When you do what you say you are going to do and what you commit to doing you are less likely to stress over the changes like weight or measurements

I know that for me, I feel best about and in my own body when I am doing my best to honor and support her

If I nourish myself, express love to myself, push my body in the gym, sleep well, and follow through on my personal commitments, I ALWAYS feel more confident

Positive self-esteem is found in certainty and congruency

When we live in congruence with our values, standards, and expectations of ourselves without participating in 'should' behavior we are more likely to feel fulfilled and motivated by the day to day commitments we make

If we live out of congruence, we are more likely to experience greater self-judgment, guilt, shame, and other negative emotions which all have been shown to contribute to low self-esteem

I have been seeing my body grow this improvement season and I honestly LOVE it. I took many proactive steps in my prep to ensure that I would be able to mentally handle my body going in the 'opposite' direction in post-show

I no longer see weight increase or measurement jumps as a reflection of my worth or as positive or negative reinforcements

Sure, I am mindful of the tangibles, as a competitor we are not really immune to the hyper fixation on criteria that can cause pressure and body image related issues

BUT I am mindful of it in an informative and data driven way, rather than a critical one

This is because of my detachment from celebration or judgement with weight as well as my own personal responsibility

I acknowledge every action I take and the effect it will have on myself, my body, and my life in the moment and into the future

Growing in self-awareness, setting standards for myself in the improvement season, reviewing my goals, accepting that my journey can and 'should' look different from others, and grounding myself in my values and long-term desires has enabled me to freely choose and acknowledge what is best for me

When it comes to check-in day, I celebrate my execution, my body's support, and my life well before anything else

I get excited about progress, as we all do, but because it represents my follow through & the determination I have to grow!

My beliefs in this season also support me in embracing my changing body

I know this is my opportunity to build the physique necessary to make improvements and be a higher level competitor

I know that my body needs more food and I love my body so much I am excited to honor her with the rest she needs too

I recognize that this is not a season for getting smaller, leaner, or tighter and I remind myself that if I was, I would be going against what is necessary for the future

I have been able to release the need to control my body in an effort to sustain an image or expectation because I recognize that when I give myself freedom backed by love, I can make more empowered choices that feel natural rather than forced

If you want to love your body in every season, you have to be willing to listen and honor her, set new expectations, recognize what the season you are in is all about, align with your values, act in congruency, and release the perceptions of others

I am satisfied knowing I am prioritizing growth in my improvement season over control or staying as small as possible for as long as possible

By having strong intentions rooted in actions and beliefs I am able to execute and see any result on check in day, whether that is 0.2lbs up or 3lbs up or whatever measurement, and know that it doesn't matter because what matters to me is follow through & fulfillment which is not reflected in a single check-in but rather in my day to day choices

Want to have support at your fingertips to build a champion mindset that supports you in every season and every phase of your body?

Join the On-Demand Mindset Coaching Platform to have never-ending access to specific support for competitors' most pressing needs. You can learn more about how the instant coaching system works and sign up at www.celestial.fit/ondemand