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 Often times I see competitors say that they want to hop back on prep but then they do and it is not as fulfilling as they expected.
Usually this is because the decision was not made from the right place or with the right intention. I encourage athletes to consider these possible underlying reasons for wanting to start a prep. A lot of times we believe that being on prep will give us the control we are looking for or some sense of direction. But it is not control that they are looking for… usually it is congruency. We want to feel like our actions represent our beliefs, values, & identity. Post-show can bring about a feeling of disconnect or incongruence leading us to discomfort & desperate for clarity or a solution. Our brain tells us “well last time you felt good or positive about yourself or what you were doing was when you were on prep & super focused”. This can also apply to feeling like you are emotionally stable or not having to face difficult emotions because your soul focus is on prep & it is taking up headspace that would be preoccupied with current life difficulties that you may not want to face otherwise. Your mind might associate happiness with your body or connection with a community with being on prep. But if we take it a step further & dissect what was really happening on prep we can see that we were taking actions that were aligned with a goal or a vision & sometimes we think we need to be on prep to feel that way again. But the best thing we can do as competitors is understand how this lifestyle supports us in every season not just prep. We need to establish a deeper reason to continue the lifestyle regardless of if we have a show in mind. You could even take it a step further & ask yourself, “if I was not going to compete ever again would I still live this way?”. This can open up alternative perspectives and support you in seeing deeper meaning behind prepping or living this lifestyle that otherwise have not been recognized. Take time to sit with yourself & consider what is really happening below the surface that could be contributing to the urge to prep again. #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY
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 Bodybuilding taps into my strengths of consistency, discipline, routine, structure, drive and it has supported me in building past “weakness” including patience, presence, peace, acceptance on the path to improvement.
When I first started lifting, I didn’t know what I know now and I don’t fault myself for that. Naieveté generally precedes proficiency. We just don’t know what we don’t know. But if we remain open to learning and we pay attention and we do our best to stay present, those lessons are within our grasp. I have learned many things the hard way. I recognize that I have so much to learn. Every new piece of insight or information or wisdom comes with a whole new world of consideration and exploration. This sport has allowed me to turn inwards and give more outwardly. It is satisfying to be in a sport where there is no singular end result or destination or singular “best” to aim for. It has reinforced in me that perfection is the most limiting thing to strive for and what’s most healthy is to strive for your best now and your best tomorrow with consideration for the circumstances you exist in. Realistic expectations are a sign of vulnerability as well as respect. I respect my journey, this sport, and the process enough to accept where I am and what needs to be done to be a level up moving forward. I can recognize room for improvement without being consumed by doubt because I’ve already decided I do what needs to be done. I rarely feel I need “more discipline, more willpower, more control” because I live in a state of congruency with what is required to advance (not just in bodybuilding but other aspects of my life too). A select few of the most valuable things I’ve learned along this journey is to accept what I can expect, let go of timelines, know that the daily process is more rewarding than anything else so be sure to celebrate it, & we attribute meaning to everything so remain mindful of words, beliefs, perceptions, & behavior. In my journey to #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY I’ve established tools to support others in doing the same. You can gain access to free mental health resources, built for athletes, at www.celestial.fit  Had an awesome time speaking at bomicon! @eventsbybombshell
I am so grateful for the opportunity to speak on both days of the event and meet such amazing women who were willing to be so open and real about their struggles so they could evoke change and harness more of that champion mentality. Nothing fulfills me like leaving an event feeling genuine connection and flow and empowerment in the room. We really had two great breakout sessions discussing topics related to mental health in competing. @jessicadolias thank you so much for thinking of me and having me come and speak at this incredible event. @shannondey you’re such a boss babe. I loved meeting you and seeing what you’ve built in action and getting to know your bombshell ways. I loved seeing the confidence grow in everyone and the comradeship among all the women. I can’t wait to do it again👀😍❤️ #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY
A glimpse into what it’s like to come to a #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY LIVE event!
