How I Maintained My Weight Loss During Grief and Stress Without “Being Perfect”

If you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed by stress, grief, or simply the relentless pace of everyday life, you’ll know how quickly your best intentions around food, movement, and self-care can fall by the wayside.

Because life doesn’t pause for weight loss goals.

Over the past few months, I faced one of life’s hardest seasons. My father became seriously ill, and much of my time and emotional energy went into supporting him. After he passed away, not only did I have to manage my own grief, but I had to shift into helping my mum navigate the aftermath of such a profound loss, both practically with the funeral and probate, and emotionally.

It’s been a time of overwhelm, disrupted routines and stress. Many days were spent travelling to and from hospital, grabbing takeaways or eating whatever was on offer (which, at my mum’s house, often meant a carb fest of pies, bread, and potatoes). My usual short daily exercise routines disappeared. I felt completely out of sync.

These kinds of life events can derail our wellbeing and eating plans in the blink of an eye. In fact, this kind of disruption is the perfect storm for slipping back into old habits or regaining weight.

And yet I didn’t regain weight.

Not because I was following a perfect plan (far from it), but because I’ve spent the past few years building a resilient mindset, and developing a healthier relationship with food and myself. The very tools I share in my Mindset Diet book became my lifeline.

From the process that I share in the book, I know what my thinking habits are that would sabotage me: being task focussed and putting myself last, making excuses and putting good habits off until 'tomorrow' and thinking 'sod it'.

Here’s what helped me stay grounded and avoid slipping back into old habits:

1. Self-Compassion

I let go of guilt and judgement. I accepted that this was a season of survival, not optimisation. I didn’t beat myself up over what I couldn’t do. I simply did my best, and viewed all my actions through a lens of kindness. I was intentional with my choices, asking myself, 'what is best for me in this moment?'

I cover the value and significance of self-compassion in chapter 3 of The Mindset Diet. 

2. Flexible Thinking

I stuck to my routines when I could, and let them go when I couldn’t. I didn’t allow the disappointment of missing a day (or several) to trigger that all-or-nothing thinking that says, “Well, I’ve blown it now.” Instead, I kept gently course-correcting. I kept doing what I could, when I could and making sure that I noticed when excuses were creeping in rather than real reasons preventing me from keeping my routines going. 

I cover shifting thinking patterns in chapter 4 of The Mindset Diet. 

3. Consistency Over Perfection

I focused on and celebrated what I did most of the time, for example eating my regular meals when I could and making nourishing choices as often as possible, rather than worrying about the occasional takeaways, hospital cappuccinos or carb-heavy meals that were quick and easy for my mum to prepare from her freezer. This strategy stopped the judgement and sabotaging thinking patterns mentioned above.

I cover the problem with perfection in chapter 8 of The Mindset Diet. 

4. Rest Matters Most

Grief is exhausting. Stress is exhausting. And when I’m tired, I want sugar. That’s why I had to make sleep a priority, even when it meant ignoring the to-do list so that my body could do its healing and not add to the stress cortisol. A key old habit of mine was to skip sleep to get stuff done, which caused my hormones to go out of balance and therefore my eating. So I kept a close eye on my old stress habits, intervening so they didn't get embedded again. And I reminded myself of the tools I used to use when I was struggling to sleep, for example listening to a sleep meditation. 

I cover the importance of sleep and managing stress in chapter 6 of The Mindset Diet. 

5. A Mantra to Keep Me Centred

I can't remember how many times I repeated to myself, “This too shall pass.” This mantra is a reminder to me that both difficult moments and difficult emotions are temporary. It helped me stop overthinking or playing imaginary conversations in my head, which are a sure sign of stress. I kept my essential oils that are part of my morning routine in my bag so they were always accessible and made sure I smelled the oils and repeated my affirmations to balance my energy and mood each morning.

I cover the transformational power of affirmations and mantras in chapter 4 of The Mindset Diet. 

If you’ve ever had your routine thrown off by life’s demands, I hope this gives you reassurance that you can get back to normal eventually and not put on weight.. The truth is, staying on track isn’t about sticking to a rigid plan, it’s about building resilience and self-awareness, so you can bend without breaking.

I’m here for you, cheering you on, whether you’re going through a tough time or simply want to feel more confident and in control of your wellbeing. So message me if you want to chat.

If you’ve been struggling, I hope this reminds you that resilience is something you can build one kind choice, one flexible thought, one meal at a time.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to keep coming back to yourself.

You can get a copy of my book from any online bookstore or get a signed copy from me here The Mindset Diet: Escape the Trap of Yo-Yo Dieting and go from Disillusioned Dieter to Empowered Eater

If you would like support - yes, I am still taking on a few clients while I continue to navigate the aftermath - book a call with me so we can explore how I can help.