Swimsuit Shopping with an Eating Disorder (eek!)

Swim Suit Shopping 🤦‍♀️

Swimsuit shopping can be challenging for anyone struggling with body image. Even the idea of it is enough to make someone with an eating disorder cringe. Here are some tips to (hopefully) make the experience less dreadful and more recovery oriented.

Before

Choose an emotionally supportive friend or family member to go shopping with.
Talk to a supporter beforehand to identify potential swimsuit styles you feel comfortable in.
- Ex) Some people do not feel comfortable in a traditional bikini because they are focused on their “hip dips”, lack of a thigh gap, stomach size/shape etc. However, one pieces or tankinis may not feel like an age-appropriate style. There are lots of different swim suit styles nowadays – swim skirts, high waisted bottoms, tops that are more like sports bras, matching “sets” that are more like a cute swimming outfit than a bikini.
- It can help to have your supporter look up swimsuit ideas and then show you some examples.
- ***IMPORTANT: Find pictures of swimsuits that are not on a model or swimsuits on people of varying shapes and sizes. If your supporter does show you photo that may include a triggering body, please give a trigger advisory so they can mentally prepare.
Sizing….oh shit. What if you don’t know your size? What if you don’t *want* to know your size?
- Remember – clothing sizes are not always standardized. You could buy two pairs of jeans from the same company in two totally different sizes and they could fit. The goal is to find what is comfortable for your specific body.
Create a plan to reduce body checking:
- How long should you be in the dressing room?
- How often should you check in with your supporter?
- What are helpful prompts they can say to see how you’re doing?
- Ex) – “Remember that your goal is to find something that is comfortable. Focus on how it feels on your body instead of the mirror. Your body image is different than your actual body, and the way you see things might be distorted.”
Eat to your normal meal plan! You may be tempted to restrict before shopping, which will do more harm than good. However, it can also be triggering to try on swim suits with a full stomach. Identify what would be the most helpful for you.
- Some people challenge themselves by shopping right after a meal, because they know they will be eating at some point while they are wearing this swimsuit/clothing.
- Other people prefer to shop in between meals, when they feel neutral in their level of hunger and fullness.
- It is NOT helpful to shop on an empty stomach. This will only engage your eating disorder more. The goal is to recreate situations in life from a recovery standpoint, instead of a disordered one. You already have a lot of practice doing the disordered things; now let’s try something different.
Plan your meals and snacks for the day. Bring snacks that are easy to eat on the go. Think about if you are going to get food while out or if you would prefer to eat at home that day.
- NOTE: If it is triggering to the eating disorder to plan your meals and snacks, then this may not be helpful. You do not have to meal prep and portion everything out before hand, as that might feel restrictive or limiting. But it can be helpful to think about your meals ahead of time, in case you feel overwhelmed or exhausted later.

During

It already takes a lot of mental and emotional energy to try on swimsuits. Let go of the “shop till you drop” mentality, which just leads to exhaustion. Select one or two stores and create a time limit.
- Do you want to spend 15 minutes shopping? 30 minutes? 1 hour?
- What is a reasonable amount of time that will allow you to get the job done while remaining in touch with your recovery goals?
Focus on the comfort of the fit instead of how it looks.
- When you find a style you like, bring it into the dressing room in a couple different sizes. Try to reduce the urge to check the sizes on the tags, and remember – the label does not define your worth.
Decide if you would like your supporter to cover the mirror in the dressing room before you go in. This can easily be done with a large piece of fabric. Maxi dress anyone? Maybe a mumu?
Follow your plan to reduce body checking! Remember, your body image is different than your body, and the way you see things is likely distorted.

ASK YOUR SUPPORTER FOR HELP! This is a really stressful activity. It’s okay to need help, and that can look many different ways.
- Do you want them to pick out the swim suits for you?
- Would it help if they were in the dressing room with you?
- It is better for them to be neutral and factual or to give you emotionally supportive advice?
Take a break! You don’t have to make a decision in this exact moment. If you feel overwhelmed or your ED gets too loud, you can always pause – leave the dressing room, leave the store if you have to, and take a break from the intensity of the experience. It’s okay if you don’t come out of this with a swimsuit.

After

You may struggle to eat appropriately on this day, as body image thoughts could encourage you to engage in behaviors. Make sure to stick to your meal plan and use your coping skills to get through challenging meals and snacks.
Check in about how it went with your supporter and yourself!
- What went well?
- What was challenging?
- What do you need right now to get grounded and feel safe in your body?

Even if you don’t feel like it was successful, remember that recovery comes 1% at a time. Reflect on your experience and see how it goes differently than it would have if you were active in your eating disorder. Recovery intentions make a difference, even if it doesn’t feel like it. You may not always feel the difference between 17% and 18%, but I remember being in school and getting a 90% definitely feels different than an 89%

1% still makes a difference, even if you don’t feel it right away.