New Year’s resolutions can set high expectations which early on lead to shattering disappointments. This is no more true than when it comes to weight loss. January marks six months before “bikini season” and is the weight loss industry’s favorite time of year. Companies, gyms, supplements, and more advertise for the beginning of the year to help everyone make that new years resolution: losing weight. Gym memberships and attendance spike in the beginning of the year, only to dwindle off by February or the spring. Setting high expectations like going to the gym everyday, reaching an unrealistic weight, and more, can be damaging to mental and physical health. What starts off as a resolution can quickly turn into an obsession. Disordered thinking, acting, and eating when it comes to food and body image are symptoms of an eating disorder.
Recovery is Tough
For those in recovery for eating disorders, the end of year holiday celebrations and beginning of year obsession with losing the holiday weight can be triggering. While trying to eat normally and not obsess about size, millions around the world are doing the opposite. If you or a loved one are in recovery for an eating disorder, or are unsure if you need to be, look to some of these suggestions. If they seem impossible, or strike a chord with your current issues, call Avalon By The Sea today.
Finding Hobbies
Writing for The Mighty, Ash Thoms explained her new year’s resolutions now that she is in recovery from an eating disorder. The author explains that finding a new hobby was critical. It helps with having humility in recognizing that perfection, an issue deeply intertwined with eating disorders, is a fallacy. Having hobbies is about exploration and trying, without having to be perfect or best. Hobbies allow us to learn more about ourselves and what we are capable, or not capable of, without judgment. Thoms also expresses the resolution to stop living in fear, self-deprecating hatred, and safety. The new year in a new recovery is the time to get out and live, do what makes you uncomfortable, and be bold about your toughest challenge: learning to love yourself.
Avalon By The Sea is one of California’s few certified treatment facilities for mental health conditions as a primary diagnosis. If you are suffering from an eating disorder and need primary treatment, in addition to treatment for any co-occurring issues, Avalon is here to serve. For a private consultation and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.
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