Staying on Track in the Face of Emotional Pain

Has the loss of a loved one ever triggered thoughts in your mind about food, causing you to gain weight? I recently lost my godmother and started noticing that I wanted to eat everything in sight. I felt so hungry all of the time. But then I began thinking about my godmother and one of the last things she ever said to me. “Wow,” she nearly shouted. “You’re losing weight!” And that—coming from my godmother—was one of the most special things she could have said. (Of course, she also took the time to remind me how I enjoyed eating butter as a child. I won’t bore you with the details, but it was one of her favorite stories.) She continued to talk about my progress and how good it was that I was working on becoming healthier. She was so proud of me. That’s precisely why I can’t let my godmother’s death hurl me off the wagon. I will not let this little hump make me gain weight. My godmother would not be happy. On the contrary, I will keep making her proud by continuing to eat healthy, exercise and, most important, love myself unconditionally. I will do these things in her honor.