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 If today was your last day of prep, would you be satisfied with the work you put in?
At the end of each day, reflect on how you showed up for yourself and crushed your goals. At the beginning of each day, ask what is a fair expectation to have for yourself and how you’ll implement any lessons learned from the day before. Throughout the day, check in with yourself, do you need a moment to rest, to breathe, to take care of something, to execute on a habit, to reevaluate a goal, to reprioritize values… Autopilot mode is not going to help you develop a champion mentality. You need to be “on” and present so you can bring your mind into everything you do with a commitment to improvement as well as celebration for what you’re doing. Make sure you #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY
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 Walking the fine line between enjoying every pleasure of life and preparing for future pleasure can be difficult.
I find competitors can really gain a lot from practicing delayed gratification in other areas of life to help get comfortable with the patience the sport will demand of you. If you find yourself giving into things like cravings immediately and you fall into the habit of this, implementing some of the things on this list might help you to rebuild that trust in yourself. There’s nothing wrong with you if you struggle with this. This type of ability to delay gratification starts at a young age and is often reinforced overtime. It can be indicative of unmet needs, attachment style, environment, and how you were supported or are currently. If you can build this ability on your own, you’ll likely set yourself up for greater performance in every other area of your life. Is there an area you find you seek instant gratification most? I think for many of us it could be through social media, watching reel after reel or reading meme after meme always having entertainment right at our fingertips. It could even be the tendency to immediately hit snooze and gratify your desire for more rest right away or the tendency to play that game you’re really good at whenever you get the chance. Putting off these pleasures might feel like you’re delaying enjoyment in your life for an unpromised tomorrow but if we do not prepare at all for what’s to come we will likely continue to live in gluttony and too much of anything is never good for us. What do you find supports you in exercising that patience muscle? How do you practice delaying gratification and focusing on the big picture? #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY  Is anything truly promised or certain?
I’m not sure. There have been many moments in my life where the most unexpected, terrible, traumatic, devastating things have happened without warning. These have impacted other areas of my life and being. I don’t know that anything is promised. I’d like to believe certain things are inevitable based on scientific laws. But what about universal truths? The things that always apply but are not fully tangible? Many of us are so unique and our world views likely influence what we perceive as “truth”. I have chosen to believe many optimistic and positive things in and about life which guide my views, interactions, and ideals. Personally I believe the things which are inevitable are the things we put energy towards, whether intentionally or not, on a consistent basis. Might it be inevitable then that someone who consistently works out achieves progress? Maybe not physically if not executed properly but maybe in their confidence or belief in themselves or in their social world? Is it arguable then that anytime we are in motion we are inevitably progressing whether it is with lessons or successes? I feel like this post is a bit tangential. I started writing it by saying, growth is inevitable for those who reflect and apply. But then I questioned that and realized it may not be true. Because what if our reflection from an experience actually is a negative core belief and the application is that of distrust or solitude or shut down or some sort? All this to say it really isn’t just about reflection and application but it’s also perception, honesty, courage to look deeper or ask for help or consider other possibilities…  Save this for your next competition weekend🤗
Getting that mental “pump” before going on stage can help you detach from the outcome and shine up there Pick and choose all or one of these to start with :) maybe begin them the day or two before your show or the morning of if you have some extra time after that 4am makeup appointment👀😂😴 Hope you find these helpful! For more resources that support you with mental demands of competing checkout my site linked in bio @celestial_fit 💕 #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY  Love the work and the results will work themselves out.
Too much focus on the results steals energy from the process. I know it can be hard especially when results seem to be coming slowly, but trust that they will come with each day you intentionally execute. If we let everything hang on outcomes or surface level changes we might modify our behavior based on this which likely won’t be healthy or conducive for the long run. I get excited to check in with my coach every week but the outcome of the check in doesn’t dictate my effort or emotion about the process. I trust that we have a plan, have patience, and will make adjustments as needed so no worries or reason to stress about that. It’s helpful to celebrate how you showed up for yourself and your goals every day to reinforce this pattern of thinking and before check ins identify how your effort was BEFORE weighing in or measuring or taking photos. Having the opportunity to contribute at the @angelfashionshowfor @angelcompetitionbikinis was awesome. Thank you @karahtheyogi for inviting me (can’t believe we didn’t take a pic together lol and to the other friends I didn’t get to get a pic with I'm so bummed but I loved the genuine time we spent together or momentary chats amidst the crazy, you're all so special ❤️).
