease. These moments could have left me with lessons that were negative like “oh you shouldn’t do the show” or “oh see you can’t go to a show alone”... But instead I learned that: I have so many amazing people around me ready to help if I just communicate & ask—I’m never in it alone I’m always being looked out for & 1 negative thing can be a sign things will be easier if I stop fighting it I am capable of making things work- even when it’s raining I can still bring the sunshine I’m grateful for the experiences & all the people there for support & to have fun with that allowed me to focus on the bright side!  Quick fixes have been the Achilles heel to fitness pros for years because they don’t work!
Well, I’ve got qualms with the fitness industry of my own Sure, they can detest diet culture & reliance on fads, but to then also turn around & promote this? That’s a real shame I’m an advocate for prioritizing your relationship with food, body image, & overall self-affect WHILE pursuing your physique goals Just as everyone’s fitness journey is unique, the same is true of mental health Now, while I’m no longer a fitness coach, I am a CPT & studied clinical nutrition & dietetics as an emphasis through my AS & into my BS before realizing my heart wasn’t in it the way it was in psychology which I ultimately got my BA in, but I can say MOST coaches want THE BEST for you & your long-term results/sustainability BUT THAT’S JUST IT You hire a FIT pro to focus on exercise, a NUTRITION pro to focus on nourishment, & then what do you do for mental health? Turn back to the fitness Industry promoting these as “strategies”?🥴 It would be like me telling you to just sit on the couch all day because walking makes you tired? No way would a fit pro support this—it’s a BANDAGE I would never try to do a passionate, results-driven coach’s job & I don’t want them trying to do mine I read research on psychology, counseling, theoretical, & evidence based approaches to disordered eating, body image, purpose, goals, life changes, self-concept, mindfulness... Just as I’m sure the fitness pro you’re working with is immersed in that literature to support you in your physical results All I’m saying is, be mindful of where you may be relying on quick fixes for your mindset despite focusing on & believing in a sustainable fitness / competition lifestyle While these behaviors suggested in the image may seem “normal” bc fit pros might practice them, it doesn’t mean they’re healthy/helpful Just like it is “normal” to succeed short term in a fad diet, it doesn’t mean it should be promoted— we all know “it’s just water weight” & “unsustainable” right? You deserve to #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY & face the mental health related concerns that are holding you back from being the best athlete you can be, capitalizing on the programs you commit to, & sustaining the results you create  Are You Currently in or Starting Your Off-Season and Anxious to Feel Comfortable in Your Body, Around Food, and with Your New Goals? DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH: An unhealthy relationship with food (binging, overeating, over-restricting, avoidance, punishment, guilt, not knowing how to find a balance, etc.)? Body image (seeing your body differently than it really is and feeling like you look like a blown up balloon ALL the time)? Feeling confident in your skin as you begin building muscle and getting your health back even when that means more fat begins to come back? Setting new goals and creating a new identity now that you are no longer on prep? Listening to Your Body and Trusting the Process Required in this Season of Growth? WHAT IF YOU KNEW EXACTLY HOW TO MAKE PEACE WITH FOOD AND YOUR BODY AFTER A SHOW? My 8 week post-show personal development was built to support competitors in saying goodbye to the post show blues for good. THIS PROGRAM WILL HELP YOU: Find Balance Again Put an End to Overeating Understand & Address Mindless, Overwhelming Binge-like Sessions Feel Comfortable in Your Body as You Begin to See it Grow & Change Rewrite Your Identity and Goals for the Off-Season Embrace the New Season with Love, Acceptance, and Total Peace of Mind This is not a diet or exercise program, this is the only program in the industry that works directly with and for bikini competitors to overcome the post-show blues using mindset & psychology. It’s separate from my food relationship coaching program and looks more at every single area of your life & more specifically addressing the grieving, growing, & intention based changes necessary in this phase. WITH THIS PROGRAM YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT TO DO AFTER A SHOW AGAIN! You get access to it FOREVER along with monthly group coaching calls with other amazing athletes who choose to #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY To learn more and enroll visit www.celestial.fit/postshow now  If it isn’t aligned with my values, I don’t want anything to do with it.
