How to Stick to Your Weight Loss Plan While Grieving

When we lose a loved one it can be easy to push a lot of things to the back burner. One of the first things that seems to be forgotten is your weight loss plan. Recently, I had to experience a tremendous amount of grief when my boyfriend and I had to put our sweet dog, Precious, to sleep. In all honesty, I didn't want to eat anything at first. I pushed forward though. If you're grieving, but want to stick to your weight loss plan, here are some simple steps you can follow.

Ditch the Junk Food

I have to admit that for the first couple days I ate what I wanted just to be able to get something down. This resulted in eating a lot of junk food, which did bring a small bit of comfort. While I was able to stick to my calorie limit, due to the small amount of food I consumed, the junk food didn't help how I felt physically. The food drug me down lower, which didn't help matters. If you find yourself tempted to turn to those snack cakes sitting on the counter or the pint of ice cream in the freezer, do yourself a favor and get rid of those foods. While you may be tempted to only eat comfort food, these foods will make you feel worse and won't provide your body with the nutrients it needs.

Keep Easy Meals on Hand

Even if you normally love to cook, like I do, chances are cooking will seem too strenuous of a task while grieving. I've found that meals that are easy to pop in the oven or microwave have been my savior. However, it's important to make sure these meals are healthy. Always check the nutrition labels to make sure the foods fit your weight loss plan. Your best bet is to stick with companies that use natural ingredients and don't use preservatives. Lastly, be careful with sodium. Many heat and eat meals are loaded with sodium, which can make you retain water.

Consider Liquid Nutrition

If you find it absolutely impossible to eat anything, consider liquid nutrition. While I am not a believer of using meal replacement shakes for weight loss, they can be a good option when you can't eat anything. You don't have to choose shakes that are designed for weight loss. You can find regular shakes in the breakfast aisle of many grocery stores. You can also find smoothies in the dairy department. With both options, be sure to check the nutrition label. You want a meal replacement that offers vitamins, nutrition, a healthy amount of calories and a low amount of sugar.

Embrace Exercise

One of the greatest things you can do for your body while grieving is exercise. Exercise has helped me in so many ways over the past few days. Not only does exercise give you something to focus on each day, but it's a great way to deal with some of the emotions in the grieving process, especially anger. Whether you're lifting weights, taking a long walk or boxing on your favorite video game system, exercise can change the way you feel, if only for a few minutes.

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