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 I remember taking the 2nd pic & LOVING the growth
I thought oh my gosh I can see the muscle I‘ve been working SO hard to build That was Jan 2019 This one was today 1.5 years later 148.7lb v 129ish pounds January pic was 17 days after I got my period back naturally for the first time in YEARS yes YEARSSSS Today’s pic, 5 days post cycle ending after a few months of her disappearance again I’ve been so diligent All off season from Sep 3 2018 to April 2019 I WENT TO WORK building Eating in major surplus, lifting heavy, & I committed to internal health & external growth I said bye to the shredded life (competed aug 2017-sep2018 in 5 shows) & hello to a life with more flexibility, no cardio, & as limited added stress as possible aside from lifting which was mostly heavy af on compound or major moves in areas I needed to grow (shoulders hams n glutes to be exact) I put a lot more fat on I had people admiring me for committing to what I knew I needed which was menstrual health But it was grueling. Watching my body change so much was worth it to me that day I got my period back, though I went through so much for that & to keep it Fast forward to a few months ago my period stopped coming again I thought because cardio was back up food was down & I was in prep mode & I dropped a lot of weight (I was 157ish at heaviest of improvement season) BUT I kept going & trusted it would come & my coach & I just wanted to see if body needed to readapt This was scary & frustrating bc we took such a slow approach BUT IT ALL PAID OFF Because I got it again at a lower body fat, in prep, & while under many other life “stressors” I learned a lot in this, 1 thing being EMBRACE GROWTH ESPECIALLY FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR LONG TERM HEALTH & FUNCTION Sure people will say oh you don’t need to put on that much fat, & they’re probably right But I also did it methodically, withintention, & didn’t just stop training I went to the gym with my current physique in mind I let go of the need for aesthetics in an effort to one day have both aesthetics & function & better metabolism Bodybuilders talk a lot about patience & delayed gratification but in all honesty, many women aren’t truly willing to apply that to every area of growth as an athlete & person It’s easy to say that when cutting or going show to show But lemme see how you’re working & committing to the version of you that's gunna be on stage 1-5 years from now Running yourself to the ground for years is not growth or delayed gratification—it’s almost a bit of denial I’m glad I went through all these different phases because now I’m in a way better spot than ever More muscle, better metabolism, better functioning menstrual cycle, better mindset, lots more patience, & way more respect for the process Just like you go all in to cut & get ready, go all in for your health, mindset, & physique development
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Why I Removed the Labels from My Eating to Make the Most of Every Prep & Improvement Season7/6/2020  I’ve had to unlearn more than I’ve had to learn when it comes to my relationship with food
On social media now we are exposed to so many different ways of arriving at a certain result which I believe can be both beneficial as well as detrimental to success in this sport One person might say bro science is the only way to win & another person might say to track macros, never water cut, & leave all your favorite seasonings & sauces in your plan even up to the day of your show I have done 6 shows with diff phases before, between, & after I am a very disciplined person & can follow any meal plan to a T. In fact I don’t even take bites or licks or taste anything out of my plan on prep But what I’ve come to learn over the many seasons I’ve had, is that when I allow myself & my body to choose what I want within my nutrition needs I sustain my progress much longer I do not follow a macros approach nor do I follow a meal plan approach as I’ve decided to take those labels away It’s so easy for us to say I do it this way & it is the only way to do it or for us to read from someone who looks a certain way or achieves a certain result & think that must be the end all be all I have my own ways now & I’ve truly been able to maintain shape & commitment to the long-term vision because I found what works for me If I only did what worked for everybody else I don’t believe I would've found the peace & JOY I have now in the process One of my goals when working with competitors is to help them have the most fulfilling & successful preps & improvement seasons which can look different for everyone What I might consider successful may not be doable or desirable to someone else Rather than trying to fit into a label, honor your needs on a mental & physical level Usually the process looks like this:
