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Denial:
When an athlete eats off plan but refuses to track it they are demonstrating denial as it is too much to visibly see that they would go off plan repeatedly. It is easier to only count what is 'good' and deny that you could ever eat something 'bad'. It is easier to have x macros left if you don't track it than tracking it and being x macros over or only having protein left for the day. Denying the reality of the experience because it would mean having to face it or take responsibility. Rationalization: An athlete might not get the result they want at a show. Instead of recognizing where they could have done better or the reasons this is, they might blame their coach, politics, judges, lighting...you name it! Anything to ease the pain of recognizing a lack within themselves Displacement: Satisfying the desire to act on impulse with something outside of the thing which caused it. For example, an athlete who is stressed about their work situation might not take their frustration out on the work itself by throwing the table or investigating the cause of stress, instead they might go to the kitchen and eat to satisfy the need to relieve stress Regression: A competitor who is feeling upset with themselves in their improvement season might think the only way to feel 'safe' or 'comfortable' again is by going back on prep. This is a form of regression because they are going back to a time where they psychologically felt more comfortable instead of finding a way to face the challenges they are in at that point. Projection: An athlete stops caring so much about their programming but knows it would be inappropriate or unacceptable to admit or recognize they don't care too much anymore so instead of recognizing the lack of care, the athlete says their coach doesn't care and isn't helping them do well. Sublimation: Okay, this one is actually very positive and effective so yay for us! If you ask a lot of competitors about how the gym benefits them they often reference mental health relief like stress, frustration, depression, anxiety, distress in personal life...taking it out on the gym rather than friends or family or yourself is much better! Strategies for Resolution If you plan to go at this alone without the support of someone else like a therapist, mentor, or doctor then you can utilize self-reflection to try and be as honest as you can with yourself about areas of insecurity, doubt, fear, and impuslvity. It can help to also shine light on areas of yourself you just don't like or accept. Then, make a list of your common behaviors, especially those you have an inkling may not be 'best' for you. See if any of the anxieties, insecurities, doubts, or impulsive desires from the previous list could be contributing to that. Once you complete this from an objective perspective, try to come back into your own perspective and form a layer of acceptance. Defense mechanisms are fairly healthy and normal. When you can bring awareness to where they are coming from or why they exist you might be able to be more compassionate with yourself and develop healthier thinking and communication patterns. A lot of the times, these are deployes unconsciously, so bringing awareness to them and inviting mindful consideration to your behaviors or habits can be a real game changer as you start to understand the balance between your personality parts including your id, ego, and superego. If you do not face your defense mechanisms you might end up having more difficulty with facing your emotions, developing healthy relationships, or resolving the habits which are not serving you. Recognizing that you are just doing the best you can can support fostering some compassion then you can even ask other people to support you in recognizing when you might be using a defense mechanism. I would make sure first you have a good understanding of the beliefs, reasons, whys, and definitions or standards you would want upheld so you can still live according to your needs and values rather than leaving it up to someone else to determine if your reaction is healthy or not. Getting support from a third party who is unbiased but knowledgeable can also support you in this process!
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Have you ever heard of “wise mind”? I love helping competitors conceptualize psychological concepts and theories with common examples and scenarios.
I am breaking down this DBT technique for self-application and consideration. I hope the points resonate :) Share your thoughts, how you intend to apply, or areas of support in the comments or via DM, I am always here to support! For more resources you can visit the link. #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY  The pre-requisite to change is not just desire or awareness but also belief that you are capable.
To build the self-efficacy required, find evidence to support the belief that you are capable, worthy, and deserving. Usually, this can reveal some holes in someone’s mindset. The darker beliefs start to come up. Things like not being good enough or not having what it takes or always failing in the past… As easy as it is to fixate on those thoughts which serve as warning signs to avoid pain by not pursuing what has brought us that pain in the past. We can challenge the perception and allow those thoughts to be options rather than destiny. For example, if you have a thought that you can’t do it…it doesn’t mean you can’t it just means some part of you is worried that if you do you might be exposed to struggle or let down or some other rooted fear. We can say, “thank you mind for giving me the emotional ability to recognize I am vulnerable, I also want to point out that I overcame xyz in the past and when you told me abc was dangerous or zyx was not possible for me, I did it! This is worth the risk because even if I fail or am hurt, I’ll know it is because I chose to challenge myself not because I avoided it. To ease the concerns, here’s what im doing differently this time:…” Essentially we bring our logical mind into the presence of emotional mind to create “wise mind”. This also allows us to restructure our cognition by presenting evidence for or against the beliefs we are choosing or the thoughts we are entertaining. It’s important to recognize every win as you go to! Giving yourself credit ultimately builds that confidence and trust in yourself needed to continue to support change. If you always say, this step was small and therefore unimportant, then when it comes time to take that bigger step you won’t feel prepared… Consider it progressive overload for your mind. Looking for more mental support with the demands of competing? I offer lots of resources and various programs and would love to welcome you to check them out :) #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.  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!  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  If you put a problem under the microscope it can reveal many of the puzzle pieces you haven’t fully put together yet.
On the surface, a client might tell me they struggle with binging, overeating, scrutinizing their body…(to name a few). Under the microscope, through loving support, positive regard, lots of strategic questions, and specific practices and principles, we see so much more… Emotions Past experiences Fears Beliefs Unmet needs Fragile / Unclear Identity Misalignment of values Unfair expectations & standards Repressed reactions or memories Symptoms of other incidents or struggles And much more. With every “click” comes a new insight or door to walk through. This doesn’t mean we should see ourselves as always needing “fixing” though. A lot of times as my clients dig deeper they start seeing a list of problems. I see so many solutions. The more detail, the better! When we reveal what is underneath my mind begins to go through all the strategies that can be employed, processes to go through, further questions to ask, prompts, and challenges to present to the client. It’s not about “fixing” it’s about experimenting. If we just address what’s on the surface, other problems will pop up in new ways. So when we go deeper we might kill two birds with one stone rather than just playing whack a mile every time something new comes up. I am a huge advocate of getting help! Mental health is hugely important for all. I know as a competitor it can be hard to find someone who “gets it”. Which is where I pride myself in providing competitors with personal development coaching and support to improve your relationship with food, your body, and your goals. To learn more about how you can work with me and be part of the #BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY community or to benefit from any of my free resources CLICK HERE!  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  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 |
Celeste Rains-Turk
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