🤍 Holding Joy & Grief

February 2026 – Mounjaro Diaries

February has been quieter.

Not because nothing happened.

But because something did.

My sister-in-law passed away peacefully this month🤍

There is something strangely tender about the word “peacefully.” It doesn’t make the loss easier. It doesn’t make the space she leaves any smaller. But it brings comfort.

She was surrounded by kindness. The home she was in was gentle and warm and full of staff who genuinely cared. And for that, I am deeply grateful.

Grief is odd.

It doesn’t arrive neatly. It comes in waves. In supermarket aisles. In songs on the radio. In quiet moments when you’re not expecting it.

And life… just keeps going around it.

🏉England v Wales – Six Nations Weekend

In the middle of all of this, we had a weekend at the rugby — England v Wales in the Six Nations.

Another work freebie (I really do have a knack for these😅).

England won🇬🇧🏉— which always makes the atmosphere electric.

It felt good to be in the noise. To cheer. To feel normal for a few hours. To be part of something loud and communal when everything internally feels quieter.

Grief and joy can sit next to each other. I’m learning that.

🦪Borough Market & Oysters

On the Sunday we wandered through Borough Market.

Cold air. Busy stalls. That London buzz.

We ate at my favourite seafood spot. Oysters. Fresh and briny. A glass of wine. Simple and beautiful.🦪🍷

And yes — I managed to avoid the bread basket.

Which, if you know me, is growth.

Not because bread is evil. But because I wasn’t eating to fill something emotional. I was eating because I was hungry.

That difference matters.

📉Weight Update

Weight loss this month: Zero.

Not up.
Not down.

Just… steady.

And once upon a time, that would have sent me into panic mode.

Old February Helen would have:

• Tightened everything.
• Declared a reset.
• Criticised herself relentlessly.

This February?

I’ve chosen grace.

Because life has been heavy.

Because juggling work, home life, hospital visits, loss, paperwork, and everything else that quietly follows death is exhausting.

Because sometimes maintenance is strength.

✍️When Life Gets Hard

This month has reminded me how important it is to sit with your thoughts instead of running from them.

Not in a dramatic way.

Just… checking in.

How am I actually feeling?
What am I carrying?
What do I need today?

There have been evenings where I’ve written things down just to get them out of my head. No structure. No performance. Just honesty.

And it’s helped.

Because when life gets hard, the temptation is to distract. To numb. To overeat. To overwork. To avoid.

But if you can pause — even for five minutes — and ask yourself what you’re feeling without judgement, something shifts.

You stop fighting yourself.

You start supporting yourself.

And that changes everything.

🌿Grace Over Grit

There’s a lot of talk about discipline and pushing through.

This month hasn’t been about grit.

It’s been about grace.

Grace with my body.
Grace with my energy levels.
Grace with the fact that not every month will be a milestone.

Sometimes progress looks like:

• Maintaining when you’re grieving.
• Not spiralling when the scale doesn’t move.
• Choosing nourishment over numbness.
• Showing up gently instead of forcefully.

That is still growth.

February hasn’t been flashy.

It’s been emotional.
It’s been reflective.
It’s been slower.

And that’s okay.

Because this journey was never meant to exist in a bubble away from real life.

Real life is messy.

Real life includes rugby matches and oysters and laughter.

And it also includes hospital rooms and funerals and quiet tears.

And somehow, we carry both.

With love,
Helen🤍