Dealing with Grief and Weight Gain
One thing is for certain, grief is one of those things that can wreak havoc on your body. Emotionally it is draining. Physically it literally can cause your body to ache. It causes lack of sleep, depression,weight loss and weight gain. Grief can also cause anxiety attacks. To me these panic attacks felt like I was possibly having issues with my heart and sent me running to the cardiologist. These are some of the interesting facts I learned once my husband passed away at the ripe old age of 39.
What I also learned is that I am not the type of person that gets so stressed she forgets to eat and suddenly becomes skinny as a rail. Seriously? Why can’t I be like some of the widows in my favorite Facebook widow group that just can’t stop losing weight? I ask myself as I shove some more chips in my mouth. Trying to fill the void that has been caused by grief.
Nope…I’m the type of girl that gets stressed and sits her butt on the couch after working 9 hours. But first there is the 3 hours of fighting with my son over doing his homework and then another long dragged out fight getting him to sleep. Once I finally get some “me” time to sit back and relax, I am exhausted, I also may have forgotten to eat dinner. And that is where my day of dieting and eating healthy comes to a halt.
Its 10:00 pm, I haven’t eaten since 3:00 pm (unless you count the coffee I made while trying to force my 9-year-old to just write his damn sentences. Seriously how did I end up with the child that hates writing when it is my favorite hobby?) So, I’m then forced with the choice to either 1) cooking a health meal or 2) just make some crackers and slap some cheese on them and call it dinner. And thus, the vicious cycle of gaining weight continues for this overwhelmed Mommy.
This year I made a plan, I’m turning 40 and I simply must be ready for my 40 and fabulous debut. I have been meal planning and learning more about the effects that grief has had on my body. I have started my journey to healthy eating. I am learning more about meal prepping and cutting out unnecessary sugar.
Why Do We Eat So Bad When We Are Stressed?
For starters, we lack the energy to properly take care of ourselves by preparing foods that are good for our body. Instead we reach for a salty snack or something sweet. When we reach for that chocolate treat our bodies are almost instantaneously surging with energy. We finally feel like we may be able to get a few things done instead of sitting around watching TV. However just as quickly as the surge hits us, our bodies produce insulin that then leaves us feeling sluggish and tired again.
The cycle then repeats.
We need energy…We eat a surgery snack to regain the energy we need to make it through the day and to help us deal with the stress then the increase of insulin happens, and we are left craving more sugar.
Why didn’t I research this sooner? So now what? How can I stop this vicious cycle of craving foods that are not the fuel my body so desperately needs?
How to Stop the cycle of Gaining Weight while Struggling with Grief?
First you have to go to the store and stock up on healthy foods.
I know this means getting out of your PJ’s, but I promise you will thank me later. Once you finally have made yourself half way presentable, and you make it to the store, you need to stock up on the right foods.
Choose healthy fats and lots of protein. Pick carbohydrates that take your body longer to break down such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta and Whole grain breads.
Here are a few examples:
Chicken Lean Ground Beef Avocados Broccoli Cheddar Cheese
Cauliflower Brown Rice Sweet Potatoes Whole Wheat Pasta Deli Turkey
I started out pretty simple. I can’t handle too much at once. I’m a widow raising an actual human being, all on my own, give me some slack.
When I came home I cook it all up. I divided it out into healthy portion sizes and I grabbed my Tupperware. I start creating some meals and some “Oh Crap! I forgot to eat dinner” snacks.
I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I’m mainly stuffing my face with deli turkey and cheese roll ups while getting onto my son about his homework. Probably not the BEST option on the market today, but way better than stuffing my face with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Small changes for this girl. One day at a time. I’m slowly making healthy choices and my body is thanking me by not feeling so run down all the time. And I have lost 10 lbs. in the last two months so you won’t hear me complaining.
It’s a start.
Next, I vow to put my recent acquired knowledge of the Keto Diet to work. Stay Tuned…
Feel free to browse our Weight loss Category for more info. Here is Pete’s 20 pounds in a month Weight Loss Story.
