The first stop after eating disorder recovery is positive body image!
You probably figured out by now that it doesn’t work that way. But that isn’t a bad thing. Our relationships with our bodies evolve over time. And having a positive body image isn’t the end-all-be-all of eating disorder recovery. In fact, it’s unrealistic for anyone to be body-positive all the time.
Healing your relationship with food and your body means letting go of the idea that your worth depends on your weight or appearance. Part of that is no longer letting your body image determine whether or not you will have a good day or a full life.
You can be fully recovered and still not 100% in love with your body
“I love my body” and “I feel good in my body” can be different things. Being at peace with your body does not mean you have to show it off online. If that is what empowers you, go for it!
But you don’t have to prove that you are O.K. with your body by celebrating your hotness or even thinking that your body is hot in the first place.
The truth is with positive body image is that you can dislike things about your body without hating it.
You can want to change some things about your body without taking harmful steps to do so.
Additionally, you don’t have to believe your body is beautiful in order to take care of it. This is what body neutrality is. You can love yourself because your body deserves care no matter how it looks.
You can appreciate your body for how it lets you live without needing to believe that it is gorgeous.
Think About Navigating Positive Body Image This Way
You would still care for a garden that is wilting or not in bloom. You can still harvest misshapen fruit and vegetables, even if you know they would never win a prize at a fair or perhaps not even make it onto supermarket shelves.
Your body is not a product. The “upkeep” it requires doesn’t involve making sure it is pleasing to anyone else. You don’t owe anyone pretty, attractive, or some narrow definition of sexy.
You can accept that parts of you aren’t the size you wish they were without turning to eating disorder behaviors.
If you do change things, that doesn’t mean you aren’t leaning into a positive body image. Changes can come from a personal place without self-hatred or the influence of others’ opinions.
Developing a positive body image is a journey, not a destination
And you don’t even have to take the body positivity route on your recovery journey.
Body neutrality is another way to go. Being body-neutral is just like it sounds– it means you neither like nor dislike your body.
When you are body-neutral, you don’t need to have positive feelings about your body in order to live a full and happy life. You maintain indifference towards your body’s appearance. It’s not on your radar.
The Truth About Positive Body Image
When you are recovering from an eating disorder in which body image was a constant battle, the concept of body neutrality may seem as impossible as body positivity.
But as you heal and gain more brain space for thoughts that don’t have anything to do with your eating disorder, you will spend less time thinking about how you look in the mirror. You will spend less time body-checking as you become more present in your life.
Be Patient With Yourself in Developing Positive Body Image
It is a slow process, and it will happen in such small stages that you might not even realize how your perception of yourself has changed. But it is fully possible to achieve body neutrality, and at times, body positivity.
Need Support with Beginning Your Positive Body Image or Body Neutrality Journey in California?
Contact us for a free 15-minute video consultation to find out how we can help. Body image issues can steal the joy from your life, it’s time to develop body neutrality and be patient with yourself. Positive body image in California takes time. If you need support building resilience to weather any bad body image day, so you can authentically show up as yourself we can help. Begin your journey to peace with your body and a better future is just a click away. Our eating disorder therapists and dietitians can help!
Our offices are located throughout California via online therapy. We are conveniently located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Palo Alto. We can work with adults and teens throughout California. You can schedule a free 15-minute video consultation to learn how we can help you or your loved one.
Other Services Available at Kindful Body
Kindful Body offers body image therapy to clients 14 and older across California, as well as support for low self-esteem issues, emotional eating recovery, nutrition counseling, grief counseling, binge eating disorder, and relationship therapy. When you’re ready, we are here to help you with your eating disorder recovery whether you need eating disorder treatment in Sacramento, San Jose, Oakland/Berkeley, Walnut Creek, San Mateo, Orange County, CA, or anywhere online in California.