Upcoming events: October 15th- Denver, Colorado (tickets on sale now: www.celestial.fit/denver) November (tbd but hoping for first weekend)- Tampa, FL with @lexiemait December 14th- olympia week at @contestprepcenter I’ll be hosting a BMTJAB event and the 15th will be the VIP day (tickets on sale now: www.buildmorethanjustabody.com) You can sign up for these events at www.celestial.fit or just click the link in my bio and find the linked button for each event🤗 if you’d like to be notified of future events then you can go to celestial.fit/liveevents Lineup of Events I’ll be bringing BMTJAB to for rest of the year as of now: - This weekend: @bombshell_news Bomicon in VEGAS - September 15-18th @teambossbodies fitness retreat DAYTONA BEACH, FL CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL AND CONNECTâ¤ï¸â˜€ï¸ðŸ¤—🧠 It can be easy to confuse arrogance with confidence but what separates the two is COMPETENCE.
A competent individual with confidence in themselves will outperform a competent individual without it. An arrogant individual will overestimate their abilities, be resistant to acknowledge or accept anything that would corroborate against their abilities, and they aren’t fully aware of their inadequacy. Usually a person who is arrogant will be just as confident as someone who is competent but they will lack results. A person who might be considered as confident and competent would exhibit justified levels of self-esteem (not inflated without reason), open mindedness, and results that align with this (Kleitman et al., 2019). While other research suggests a benefit to underestimating abilities to be successful, it is again not without competence being present. If you want to make progress, it is important to have belief in yourself and your abilities as well as your potential. In bodybuilding, or going after anything, it would be necessary then that you can accurately and objectively reflect on your current standing in order to then improve on that. For example, the last two times I’ve stepped on stage I realistically knew where my physique stood in comparison to where it needs to stand to be more competitive. I did not experience a hit to my confidence in pursuit because I had a realistic self-evaluation and was open to feedback as well as exploring what would make me better. The beautiful thing about this sport to me is that it always demands more. You can be the best you’ve ever been and still find an area to improve. It keeps you humble. So what does developing competence even look like? - openness to learn - willingness to evaluate - self-awareness - checking biases - desire to improve - ability to see areas for improvement - focus on the craft - healthy balance between fixating on negative presentations of ability and self compassion with encouragement - practice In short, all this is to say you can and “should” believe in yourself but not at the cost of developing yourself. Support confidence with competence. #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY  BEHAVIORS TO BE MINDFUL OF IN PREP THAT COULD COMPLICATE YOUR POST-SHOW EXPERIENCE:
1. Body checking everytime you pass a mirror 2. Inhaling food down quickly because there’s not much anyway 3. Only saying food is about staying on plan or doing what coach says or for macros 4. Not reinforcing conversations you want to be having about your body year round (ie someone saying you look good or lean and never also affirming your dedicated work ethic or how this season is compared to others or why you love doing this or how you choose to eat etc) 5. Avoiding food, social experiences, events 6. Not having other goals in life to focus on outside of bodybuilding 7. Complaining without reframing to choice mentality or examining what it could be teaching you about yourself or your approach 8. Forgetting that the body that is in lean mode was once a body in build mode. This season will end, your body will change again 9. Scrolling socials for foodie things or stocking up on food for after show 10. Over celebrating or questioning measurement changes like weight or inches without emphasis on process 11. Inflexible timeline or approach 12. Hiding behaviors from loved ones or coach or others who you’d share behaviors that have less shame or guilt attached 13. Fixating on body shape changing as a means to self love or esteem instead of celebrating commitment & lifestyle as fortifiers for confidence 14. Underestimating the long term commitment 15. Ignore body cues 16. Only looking for the flaws in physique without acknowledging progress or positive changes 17. Comparing your competition season to other athletes. You’ll likely continue to “follow” those people post show & compare your post show to theirs 18. Only telling people about good things 19. Mainly focusing on the show date or timeline instead of the joy in daily habits (which continues post show anyways) 20. Ignoring your feelings or using this as your only coping mechanism without further exploration or reflection This list could continue. If you find yourself engaging in these behaviors bring mindfulness to them so you can address underlying drivers or prepare for the inevitable change in season It’s never too late to implement mental support tools to improve how you approach every season and foster an improved or fortified relationship with food, your body, and your goals.
