I'm not quite sure what you mean by "gritty". The phrase has been horribly over-used IMO and isn't really the same as realistic.
Is Fitting the Pieces something along the lines of what you mean?
Just finished reading your story recommend, and yes, that's basically what I'm going for when I say 'gritty and realistic'. As in, a story that has elements of suffering and joy in it. Not just the "I lost the fight, must do better!"-although that can sometimes be entertaining for a little while-but real suffering.
After all, you can't have joy without suffering.