Megan Lee, Registered Dietician, March 2025
Body acceptance can feel like an impossible goal in eating disorder recovery. When you’ve spent years feeling at war with your body, learning to accept it, not just tolerate it, requires patience, self-compassion, and unlearning deeply ingrained beliefs about weight, shape, and worth. While recovery often starts with restoring nutrition and repairing eating patterns, healing your relationship with your body is just as crucial.
Body Acceptance VS Body Positivity
Body acceptance does not mean you have to love every part of your body at all times. Unlike body positivity, which encourages embracing and celebrating your appearance, body acceptance is about making peace with your body, regardless of how you feel about it on any given day.
For many in recovery, body positivity can feel out of reach, especially when distressing body image thoughts arise. Body acceptance offers a gentler approach, allowing for neutrality and self-compassion on difficult days.
Tips to Cultivate Body Acceptance
Challenge Harmful Beauty Standards
Diet culture has ingrained in us the belief that smaller bodies are inherently better, healthier, and more attractive. Recognising that this is a social construct, and not a truth, can help shift your perspective. To help do this, you can:
Unfollow social media accounts that make you feel uncomfortable in your body
Follow people of ALL shapes and sizes on social media to better reflect the natural body landscape.
Replace weight-focused goals with value-based goals, like gaining strength or improving energy levels
Appreciate What Your Body Can Do
Your body is more than an ornament. It is an instrument. Consider what your body does for you on any given day, like breathing, walking, digesting food, or allowing you to experience life. Practicing gratitude for these functions can help reframe your relationship with your body. You could:
Make a never ending list of things your body allows you to do. Revisit this list on tough body-image days.
Engage in activities that make you feel physically capable, like hiking, doing ParkRun or taking a Pilates class.
Wear Comfortable Clothing
Clothing that is restrictive or uncomfortable can trigger negative body image thoughts. Investing in clothes that fit your current body comfortably can significantly impact how you feel about yourself. Try:
Remove clothing that no longer fits or causes distress.
Buying clothes that prioritise comfort and confidence if possible.
Change Your Inner Dialogue
Pay attention to your internal dialogue. If you wouldn’t say something to a friend, don’t allow it to be said to yourself. Replace critical thoughts with neutral or compassionate ones.
Use affirmations that focus on self-worth beyond appearance.
Write down negative thoughts and challenge them with a kinder perspective.
Talk to yourself like you would to a loved one.
Reduce Body Checking and Comparison
Constantly analysing your body in mirrors, weighing yourself, or comparing yourself to others reinforces body dissatisfaction. Reducing these behaviours can help free up mental space for more meaningful aspects of life.
Limit the time spent in front of mirrors.
Unfollow accounts that make you feel bad about your body.
Remind yourself that bodies naturally change and fluctuate.
Practice Mindful Movement
Instead of exercising to change your body, engage in movement that makes you feel good. Movement like yoga, stretching, pilates, or even gentle walks can help to increase the mind-body connection.
Choose activities based on enjoyment, not calorie burn.
Notice how movement makes you feel rather than how it changes your body.
Prioritise Physical Health for Cognitive Well-Being
A well-nourished body is essential for a well-functioning mind. When undernourished, the brain struggles with cognitive flexibility, sound judgment, and emotional regulation. Fighting poor body image while malnourished is significantly harder. Ensure you are eating enough to support brain function and emotional resilience.
Conclusion
Body acceptance is not a switch you flip, but an active journey that unfolds over time. Some days will be easier than others. The goal is not to eliminate negative thoughts entirely, but to reduce their power over you. If you’re struggling with body acceptance in your recovery, know that you are not alone. With time, support, and self-compassion, peace with your body is possible.
For personalised guidance on finding a more positive relationship with food, exercise, and your body, book a consultation here: https://www.gabimeltzerdietician.com/book-online.
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