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New Year’s Resolutions And Eating Disorder Recovery: Resolution Ideas That Work For You

We all know about diet culture’s grip on New Year’s: gym membership discounts during January, chatter of a “new diet” or “cleanse” to “fix” your body after indulging during the holidays, a social media frenzy about who’s reaching their fitness goals and “living their best life.” The typical New Year’s resolutions and eating disorders don’t mesh, of course, so how are people who suffer from an eating disorder supposed to participate in the tradition of setting and reaching new goals? Read on to find out.

Why is New Year’s so hard for people with an eating disorder?

1. SETTING UNREALISTIC GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS

A lot of people who suffer from an eating disorder make huge, sweeping goals to just “stop” using eating disorder behaviors.

For example, they decide to just “never binge again.” However, it’s not easy to just “stop” using a coping skill that you’ve been leaning on for so long without any other coping skill, any kind of plan, or any help stopping the behavior.

If they slip up (which is highly likely, given the lack of planning on how to actually stop using the behavior), they will feel like a failure, which often sends a person further into an eating disorder.


Related: This is the difference between an eating disorder slip, lapse, and relapse, and what to do to get back on track with recovery.

2. DIET CULTURE MESSAGING

Weight loss and fitness-related goals account for the majority of New Year’s resolutions.

If everyone you know in person and online is trying a new diet or workout regimen, or you continue to be surrounded by New Year’s ads spreading diet culture, it’s hard to not follow the crowd — it’s harder still to act against it and gain flexibility around food and working out.

3. OVEREMPHASIS ON CHANGE

New Year’s is a time to really reflect on who you want to be, on what you “should” change about yourself. But it doesn’t seem like there’s space in there to appreciate who you are now, to applaud your achievements thus far, and to even resolve not to change anything about yourself.

What kinds of New Year’s resolutions can people with an eating disorder make?

“Small” and “big” resolutions are very relative when it comes to eating disorders. Something that seems small to one person could be a huge accomplishment to someone else. Something that one person struggles to overcome might not even apply to you. It doesn’t mean your eating disorder is any more or less valid than another person’s.

Keep this in mind when you’re reading through these example New Year’s resolutions.

EATING DISORDER RECOVERY BASED NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

  1. If your eating disorder is still a secret, tell at least one person that you’re struggling this year.
  2. If you have been considering eating disorder treatment, do some research and schedule some calls to find the eating disorder treatment center that’s right for you.
  3. If you have been struggling, admit to your support system (and to yourself) that you need some extra help.
  4. Make a list of all your fear foods and resolve to incorporate all of them back into your diet this year. Exposure therapy is a fantastic way to start this process.
  5. Start eating out at a restaurant or getting takeout at least once a month. Go with a trusted friend and try to enjoy the experience.
  6. Donate any clothes that don’t fit anymore. Say goodbye to them, mourn them, and then let them go. It’s a natural part of the recovery process.
  7. Say three nice things to yourself in the mirror every day. Start with one nice thing, then build up to three if you can’t think of three things every single day.
  8. Decrease the number of times you weigh yourself every week, until you are ready to throw out your scale altogether. Set a loose goal date, but don’t give yourself a hard time if you’re not ready to throw out your scale altogether by that date.
  9. Keep a normal quantity of a fear food in the house. For example, instead of buying pre-portioned packages of cookies, opt to buy a regular sized container. Try it once, then work up to casually adding it to the grocery list every week.
  10. Create a self-soothe kit and resolve to break it out when you need it.

NON EATING DISORDER RECOVERY BASED NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

  1. If you struggle with perfectionistic tendencies, resolve to color or paint something “outside the lines” or in a generally messy way every so often, maybe twice a month, to practice being flexible and free.
  2. If you have difficulty expressing your emotions, start journaling. Choose a journal you like, leave it somewhere you will notice it, and resolve to write in it a reasonable number of times every week. For some people, this is every day. Others might write once a week.
  3. If you feel you watch too much TV or consume too much social media, resolve to spend less time doing so. Set screen time limits on your devices and come up with another activity to do that will replace the ones you limit.
  4. If you spend most of your time indoors, get outside more often. Sit outside with your morning coffee or tea, or go for a slow, calming walk in the middle of the day. Set an alarm if you think you’ll forget to go.
  5. If you don’t get enough sleep, work on your sleep hygiene.

Designing Your Own Effective Resolutions

First of all, consider whether you want to make a big, lofty resolution or a few small ones. It’s okay to dream big, so long as you’re willing to break that big thing into smaller, more manageable steps.

Second, think about what you really want to change. You have a finite amount of time, money, and energy. What would you want to put most of your resources towards?

Next, utilize the SMART goals strategy to design a resolution that will help you make the changes you want to make. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Sensitive. SMART goals work for all resolutions, even “simple” ones.

For example, let’s say you want to donate clothes and other items that don’t serve your recovery. You need to plan:

  • What date you will go through your items
  • How long you’re going to spend sorting through what you should keep and what you shouldn’t
  • Who your support person can be if this process is going to be difficult for you
  • What you’ll need to get rid of everything (e.g. boxes, a ride to a donation center, etc.)
  • When you will take your unwanted items to a donation center
  • What you’ll need after doing this (e.g. new clothing)
  • How you plan to take care of yourself throughout this process

You take one big goal and break it down into very specific and attainable parts. That way, you know exactly when to start, what you’ll get in the end, and how you’re progressing.

Next, write down all your “due dates” for your resolution in a planner or calendar that you’ll actually look at.

Finally, consider telling someone else. They can both motivate you to keep going and help you if you get off track, even if that help is simply words of encouragement or a presence in tough times.

AT THE SAME TIME, REMEMBER THAT YOU DON’T NEED TO WAIT FOR ONE PARTICULAR DAY TO START MAKING POSITIVE CHANGES.

One of the biggest — if not the most — problematic things about New Year’s resolutions is that it makes people forget that any day can be Day One of a new life. You don’t have to wait to get help for an eating disorder until next year, or only start working on your goals on a certain date.

You get to choose when you start to change. Every day is a new chance to get closer to the person you really want to be, or to maintain the person you are right now.

If you or a loved one is suffering from an eating disorder, take the first step today and talk to someone about recovery or simply learn more about the holistic eating disorder recovery programs we offer.