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Every show I’ve been to I’ve heard comments like this from competitors.
Usually if people try to engage in these conversations with me, I’ll make an effort to lead by example. I communicate my thoughts regarding food post show and reinforce listening to my body, enjoying the whole show day experience while I’m here & focusing on that, & knowing I’ll be able to enjoy foods based on what I want and choose but I don’t need it in large amounts and haven’t thought about that all day and night because I really have prioritized other conversations taking my energy. I don’t think it’s ALWAYS a problem or red flag for competitors to eat backstage. Obviously everyone’s process is different. But the food fixation and obsession just seems like such a disservice to the journey every athletes been on to then make it about food :/. It’s important to refuel and nourish our body & everyone’s body can respond differently! Some can handle trying all the cookies or donuts & some can’t. I think the physical response aside, it can have a major impact on your mentality with food if the first thing you do after show is eat something you’ve been “dying†to have. I want to really emphasize here that I’m not saying to have no food you’re offered or given or nothing at all after the show. But I’m encouraging a more mindful approach when doing so. Ask yourself & your body how you feel & what would benefit you in that moment & after. I know there’s been times where I feel confident that a cookie is what I’m going to have but that most of all I need to see my family or friends if any are present, talk to judges and my coach, drink water, shower, & relax a bit. If you have an opportunity to have a memorable moment with loved ones or other athletes, & food is involved, it’s great to participate but know that you can do what’s best for you just as you’ve done your whole prep. Practice mindfulness & be considerate of how your body feels & what you really want from / in that moment. Sometimes delaying the gratification of taste is the best option as opposed to quickly eating all the food because others are. ​I'm not preaching chicken & asparagus or cookies n donuts, just mindful & confident choices.
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 I’ve been through challenging, dark, and unimaginably painful things. I know life won’t be void of hardship moving forward but I affirm to myself that everything will only get better especially because I’ve been through what I deem the worst of it
I find I can easily get caught up in thoughts that are a result of the trauma, fears, loss, hardship, and other dark demons that I never even expected to face when I did…many of which took me by surprise and flipped my world upside down. When I feel pain or doubt or worry I often remember all that I’ve been through and know that nothing I’m worried about or stressing over or experiencing could be or is worse than that. Plus, I know if I can get through what I’ve been through, I’m pretty damn resilient. It’s not to say those feelings I have or experiences are not valid or worthy of being felt and processed. But, I know the value in identifying and using my strengths to support me through the challenges I face day to day now. It is not to minimize the weight of the experiences but rather to support my perspective taking on it. Whatever hardship you’re in, feel it, honor it, embrace what it is and get acquainted with that feeling…because as hard as it is to do, this will support you in healing and preparing to face future difficulties. I am certainly not perfect and can struggle to “therapize” myself. I have an amazing support system and have created a life that is fulfilling and keeps me going with purpose and drive and alignment to my values. It’s certainly not always easy or as easy as an Instagram caption can make it seem. But I hope the vulnerability and empathy is felt in this message, you are strong and you can choose to see and believe the best in yourself and about your life even if you’ve been through hell. If you can recognize where there is darkness, this represents there is knowledge of the existence of light too💛🖤💛 #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY  Some people see the end result and they say, it’s not worth all this work you’re doing for a plastic trophy and a medal.
But what they fail to understand is that there’s so much more behind every lift, meal, cardio session, recovery work, posing practice, show days, glam, tans, and all this jazz that they just can’t see. Keep working. You know that we’re here to #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY These wins go well beyond surface level and they happen with every day that you show up for yourself while satisfying and fulfilling your core values to live a meaningful life while committing to being better every day. Those who don’t see it or support it despite your best efforts to let them in on it, may not deserve to🤷🏻♀️ but if you truly love this and you’re passion is allowing you to take the best approach and you are willing to experience the wins and the losses season to season and show to show…then trust that you are on the right path. Not everyone needs to “get it” for you to pursue this. It helps to have support, of course. But it’s also okay to be mindful of who is part of this incredible, fulfilling, revealing process that comes with this sport.  I am so grateful for all of you who listen to Confessions of a Bikini Pro Podcast every week and look forward to the episodes every Friday!