Want support? Visit: www.celestial.fit/foodfreedom learn about my Food Relationship Mentorship -- Alsoooo No better way to enjoy national chocolate day tomorrow than w/ BamBody Nutrition quick fix brownie🤤 use code EMPOWER this July to get more BAM for your buck on their website: www.bambodynutrition.com  Hunger is complex—like pretty much every individual human experience
But understanding it can help us to make it more tangible and place less pressure or judgment on ourselves when we experience it! Sometimes knowing the reason for our hunger helps put us at ease and know we aren’t crazy👀 It’s important to note that the reasons shared in this info graphic are not the only possible answers nor are the examples the only possible way they can manifest It’s also important to understand that hunger is not a bad thing It’s a natural & necessary function of the human body that keeps us alive But that’s also where things can get tricky (swipe to see what I mean) In making this I wanted to keep it simple and relatable so as to help the most amount of people But if you’re really looking to improve your relationship to food, the connection you have to your body’s needs and cues, as well as even gain a normal communication pattern back with your body To learn about my Food Relationship Healing & Discovery 1:1 Coaching program or just visit www.celestial.fit/foodfreedom BUILD MORE THAN JUST A BODY Two through each image, save, and if it really hits home, share with someone else who might benefit!❤️💆🏻♀️👑🧠  You deserve better than to be upset with the scale, your weight, or your body all the time
Weighing in shouldn’t be so stressful and the number on the scale really shouldn’t have any influence on how you feel about yourself There’s so much more to you than how much you weigh but to believe that, you have to commit to rewriting the stories you tell yourself or have been told Weight is like anything else, it is nothing until we give it meaning Paying attention to the meaning, and reasoning behind that meaning, can give you so much insight into what needs to shift to help you have a different experience I made this infographic to give you three concepts and how they can be applied in real life to help you overcome these anxieties and negative associations with weight Feel free to Share it with a friend who you think could benefit 🙂 and definitely save it for future reference!  I totally get that as a competitor & fitness enthusiast you don’t wanna give up your commitment to your goals
Good news is, you shouldn’t have to to make peace with food & your body In fact, your current habits can provide great insight into the beliefs, thought patterns, & associations that can support you or be shifted I love working with athletes to BUILD MORE THAN JUST A BODY because they’re usually committed to improving themselves Plus, I‘m a competitor, so my ability to empathize & understand is NOT in resorting to “well just stop competing” I‘ll always do my best to understand & support you where you’re at with consideration for your goals My process is rooted in making peace; not for someone else or to my standards or to the definitions of other industries but for YOU Nothing is more important to me than what you need in the moment I‘m connecting & communicating with you There are key steps like; understanding through discovery, conscious commitment to awareness, mindful application, association/pattern shifting, & reinforcement—to name a few But the implementation of these steps manifests differently for the individual clients I work with It’s about you, your goals, experiences, & needs I’m here to support you in getting there You may see testimonials from my clients & think “omg I don’t wanna do that” & then see another one like “OMG I need that but what about that other one?” I want to affirm to you that the end result may be peace for each client or an awareness of how to continuously commit to that peace but the application of my PTG process to get you to that end result is as unique as you are So while the approaches might be scary or appear to be unconventional at times, my commitment is to understand your needs & goals & work w/ you in the most productive way If you’re struggling with not eating to your plan, falling off track repeatedly, yo-yoing, non stop thinking about food, constant anxiety over your food choices, looking in the mirror in complete disgust longing to love your body, feeling like you’ll NEVER be the champion you dream of becoming... Then visit my services page here to learn of the different ways we can work together: http://www.celestial.fit/work-with-me.html or Apply directly for my 1:1 Food Relationship Healing & Discovery Coaching Program Here: www.celestial.fit/foodfreedom Let’s work through this together You can go on trying to fight these battles within you on your own or even play the guessing game w/ your physique coach who isn’t as passionate about food relationships, self-affect related issues, or application of mindset, psychology, and self-development as they are about physique development Let them help you with that I wouldn’t ask to do your coach’s job—and I don’t expect them to do mine 😉 I’m ready for you, making champions is a team effort and I can’t wait to support you  TBT to peak week diet face 😳
