It’s the start of a new year, and with that comes new year’s resolutions. According to Forbes, 40% of Americans make new year’s resolutions. NBC reports that at least 13% of resolutions are health and fitness related. I write this just as a reminder that on your journey to being fit, please don’t become unhealthy.

This sounds silly, I know. How could working out and eating better cause you to be unhealthy? Trust me I never saw it coming either. I am always on a journey with my health, and becoming as “fit” as I can be, but sometimes have setbacks. It will always be a journey to me, not a goal or resolution, because I feel like recovery is a constant process. I am not “recovered” from my eating disorder that I had. I feel like there isn’t a switch to flip and be 100% and never look back. I actively participate in staying in recovery. I was treated for Binge Eating Disorder (B.E.D) back in 2013 and was taught some invaluable lessons through treatment, one of those being that I actually did have an eating disorder.

I believe that so many people don’t even see the warning signs of eating disorders. That our culture has become so consumed with comparing ourselves to one another that we don’t learn to be content with our own bodies we live in. I am guilty of comparing myself to women I know I could never look like, even with all the cardio and kale in the world. I am frequently reminding myself, though, of my personal goals; my small goals I set that ARE achievable. I have been back in the gym and meal prepping healthier options for myself for a few months now and I am feeling great. I also am very aware of my mind, though. I have to make a conscious effort to keep myself in check because is so easy to slip back into unhealthy habits. I have relapsed before into eating disorder habits when I try to get healthy again, but to other people they just see my success each time because I am losing weight.

This is why I say, on your health journey please don’t become unhealthy. If you see yourself losing weight at a healthy pace, don’t start skipping meals to speed up your results. Push yourself with your workouts but don’t push to the point of exhaustion where you pass out. Try a natural cleanse if you feel the need, but don’t incorporate diet pills and laxatives into your everyday meal. Losing weight, gaining muscle, getting healthy: all of that takes time. It’s frustrating but we need to trust the process. We are so accustomed to getting things when and how we want them as Americans which is a blessing but a major curse. We can’t lower our blood pressure overnight, we can’t drop two pant sizes in a week, and we can’t meet our new year’s resolution goals by February.

I challenge everyone to look at their resolutions and make sure they are filled with small, short term, achievable goals that lead up to big changes. Let’s make this the best year and be our healthiest in mind, body and spirit.