Ditch Diet Culture: New Year’s Resolutions That Support Eating Disorder Recovery

By: Megan Samuels, MSW, LCSW-C, Eating Disorder & Trauma Therapist

As the new year rolls in, so does the familiar wave of diet culture messaging. From weight-loss ads to fitness challenges, it often feels impossible to avoid the noise. This time of year can be especially difficult for those in eating disorder recovery, as the pressure to “start fresh” often centers around body transformation, restrictive eating, or "clean" lifestyles.

If you’ve found yourself overwhelmed by New Year’s resolutions focused on shrinking your body or “eating clean,” you’re not alone—and you’re not obligated to participate.

Instead, here are alternative resolutions that have absolutely nothing to do with weight loss or diet culture. These ideas are rooted in self-compassion, healing, and growth, and they can be especially helpful if you're in recovery or simply trying to maintain a healthier relationship with food and your body.


1. Work Toward Eating Disorder Recovery—At Your Own Pace

The new year can be a natural time to reflect on your recovery journey. What progress have you made over the past year, no matter how big or small? What recovery-focused goals feel supportive and realistic right now?

Maybe it’s time to reach out to an eating disorder specialist, join a support group, or dive deeper into eating disorder therapy. You might want to explore the underlying emotional or psychological roots of your eating disorder and start developing more adaptive coping skills. Progress isn’t linear, but setting gentle intentions can help you stay connected to your recovery.

Even small steps—like practicing more intuitive eating, honoring hunger cues, or challenging food rules—deserve recognition and celebration.


2. Challenge Internal and External Diet Culture

Rejecting diet culture doesn’t happen overnight—it’s a process that begins with awareness. Start noticing when and how diet culture or weight bias shows up in your life.

Internally, this might look like choosing a lower-calorie dessert even though you truly want something else, or feeling guilty after eating a full meal. Externally, it could be a friend making a negative comment about someone’s body or a coworker discussing their latest diet.

Once you recognize these moments, you can begin to challenge and reframe them. Ask yourself: Where did this thought come from? Is it rooted in truth, or in diet culture messaging? The more often you practice rejecting these patterns, the easier it becomes over time. Your brain learns from repetition and enforcement of more adaptive neural pathways—so keep going.


3. Discover a New Hobby or Skill

During recovery, many people notice that their mental space starts to open up as the eating disorder voice quiets down. This can be both liberating and a bit daunting—what do you do with that space?

A meaningful resolution could be to explore a new hobby, passion, or skill. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to knit, paint, play an instrument, or take up trying a new sport (and not for the calories burned, but for how it feels in your body). These pursuits can offer joy, fulfillment, and a sense of identity outside of food and appearance.

Try setting a gentle, attainable goal—like spending one hour a week focused on your new hobby. The goal isn’t perfection but curiosity and pleasure.


4. Take a Break from Social Media

Social media can be a powerful tool for connection—but it’s also a hotbed of diet culture messaging, especially around the new year. Influencers promoting “detox teas,” 30-day weight loss challenges, or “before and after” photos are everywhere right now.

One way to protect your mental health is by taking a break—even if it’s just for a few days or a week. Alternatively, consider doing a social media cleanse: unfollow accounts that promote diet culture, and instead seek out recovery-oriented or body-positive creators who align with your values.

Remember: Your social media feed should support your healing, not sabotage it.


5. Surround Yourself With Recovery-Oriented People

Diet culture is everywhere, so curating a supportive inner circle can be incredibly powerful. Spend more time with people who respect your boundaries, support your recovery, and share your values around body acceptance and mental health.

If you don’t currently have people in your life who “get it,” that’s okay. Consider educating loved ones about your recovery process and the harmful impact of diet culture. You can also look for online or in-person support groups, such as those offered by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) or other advocacy organizations.

You deserve a community that lifts you up and reminds you that you are more than a number on a scale.


A Final Note: You Are Enough Without a Resolution

It’s perfectly okay if your only resolution this year is to survive and take care of yourself. Choosing not to make a resolution at all is a valid choice—especially if setting goals feels overwhelming or triggering.

As the new year unfolds, try to anchor yourself in values like self-compassion, curiosity, and care. Your worth has nothing to do with your body, your food choices, or how “productive” you are.

Here’s to a year of healing, reclaiming joy, and rejecting anything that tells you you’re not already enough.

Resources:

• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
• Intuitive Eating Resources: www.intuitiveeating.org

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The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping children, teens, and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, that’s easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington, D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in Florida, Pennsylvania, and California. We treat issues that commonly co-occur with eating disorders, such as trauma. We provide eating disorder and EMDR trauma therapy in Rockville, Maryland and virtually throughout Maryland and Virginia. We also provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com