I’m grateful for those of you who are just now finding the podcast or have only listened every once in awhile It makes me so happy to have this space for competitors and to hear from all the incredible guests and listeners I am grateful I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some of you in person and I know there will be so many more opportunities this year that i just can’t wait for! I’m actually working on something pretty big for the community to celebrate 1 million downloads👀 . I appreciate you guys for taking the time to leave such sweet reviews and I hope to keep sharing more listener love over the years! Have a pro you want to hear on the podcast? Send them through to my inbox! @celestial_fit If you’re looking for a list of pros that have been on the show before, visit www.celestial.fit/podcast where the categories are all listed in alphabetical order of athlete name OR just scroll through your fav podcast streaming platform Let’s keep shining light on the incredible #IFBBBIKINI pros. I can’t wait to see who else goes pro this year! Cheers to many more future connections❤️❤️🎊  Community in this sport is so meaningful!
Some competitors don’t have support of family or friends around them. Especially when you’re taking on a new lifestyle and your loved ones are grieving an old version of you that you no longer wish to be. I’ve had clients who tell me they don’t have much connection to the industry and feel very alone. Which is why a big part of my programs and services include community connection. We have a group coaching call every month and a private Facebook group for people to share. Not to mention all the live events open for competitors and non-competitors. Not only mine but the industry! There are so many great opportunities to connect and while it can be scary to put yourself out there or you think you might be judged because you’re “new” or you’re taking a “different” approach than others, you’re still valued and your current process can still benefit greatly from having support around you. Support online or across states or even across the world can be just as valuable as in person connections. I know I have many friends online or nearby who I communicate with about this sport and lifestyle often. Some who are nearby I don’t even get to see that often but we still have each other’s back. It’s important to have people in your corner or who you can ask for insight from. Challenge yourself to find some LIVE events, online groups, or even just reach out to some of the people you follow and make friends It is so meaningful! Pictured with me here is @frobandytruth who started as a client years ago and stayed connected in the community and we kept in touch and we spent precious time at USAs together and made memories I’ll always cherish! And she is always on our build more than just a body group coaching calls every month adding value, insight, and sharing her own experiences and thoughts. If you’re curious about being in the community or seeing what it’s about you can learn more at www.celestial.fit/ondemand And if you work with me 1:1 at any point in time, you’ll have access to the group coaching calls for as long as they’re in existence!  If you don’t like the results you’re getting, and you’ve done the best you can to execute, change the process
Your habits make up your life and will be reflected in your results. If you get too comfortable with choices you make, that don’t align with your goals, you’ll be more likely to continue making those choices. Then, when you realize you want to change your behavior, you’ll usually experience some resistance because the behaviors are bringing some sort of value or benefit to your life. Often times, I ask clients “what is the benefit to your self-sabotaging behaviors?” And they’ll say, “there’s no benefit that’s why I’m doing this with you!!” And then we dig deeper and we consider what those behaviors are bringing their life. Usually we find things like comfort, relief, familiarity, community or connection, stability… To which we then must explore how changing the behavior can illicit a similar benefit without too much change or risk. It can be a bit of an experimental process but oooooey how satisfying it is when those patterns begin to shift!! Personally a big pattern I had to shift was not pushing myself enough in my workouts and lifting…but I reverse engineered it and was able to find a way to change that to my benefit. Working through associations that do not serve us can be hard but it is WORTH it You can read tons of stories and testimonials about others who have accomplished their goals because of their shift in mentality and focus on personal development at www.celestial.fit. #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY  The domino effect has to be one of the most rewarding parts of the work I do.
