Why Goals Matter in ARFID Recovery

Choosing treatment goals is more important than we may think, and a lot harder than it looks.

Many people with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) or picky eating, feel that eating is complicated enough without the added pressure of setting goals. But having goals—even small, flexible ones—can provide direction, structure, and motivation.

Do You Really Need Goals in ARFID Recovery?

Do we have to have a goal? Yes, even if the goal is to not have a goal. For example, I may purposefully choose a weekend to get in the car and “just drive” to see where I end up and what unusual experiences I may have. But here the stated goal is to have an unusual or unique experience that I haven’t planned on. Similarly, in ARFID recovery, you might occasionally try a new food without planning it in advance—just to see how it goes. Even though it is not planned it is still fits into a goal.

Think about how the car trip might look and feel different if I decide that I need to get to California by next week.  Suddenly, planning matters: mapping the route, stopping for fuel, pacing the drive. I would need to go into planning mode. The goal itself helps initiate a planning process that then allows the opportunity to meet the goal. That same principle applies to ARFID recovery—your goals shape your journey.

This blog is intended to explore how to set goals for ARFID recovery, and what those goals may need to be. Once we have those goals, THEN we figure out what it takes to get there.

So, let’s think about goals in a step-by-step fashion for ARFID recovery.

Step One: Identify Problem Areas

To set meaningful goals, start by asking: What do I need to accomplish? Knowing what needs to be accomplished can guide where to even start. It helps prioritize the steps.

Here are some common ARFID focus areas:

Medical Goals

• Gain or maintain weight

• Improve nutrition and energy levels

• Learn and respond to hunger cues

  
  

Nutritional Goals

• Increase food variety

• Add new food groups to meals

• Tolerate or find supplements

• Expand the list of safe foods

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Social Goals

• Eat comfortably with friends or family

• Try foods in restaurants or at social events

• Travel without stress about food availability

  
  

Psychological Goals

• Manage food-related anxiety

• Increase flexibility around eating

• Use coping skills in stressful food situations

  
  

Identifying the problem is in a sense giving a long-term goal. Now the next step is to break it into smaller, less intimidating steps. Work with your treatment team to help you break this down and make it feel less overwhelming. Also check in with your team because they might identify a problem area you don’t recognize on your own.

Step Two: Set Short-Term Goals

Long-term goals provide direction. Short-term goals provide manageable steps.

For example, if I’ve established that my goal is to gain weight to get into the recommended goal weight range, what are specific things I can accomplish that will help me get there?

Here are some ideas:

• Being able to tolerate supplements

• Increase my portion sizes

• Add different food groups

• Tolerate the discomfort of feeling fuller

These short-term goals can help in guiding the week-to-week steps of what to work on and keep working on.

Step Three: Take Action

Action steps are where goals become reality. These are the specific commitments you make to yourself.

Example:

• Long-term goal: Gain weight.

• Short-term goal: Drink supplements daily.

• Action step: Experiment with different supplement brands and flavors to find one that works.

  
  

The Bridge the Food Gap: An ARFID Recovery Workbook includes a “Science Fair Experiment” worksheet, which helps break this process down.

You might:

• Try four different vanilla supplement brands in one sitting.

• Taste-test four flavors from the same brand with just a few sips each.

By turning challenges into experiments, new foods feel less overwhelming and more approachable.

Ways to set realistic goals

Final Thoughts

Setting goals in ARFID recovery doesn’t mean locking yourself into rigid expectations. Instead, it’s about creating a roadmap. For some, that means a direct highway to recovery; for others, it’s a slower, scenic drive with lots of small stops.

The most important thing is that goals—whether big or small—help you keep moving forward.

For more resources and references please visit us at: https://www.bridgethefoodgap.com/references