Honoring Your Body on Prep

There's no denying that being on prep requires us to push our limits and overcome challenges.

This is really the beauty of prep though, it demands a new level from us

Sometimes though, competitors get stuck in autopilot mode; going through the motions with workouts, cardio, and meals.

This can be detrimental to getting the most out of your prep and even having a smooth transition into a reverse diet or your improvement season.

When we are in a deficit, especially for extended periods of time, our body goes into a protective mode trying to slow us down through energy preservation, tiring out, sleepiness, fatigue, cramps, stomach growls, etc.

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from our body and strengthen the communication we have.

I love encouraging my clients to really tap into their relationship with food and their body by acknowledging, focusing, and moderating thoughts & behaviors with both.

I personally love that in challenging our body with an abnormal level of demand presents a time unlike any other to learn from our body but if we do not have that intention or commitment throughout the phase then we miss out on it.

We can tune into our body by paying attention to these signs, signals, and cues we get and honoring them as they come up by taking the time to understand them and see where they are coming from.

For example, this morning I was so exhausted, I knew I needed more sleep. My body was literally shut down. I couldn't get up at my usual time. I honored this cue and gave myself more sleep since my schedule allowed for it today.

Of course, if my schedule hadn't had space for this, I would have prioritized a nap later or an earlier bed time.

I have also experienced extreme bouts of energy on prep. They become more obvious because they are not always 'norm' for the end of a prep. When I get them I pay attention to what was different. Was it sleep? Water? a type of Food? a Mentality or Perspective? Recovery?

When I can see where it is coming from, I can then use that to my advantage in the future to generate the same energy moving forward.

Honoring your body on prep doesn't have to mean having more food when hungry or skipping gym sessions--I would urge you not to do either of these unless it was necessity or called for by your coach that you trust.

Honoring your body can mean taking the time to learn the lesson, appreciate through action and acknowledgment, giving more sleep, eating your next meal earlier or later based on need, hydrating more, putting feet up, taking a stretch break, sitting down when you feel dizzy, scheduling in breathwork, wearing more layers, mixing up your nutrient intake for proper nourishment based on needs...the list goes on!

Align with your intuitive cues, body's communication, and ideal self.

Bring the two worlds together so when you go through this phase you are full of gratitude, positivity, and peace and can come out of it with self-appreciation, self-love, and self-awareness.

The worst thing you could do is ignore all the signs, dismiss the cues, or subject your body to challenges and new levels without learning along the way.

What is something you can do to honor your body?
How do you choose to commit to yourself throughout challenges?
What lessons can you apply from your prep when heading into an improvement season that can support you in honoring your body and your goals?

Looking for more mindset support and coaching? Visit www.celestial.fit/ondemand and learn more about the On-Demand Mindset Coaching platform built for competitors with the intention of supporting through the mental demands preps and improvement seasons bring.

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