When Everyone’s Talking About Their 'Summer Body': Reclaiming Your Recovery with Eating Disorder Therapy in NJ
Everywhere we turn, there are TV ads, social media messages, and gym promotions that are talking about getting your “summer body ready”. This can look like anything from “No excuses” to “Shred for summer” or “Bikini bootcamp”. We have all seen it! And we have all most likely had some emotional reaction to it. Whether we felt shame because we don’t have a desire to go to the gym that often, or we feel frustrated that we just don’t have the time. For individuals in recovery from an eating disorder, these messages can be quite triggering. Here we are going to explore how eating disorder therapy in NJ during those hot summer months can help you reclaim your recovery, shift focus from appearance to well-being, and navigate summer in a way that aligns with your values.
The “Summer Body” Myth: What It Is and Why It’s Harmful
This phrase implies that certain bodies are more acceptable during the warm summer months. It is rooted in diet culture, weight stigma, and narrow beauty standards. Summer is often more triggering during eating disorder recovery due to this myth, and leads to many feeling unable to wear swimsuits or even do outdoor activities. Many clothes are modeled by people with thin bodies, putting out in the world that only thin bodies can wear these clothes. Group fitness challenges focused around bodies are increasing within office spaces, gyms, and friend groups.
The impact these messages have on mental health has been shown to negatively impact someone’s behaviors around food and working out. Those who experience weight stigma are more likely to eat more food, develop an eating disorder, have lower self-esteem, and are less likely to exercise. For someone who is already going through recovery from an eating disorder, it can lead to increased body checking, further disordered eating behaviors, and exercise compulsions.
Common Summer Triggers for People in Recovery
More revealing clothing, such as shorts, swimsuits, or sleeveless tops.
Vacation with unfamiliar foods, unstructured mealtimes, and a lack of overall control.
Increased social media exposure through an increase in scrolling that is filled with before-and-after photos or fitness trends.
Family and friends talking about diets and having a “summer body”.
How Eating Disorder Therapy in NJ Helps You Reclaim Recovery
Unpacking internalized body ideals is a difficult task. Due to diet culture being everywhere, we all have our own biases and judgments around bodies. Identifying what these are and challenging the distorted thoughts and beliefs is done through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This is how we break down how our thoughts impact how we go about our daily life. You learn how changing behaviors can actually change the way we think and feel!
Many folks who struggle with eating disorders feel a need for control. Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy helps you identify your core values in order to stay true to yourself and build self-esteem, while increasing flexibility and vulnerability in order to feel connections and trust with others. Building self-esteem and connections is a core underlying need for us all!
Setting boundaries around diet talk plays a key role in preventing relapse from an eating disorder. Having a set plan on how to respond when certain people in your life discuss body sizes or diets is important. A few examples of what this could look like may be responding with a joke, leaving the room, changing the subject, or clearly stating your boundary.
Learning to look at your body in a neutral and self-compassionate way can help shift thoughts around your body to a way of appreciating what your body can do for you. For example, this may look like shifting from “I hate the way my arms look” to “My arms allow me to hold my daughter”.
Overall, therapy helps navigate real-life events in the summer, such as beach trips, barbecues, or vacations, in a way that aligns with your own recovery goals. In therapy, you will discuss ways to plan for meals out, ask for support, ground yourself when feeling out of control, and so much more.
Practical Tips for Reclaiming Recovery During “Summer Body” Season
Curate your feed on social media. Unfollow any triggering accounts and follow body-positive or recovery-affirming creators. Try changing your algorithm by clicking on a bunch of dog videos over and over again. It works!
Dress for comfort by picking clothes that make you feel good physically.
Reframe movement to exercising for joy instead of punishment. Rest is an important part of the recovery process!
Use the coping skills! Having a list of grounding, breathwork, and affirmations ready to go can help when things get extra tough.
Plan ahead by bringing safe foods or looking at a menu ahead of time. Have a plan if things get overwhelming and who you can go to for support.
Make sure to continue eating disorder therapy and attend support groups.
Practice self-compassion by acknowledging how hard the summer months are. At Serendipity Counseling Services, we believe you should give yourself grace when things feel extra tough.
A Note to Loved Ones
If you are a friend or family member of someone struggling with an eating disorder, this part is for you. There are many ways you can support a loved one through the difficult summer months. Focus on support without comments on appearance. Instead, focus on neutral comments such as, “It is so good to see you!” or “Talking to you refreshed my day.” Be mindful of group conversations. Help shift discussions away from dieting, appearance, or weight. Lastly, model body acceptance by choosing to wear the swimsuit, go in the pool, or eat the ice cream. Those around you notice when you are able to be present in the moment with them and help them feel more comfortable doing the same.
Conclusion from an Eating Disorder Therapist in NJ
Reclaiming recovery in the summer months means taking extra care of yourself. It means choosing your mental health over diet culture pressures. If the “summer body” noise is drowning out your recovery, talk to your eating disorder therapist about your struggles. If you are struggling and do not have a therapist, check out my blog on how to find an eating disorder therapist in NJ to help you find peace, confidence, and freedom this summer.
Find Support with Eating Disorder Therapy in NJ
If all the “summer body” talk has made recovery feel more difficult, you’re not alone. The pressure to shrink, tone, or change your body this time of year can stir up old patterns, but healing means remembering you don’t have to earn your worth through appearance.
At Serendipity Counseling Services, we offer eating disorder therapy in NJ that supports you in staying grounded, reclaiming your recovery, and redefining your relationship with your body, on your own terms.
Here’s how to get started with an eating disorder therapist in New Jersey:
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to talk about what’s been coming up and explore whether therapy feels like the right fit.
Book your first eating disorder therapy session and begin building supportive tools for body image, self-trust, and emotional well-being.
Start reconnecting with yourself, not to meet anyone else’s standards, but to feel free, nourished, and whole.
Expanded Services at Serendipity Counseling in Cherry Hill, NJ
In addition to providing eating disorder therapy for athletes in Cherry Hill, NJ, I offer focused support for runners and actively engage in advocacy to challenge diet culture within sports communities through speaking engagements.
I also lead a virtual Retired Athlete Support Group, a welcoming, judgment-free space where former athletes can reflect on their journey, navigate life after sport, and rediscover who they are beyond performance.
For families supporting a loved one in recovery, I offer family-based therapy designed to strengthen communication, encourage empathy, and create a safe, supportive environment for lasting healing.
About the Author: Compassionate Eating Disorder Therapist in New Jersey
Kate Ringwood, LPC, is the founder of Serendipity Counseling Services and a licensed therapist specializing in eating disorder treatment for athletes in Cherry Hill, NJ. With a background as a competitive runner, Kate understands firsthand the complex relationship between performance, body image, and food in athletic environments.
Her approach blends evidence-based practices with empathy and authenticity, offering clients a supportive space to heal and rebuild trust with their bodies. Beyond her clinical work, Kate is an active voice in the community, sharing her insights through podcast interviews and speaking engagements to promote mental health advocacy and challenge toxic norms in sports culture.