Still went to the wedding, enjoyed time with family, & got my meals, workout, water, and cardio in Had no shame or FOMO Definitely drooled over the pie they served Definitely didn’t regret saying no Prep isn’t about restriction as much as it is about intention You can still indulge in experiences & opportunities as long as you're comfortable with doing it on your terms I believe there’s a time & place for the level of commitment prep requires and that time & place is on prep After that? I believe every athlete needs new expectations & commitments for themselves It would be unfair to demand of yourself in the improvement season what you demand of yourself in prep and the opposite is true It’s easy to get caught up in perfection, all or nothing, the numbers, etc It’s arguably more important however, to consider the longevity, enjoyment, purpose, intention, & reasoning behind each season You’re not going to want to get back on prep if you hated the process & you’re not going to want to go into an improvement season if you haven’t set yourself up for success or the ability to trust yourself in food or training or with the mirror & the scale At the surface of what I do, I work with competitors on their relationship with food, their body, & their goals Beyond the surface of what I do, I’m really helping them to give themselves permission to follow a process that makes the most sense for them, develop trust in themselves, change their narratives & beliefs, face triggers (of all kinds), & truly find fulfillment in every season so they don’t have to feel like they’re constantly going to battle Shouldn’t we have a mind that’s primed to help us go after what each season requires of us? Pushing the boundaries & limits in prep and improvement season look completely different Evaluating expectations, standards, & commitments in both is very necessary for making peace with the process It’s a process I detail in my post-show personal development program which I highly recommend if you’re in an off-season to go through You can also enroll in the free series I made 😊  Discipline Does Not Equal Restriction
Restriction Does Not Equal Discipline Have you ever really deeply thought about that? I believe it’s necessary to keep that at top of mind when you are committing to a program or plan If you equate being disciplined to being restricted you are not doing yourself any favors Restriction is not conducive to longevity and you really don’t “need” it to be “disciplined” What do YOU need to believe about discipline in order to commit to what’s necessary without feeling like you are or must restrict yourself? And what do you need to believe / know about restriction to shift the behaviors driven by it? Working with competitors every day, and being one myself who has overcome issues with food, body image, and goals, I can say that your identity, your beliefs around that identity, & your expectations all are going to impact how you show up for yourself More often than not, those who have an underlying negative perception, understanding, or definition of these things end up sabotaging, or feeling shame and guilt, or even developing more unfair / unrealistic expectations of themselves Of course you need discipline, but I encourage you to evaluate & challenge your associations / attachments to what discipline means You may find it’s unfair, unhealthy, & unrealistic which can also explain why you feel like you don’t have it or it is fleeting and only present in some seasons Want that champion mindset to overcome body image issues, food relationship struggles, & goal related set backs or qualms? Learn about & join the On-Demand Mindset Coaching Platform for Competitors Now by visiting: www.celestial.fit/ondemand I developed this system to give you direct guidance and support through a struggle you’re facing that you can use anytime you need it and it’s specifically built around your seasons as well! Plus we even have an awesome Facebook support group, live monthly group calls you can hop onto or watch replays of, & bonus materials It’s a monthly membership with no contracts to stay or cancel fees so you can come and go as you please Hope to see you in there😍 Learn more now here: www.celestial.fit/ondemand  What’s the best lesson bodybuilding has taught you?
