Navigating Summer Eating Disorder Triggers by Alexis Banks, RD, LDN
Recovering from an eating disorder is incredibly challenging!
Many eating disorder triggers tend to exacerbate as the warm weather moves in, which can make recovery that much harder! The key to maintaining eating disorder recovery throughout the summer is being able to anticipate these possible challenges and being planful about how to respond to them in a recovery-focused way.
If thoughts of summer are causing you worry and anxiety, here are some ways to help you cope and not just survive this summer, but thrive!!
Don’t let diet culture ruin summer!!
Diet culture is a system of beliefs that idolizes thinness, appearance, and shape above our overall well-being. Diet culture has conditioned society to believe that thin equals healthy and fat equals unhealthy. We’ve all heard it a million times… There is so much talk about “summer bodies'' and “beach bodies”, and this puts SO much pressure on us in the summertime. The truth is - EVERY body is a summer body!!
If it is summer, and you have a body, BOOM you have a summer body!
This attitude is so normalized in our society that we no longer believe that our bodies are worthy of enjoying summer activities if they don’t fit diet culture’s standards. Your body has no idea that it is summertime - so please stop starving it and remember to continue honoring all of its needs.
Wear clothes that make you feel comfortable
Diet culture has taught us that we have to look a certain way or have a certain body type to be able to wear certain clothes. But this is just another made up rule that increases body shame. If you don't feel comfortable in the shorts - don't wear the shorts! If you don't feel comfortable in a bathing suit - treat yourself to finding one that you do feel comfortable in.
I always recommend my clients to try on their clothes without looking in the mirror first (this counts for when you’re in dressing rooms as well!). Take a moment to see how it FEELS, before you look in the mirror to see how it looks. Because if it doesn’t feel good on your body, then chances are you aren’t going to like how it looks on your body.
Be planful to ensure that you are properly nourishing your body
Your eating disorder loves to make excuses as to why you shouldn't nourish your body. It is so important to continue to maintain structure with your mealtimes in the summer no matter what your plans are that day. Not everyday is going to look the same, and sometimes it is inevitable that you will be thrown off your schedule. However, being planful ahead of time can help ensure that your body continues to get the nourishment that it needs. Also - remember to prioritize hydration!!
A helpful tip for this is to make sure you’re packing things ahead of time and throw some extra snacks and easily transportable foods in your bag. Some ideas are granola bars, trail mix, fruit, energy balls, granola, hard-boiled eggs, sandwiches/wraps.
Create and maintain a more structured schedule
As mentioned above, it is inevitable for you to be thrown off your schedule sometimes in the summer for a multitude of reasons. However, creating a structure for yourself - even if you follow it loosely - is so important to keep you aligned with your recovery. Having a solid routine (that isn’t too rigid!!) can be beneficial for both our physical and mental health.
Be mindful of your time and energy spent on social media
Comparison truly is the thief of joy, and social media is a huge hub for comparison. As we all know, summer on social media comes with a lot of pictures and posts that often lead to increased negative self-talk. There is so much research that shows the harmful effects of social media and how it can impact someone’s self-image. Exposure to body photos and diet culture-type posts have been shown to lead to increased body dissatisfaction, lower self-esteem, and increased body-image distress. Social media truly is a highlight reel and often portrays unrealistic body types. Remind yourself that we truly don’t know what someone’s life looks like outside of the things that they post.
Some helpful tips are to limit your exposure to social media, and I also recommend going through your social media and unfollowing accounts that are not recovery-focused and following accounts that promote recovery and body positivity.
Be mindful about events and activities that you are engaging in
Often in the summer we are attending multiple social gatherings and events that we may not always want to attend due to fear of potential triggers. Sometimes these gatherings and situations can lead to being surrounded by people who constantly talk about food and their bodies. You are allowed to set boundaries and remove yourself from these types of situations that can trigger increased eating disorder thoughts and urges. It is often inevitable to avoid some of these social situations in the summer, however, it is important that you are also making time for activities that you enjoy. You are allowed to prioritize your own wants and needs!
Pro tip: make a summer bucket list (both solo activities and activities with the people you love) to hold yourself accountable to engage in things that make you happy!!
Be aware of signs of a relapse
The triggers of summer can easily lead you back into eating disorder behaviors. Check in with yourself often to ensure that you are not subconsciously or actively engaging in any of those behaviors. Here are some potential signs of a relapse:
Skipping meals or limiting your intake at certain meals
Increased eating disorder thoughts and/or urges
Using the weather as an excuse to engage in over-exercise behaviors
A pattern of canceling or rescheduling appointments
Cutting out specific foods or food groups
Avoiding social events or isolating yourself
Increased body checking behaviors and/or excessively weighing yourself
Changes in normal clothing or wearing oversized baggy clothes - often to hide your body
Neglecting yourself and your basic needs
Continued denial of hunger
Increased irritability or worsening changes in your mood
Rigid black and white or all or nothing thinking
Feeling “out of control” and/or feeling a need for control
Dishonesty and secretive food/body behaviors
A sudden change of body weight
Loss or irregular menstruation
Dizziness, weakness, fatigue, fainting
Increased time spent on social media and/or increased comparison thoughts/urges
Missing prescribed medication - either due to avoidance of forgetfulness
Inability to practice normal activities of daily life (such as hygiene and self-care)
It is SO important to remind yourself that recovery setbacks and relapse are not a sign of failure and you don't deserve to beat yourself up for struggling. Recovery is hard!! And it’s important to get yourself back on track as soon as possible if you start to notice signs of a relapse.
Ensure that you have a solid support system
Eating disorders THRIVE in isolation, and it is not easy to recover from an eating disorder by yourself. I encourage you to have support to rely on - especially when you are engaging in a difficult event or eating a challenging meal. Whether your support is family, friends, your treatment team, or anyone else that you trust - let them know what you need this summer so that you feel the most supported when in distress. You are not a burden, and you deserve support!!
Be kind to yourself and allow yourself the freedom to enjoy your summer!!
Summer is a challenging time in the diet culture and body-focused society that we live in. Continue to remind yourself of the importance of staying aligned with your recovery because recovery is absolutely possible! Celebrate your recovery wins, practice positive self-talk, utilize your coping skills, embrace what your body is allowing you to do each and every day, set healthy boundaries, and seek out additional support as needed. You deserve to enjoy the warm weather season and create positive memories with the people that you love the most. Remember to fact check and reframe your thoughts, and recognize all of the progress you are making each and every day.
I want to challenge you to remove the judgment from yourself this summer, and encourage you to prioritize engaging in thoughts and behaviors that promote a positive relationship with yourself and your body.
To learn more or connect with someone from our team please reach out to Lotus Therapy Group at 708-552-7330.