I am so happy I got to spend time with such amazing women all weekend and meet with clients and podcast guests as well as listeners that I haven’t met in person and reconnect with people I have had the pleasure to meet before. I loved spending time with everyone and am so happy for every moment! My intention this year was to contribute more to the bodybuilding community and if it wasn’t for amazing people who believe in my vision and see the value I bring advocating for me and trusting me to serve their communities I wouldn’t have the chance to. The privilege to share and connect is not lost on me in one bit. I have pinch me moments every day because of all the support, belief, and love in this community. I feel so empowered to continue serving with my mission in helping competitors to #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY and truly feel so valued which is inexplicable. I am forever thankful for times like this and look forward to many more events, engagements, and opportunities this year including speaking at various team retreats, a special Olympia event lineup tba, and more full seminars including some with other professionals much like I just did with glam girl in February as well as the kickoff of applications for my 2023 psychoeducation and support group / mastermind (you can DM me for details on this) LONG STORY SHORT I FEEL SO GRATEFUL TO BE LIVING MY DREAM!!! None of which would be possible without the trust and belief of others in me and my vision, experience, knowledge, and passion THANK YOUUUU isn’t enough!  Check ins from this morning.
I have been prepping since November. Letting my body decide when to step on stage & trusting the guidance of my coach. As we are getting closer to the timeline we were aiming for we can start making decisions on what is needed for me to get up there. I’m craving it for sure😅 Last weekend I was given a refeed meal & I was down 2.2lbs at check ins today & some inches. Last time I had this big of a drop was after multiple days of resting from upper body training due to injury & post-refeed. Very interesting to me. I remember my first prep I never had refeeds. Every prep is different & it seems my body is recomping so nicely this time around. Holding shape & muscle while letting fat go. We are down about 10 pounds actually but the visible difference is SO much more valuable than the number which is why I rarely share weight changes. I am enjoying the process & I’m pursuing goals in all other areas of my life. Plus we have maintained a menstrual cycle which I am grateful for. Cardio is up & food is down right now but it’s nothing I can’t manage and it is adding so much to my life. This lifestyle really gives me so much structure & personal time which is highly necessary due to the nature of the work I do where I am always helping, giving, or talking to others. I like my alone time to recharge & competing gives me time to do cardio & time to lift & nourish my body & recover. It’s really amazing. I’ve been competing since 2015 and honestly every year gets better and better. I’ve learned to let go of pressure that doesn’t serve me & embrace the here, now, & whether this will be possible years from now. I’ve also learned to respect my body & her process & I am still young & I have already come so far that to compare myself to the past wouldn’t be as beneficial as investing that energy into where I am and where I’m going. I am so grateful for bodybuilding and can’t imagine living a life without it being part of it in some way. I’m really happy with how prep is going & do appreciate your support🥰 can’t wait to speak at the @angelcompetitionbikinis fashion show expo this weekend. Can’t wait to meet so many amazing women🤗  Have you ever heard of irrational ideas?
