Top 5 Eating Disorder Recovery Tips for the New Year

By: Kate Kaczor, Dietetic Intern

Top 5 Eating Disorder Recovery Tips for the New Year

1. Think of where you want to be next year and recognize the progress that has been made from the year before. The New Year is a good time for reflection. Thinking about where you’d like your life to be can help you make active steps for achieving it. Don’t forget to praise yourself for all you have accomplished in the last year! This can help motivate you with your current goals.
2. Ignore diet resolutions. Some of the most prominent New Year’s resolutions deal with dieting and weight loss—they are also some of the most abandoned. Don’t let all of the post-holiday diet talk negatively impact your recovery. Remember that the over-whelming majority of diets fail and that with the help of your dietitian and the rest of your treatment team you are on the right path to a healthy body.
3. Don’t postpone. It is easy to say you will start tomorrow. Your ED may tell you that it’s okay to follow your disordered eating behaviors today—you’ll begin your recovery meal plan tomorrow. Too often, however, this leads to more and more days with ED in control. Decide to take the control back today. Making small, realistic goals can help you stay focused.
4. Don’t expect a miracle. With all the fireworks, confetti, and balloons, the New Year gives off a false impression that something magical is happening. Just because 2013 has arrived doesn’t mean things will suddenly be different. Only your continued efforts will help you reach your goals.
5. Continue with your team. The New Year can bring about a great deal of change. Change can be just what is needed to get your recovery headed in the right direction, but it can also be an opportunity for ED to sneak in. By staying in continuous communication with your team and attending all appointments you can help ensure that your recovery path is headed in a positive direction.