A negative relationship with food and your body image impacts every area of your life right? So wouldn’t healing it also then touch every area of your life? YES! Many of the athletes I work with find that in committing to themselves, they’re better able to show up for others. Amber really doubted if this was possible for her, there were ups and downs in the journey, as expected, and she came out on top!! I couldn’t be happier for her!! 🤗🤗 Those who are willing to be in the discomfort, of any kind, will usually experience a rewarding result. Much like working out, you have to be willing to get uncomfortable with the mental work to experience shifts. Sometimes it feels worse before it gets better but then it clicks and you think, WHY did I wait so long to face this?! I’ve been blessed with amazing clients and community members and people within the industry who refer my services to others and that always means soooo much to me!! So thank you to all of you who do! You are part of the domino effect! You can learn more about the 5 week food relationship healing and discovery program and apply now at www.celestial.fit/foodfreedom #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY  Here’s some of what I’ve been processing lately with just under 6 weeks left to my 1st show of the year…
Prepping in a bigger body because I took the necessary time off to build can be really challenging especially after coming from a season as crazy as 2020 & my last stage package being one where I was very small. The women placing in my class were at least 10lbs heavier which was good for me to see. So taking the time off has allowed me to build a better shape which also means it’s like a whole new body to be prepping in. This doesn’t diminish some of the thoughts like, what if it’s not my best, what if I’m not where I need to be, should I even do this show…but I will say, my ability to pull myself out of the stinking thinking (usually after letting it all out) is pretty good. I rationalize with myself and I also talk it out with people I trust. I journal, reflect, & I focus on the results I DO want & the work I have DONE and how it’s all brought me here & therefore, worth it! I’m improved and there’s no denying it. Each show I will get better & I will learn as I always have. Having core beliefs & positive standards to bring me back to center helps me to ground myself in those moments of doubt or worry. I’m not fully prepared to share everything I’ve been processing behind the scenes yet but the theme of uncertainty has also been prominent. It’s strange to be doing a prep without my mom being alive to cheer me on, this change has left me with new experiences & emotions. It’s strange to be prepping while also completing my masters & preparing to take a board exam & having 0 clue what’s next for me in that realm anyways because all I care about pursuing is impact in the bodybuilding community which is different, to some extent, than the clinical experience I’ve been getting. I’m left with many questions about what’s next in my life. I have many things I’m grateful for & look forward to! I can’t wait for each training session, client email or inquiry, opportunity to counsel at the internship, & the people I meet, & every moment with loved ones. I hope my reflection helps you feel less alone & know you can be HAPPILY pursuing while also healing & reflecting❤️🤗  Freedom from…
never ending thoughts of food stress at a restaurant or social event doubt and fear of not being able to adhere to your plan or ever achieve your goals in competing others’ judgement affecting you hiding away feeling stuck or lost in a cycle with no way out overwhelming fear and anxiety around trigger foods distracting negative self-talk emotions dictating eating choices dreading check ins with your coach the scale constantly feeling like a let down or failure A healthy relationship with food isn’t about giving up your goals or dreams, it’s about finding the most empowering and fulfilling way to achieve them. Freedom with food is a mindset. Fostering it requires rewiring pathways around eating that have been engrained and reinforced over time. To see a change in your relationship with food, it requires consistent effort. You must be willing to spend time using progressive overload on your mental health. It’s a consistent effort, every day. I can say from my own personal experience that there were times it felt like there was no way out, that I’d binge forever…I’d always struggle with the criticism and judgment and feeling out of control without an intense focus on a plan or goal. But now, I couldn’t even tell you the last time I binged or even overate on a refeed meal. It’s just not “me” anymore. It took a lot of trial and error. Not only in my own experience have I developed really transformative approaches to healing, but also in the education I have received and applied to competitors. I developed my food relationship program as a way to support others in making peace with food, their body, and their goals using psychology and personal development. I apply skills and techniques I’ve learned through my psych and clinical mental health counseling programs. I also apply what I know as an athlete. I “get” the competitor life & I will do everything I can to support you in achieving your goals as an athlete without sacrificing your mental game. I’ve got tons of stories from past clients on the information page regarding the 5 week program. You can view all the info & apply to work with me at www.celestial.fit/foodfreedom  Whenever I go on flights I always find it interesting that as soon as it’s snack time, most everyone opens the mix and starts eating.
It could be 630 am and suddenly everyone around you is eating pub mix🤔 I always thought, there’s no way ALL these people are hungry, ready to eat, or even wanting this. It’s just, what I call, “airplane mode”. The food was handed to them, the snack was there, so they ate it. No consideration for their body, goals, nutrient needs, hunger levels… at least I don’t see many people taking a time to consider the snack before tearing into it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not demonizing airplane food or snack packs…they can be yummy & sometimes helpful. But it’s the mindlessness that I want to bring our attention to. I flew to this seminar and was offered a snack pack and of course said yes because I instantly realized this could be an excellent visual and discussion aligned with content I had planned. So of course, I did talk about this at the @angelcompetitionbikinis @angelfashionshow To bring awareness to why we are eating when we choose to eat, how our environment can influence those choices, & what considerations are helpful to support making the best choice for yourself & your body How do you set yourself up to make positive decisions? What will you consider before eating your meals to help you feel more connected? If you’re looking for more education and support with the psychology behind eating decisions as a physique sport athlete, visit www.celestial.fit/foodseries to participate in my free 8 day psychoeducation based series with specific tools and guidance as well as individual support from me in this beginning phase of your food relationship journey🤗 #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
