I can say it a million times over in a million different ways but you do not need to change your body for a season. The pressure of achieving a “summer body” has been a trend for ages. It’s superficial, the idea that being fit or in shape is something that we should only focus on when we are showing less skin. But this thought is so easy to fall into, many people associate looking and feeling good with being in a smaller body. Diet companies and fitness brands make money off of selling towards the idea of losing weight for the summer. And then we fall into the cycle of wanting to lose weight, eating less, restricting certain foods and feeling like shit mentally and physically.

Personally, summer is a difficult time of year for me regarding body image and appearance. Without fail, the thoughts of wanting to tone up and get “in shape” for the summer return and take over. But at the end of the day, summer is just a time of year. There is no one size fits all when it comes to a season and one body type should not be praised over another.

When I’m really struggling, I think about it this way. All of the goals you have for yourself, whether that is to earn good grades in school, be a top athlete, study abroad, get married, graduate, etc cannot be achieved if you don’t eat. It simply won’t happen. It can be so easy in the moment to want that instant gratification of skipping a meal or cutting down on certain foods, but it is so much bigger than that. Think of recovery as an investment to your future self and what you want your future to look like. Focusing on the long-term rather than day to day can be helpful and it motivates you to continue doing the right thing and not to fall into unhealthy patterns and behaviors.