For me? Patience I honestly had the discipline before I got into the sport. Plus, I loved the lifestyle and was already living it I was an athlete for my whole life before bodybuilding and I knew discipline, will, commitment, competition, and even pain But I had yet to truly know patience the way I’ve come to know it with this sport What’s your most coveted lesson? I’d love to learn with and through you!😊❤️ PS have you downloaded the competitor card deck I made to help athletes uplevel their mindset? It has 45 different cards in it featuring 3 sub decks: 15 Thought Provoking Questions great for journaling or reflection 15 Mentorship/Action Step Cards for when you’re in a rut and need an immediate call to action 15 Affirmations for rewriting the script in your head to focus on positive perspectives Download for free now HERE .  Making peace with food & my body gives me more space in my mind to be present with the people I love, cherish, & serve
When I say BUILD MORE THAN JUST A BODY it’s because I’ve been able to create a life of more joy, freedom, impact, & love because I have created those things within me I don’t spend every moment stressing over what I will eat, what is in the food, or how much I should allow I don’t stress about my body in a swimsuit or the way I’m looking next to a friend or family member or in the eyes of my boyfriend I don’t find myself in a constant flurry of missing out on the moment because I’m too focused on every calculation or every decision or possible judgment When I chose to heal my relationship with food, my body, & my goals It wasn’t just so I could be healthier mentally or be an even better competitor or trust myself more or develop a deeper meaning for the choices I make It was also so I could truly LIVE I don’t want a life where I’m overwhelmed with guilt, anxiety, shame, fear, self-judgment, limiting beliefs, or constant thoughts of shoulds, musts, & perceived “needs” to fit molds of “good enough” within identities I have chosen I had to “unlearn” many things I had to choose many new beliefs & behaviors I had to challenge perceptions & identities But committing to my peace of mind goes so so so much deeper than me just being at more peace around food in any situation or being comfortable with the things I do (or don't) choose to eat, or the way I felt in my body around others, or how I thrived as a competitor & will continue to for years to come because of my mindset The relationship I have with my body & with food shows up in every relationship of my life If that‘s not all the more reason to consciously commit to it everyday, then I don’t know what is You deserve to have peace with food, your body, & your goals so you can have presence in every other area of your life I’m here to help you do that To learn how we can work together & put your mind at ease so you can finally just BE visit the: WORK WITH ME PAGE PS I can’t even imagine the moments I must have missed in the past because of my nagging, obsessive, and negative emotion ridden thoughts; I know there were many 'snap out of it' moments that I couldn't seem to pul myself out of. So now that I can and have, I do my best to maximize these moments ❤️🙌🏻💆🏻♀️  How can you expect to love your body in every season and phase if you have never even given yourself the opportunity to?
If you have only ever loved your body when she is stage lean, in prep mode, or shredding down, how can you love her when she is not? Many competitors tell me about all the parts of their body they hate, can't stand looking at, or even how uncomfortable they are when it is time for check ins, to weigh in, take measurements, or just look in the mirror--especially if they aren't in prep or haven't been 'perfect' with their plan. I never wonder why though Most women, from an early age, are taught only to celebrate results if they are trending in the direction of the ideal standard they are seeking to meet Celebrating the weight, inches, and body fat dropping or berating yourself, hating on yourself, or judging yourself for the weight, inches, or body fat going up are all forms of reinforcement Stepping on the scale becomes this trigger for either a positive or negative situation You either celebrate or you get down on yourself It's much like a dog. The dog associates the owner's command with a trigger for either a positive reward (cheers, petting, and a treat) or negative reinforcement (no treat, noooos or frustration). When the outcome is positive, the dog is more likely to do that again and again We condition ourselves similarly So you can either stop the reinforcements altogether or reinforce equally at any stage If you want to step away from the constant stress, worry, or inadequate feelings that come from your body, you have to be willing to remove the emotions and create new reinforcements Rather than looking in the mirror with a critical eye, you may see functions or facts Rather than stepping on the scale hoping for a lower number, you may step on the scale knowing you already have so much to be proud of and the physical results will come and you have to be fair with consideration of ALL data points Rather than celebrating drops, just acknowledge it as data Rather than hating on gains, just acknowledge it as data Use the data to reflect, learn, and apply yourself But above all else, celebrate your body every day for how she shows up for you, her functions, and how she unconditionally shows up for you every day regardless of her size or shape The more you can celebrate your body for what she does and the more you can celebrate and focus on you doing your best to support her in that and honor yourself in your goals, the less the number on the scale will mean to you No emotional reaction If there is an emotional response, then choosing a new reinforcement, belief, or thought process around it in the moment to begin rewiring the pathways But you can't expect to love your body in every phase when you refuse to love your body for more than her aesthetics She deserves more recognition than that and you deserve more than a life consumed by thoughts of how your thighs look, your stomach feels, or what the battery operated scale is going to have to say this time In June I am hosting a private workshop for my On-Demand Mindset Coaching Platform Members & all my clients on this topic. If you join the on-demand mindset coaching platform before the first week of June, you will be able to come on LIVE with us :) . I host these monthly live group calls to go over what people need, are proud of, have learned, and then usually a focus topic--June's will be on detaching from weight and capitalizing on conditioning through positive and negative reinforcement awareness You can learn more about the On-Demand Mindset Coaching Platform for Competitors HERE |
Celeste Rains-Turk
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