Coping with Weight Gain in Recovery
By: Kelsey Pukala, dietitian at Nourishing Minds Nutrition
Experiencing your body change is HARD. Coping with weight gain is hard. I think part of the reason for this is because our culture feeds us constant messages about how bodies should either stay the same or be smaller. But if you think about it, that’s completely ridiculous to assume that our bodies will stay the same throughout our lives. Obviously our lives change… we grow up, go to college, get a job, get married, have babies, move, recover from an eating disorder, travel etc. It’s interesting to me that we have some level of expectation that our lives can and WILL change, but leave no space for our bodies to change with us. Or we get extremely frustrated when our bodies change.
I say this often, but it’s hard to care for and respect something you don’t know very well. It’s also hard to care for something that our culture is constantly telling you is wrong. Something important to know is that loving your body is not a prerequisite for caring for it. You can choose to care for your body instead of constantly micromanaging it. Bodies change and that is healthy and normal.
In recovery from an eating disorder, disordered eating, and even hypothalamic amenorrhea, weight gain is often a necessary outcome to feeding yourself consistently and adequately. Notice I said “outcome.” That means that sometimes, as you recover and nourish yourself, give your body the energy it NEEDS to function optimally and/or take a break from exercise, weight gain may occur.
This isn’t a blog post about why weight restoration is crucial in recovery, so I will leave you with this: if you are in recovery from an eating disorder, chronic dieting, disordered eating and/or HA and experience weight gain, it is highly likely that you were suppressing your natural set point and your body was suffering because of that. In this case, weight gain can mean acceptance, flexibility and freedom.
Even though it’s crucial, and often necessary, to gain weight in recovery, that doesn’t make it any easier. I have compiled some things that I truly hope are helpful as you experience natural and normal body weight shifts.
Clean Up Your Social Media
Seriously… unfollow anyone who makes you doubt your worth or makes you feel like you’re not enough. Diversify your feed and follow body positive, non-diet and recovery accounts. What you look at on social media is forming you. What/who do you WANT to be formed by?
Buy New Clothes
Have you ever worn something all day that was a bit too tight and uncomfortable? Did you also think about your body the entire day? I’ve been there. If you wear clothes that don’t fit, it’s like a constant focus on parts of your body that may feel uncomfortable. Buy clothes that fit YOU and your here-and-now body. If the clothes don’t fit, then the clothes are wrong, not your body.
If you’re currently in the process of finding your natural body size, keep in mind that your set point is a range. Buy clothes that can accommodate your changing body and avoid things that pull or tighten too much. Since it’s fall, maybe leggings with flowy tops or sweaters would be the most comfortable. These things don’t have to be designer brands! Buying clothes on clearance or even secondhand from places like ThredUp or Poshmark are excellent options.
Keep a Gratitude Journal
You’ve probably heard this before… but have you actually DONE it? This can be extremely helpful in zooming out from hyper-focusing on parts of your body that you don’t like and giving you some perspective. Some examples could be:
-My legs allow me to walk my dog
-My arms allow me to hug someone I love
-My hands allow me to cook a delicious meal
-My body stayed awake so I could drive home safely
-My body fought off an infection
-My eyes allow me to see the beautiful sunset
Cover Full-Length Mirrors
This is powerful. Write body positive affirmations on a bunch of sticky notes and then cover all mirrors in your house that are full-length with them. Feel free to leave a small circle for your face if you want to do your hair and makeup ☺. The less time, energy and brain space you give yourself to scrutinize your body, the less mental space you use micro-analyzing your body. There is so much freedom in thinking of ourselves less.
How is standing in front of a mirror pinching, poking or measuring certain parts of your body serving you? No amount of that will change your body or help you heal your relationship with it. If you had a friend who constantly scrutinized, disrespected and manipulated you… how would that feel?
We are our own worst critics! Learning to care for and respect your body takes time. Often, the behavior changes occur before the mental shift. That’s 100% normal and okay. Don’t give up fighting to care for your body. It’s constantly fighting to care for you.
Thank you Kelsey for this blog post! You can learn more about Kelsey and learn about her services at Nourishing Minds Nutrition.
