With 2021 in full swing... A New Year often brings reflection on the past year and a desire to change for the better in the new year. The New Year typically brings a lot of pressure to set new goals and higher standards and it is almost impossible to have a conversation with someone without them asking you “what is your New Years’ resolution?” “

“Studies have shown that the majority of New Year’s resolutions focus around weight loss and getting into shape, which can be triggering for those individuals who are struggling with an eating disorder or who are at risk of an eating disorder.”

I am here to tell you that these resolutions must be sustainable. Resolutions that won’t lead you to fall back into bad habits and cycles. For me, it was disordered thoughts. Thoughts that would lead me to relapse into an eating disorder and disordered thoughts about my body, worth, and nutrition.

For someone who now takes immense pride in her “Morning Routine”… It is crazy to think that my New Year’s Resolution was once to completely cut out breakfast. What I now call the most important step in my morning routine:

"The longer you wait, the better off you are”... this is something a friend said to me at the cafeteria table in first-year university. Going into first-year, I was daunted, haunted, and constantly faced with the fear of the infamous “freshman fifteen”. I looked for help and prevention and did everything I could to escape the seemingly inevitable weight gain that comes along with the university. This is where the RESTRICTION began.

“The longer you wait, the better off you are,” “GENIUS!” I thought. If I could put off breakfast and eventually erase it as a meal in general, I would be at a calorie deficit and therefore, I would stay “skinny”. My friend then continued to explain to me how she lost “belly fat” doing this and feels so much happier. I then completely stopped eating breakfast. Now if you are someone who cannot eat in the morning or lack appetite, I get it. However, that is not the case for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I wake up absolutely STARVING. In fact, I go to sleep looking forward to breakfast… Oops!

I also want us all to acknowledge that health is unique and we all have different needs. Whether it be a conversation at the cafeteria table, behind the runway, at a casting, or on Instagram… I became extremely susceptible to the opinions and suggestions that others made. This was not the answer for me and I wish that I could go back and tell myself this.

Relapsing after a resolution

Resolutions seem effective, in theory, and usually come from a sincere desire to change. However, resolutions and goals are not much without action steps in place and realistic methods for moving forward. For those who are in recovery, resolutions often negate the process of healing from an eating disorder and can unintentionally set up someone for failure. Relapsing during the New Year after you have already set your resolution is okay and is part of your eating disorder recovery journey. The most important part of relapsing is seeking help and practicing self-care. Setting goals that are not realistic can result in many obstacles in your recovery. These lofty unrealistic goals may seem like a great idea but when put into practice they can actually cause more harm than good.

Setting realistic New Years resolution goals

Resolutions often demand perfectionism, and this is a dangerous trend. Instead, practice giving yourself grace and flexibility and set goals that can help you thrive rather than stumble. Some realistic goals for the New Year include:

• Meet with your therapist or dietitian on a more regular basis

• Join a support group or if you are already in one, then make attempts to participate more

• Volunteer

• Learn how to put yourself first

• Practice self-care and self-love

• start stretching

• start eating consistent meals

• take active steps towards your goals

• make affirmations for yourself

• start using a planner

• start to journal

• Focus on taking one day at a time

• Learn how to be more patient with yourself

• Make new friends who are supportive of you

Notice that these goals are not black and white, meaning that they are not categorized by a specific amount or duration. Many New Years goals are categorized by doing (a certain amount of) some activity for a specific duration such as exercising for an hour a day, 3 days or week or eating a specific number of calories each day, or saving a certain amount of money each month. Setting black and white resolutions are more likely to result in failures than accomplishments and as a result, many individuals will feel defeated instead of empowered. Rather than setting these unfeasible resolutions, set resolutions that do not have a specific amount or duration. An example could be saving more money or attend more therapy sessions. By not having a specific number set, you are more likely to be successful in your resolution and feel empowered, especially during a recovery process. After all, the goal is to live a better life.

Why is Breakfast Important:

• Energy

• Essential Vitamins, minerals, and nutrients

• Weight control

• Boosts brain power

• Reduces the risk of illnesses

• Help your hunger signals

• Make better food choices

What happens when you skip breakfast:

• Low physical activity motivation

• Lack of sleep

• Spending extra time in bed

• Too tired to bother

• Bored

• Unhealthy body image

• False belief

• Fatigue

• Lack of nutrients

• Negative impact on mood

I found that skipping breakfast made me tired, lethargic, upset, and unmotivated. Skipping breakfast was also one of the earlier signs and stages of my eating disorder. This signaled my restriction and failure to listen to my body. Skipping meals and making excuses was my way of justifying and masking my eating disorder and framing it in a more pleasant way for myself.

Eating breakfast has become my favourite part of the day and an important step to my recovery as a whole. This is when I sit down, reflect, and enjoy my favourite meal! I love my warm cup of coffee, cold smoothie bowl, creamy avocado toast… you name it! I am your girl for breakfast. It is so beautiful how I turned my fear into a hobby and I could not be happier.