What I cover with examples: 1) mindful eating 2) body celebration 3) questioning automatic thoughts 4) changing the conversation with self and others 5) being considerate with commitments Let me know which one you could see yourself implementing right away and how you think it will help you and your journey 🤗 we can hold each other accountable👊🏻 If you love content like this, you are going to love the On Demand Mindset Coaching Platform I developed for Competitors Check it out at www.celestial.fit/ondemand See you in there to #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY You can be a solid athlete with skill and drive but if you’re not willing to study the plays, execute on the details, and be open to new ways of getting to the main objective then you’re not really committed to the game plan.
In this sport I’ve learned to be flexible. Flexible in the approach, the process, the timeline. This personal patience and peace with the process has developed over time. The more I have come to respect the sport, the development of a physique, the mental demands, the thick and the thin of it…the greater resilience I have. I cannot say it all clicked one day. It has been a series of day in and day out work where I showed up for myself and my vision regardless of circumstance. Just that alone has given me the gratification and confidence to say, “I know my time will come, so when it does, I will feel worthy, deserving, and capable of receiving what I’ve worked for”. At this point as a competitor I’ve done 11 shows and still have many goals I want to achieve. Some might stop their pursuit early due to doubt or fear or embarrassment or lack of congruency. It’s understandable. But the mental demands of this sport are not an excuse to give up on your dreams. You can have mental peace in your pursuit when you #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY If you’re inspired to learn more about how to do this or gain support in this arena, checkout: www.celestial.fit/ondemand it’s basically the netflix of mental health for competitors. With that said, personal update… @seeyoulaterleaner and I have decided we will not be doing USAs and instead we are going to aim for @musclecontest Sin City Showdown and then North Americans. With his guidance and confidence and my trust in that plan, I have no doubt it is the best route for me. The “grind” continues so we can bring my best. I feel so good about this game plan and I know that with the continuous execution, communication, support and adaptability, it is very possible that I’ll achieve more of the goals I’ve set. Even if you took the stage or the opportunity to win away, I’d still be grateful for every day that I said yes to going after what I wanted for myself & for my greater “why” Thanks for being a part of it all🤗  Sometimes people will judge, criticize, or separate from you.
Sometimes people will provide insightful feedback to apply. Sometimes they will love everything about your soul & won’t be able to get enough. Some will try to copy you because your authenticity is what they’re seeking & they’ve attributed external extensions of you to this. You cannot pretend to not care what others think to some capacity because we are social creatures & to not care at all would be sociopathic in nature. But you can learn to set boundaries with yourself & others, let go of expectations that you haven’t chosen for yourself, rebuild your filtration system that processes input from others & makes it judgment instead of just information to dissect, & slowly expose yourself to who you truly are to make peace with yourself. Which can all feel a lot like “no longer caring” after letting fear or past experience or judgment keep you from this before. We are ever evolving, so remaining open is necessary to seeing new pathways or changes to illicit a new response or commitment from ourselves. Part of loving yourself & being at peace with yourself is a willingness to move away from stagnation. To be in flow. To accept who you are & what life is while making meaning & balancing presence with pursuit. It’s a removal of the “I am only this” or “I can only_” & other all or nothing mentalities & over generalizations that can make you feel like you’re in motion but really keep you spinning your wheels. It’s a surrendering of sorts. To be who you are is to be free of any & all definitions because who you are can vary based on what you’re doing, who you’re with, where you are literally & figuratively, & what your focus is. It’s not about “finding” who you are or forcing this. It’s about really letting yourself be & knowing that if you’re honest, considerate of your values, mindful, & applying yourself then it’s likely “enough”. I hope you feel empowered to embrace a bit more “you ness”. Whether it’s a pair of socks that makes you smile, a joke you’ve been dying to tell, the party you’ve wanted to host…have fun honoring your soul & as always #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY 3 Mindful Eating Tips to Increase Satisfaction, Decrease Scarcity, & Improve Your Decision Making7/10/2022 1. Ask, “What are the benefits to eating this meal?”
2. Pay attention to and engage with your senses while you eat. It keeps you present and supports you in satiation 3. Before you finish, leave a bite on the plate to have a visual representation of the abundance of food and use it as an opportunity to share gratitude for the ability to have access to food. Or, finish what you’re eating and express this gratitude for the abundance of nourishment you have and will continue to have. Let me know what you think and how these work for you🤗 For more psychoeducation guidance and support, sign up for my free food relationship coaching series at www.celestial.fit/foodseries #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
