If you ate it, it happened—EVEN if you don’t want to acknowledge it…

What do I mean by “happened?”

By happened, I mean, did you put the food in your mouth and begin to ingest it

Even if you purge it through chew and spit, vomiting, restriction, or excess cardio—it still happened

The decision was made

I find a lot of competitors or people I work with on their fitness journey struggle with taking responsibility for their choices

This is a big reason for the mealtime rituals I developed for my clients in my 5 week food relationship program (www.celestial.fit/foodfreedom)

We are not acknowledging the behavior as a form of JUDGMENT but rather as a form of RESPONSIBILITY

You are responsible for your choices. And while many factors can influence the decisions you make, ultimately the decision is yours

But with consideration for the many factors at play, we WIN by prioritizing mindfulness which has been shown to drive up self esteem

We must start by acknowledging the choice rather than judging it

Many of the clients who come to me have a “if I didn’t track it it never happened” mentality because if they tracked it then they’re no longer “THAT” athlete but they know that this mentality is holding them back & causing a lot of dissonance, slowed progress, & a mind distracted with guilt, shame, & an ongoing negative cycle

I used to be like that too 🙈. I was like well it only counts if it’s counted right? WRONG

I found this took a major toll on the way I viewed and treated myself. I started to feel so out of integrity with myself & my identity that I lacked congruency that brought me peace because I was stuck in criticism

When I accepted the choices I made I was able to make more pragmatic decisions

Rather than turning a blind eye to my choices, I found the power of self accountability

Recognizing decisions & interrupting patterns of habitual mindless eating or lack of acknowledgment are BIG wins because when we start to take ownership of the choices & bring our mind into it, we allow for learning, reduction in all or nothing thinking, & formation of new associations between you and food

Today I get to speak with Madeline Peguero, a Health & Nutrition Coach Certified Sports Nutritionist, who is also a member of our Build More than Just a Body community! She shares how her journey and health and fitness started out as purely aesthetics and how show know values the internal transformation even more. 

Madeline tells us how her current habits ate different than when she was focusing on external factors. She has learned what she loves outside of fitness, which has allowed her to build stronger relationships and pursue new passions. 

As she shifted away from being consumed by fitness, Madeline really had to find a way to rediscover her identity as a whole person rather than just someone devoted to fitness. Madeline shares how her personal growth has shifted the way she works in the health and nutrition field, and how she brings empathy into her work.

Madeline is so in tuned with her body and uses fitness as a way to connect with herself. She has confidence her current path will serve her long term and will lead to even more growth!

The purpose behind my Build More Than Just a Body coaching programs, like the 5 Week Food Relationship Program and 1:1 Ongoing Coaching, is to give each client autonomy in the journey, because everyone needs something different from the process. 

(see ways to work with me: www.celestial.fit/work-with-me.html)
CONNECT WITH MADELINE:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/herfitlosophy/​
TikTok: @herfitlosophy
CONNECT WITH CELESTE: 
IG: https://instagram.com/celestial_fit
On Demand Platform: http://www.celestial.fit/ondemand.html
Free Food Series: http://www.celestial.fit/foodseries.html
1:1 Food Relationship Coaching: http://www.celestial.fit/foodfreedom.html

9 Reasons the mental side of fitness can be so hard to prioritize:

1) Results of training & nutrition can be more tangible & therefore a more rewarding daily effort

2) Healing what mentally ails us is an admittance that something is holding us back & needs to be addressed. It requires responsibility taking for something we don’t quite understand yet or want to come to terms with

3) Opening up the mental can of worms can affect us on all levels. It can seem easier to leave it closed/put it off than to process it

4) The problem is not always straightforward. It can take digging, learning, applying, to figure out what’s going on

5) You cannot go through the motions with your mental health. It’s a daily conscious effort to change

6) Using our mind to change our mind is a bit of a “mind-f*”. We tend to convince ourselves we are good, or try to protect from possible changes, & sometimes feel it is fine as is & too risky to face the mental struggles as it could get in the way of other things (of course this is part of the story keeping us stuck)

7) Taking the time to work through uncomfortable subjects, experiences, or personal growth areas is not as fun as getting a sick pump in the gym so we easily convince ourselves to just go train instead of actually sit in the discomfort

8) You know when you go & push more weight in the gym that you have evidence of being stronger but with the mental side of fitness, there are many lessons and breakthroughs which will occur in a non-linear fashion & may not create a snowball effect in your life as clearly. It’s not always a+b=c

9) Part of you knows that by facing these mental struggles, you will become more of a champion—not just in an athlete POV but a champion for yourself…sometimes we sabotage that potential by resisting what will ultimately lead to our greatest breakthrough and the success we desire

While there are many more, I find these to be very common. There’s a lot that goes into changing your mentality, inner workings, & perspective

It is helpful to have a supportive environment & guidance along the way

I have tons of resources on my website @celestial_fit or simply DM me❤️ let’s #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY

Rather than criticize and judge yourself according to your actions, try to transform statements to be more accepting, compassionate, and solutions focused

Criticism and judgment can keep us stuck in the cycle because it builds upon the negative emotions we are feeling instead of taking the time to allow ourselves to feel, understand, and move forward from them

It is MUCH easier to just decide that your actions make you x, y, or z rather than seeing that your actions are choices, responses, reactions, or links to thoughts, circumstance, and both internal and external factors

While it may not seem worth it to take the time to evaluate what happened, it is going to be worthwhile for interrupting the negative thinking cycle that can lead to behavior spirals

When clients come to me judging themselves and in an intense state of 'this is just who I am and I will never change and I am doomed', I try to take a compassionate approach to support them in seeing/experiencing a healthier way of looking at it so that change can be prioritized over shame or submission to a definition of yourself that is only based in circumstantial truth rather than the whole truth

Extreme ways of thinking will always be easier because it is SO clear cut. BUT it is also limiting for this reason

By taking the time to validate, accept, and understand you are then equipped to move forward with a transformed outlook

These are only 3 examples but I would be happy to help you in rewriting a current story you may be stuck in

Feel free to DM me it or comment below and we can work on it together

It is my passion to help people who are pursuing their fitness and competition goals to see that there is power in the commitment to #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY that will allow you to sustain your results with peace of mind