When you are recovering from a restricting, weight loss or exercise-related eating disorder, one of the biggest questions you have concerns your exercising habits. When is it okay to start exercising again? What kind of work outs should you do? Should you even exercise? Everyone will have to individually answer these questions at one point or the other, but there are some things you can be doing to test whether or not exercise is the best thing to add or refrain from at certain points in your recovery. http://smdeatingdisorders.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/exercise-and-recovery/ (Link to "National Eating Disorder Awareness" is listed wrong, it should be "National Eating Disorder Association")

1. WINTERTemplate
Recovery:
When to Exercise Again
©EDALOP 2014

2. Introduction
If you are going to invite exercise into your recovery and
your lifestyle, doing so too early or too late can put you
in quite a predicament. Yet knowing when to exercise
can be a problematic and very nerve-wracking.
So how can we know the right time to start?
• Embrace Weight Gain
• Ask Questions
• Find Accountability
©EDALOP 2014

3. Embrace Weight Gain
Recovery and weight gain go hand-in-hand.
There is no universal number, but for restrictive, exercise and
purge-related eating disorders, weight gain is a highly common
outcome.
For recovery, any change, especially the reintroduction of food
and reduction of daily exercise, can be extremely difficult to
cope with because “routines” ruled your life. These new, self-
chosen goals will normally be in direct conflict with the
disordered mindset that used to be so comforting and life
sustaining.
So before you can even consider adding exercise to your
life, you have learn how to healthily love and accept your body
no matter what the scale or the mirror leads you to think.
©EDALOP 2014

4. Embrace Weight Gain
Tips for Embracing Your Weight:
 Reacquaint yourself with food.
• Like an old friend, you might need to remind
yourself what food actually is—a body and mind
energizer!
 Give your body a new purpose.
• Instead of a weight loss machine or a symbol of
your lack of control, your body can be honored
and respected for its true, intended uses.
 Consult a nutritionist, physician, psychologist, et
cetera.
• You don‟t need a professional to help you
recover, but never count them out as a resource
because they can provide
information, encouragement and accountability.
©EDALOP 2014

5. Embrace Weight Gain
Tips for Embracing Your Weight:
 Daily say things you like about your body.
• You might not completely believe yourself at
first, but the more positivity you add into your
life, the more positive and brighter you‟ll be.
Surround yourself in appreciation.
 Use the mirror and the scale for good.
• Write and place encouraging reminders on
your mirror and scale. (Click here for
examples)
 Listen to your body.
• Sleep when you‟re tired. Eat when you‟re
hungry.
 Be creative.
• You might have tried some of these already, so
make up your own! Make sure they are
positive and that you enjoy doing them!©EDALOP 2014

6. Ask Questions
Relapses and slips are lurking around every corner, and if you
make one wrong turn, you could fall right back into your old
eating disordered habits. Not every mistake leads to relapse, but
it‟s always a possibility, especially if you‟re not arming yourself
with the right resources.
Choosing when to incorporate exercise can be very stressful; and
it doesn‟t help that your eating disorder lifestyle is just chomping
at the bit for you to mess up! Thankfully, you can ask and
personally answer preemptive questions to guard against relapse
when you‟re finally ready to make this decision.
First things first, though, remember to be honest.
©EDALOP 2014

7. Ask Questions
Try Some of These Questions:
 Why do you want to start exercising?
• If there is any inkling of a “to lose weight” desire,
then steer clear from exercising for now or make
a very detailed list of all your triggers. Also
include helpful recovery responses for each
trigger.
This will help alleviate some pressures and lower
some related risks, but heed this warning: this
will not guarantee total freedom. If you think
you‟re ready, then make sure you are very well
prepared.
Exercise should be solely for providing energy,
strength and other non-weight related outcomes.
So continually holding yourself accountable.©EDALOP 2014

8. Ask Questions
Try Some of These Questions:
 Are you comfortable with who you are now?
• While we will always make mistakes, we have to
be accepting of ourselves, flaws „n all. It might
take some getting used to, but with exercise
having both emotional and mental ties in our
recovery and eating disorder mindsets, being
defensive of your true self is crucial.
Even if the whole world is cheering you on, if
you‟re not supporting yourself, then you‟re
recovery is going to be short lived.
©EDALOP 2014

9. Ask Questions
Try Some of These Questions:
 Are you willing to take exercise breaks? Are you
willing to exercise less than you planned? Does your
workout have to be perfect?
• Exercise is supposed to be fun and challenging.
One of the most dangerous things we can do is
let something so helpful and positive in our lives
turn into something that controls us. So make
sure you are okay with taking breaks.
Even if they are in the middle of your workout,
even if they are for a few days, do it! Always
leave time for recuperation and continually make
sure your recovery is still on track.
©EDALOP 2014

10. Ask Questions
Try Some of These Questions:
 What kinds of exercises do you want to do?
• Never underestimate the power of various
exercises. If you ever had any “go to exercises”
during your eating disorder, then don‟t start out
with those. While retracing your steps is always
a useful way to find something you‟ve
lost, retracing your disordered behaviors during
recovery can be quite triggering.
Try some new exercises that you‟ve never tried
before, and when you‟re ready, slowly
reintroduce those old exercises. If you jump the
gun, don‟t panic. Relax and try again some other
time.
©EDALOP 2014

11. Find Accountability
Just as you need to be in your own corner, you‟ll need some
external support to make sure you‟re exercising does not get in
the way of a healthy recovery.
So think about someone who you can talk
to, text, call, message, email—whatever, and ask them to help
you with this. Maybe they can exercise with you, frequently
check in on you, be your cheerleader or even be your bounce
board for concerns and other thoughts. Anything!
You just have to ask them.
Oh and you also have to be honest. They can only encourage
and help you if you tell them the whole truth. Don‟t let lying, a
trick heavily used in your eating disorder days, be a tool in your
recovery. It only leads to regret and pain.
©EDALOP 2014

12. Find Accountability
Don‟t just pick anyone.
While you‟re not going to have perfect information, you can still
make responsible decisions on your accountability partner
because this person should be a friend, mentor, family member
or role model. Someone who you‟ve had to rely on before and
they came through.
This person should also be readily available.
They might have been great last time, but over time, life goes on.
People get married, start a new job, move, et cetera. There‟s
nothing wrong with this, but you‟ll still have to make sure the
person you choose is currently able and willing.
Again, ask and be honest.
©EDALOP 2014

13. Other Resources:
• Eating Disorder Coalition
• Fitting It All In
• National Eating Disorder Awareness
• Until Eating Disorders Are No More
• For a longer list, go here…
(If you ever need anything, don’t be afraid to email us at
eatingdisorders.alop@gmail.com)