I find that competing and pursuing many of the goals I have has allowed me to combat many of them. Albert Ellis was the founder of rational emotive behavior therapy which helps you transform behaviors or emotions that do not serve you and which are driven by negative thought patterns. One of his proposed 15 irrational ideas is that it in order to be worthwhile someone must be entirely competent and achieving in every possible way which, as an athlete in a judged sport, can be experienced often. Just because you don’t look like Ms bikini Olympia doesn’t mean you shouldn’t step on stage this year if you’re healthy and excited and supported. Waiting until you’re “there” could put you at Risk of never “arriving” because most competitors will agree that this sport is ever evolving much like our bodies. So go get your feet wet or take that next step in your journey and celebrate your commitment to the process and the efforts you put in. Another irrational idea is that one can be happy without any action. This is irrational because we are driven by “doing” and striving which allows for many opportunities for fulfillment. Sitting around doing nothing is not what our bodies and minds are made for even on a biological level! Sure we can save up energy but it’s so we can perform at a high level! Competing requires us to take action daily. Even intentional rest is action. But this sport is not just about attaining a goal or a title. Happiness and satisfaction is really achieved through the execution and proving to yourself you can overcome challenges and pursue something so passionately. #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY  I know what it’s like to want to check your body every time you walk by a mirror, especially as you get closer to show or you’re coming out of one and seeing how much is “holding on”.
But body checking can have very negative implications on how we perceive ourselves for the long term. If you are always checking your body & meeting yourself with kind or negative words that’s going to influence how you see your body when it’s in a different shape & we know our body is ever evolving! With that said, most of the times competitors tell me they look in the mirror & their eyes instantly go to their waist, glutes, & shoulders (hello criteria we are literally driven to work towards every day) The exercise I’m sharing involves a mirror & either cardboard, poster board, or just paper & tape If you find that every time you look in the mirror your eyes go to your waist & this leads to judgmental thoughts that make you question yourself or doubt yourself or even change your behavior then you’d place your cardboard over the mirror in the spot that your eyes tend to go to first. Researchers have found that people with body dysmorphic disorder have different eye tracking than healthy control groups which leads them to fixate more on negative attributes rather than a balanced scanning of all traits & I think this can be applied to body checking. This is not to say that by completing this exercise you’ll transform immediately and entirely (as things take consistent implementation & reinforcement anyway). BUT in personal experience & through those I’ve shared it with I’ve seen this exercise change where you look first. By putting the cardboard over the waist which is the first thing you look at, you will notice that the cardboard serves as an interruption to this pattern & forces your eyes elsewhere thus taking fixation off of one area which you’re hyper critical of. I hope you feel inspired to try this out for a few weeks & see how it impacts your tendency to look at one area of your body. Be patient & compassionate with yourself❤️ LMK how it goes! If you want more specific help with body image check out www.celestial.fit/ondemand 🤗 #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY  Having intentions for prep and improvement season is important. They need to be flexible and adaptable so when circumstances change, as they often do in life, your commitments can be upheld.
For example, I took this pic during my 2020 prep. Not only were there tons of snow cancellations and changes, there were many personal challenges in my life. This pic was taken at a hotel I had to move into during peak week for one of my shows after we had a house fire. One of my intentions was to show up and give my best and try to be better each day. Another was to be tuned in to my body and recognize what is expected response given the demands I’m placing and what is more out of the norm so I could do a better job of listening to and honoring my body. Those are both able to be carried out any season. Over the seasons I’ve done, I’ve come to learn that the smoother the transition from season to season, the better. If you don’t set intentions for post-show or improvement season your mind will search for standards to uphold and that means you might have expectations of yourself that are more appropriate for prep and that might be unfair especially if you had to go pretty far to get the results you wanted it can be a lot to expect of yourself. If you don’t set intentions for prep you might have a hard time committing to the demands required to kick it up a notch. Of course it would be great if there are not dramatic differences in your preps to improvement season but we must recognize there are and so it’s best to have clear commitments for yourself so you know what to expect and can be fair with yourself. Start by asking what you want your experience to be and work from there. If you want an experience that includes time with friends and family you might have a commitment to set x time per week to spend time or reach out to loved ones. Maybe you want to be more mindful about how your body reacts to some foods so your intention is to experiment with x new foods per week and see how they make your body feel. What are some intentions you can have for any season? What about some for prep only or improvement season only? Would love to hear yours 🤗 #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY |
Celeste Rains-Turk
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Photos used under Creative Commons from Robert Gourley, Danijel J, Neeta Lind, Brian PDX, Stefano Merli, frankieleon, j_lai, Gudlyf, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet, Arya Ziai, SuperFantastic, Ruth and Dave