Setting boundaries with myself became easier the more I honored the deepest core codes of my soul. Life is so beautiful because my values are fulfilled every day in all sorts of ways. It may not always be glamorous or as fun as finding a swing on a hike but it is always worth doing if it brings me closer to satisfying my soul. Every time I set goals I see how they align with my values which makes me see them as non-negotiable. So when I ask “what happens if I don’t *go after xyz goal*?” I realize I’m not just sacrificing the surface level value of the goal but the intrinsic, deep rooted, driving force behind it which means SO much more to me. Even when I am going back and forth between choices or considering next best steps I always refer to my 3 top values. What are your deepest values? Do you know or have you been wondering how to figure it out? I love guiding my clients to determine how their goals and values align but I love even more when they discover what their values really mean to them and choose to satisfy them daily! I truly believe a life lived in congruency is the most fulfilling life to live because it helps us feel content. Contentedness can breed a deeper connection to ourselves and the world around us with a detachment from the “things” of life and greater focus on our experience of life as a unique soul. Feel free to reach out for support through this or join my on-demand mindset coaching platform for competitors to get support & mentorship at your fingertips along with live group calls every month. Info can be found at: www.celestial.fit/ondemand #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY  It is almost impossible to find words that detail what this transformation means to me. Most transformation posts are coupled with discussions about how much happier or healthier the smaller body is and how miserable and hated the larger body was. That was not at all my truth. I loved my body on the left. In fact, I loved her so much I let her grow and recover and restore after years of dieting. I had gone from disordered eating and exercise abuse to justifying it from 2012-2016. Then I took time to step out of the identities I thought equaled healthy or enough and chose myself and my body. I faced dark demons within me which was so challenging but necessary. After really focusing on shifting my perspective on my body, food, and the bodybuilding lifestyle I decided to return to the stage for the second time and prove to myself I could do it with a healthy relationship with food and my body. I did that. But then I hung onto it so tightly, getting caught up in the chase more than the process. I went on a run of shows, ignored body signals, and really ran myself down when I needed to build. I don't regret that. 2017-2019 competition season was epic fun. I learned so much, fell in love with the sport in a healthier way, launched a podcast, and enjoyed every bit of it. I was competing, winning, and feeling so good. But my body wasn't. While I didn't rebound after my show, I struggled a bit. In applying the principles I once used in conjunction with new knowledge from my psychology degree and experiences as an athlete, I was able to fully and truly mend my relationship with food and my body. This sparked an evolution in my business as well that I am forever grateful for. But, I also was so committed to coming back to the stage that I threw shit at the wall hoping for something to stick so I could. I had to get my period back, restore my health, and build. I went to drastic measures to do this. I gained weight from intentional loving actions, not loathing binge episodes. I didn't end my season in 2019 like 'I am going to put on over 40 pounds to get my period back' I just went in knowing I had to. In retrospect, I would have been even more patient and methodical so as to protect from so much weight gain. You see, on the left, I am healthy from a hormone perspective. I had my period again, I was lifting heavy 5-6x a week, I was able to do long hikes, I was enjoying food in new ways and following a fantastic protocol I built over many months from my show. I got my calories up high, I was doing nothing too stressful, and just trying to support my body best I could. I still knew the stage was coming. But I had to start. I had still been living the bodybuilder life though, don't get me wrong. I was eating nourishing foods, lifting heavy, and focused on my goals every day. I posed often and kept my mind in the process, the long term game... So I got back with my coach and we did some more off season work together, then began a prep at the end of September 2019 with the intention of being super slow and steady. I prepped for the body on the right, the show on the right, my first go at a national stage, from the moment I began that prep. This transformation doesn't show you everything I described before. It doesn't even show you the way I learned to sustain my results and honor my body through the cancellations of show after show. It doesn't show how much healthier my relationship with food is now because of the inner work I have been building upon for years and years to come. It doesn't show my body image which was positive and loving in both of these stages because body image is not as much about our body as it is about our congruency with ourselves. I wish this transformation could show the breakdowns, breakthroughs, and curveballs. I wish it could show the patience I was able to develop that served me through that prep, through the cancellations, and now going into another extended off season with less urgency and more peace. I am no longer so attached to an outcome (a win, a qualification, a title, a menstrual cycle) that I rush the process. I am so grateful for myself, for my body, for my journey. I am proud of the weight I shed. I have no doubt that the 47 pound difference between these two bodies is not just human tissue, but also limiting beliefs, negative behaviors, old thoughts, past experiences, identities, and so much more, gone forever. April was not the start of the transformation, it was more like the middle. I was not unhappy, I was not unhealthy--but I was ready to go after what I wanted as an athlete and showcase what I build physically with the support of my new mindset. The extended prep proved to me I could maintain, sustain, and honor my own needs along the way. I am in no rush anymore because I have truly learned how to relish in the process. Releasing attachment to surface level results has proven to be just as effective as any other form of freedom. It has given me the opportunity to be my best self, make my best choices, and honor myself fully without the external expectations, beliefs, or standards of anyone else. I am not ruled by others' definitions of the identities I embody- competitor, student, mentor...I choose to define myself and my journey. I am the only one who truly knows what the true difference is in these photos. I celebrate the physical changes as a representation of my mental transformations. Both on the left and on the right. I share this because I