Abstract Purpose Body image concerns and disordered eating are common among young adults. Previous research has shown that self-compassion is associated with less disordered eating and greater body appreciation. However, the majority of this research has examined between-person associations. The aim of this study was to examine dynamic within-person associations between self-compassion, body appreciation, and disordered eating in young adults. Methods Fifty-seven participants (40 females, 17 males) (mean = 25.28, standard deviation = 3.09, age range 18–30 years) aiming to lose weight reported their levels of self-compassion, body appreciation, and disordered eating twice daily over a one-week period. Results The findings showed that when participants were more self-compassionate, they expressed more body appreciation and engaged in less disordered eating. Further, when participants reported higher levels of body appreciation, they reported engaging in less disordered eating. Conclusion The findings suggest that further research should examine whether fostering self-compassion and body appreciation may be putative targets to reduce disordered eating in young adults who aim to lose weight. Level of evidence Level III Evidence obtained from welldesigned cohort or case control analytic studies.