Grief and Cortisol: Navigating Loss During a Weight Loss Journey
One of the most profound challenges I faced during my weight loss journey was grief. Unexpectedly losing my sister in a tragic accident left me overwhelmed with sorrow, responsibilities, and travel. During those early days, eating was the last thing on my mind. When I did eat, it was often “grief food”—thoughtful casseroles, carb-heavy snacks, and sugary sweets that friends and family kindly brought. Weight loss was far from my priority, but I was determined not to gain weight during this difficult time.
Understanding Grief and Cortisol
In the midst of my grief, I reached out to Anne Margaret Perry, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, at Altranais Wellness for guidance. She explained how stress affects the body, particularly through the hormone cortisol.
What is cortisol?
Cortisol is an essential hormone that plays a vital role in regulating your body’s stress response, metabolism, and even inflammation. However, prolonged stress can cause cortisol levels to rise, leading to weight gain, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping—challenges I was already facing.
Anne helped me identify some common culprits that could worsen cortisol levels, including:
Processed meats
High-sugar foods
Caffeine
Alcohol
Beyond food, the lack of sleep and reduced movement were also factors contributing to my elevated stress levels. During this time, my goal was simple: maintain my weight without gaining, even if weight loss had to take a backseat.
Coping with Grief While Staying on Track
Despite my best efforts, I experienced a setback—and that’s okay. Losing my sister felt like losing a part of myself, and it took every ounce of energy just to navigate the hard decisions that come with such a loss. Preparing healthy meals or sticking to a rigid routine simply wasn’t realistic.
What I could do, though, was move. Movement became my anchor during this time. One of the most meaningful moments was taking my niece on a hike. Being outdoors has always been healing for me, and sharing that connection with her brought us closer to my sister’s memory.
These small actions helped me weather the storm. In the month following my sister’s passing, I gained just one pound. While weight loss paused, I was able to maintain my progress—a small but significant victory during a time of immense hardship.
Finding a Path Forward
As the weeks passed, healing came slowly but surely. I began to sleep better, regain my focus, and return to the healthy habits I’d established earlier in my journey. When I got home, I resumed my good nutrition choices and worked toward my goals once more.
A Lesson in Resilience
Setbacks are not failures—they are opportunities to re-evaluate and adjust your goals. It’s so easy to give up during times of adversity, but I’m glad I didn’t. Instead, I accepted the reality of the moment, gave myself grace, and moved forward again when I was in a better space.
Once again, the personalized support from Altranais Wellness and Anne Perry made all the difference in helping me navigate a deeply personal and challenging time.
To anyone facing grief or other setbacks on their wellness journey: be kind to yourself. Progress doesn’t have to be perfect. What matters most is continuing to move forward when you’re ready.
Gratefully,
Kristen
(GLP-1 user and Altranais Wellness client)