know who I am, and when you know who you are, there is no doubt you can fulfill the expectations that come with that definition of who you are. But be careful, because when you overidentify with harmful, unhealthy, unsustainable, conditioned and mindless definitions the results are fleeting more than they are fulfilling. You will feel more fulfilled by a process that aligns with your values, leaves room for your continued development, and fits seamlessly into your life. It is not about meeting the standards of others, it is about choosing to rise to the occasion of what you demand from yourself with love, mindfulness, consideration, and giving yourself full permission to do it in your own way, in your own time, and with a deep love and appreciation for the challenges and triumphs along the way. I couldn't be more grateful for the support of loved ones, coaches, friends, clients, people at the gym, and of course my family. I am so happy to share this because YOU can do anything. Sometimes it may not look how you expect or others expect but when you know who you are and what you are after, you can accept the journey as it unfolds so long as you are taking responsibility and choosing intentionality along the way. I am now a better athlete, competitor, and mentor because of the experiences I have had. I have learned my important lessons and now I apply them to support my continued growth. I choose patience now and I learned that by releasing pressure around me, I can find the presence within me. I know I am worthy of the results I have, and the results I desire. I know my habits are a reflection of me and my best self. I know that by showing up for myself, I can more effectively show up for others. I am more likely to succeed because I am truly one with myself which empowers me to make the best decisions for myself. I am grateful for my body, for my relationship with food, my mental peace, and my lifestyle. I am a champion for myself, for my clients, for mental health, and for the process. I preach BUILD MORE THAN JUST A BODY because I BUILD MORE THAN JUST A BODY. It is not only my mission, but it is my lifestyle, my purpose. [Scroll Down for the YouTube Video] Something I notice a lot of competitors do post-show is expect themselves to meet the same standards for themselves that they had or were meeting on prep This can really set athletes up for failure because each season is different! Improvement season is not prep and your expectations and standards need to change with your season So, if you're struggling post-show ask yourself:
Now that doesn't mean you completely change who you are or the athlete mentality and commitments you make to yourself In fact we want to utilize your strengths and those characteristics that supported you in prep to support you in your improvement season. It means we create congruency within ourselves to cultivate it across seasons as well Try asking yourself:
I hope this video and post has been helpful for you! Would love to hear what comes up for you when you take the time to journal or think about these things for yourself whether that is now or in your future off-seasons Let me know if you have any questions about how exactly you can apply it or utilize the insight gained from introspection This is actually a topic I have covered pretty extensively for my members and clients in my on demand mindset coaching platform and through our group coaching calls You can learn more about the platform HERE I would be so happy to welcome you into the BUILD MORE THAN JUST A BODY community with other amazing competitors, athletes, and women making peace with food, their body, and their goals  Eating BamBody Nutrition every day, achieving my goals, and enjoying every moment of it! NEW @bambodynutrition DISCOUNT CODE FOR JANUARY IS “PURSUE”. You can see my updated code every month on my highlights or DM me anytime @celestial_fit. I share my code and promote them so much because I genuinely love and enjoy them every day. They’ve made a huge difference in how I get to enjoy sweet flavor profiles and have helped satiate me for long days, workouts, or relaxing nights. I think everyone I’ve shared them with has become addicted like me though lol! They’re certainly not your average protein item. If you’ve never tried their blondies right out of the freezer, DO IT. If you’ve never had the quick fix, TRY IT! And the ebook for it is full of awesome recipes and they donate all the money from ebook purchases! If you get a chance to order red velvet or cinnashred, don’t hesitate. This month I ordered their secret sample area cookies and some CBD serum to try so I'll keep you guys posted! I will now go enjoy a treat for myself. Don’t forget to use code “pursue” at BamBodynutrition.com in the month of January for a discount!   I thought about listing all of the highs & lows of my year in a post since I made HUGE strides despite setbacks but I feel the more powerful statement I can make here is that you truly can do anything you set your mind to IF you prepare yourself for it.
It may be a cliché but it’s only true for those who take action to make it happen. It certainly won’t be a better day, week, month, year...if you’re the same person running the same system or approach each time. Focusing on your mindset, behaviors, thoughts...it’s imperative. You have to systemize and optimize for growth to create space for your life to scale in the ways you want, if your business isn’t prepared to scale, it won’t... if your life isn’t primed to grow, it won’t. Be willing to face what is ailing you and do something about it. Not by sweeping it under the rug or putting a bandage on it or tacking it to the end of your to do list—do it right effing now. You have to step forward even when you have less energy or desire. Even if the step is smaller than you expected or set out for yourself, just keep going. You must be prepared for setbacks. If you don’t have a plan you’ll always feel like you’re reacting when you could be responding with the no biggie I knew this might happen mentality. You need to accept the present moment for what it is and really question if the doubts & fears you have are actually protecting & serving you—what’s the most likely thing to come from your choices is more important than ALL the other anxieties. You have to also understand You’re not as crazy as you might think. If you really put your experiences on paper and connected them to your current choices and reality it would probably appear like a normal response to those experiences. BUT if you want your day to day to change your automatic normal responses must change too which means those beliefs or identities are likely going to need a revamp. PLEASE KNOW IT IS OKAY TO CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS AS MUCH AS YOU FOCUS ON AREAS THAT NEED IMPROVEMENT. You’re a Rockstar. Play your heart out & live as loud as you can because when Rolling Stone calls you’ll need to own your story ;) . #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY |
Celeste Rains-Turk
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